by Frank Calvillo
Arrow Video, a subsidiary of Arrow Films, humbly describe themselves as merely a “Distributor of classic, world, cult and horror cinema on DVD & Blu-ray”. But we film geeks know them as the Britain-based bastion of the brutal and bizarre, boasting gorgeous Blu-ray releases with high quality artwork and packaging and bursting with extras (often their own productions). Their collector-friendly releases had traditionally not been available in the U.S, but now Arrow has come across the pond and this column is devoted to discussing their weird and wonderful output.
I remember Michael Mann’s Public Enemies back in 2009, starring Johnny Depp as John Dillinger, and all the hype surrounding the film, which promised to be an unflinching look into the life of one of the most memorable criminals who ever lived. Watching it, I couldn’t help but find myself unable to shake off the highly-stylized, formalist feeling Mann’s film gave off and how it sort of softened the effects of the real man and his crimes. After seeing John Milius’s intensely realistic Dillinger all these years later, that same feeling is nowhere to be found as the director’s chronicle of the events in question is such a world apart from Mann’s that Public Enemies almost feels like a story about an entirely made up person altogether.
One of the most violent historical retellings of all-time, Dillinger recalls the events leading up to the capture of notorious 1930s bank robber John Dillinger (Warren Oates), who quickly rose to become public enemy #1. While on the road of endless bank hold-ups and shootouts, Dillinger’s gang of infamous outlaws and his adoring girlfriend Billie Frechette (Michelle Phillips) continued to elude the many authorities hot on their tail, led by the tough and relentlessly determined G-man Melvin Purvis (Ben Johnson).
It’s so refreshing to see a film such as Dillinger take great pains with regards to portraying such historical events with as much accuracy as possible. It’s an aspect which greatly serves the frighteningly real and almost voyeuristic style of filmmaking Milius chose to illustrate this crime and passion-filled tale with. Dillinger is rapidly edited and frenetically paced to the hilt, making the entire experience a bullet-filled rollercoaster ride that feels anything but safe.
Yes, there are times when Dillinger feels as if it’s moving a bit too fast, making me wish it would slow down so that I could soak in all that’s being put in front of me. However, this was Dillinger’s life — bank robberies, gunfire and death — and Milius is determined to put his audience smack dab in the middle of it all, which he manages so well. That being said, there’s almost nothing remotely movie-like about this film in any part of its look and feel. Instead, there’s a continuously brilliant “in the moment” sensation that exists throughout thanks to (probably) indie constraints and Milius’s mission of capturing a documentary-like, fly-on-the wall experience.
It should be noted just how much Dillinger goes for the jugular in terms of its violence and brutality. The criminal acts and their effects throughout the movie prove far more penetrating than that of Bonnie and Clyde, let alone anything from recent times. Case in point, the second bank robbery sequence which sees a number of people get riddled with bullets and die in the most visually uncomfortable ways. Nothing is spared for the audience, as evidenced when in the rush to get away when Dillinger’s gang runs over a woman crossing the street carrying a bag of groceries, their vehicle dragging her body for several feet before shaking her loose. In any other film, such a sequence would be saved as a finale piece. Here, it’s simply par for the course. The power of the violence reaches a peak in the death of Dillinger gang member Homer Van Meter (Harry Dean Stanton), who is shot from afar by a number of townsmen. As he lays dying and pleading for medical help, the men all form a large circle around him and close in, listening to him beg for his life, before collectively aiming their guns and firing in unison.
It’s good fun seeing all of these recognizable actors (which includes Stanton, Richard Dreyfuss, and Cloris Leachman as Dillinger’s gang members and accomplices) in such a film, with each one bringing their A-game. No one touches the two men at the center, however, as both Oates and Johnson manage to pummel everyone standing in their way as two of history’s greatest adversaries in crime. If there’s anyone who comes close to stealing the spotlight away it’s Phillips, who gives such a lovely and accomplished performance in her acting debut.
It should be noted that the film isn’t just nonstop violence. There’s a great script at the center of Dillinger, which runs the gamut between philosophical and tongue-in-cheek at times. It’s equally matched by unexpected moments of heart, such as the odd, yet magnetic tenderness that exists between Dillinger and Billie and other moments, such as when the former’s younger sister realizes her older brother is no longer coming back, which mixes the tragic and the touching beautifully. No offense to Mann, but Public Enemies was never going to be the incredibly dynamic journey that Dillinger remains to this day.
The Package
As with most Arrow releases, Dillinger comes complete with a wealth of special features, including an insightful commentary from critic Stephen Prince. Interviews from the film’s producer, composer, and director of photography are all worthy highlights, with each individual recalling their contributions to the film. Meanwhile, the restoration process and the high-definition transfer elevate the film’s look, while keeping it’s stark feel firmly in tact.
The Lowdown
Running circles around Public Enemies, the official Blu-Ray release of Dillinger takes the film’s manic, wild energy to an entirely new level.
