Well, I guess I'm in the minority on this one. Of the 6 films in the WB Gangster box set (which I picked up because I liked the noir box so much), I got to this one last. Admittedly, I'm not much of a gangster film fan. To me, they're a bit more one-dimensional than the noir films. And, despite some very interesting camera work & a few notable scenes (the best being the shoot out in the rain, Tommy coming home from the hospital & the visit to the tailors), I found this one to be the weakest of the 6 in the box set. What ruined the movie for me was both the acting & the rather one-dimensional plot. After watching the others in the set, the tough momma's boy theme became quite a cliché by this point. I thought White Heat did a much better job. The story was better developed & the acting a bit more professional. In this one, none of the other actors were very good (& I found Harlow & the brother to be particularly annoying) & I didn't think Cagney was all that great either.
Review of The Public Enemy
