Public Enemies Movie Cast, Plot and Everything to Know

Plot

What's the story about?

Plot

In the action-thriller "Public Enemies," acclaimed filmmaker Michael Mann directs Johnny Depp, Christian Bale and Academy Award® winner Marion Cotillard in the story of legendary Depression-era outlaw John Dillinger (Depp)—the charismatic bank robber whose lightning raids made him the number one target of J. Edgar Hoover's fledgling FBI and its top agent, Melvin Purvis (Bale), and a folk hero to much of the downtrodden public.

No one could stop Dillinger and his gang. No jail could hold him. His charm and audacious jailbreaks endeared him to almost everyone—from his girlfriend Billie Frechette (Cotillard) to an American public who had no sympathy for the banks that had plunged the country into the Depression.

But while the adventures of Dillinger's gang—later including the sociopathic Baby Face Nelson (Stephen Graham) and Alvin Karpis (Giovanni Ribisi)—thrilled many, Hoover (Billy Crudup) hit on the idea of exploiting the outlaw's capture as a way to elevate his Bureau of Investigation into the national police force that became the FBI. He made Dillinger America's first Public Enemy Number One and sent in Purvis, the dashing "Clark Gable of the FBI."

However, Dillinger and his gang outwitted and outgunned Purvis' men in wild chases and shootouts. Only after importing a crew of Western ex-lawmen (newly baptized as agents) and orchestrating epic betrayals—from the infamous "Lady in Red" to the Chicago crime boss Frank Nitti—were Purvis, the FBI and their new crew of gunfighters able to close in on Dillinger.

Crime Drama Gangster

Top Cast

The lead cast starring in Public Enemies.

• 
  Johnny Depp

  Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

• 
  Christian Bale

  The Bride!, Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle

• M
  Marion Cotillard

  Lee, Inception

• 
  Giovanni Ribisi

  Avatar, Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 2

• 
  Stephen Dorff

  Old Henry, Mob Land

• 
  Jason Clarke

  HHhH, The Great Gatsby

• D
  David Wenham

  300, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

• S
  Stephen Graham

  Venom: The Last Dance , Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Crew Behind the Film

The Public Enemies behind-the-scenes crew and production team.

The film's director Michael Mann last directed Ferrari and Blackhat. The film's writer Michael Mann last wrote Ferrari and Blackhat.

Director

Michael Mann

Screenwriter

Michael Mann

Producers

Michael Mann
Kevin Misher

Additional Information

All Trailers

Official Public Enemies movie trailers and clips.

Production Details

What we know about the Public Enemies movie production.

Questions

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