Tuesday, April 19, 2011

The Public Enemy (1931)****
80 years after it was made, still a shocking, relevant and exciting film. Cagney is pure energy, the script is tight and believable, the direction is smart, energetic and innovative. Beryl Mercer plays Ma Powers a bit too broadly almost to distraction. But she can't stop this runaway train of a picture. Heavily influenced Scorsese, especially in Goodfellas.

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