Der öffentliche Feind (1931)
14KDer öffentliche Feind: Directed by William A. Wellman. With James Cagney, Jean Harlow, Edward Woods, Joan Blondell. An Irish-American street punk tries to make it big in the world of organized crime.
“Most films made in the early 30s are entertaining only as period pieces that give us a glimpse into another era. Often they are so dated that theyu0026#39;ve become unintentionally funny.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe Public Enemy is a totally different thing. It is such a well-crafted and honest film that it still has the power to shock us. The violence in this film is every bit as brutal as anything in a modern u0026quot;gangstau0026quot; flick, even though some of it takes place off-camera.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBased on the stills I had seen of the grapefruit scene, I thought it would be a light-hearted moment. In fact, itu0026#39;s anything but. In that encounter, Cagneyu0026#39;s character exhibits a total disregard for others that is downright chilling.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe final scene is extremely disturbing. You wonu0026#39;t forget it.”
