I like this movie as much as the next guy, but face it: if not for Cagney, this film would hardly be remembered at all. The supporting cast are static bit players, the script isn't overly impressive, it follows a predictable storyline, and the thematic elements are overly didactic and dated. Public Enemy has gone down in film history as a piece of pre-code brutality, and some scenes are indeed worthy of notoriety: the grapefruit-in-the-face scene is legendary, and the piano execution has always impressed me.
But without Cagney's fiery turn as Tom Powers, this gangster parable would be bland as toothpaste. Whereas all other characters are expendable, he makes Powers a true villain worthy of the history books. The expression on his face before his last raid and his exit in the pooring rain are electrifying.
But without Cagney's fiery turn as Tom Powers, this gangster parable would be bland as toothpaste. Whereas all other characters are expendable, he makes Powers a true villain worthy of the history books. The expression on his face before his last raid and his exit in the pooring rain are electrifying.