Genres

Visitors Review

ruinously 2012-05-25 17:46:22

Entertaining yarn that is way too long. (Obvious spoilers)

I liked this movie. It's subject matter, the life and death of JohnDillinger, has always interested me. It was nice seeing the stories Ihave read about him be brought to life by a very skilled ensemble cast.The setting is well displayed, especially Dillinger's Ford motorcar andthe Thompson submachine guns.Unfortunately, there are two flagrant errors in this film. The first isway to much dramatic license was taken, and it did not improve uponwhat really went down. The second is the fact that it never justifiesit's running time and would have come off much better if they hadtrimmed some scenes and not included others at all.Those two beefs aren't enough to stop me from recommending it to fansof the Dillinger story, as it does have it's moments. EspeciallyDillinger's escape from Crown Point and the final five minutes at theChicago movie theater where John met his fate.

TimothyFarrell 2012-05-24 23:07:32

Resembles an 40s crime flick from Monogram except with lots more violence

Warren Oates as John Dillinger? That has to be one of the most bad ass(not to mention inspired) bits of casting. While its not his bestperformance (that'd be either "Two Lane Blacktop" or "Bring Me the Headof Alfredo Garcia"), hes compulsively watchable in anything he does.The casting all around is one of the best ever assembled and all theactors turn in immensely enjoyable performances. Since this is an AIPproduction, don't expect a "Godfather" style epic of organized crime."Dillinger" resembles an 40s crime flick from Monogram except with lotsmore violence. The gun fights are alternately exciting and tedious,fortunately the direction of them is very good."Dillinger" was directed and written by John Milius. As a director, hesvery good. The film is quickly paced and the violence is exciting. Allthe performers give wonderful performances. The script is the onlyproblem. The lack of character development is a major problem, onewhich prevents this from being as good as Peckinpah. The characters areall romanticized and one-note. The dialog is over-the-top and flowery,but is generally amusing in a hard-boiled sense. If only the script hadbeen better, this could've been a great picture. Its still entertainingin its present form. (7/10)

louis schiappa 2012-05-23 16:12:11

Machine guns ablaze

Underrated gangster film. No Bonnie & Clyde here but solid cast in goodlooking fast paced action packed machine gun blazing shoot-em up. Oates isperfect as John Dillinger and Johnson plays a ruthless tough as nails Pervuson his trail. Richard Dreyfuss highlights the supporting cast as the punkBaby Face Nelson. Milius direction style is a combination of Penn andPeckinpah with his fast moving exciting bloody gun battles.

filmbuff-36 2012-05-23 05:17:44

John Milius scores with a great gangster flick

This is one of the best gangster movies of the 70's, if not all time.Greataction sequences abound with guns blazing and blood-splatteringdetail.Warren Oates is the titular villain, who won both public support andrevulsion with his daring bank robberies as well as the lengths he took toescape justice. Ben Johnson also gives a stellar performance as MelPurvis,the dedicated FBI agent determined to kill him and the rest of hismurderousgang.But one of the biggest surprises in the movie is the performance of a veryyoung Richard Dreyfuss as notorious robber/killer Lester "Baby Face"Nelson.Dreyfuss's usually lovable charm only further compounds the nature ofNelson's seemingly innocent yet deadly as the plague persona.Director John Milius, best known for directing the cult classics CONAN THEBARBARIAN and RED DAWN has excellent cinematography and crisp dialogue,which he himself wrote. His real-life conservative politics shine throughfrom time to time, especially concerning G-Man Purvis, but he tries toshowboth sides of the story, and he does a fairly reasonablejob.This is definitely a movie to watch one night when nothing is on. Its gotaction, suspense, humor, and good use of scenery. A class act all theway.

ccthemovieman-1 2012-05-22 21:02:24

Another Good Dillinger Movie, With A Reservation

Like his predecessor in this role (Lawrence Tierney), this JohnDillinger - Warren Oates - also looks the part. Oates is arough-looking ugly mug and convincing in the lead role. Speaking ofmugs, also included in this gangster flick are a few other criminals ofthe era: Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd.Ben Johnson, meanwhile, is interesting as Melvin Purvis, the FBI whotracks down the famous Public Enemy Number One. Johnson also narratesin part of the film.Oates does a fine job of playing Dillinger. Unfortunately - rememberthis is the '70s, a decade in which the "anti-hero" was a full bloom -the film tends to make this crook into a sympathetic figure. Thescreenwriters tell us, "Hey, folks, see this criminal really wasn't abad guy! Gve him some slack!" Yeah, right.A few minor acting notes: Cloris Leachman gets third billing, but onlyhas a small role at the end as the famous "Lady In Red." MichellePhillips, who made a name for herself as a member of the Mamas andPapas singing group, did a nice job of acting, better than I would haveexpected.I have seen three versions of "Dillinger" and all of them are good,including this one.

Ephraim Gadsby 2012-05-22 10:52:52

A Boy and His Gun

"Bonny and Clyde", the movie, transcended its tale of two small-timesadistic hoods. "Dillinger", while compressing (and occasionally skirting)facts, presents a much more down to earth and realistic view of its subject. In real life, John Dillinger was a wisecracking and likable thief. Thoughconsidered a "Robin Hood" type, he he only robbed from the rich (banks)because they had the money, and he didn't "give to the poor" but kept themoney. Personable, with a twinkle in his eye, his exploits made thrillingreading to ordinary, law abiding citizens mired in the Depression. At firstDillinger tried to avoid violence, especially against by-standers; but ashis career advanced and some of his bank jobs backfired, the violencestarted and escalated. When he mixed up with psychopaths like "Baby Face"Nelson (played with wonderful panache here by Richard Dreyfus), hisreputation for non-violence soured. Eventually Dillinger committed afederal crime (crossing state lines in a stolen car) and the FBI in theperson of Melvin Purvis, a man often as colorful as Dillinger, pursuedhim.The story of Dillinger and Purvis is played here with good humor, as befitsthe tale of a man who busted out of prison with a wooden gun he carvedhimself, and who often charmed even his wardens. But also the movie depictscallous violence. Supported by an superb cast of rising stars, Warren Oatesand Ben Johnson work magic with their roles, which are among the best oftheir long and sometimes less than lustrous careers.

Theo Robertson 2012-05-21 17:01:12

Inaccurate But Still A Good Movie

Reputation is a strange thing . Take John Dillinger for example . He waspublic enemy number one during the fledgling FBI`s war against organizedcrime gangs . He was a nasty piece of work who committed the murder of aChicago policeman called O`Malley but that why he wasn`t public enemy numberone , he was public enemy number one because he robbed banks , he was aprolific bank robber during an era when banks repossessed homes andbusinesses at the merest hint of not paying back loans , many hard workinghonest American citizens found themselves destitute because of the greed ofbanks in depression hit America . To many people bank robbers at this timewere viewed as Robin Hood types ( Even though they weren`t too keen ongiving to the poor ) and there does seem to be some very slight injustice inJohn Dillinger being public enemy number one when he was far from being theworst criminal in America . Hell he wasn`t even the worst member of theDillinger gang John Milius bio pic of DILLINGER is fairly inaccurate , for example MelvinPurvis wasn`t as portrayed here middle aged but a fairly young man , butMilius is a first rate director even though he`ll always be remembered forwriting the screenplay to APOCALYPSE NOW . Despite not having a massivebudget his shoot out scenes are bloody and brutal and reminded me of therecent Ridley Scott bloodfest BLACK HAWK DOWN . He also uses a very strikingvisual style for exposition featuring a montage of newsreel , stock footage, still photos and newspaper headlines . Milius also casts well by hiringBen Johnson ( Despite being too old for the role ) , Warren Oates , HarryDean Stanton , Geoffry Lewis and Richard Dreyfuss , all fine characteractors in a fine - though rather violent - gangster film

2012-05-21 10:41:17

Graphic for its time, brilliant even today

Violent 1973 portrait of Depression-era gangster John Dillinger, therelentless effort by the FBI to stop him, and the "folk hero" essence thatsurrounded his glory days. Warren Oates is flawlessly accurate as the titlevillain, and Ben Johnson is equally alluring as Melvin Purvis, the agentbent on getting his man, rounded out by finely portrayed supportingcharacters (such as Richard Dreyfuss as "Baby Face" Nelson and Steve Kanalyas "Pretty Boy" Floyd). Masterful combination of old-school Hollywood actionand new-generation graphic depiction. The perfectly photographed locationsadd to the character's (and the film's) essence. John Milius's directing iscasually brilliant.

Darwin Teague 2012-05-21 05:36:19

Not historically incorrect, hysterically incorrect

I just finished reading a book about Dillinger. This movie was horriblyinaccurate. It's like they got a list of names and just made everythingup. His robberies and getaways were well planned, down to the second -when the time was up, they left whether they had all of the money ornot. They had notes of every road, where to turn, etc. Purvis never sawhim at the restaurant, he was told that Dillinger paid for his mealafter Dillinger left. Purvis never even SAW Dillinger before the nightDillinger was killed, only photos of him. The way his gang members diedwere fictitious. Dillinger never robbed a bank by himself, like he didin this movie. If I had never read the book, maybe I could have enjoyedthe movie. The acting was a bit over the top in places. The action wasoverdone as well. On second thought, I doubt if I would have enjoyed itmuch even if I HADN'T read the book.

helpless_dancer 2012-05-20 06:47:01

Gimme all the dough!

One of my all time fave actors played the gun toting thug to the hilt.Also,Ben Johnson was excellent as the obsessive detective dedicated to bringingthe hellraising criminal to justice. He did cheat a tad but got the jobdonewith no tears being shed for the hoodlum. Very good action film: I'llneverforget the huge cringe I gave when the getaway car ran over a woman anddragged her beneath it for a ways. This was Oates doing some of his bestwork.

RONALD B. RAFF 2012-05-20 08:02:13

"This could be one of the biggest day's of your life.........don't make it your last."

What makes "Dillinger" an edge of your seat actioner is Warren Oates'tongue in cheek portrayal of the legendary bank robber. Oates staggersback and forth between being likable and cold blooded, much like thereal John Dillinger. His character development is masterfully on key.The supporting cast of Richard Dreyfus, Michelle Phillips, Harry DeanStanton and Ben Johnson all play their parts to the hilt. I especiallyenjoyed Johnson's steely eyed portrayal of FBI agent Melvin Purvis.With his no nonsense attitude, he epitomizes the iron fisted stereotypeof the depression era G-Man.The rip roaring gun battles will definitely keep your attention.Director John Milius makes the most of his firearms expertise. Thelegendary shoot out at Little Bohemia displays incredible realism asthe cast is pummeled about by the heavy recoiling Browning AutomaticRifles. Automobile's and people alike are riddled with reckless abandonby the famous Tommy Guns of yesteryear. You could almost swear liveammunition is being used. The audual and visual effects are first ratein spite of the films tight budget.Another interesting aspect is the films digression into semidocumentary mode featuring the exploits of other depression gangsterslike Machine Gun Kelly. We are made aware that the Dillinger gang werenot the only ones terrorizing the Midwest.Costumes, antique cars and sets are historically accurate. The menssuits in particular are quite gaudy and accurately reflect the style ofthose days.There is never a dull moment and the movie paces itself at a rapidclip. While not a masterpiece, "Dillinger" is an accurate andentertaining retelling of the rat-a-tat-tat era.

2012-05-19 19:41:11

An exciting action movie

This is one of the best action movies ever made. Warren Oates is perfect inthe role of Dilinger and the film's rough, violent and fast-paced actionsequences remind me of Walter Hill and Peckinpah. A very goodentertainment.

Robert J. Maxwell 2012-05-18 17:59:46

Exciting Trash.

Near the beginning, after it's been established that outlaw JohnDillinger (Warren Oates), is an egomaniacal rapist, another bandit ofthe 1930s is cornered in a farm house and surrounded by the FBI.Second-in-command Melvin Purvis (Ben Johnson), surveys the situations,sticks a lighted cigar in his mouth, picks up two loaded .45-caliberautomatics, and stalks off into the distant house alone. Bang, bang,bang. Purvis emerges alone from the house, carrying the female hostage,the miscreant dead. All in long shot.If you're enthralled by stories like Red Riding Hood, this should haveconsiderable appeal.Oh, it's as exciting as it is mindless. Pretty Boy Floyd meets hisdemise dramatically. Multiple violations of the civic code. Plenty ofshoot outs with Tommy guns and pistols. Blood all over.As history, it stinks. Few remember Melvin Purvis as an FBI hero,partly, I would guess, because of his name. Melvin PURVIS? We allremember J. Edgar Hoover, who fired Melvin Purvis because he was arival in the quest for public attention though.The picture was written and directed by John Milius. He's the guy whohad it written into his contract that, should any animals be shot andkilled in the course of one of his productions, he should be thedesignated shooter. Milius is the guy, a compleat gun freak, who hadTeddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders in the Spanish-American war shoutingquotations from Henry V -- "Saint Crispin's Day" and all that.Exciting, yes, and complete garbage. "I knew I'd never take him alive,and I didn't try too hard neither." That is, kill 'em all and let Godsort them out.You'll just love it.

E_D_N 2012-05-18 08:43:18

A relentless account of one man's downfall and the G-man behind it

John Milius's DILLINGER is a hardcore, fast-paced account of a G-Manpursuing and getting his man, one of the most notorious outlaws of thecentury.The problem the writer/director faces when dealing with historicalfigures is what kind of movie do I want to make? Do I want to lionizethe protagonist, make him bigger than life, a living myth? Or do I wantto show a man with all the failings that implies, struggling with thesame emotions the rest of us do? Milius here chooses the latterapproach, and Warren Oates as Dillinger is never less than human exudesthe requisite bark and menace but lacks, to some degree, the gravitasthat would have been needed to make him a more imposing figure.The film, unlike most of its kind, doesn't bother to probe thepsychological impulses that first drives an individual to crime. Thereare no flashbacks to Dillinger's childhood (we are only shown hiscoming home to an average, middle-of-the-road American family) andthose unfamiliar with the true story will have to assume that JohnDillinger, the bank robber and outlaw, is a natural by-product of theGreat Depression and the poverty that sweeps the nation. That sentimentis echoed in the scene in which Ben Johnson confronts a little boy.Used to be that cops, cowboys, and firefighters were boys' heroes.Well, not no more they're not. The kid, when told he has to go toschool to be a G-Man, bluntly retorts that "Dillinger didn't." "Buthe's in jail!" Purvis shoots back. The kid waves and walks away. Purvisis puzzled. Things have changed.Only later on, during Dillinger's confrontations with "Babyface" Nelsondo we get hints that Dillinger's bank-robbing spree is fueled bygrowing megalomania: "You can't kill me, punk! I'm immortal!" He hasembraced the myth that sensationalized press accounts of his exploitshave created and it becomes clear that Dillinger fancies himself a heroof the people, a rebel fighting Hoover, Roosevelt's New Deal, and BigGovernment. The films remains even-handed though, never passingjudgment on the central figure's morality or lack thereof (thoughDillinger himself is a little too often referred to as "nice" despitesome proofs to the contrary). Purvis is not necessarily portrayed as anElliott Ness-like paragon of morality either, he's no arbiter of allthat's just and good, he's just a man on a mission -- to avenge theKansas City massacre in which several FBI agents perished at the handsof gangsters. DILLINGER is almost documentary-like in this way; theviewer is presented with the facts (however fictionalized for creativepurposes) and it's up to him to make up his mind, though I'll admit Ifound myself rooting for Dillinger and his gang during the shootouts(is the failing on my part or Milius's?) Like all bank-robbery films, the movie tends to be somewhat shapeless,events happen in an elliptical fashion to mark the span of time betweenhits and the tension in-between what is basically a succession ofset-pieces, is relieved by quiet interludes of the wild bunch enjoyingthe fruits of their labor in the peaceful countryside. Another problem with the film is that, Harry Dean Stanton apart, noneof Dillinger's partners in crime fully register with personalities oftheir own, not even -- most egregiously -- Richard Dreyfus's "Babyface"Nelson.Ben Johnson, as tough, stone-faced FBI Agent Purvis, brings the coolveteran assurance of a man biding his time to his role. If anything,Johnson makes Purvis too tough, almost invulnerable -- never onceletting a crack in his armor show -- that it's hard to believe thatsuch a man would later in life commit suicide with the gun he used onDillinger.Michelle Phillips, in her debut, does a creditable job as a half-breedformer prostitute turned Dillinger's girlfriend and her attachment anddevotion to her man is never less than credible, bringing a certainkind of poignancy to her scenes with Oates. Aesthetically, the film's compositions are pleasant (if a tad tootight-cropped) and take full advantage of the barren, scorched earthlandscapes of Depression-era little towns. The archival footage,newspaper clippings, and (older) movie clips interspersed in thenarrative gives the film its of-the-era feel and further itsnewsreel-like quality. As for the violent action sequences, they arethe highlights really, staged Old West style a la Peckinpah, fast andfurious bouts of carnage, mayhem, and death punctuated by the mightyroar of Tommy guns.DILLINGER may, in the end, be too narrow in scope to fully do justiceto as fascinating a figure as its eponymous anti-hero. Nevertheless, itis a very watchable actioner a la Joseph H. Lewis's "DEADLY IS THEFEMALE" (a.k.a. "GUN CRAZY") or the FBI STORY and true crime story fansshould give it a try AFTER having seen such gangster classics as LITTLECAESAR, SCARFACE - SHAME OF A NATION, PUBLIC ENEMY N.1, WHITE HEAT,etc...

mw1561 2012-05-18 10:29:26

a lot of machine guns

Had I one dollar for every burst of machine gun fire then I'd be a richman. The actors in this film are talented people with good resumes, butthat it the only positive comment I can make about this film. Cheap,trashy exploitation that wants us to feel sympathetic for JohnDillinger.In these types of movies I am amazed at the gall of the director. Inscene after scene Dillinger is involved in machine gun battles withpolice, and yet he is never touched. While the film might be somewhataccurate from a historical perspective, I am fairly certain that thegun battles did not take place as brazenly as the film suggests. Thereis no way that a person could stand in the open without cover, and havenumerous police officers firing at them from a close distance and notget hit. While it might make for good action scenes, it defies reality.And the was also no attempt to explain the love interest betweenDillinger and his "moll". One minute they meet, and the next she is hiswoman. Perhaps they could have shortened the gun battles and fleshedout the romantic entanglements a little.

beatlemania909 2012-05-17 20:10:08

What is it Milius?

I just finished Dillinger, not even 10 minutes ago, and have realizedthat John Milius didn't know what kind of film he wanted to make. Attimes Dillinger is seen as a rough cruel crook, then he changes into aloving and respected hero. Warren Oates plays the title role, while BenJohnson plays Purvis, the man searching for Dillinger. These menportray the characters well, but my God were they old! Dillinger andPurvis were both 31 in this time period, while Johnson was 55 and Oateswas 45, I would have cast some younger actors since the characterslooked strange being so old. I will give it to Milius, the actionsequences are absolutely amazing. His directing is perfect, hisscreenplay, not so much. The characters seem forced at times, and thedialogue didn't keep me interested for long. It's worth a watch, but Ithink I'm going to return my copy and pick up Apocalypse Now instead.

joseph rinando 2012-05-12 08:34:52

shooting in abundance!

i recently saw the dvd print on dillinger, now available from amazon.com,released by mgm home video. on amazons web page they describe the picturequality as washed out looking, too much browns etc. however i owned a 16mmprint of this title in widescreen in the 1970s. the picture quality wasthesame as the dvd. the dvd being sharper. i believe american-internationalmade this picture with this sepia tone to make it look like the 1930s. oneof their other releases a bullet for pretty boy released about the sametimehad the same look to it. the film itself is an action buffs dream cometrue.shooting in abundance, bloody shootouts throughout. john melius first filmand a true action classic, even though it glorifies dillinger asinvincable,warren oates plays it to the hilt. possibly his best performance. if youlike lots of gunplay this is your cup of tea. respectfully, yours at themovies joe rinando.

pljewkes 2012-05-11 14:36:11

Blood bath

After a pretty slow start, DILLINGER erupts into a fast movingbloodbath. Warren Oates has the title role and Ben Johnson is the cigarchomping, G-man extraordinaire Melvin Purvis. It's great to see so manycharacter actors in one film: Oates, Johnson, Geoffrey Lewis, HarryDean Stanton, John Ryan. It's Oates who carries the film and he'sexcellent in a rare lead. Michelle Phillips is "introduced" even thoughshe was already famous as a singer and had appeared in Dennis Hopper'sTHE LAST MOVIE. She's not bad as Oates' at first unwilling, then verywilling gun-moll. Cloris Leachman makes a late and hammy appearance asthe notorious "lady in red." Richard Dreyfuss is a very hot headed BabyFace Nelson.Whether or not the facts are kept straight is debatable but DILLINGERis the best of the post-BONNNIE AND CLYDE gangster films. John Miliushasn't directed a movie this good since.

ca_skunk 2012-05-09 21:10:32

Funny, But Hilariously Inaccurate

The scene at the beginning of the film where the old man at the gasstation treats Homer Van Meter with such contempt is hilarious.Billie Frechette is shown firing a gun at the feds in one scene; itdidn't happen. The end credits say she died a spinster; she was marriedtwice. Harry Pierpont was wounded in an attempted escape from deathrow; three weeks later he was still unable to walk (he'd been shot fourtimes), so they carried him to the electric chair, strapped him in, andthrew the switch.Pretty Boy Floyd was wounded running from the farmhouse, but the woundwasn't mortal. When Purvis asked him about Kansas City, Floyd let gosuch a stream of profanity that Purvis had Agent Herman Hollis shoothim with a Thompson. Hollis had fired one of the rounds that hitDillinger (although not the fatal one), and he and another agent diedwhile mortally wounding Baby Face Nelson in November of that year.The scene outside the Biograph is ridiculous. It was scalding hot,which is why Dillinger and the two women went to an air-conditionedtheater. The movie shows everyone in overcoats, including Dillinger. Hehad on an open-collared shirt and a white straw hat. Purvis didn'tshoot Dillinger at all; the fatal round was fired by an agent broughtup from Texas.I do, however, love the line about Handsome Jack Klutas (who, by theway, attended college, but had no "college degree"): "I knew I'd nevertake him alive. I didn't try too hard, neither." That scene, of course,never happened. Purvis wasn't even there when Klutas was killed.

mlraymond 2012-05-09 19:59:48

Terrific entertainment, if not totally accurate as history

This may well be the best thing Warren Oates ever did. His JohnDillinger is humorous, menacing, philosophical, and always fascinatingto watch.A great cast of supporting players adds color to theDepression bank robber's saga; especially Harry Dean Stanton as thehapless gang member Homer Van Meter, and lovely Michelle Philips asDillinger's girlfriend Billie Frechette. Ben Johnson is a powerfulpresence as Dillinger's nemesis, FBI agent Melvin Purvis, Steve Kanalystands out with his relaxed, charming portrayal of Pretty Boy Floyd,and a then unknown Richard Dreyfuss is frighteningly convincing andfunny at the same time as psychotic gangster Baby Face Nelson ( " Idon't like to be called that").The chases and gun battles are excitingly staged, but two scenes thatreally stand out for me are humorous ones. Near the beginning, bankrobber Homer Van Meter attempts unsuccessfully to impress a cranky oldman who runs a small gas station, to the great amusement of his fellowgangsters. The other scene depicts the prison escape of Dillinger andothers in the Warden's car; taking the Warden hostage, along with asurly mechanic ( " I never seen a man with such gall!") Pausing alongthe way to rob a bank, because he needs spending money, Dillingeroffers a share to both the Warden and the mechanic. The Warden lookstroubled at the idea of accepting stolen money from an escaped prisonerand notorious gangster, but the mechanic swiftly agrees to take hisshare ( " Well, I ain't no fool!"), and the Warden mutters to himselfabout the Depression conditions before accepting the money. Biddingthem a cordial farewell, Dillinger drives off in the stolen car, as themechanic repeats his comment about never having met a man with suchgall, and wonders if Dillinger will succeed in his escape. The Wardensmiles and says " I hope he does!" This may never have happened inreality, but it makes for wonderful entertainment.It's hard to explain the appeal of this movie, except that Dillinger aswritten and played is such a likable character, that you can't helprooting for him. From what I've read, the real Dillinger was describedas being very personable and friendly, even by his victims, so Oates'portrayal would appear to be fairly close to the real thing.You get the feeling that everyone involved in the making of thispicture really enjoyed themselves, and that feeling carries over to theaudience. It is simply fun to watch, especially for viewers who loveold gangster movies. Highly recommended.