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Dillinger

Actor(s): Warren Oates, Ben Johnson, Michelle Phillips, Cloris Leachman, Harry Dean Stanton
Director(s): John Milius
3

Details

MPAA Rating: R
Content Advisory: Violence, Adult Situations, Not For Children, Adult Language
Movie Release: 1973
DVD Release: 09/19/2000
Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
Audio Tracks: English
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
SwapaDVD Credits: 1
Number of Discs: 1
Run Time: 1 hrs 49 mins
Studio: MGM
Total Copies: 1
Genres: Crime, Crime Thriller, Gangster Film, Biopic [feature]

Synopsis

John Milius's first directorial effort in its own small way set the stage in the 1970s for a subgenre of action films that depict a nostalgia for historical figures tinged with a hard-edged skepticism. Warren Oates stars as John Dillinger, whose short-lived career as Public Enemy No.1 was, at least according to Milius, promoted by Dillinger with a self-absorbed boosterism, comforting his victims by telling them, "Someday you'll tell your grandchildren about this." The film captures the highlights of Dillinger's criminal career, as seen through the eyes of Melvin Purvis (Ben Johnson), the FBI agent whose obsession with capturing Dillinger led to Dillinger's death in the back alley of Chicago's Biograph Theater. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

Cast

Warren Oates - John Dillinger
Ben Johnson - Melvin Purvis
Michelle Phillips - Billie Frechette
Cloris Leachman - Anna Sage
Harry Dean Stanton - Homer Van Meter

Awards

1973

New Star of the Year - Female (nominee)

Golden Globe

Michelle Phillips

Editorial Review

John Milius' most famous movie is Conan the Barbarian and his most notorious, at least in leftist film circles, is Red Dawn. His best movie, however, may be Dillinger, his bracing, complex (albeit only semi-accurate) 1973 account of the career of bank robber John Dillinger, starring Warren Oates. This picture, which has stood somewhat in the shadow of Arthur Penn's Bonnie and Clyde, is an odd mix of savage violence and beautifully poetic sequences, like a bizarre amalgam of Sam Peckinpah and John Ford. Indeed, the use of "Red River Valley" in the score makes it impossible not to notice Milius' homage to Ford, who used the tune in several of his most famous scenes. The movie is filled with memorable shots, lines, and scenes, and superb performances, beginning with that of Oates, long a favorite character actor in Hollywood, who pushed right up to the edge of genuine stardom with this film. Also worthwhile are the performances of Steve Kanaly as Pretty Boy Floyd, whose scenes are the kind of work on which a major career should rest; Harry Dean Stanton as trigger-happy Homer Van Meter; Richard Dreyfuss as a psychopathic Baby Face Nelson; and Michelle Phillips (formerly of the Mamas and the Papas) in a surprisingly convincing acting debut as Billie Frechette, Dillinger's paramour. The beauty of this film lies not only in Milius' direction and the performances, but also in his script, which delves into the period as much as into the men and their stories. One gets a sense of the misery that surrounded Dillinger's exploits, and why he was such a charismatic figure to many onlookers in the early 1930s, even as he killed and maimed his way across the country. Although he's overshadowed by Oates, veteran actor Ben Johnson acquits himself well in the deliberately understated role of Melvin Purvis, the FBI man who hunted Dillinger down. The script is essentially a battle of wits and wills between Dillinger and Purvis, both highly driven, self-destructive men on opposite sides of the law. The DVD offers a decidedly smoother film-to-video transfer than the old Image Entertainment laserdisc, which is overall an improvement, although it also reveals some flaws. Many scenes display muted tones that give them a period look, rather like faded photographs of the era, but some of it is just plain annoying, as when the look of the movie shifts from shot to shot within the same scene. One element of this disc is a given, however -- the various shoot-outs have deep color textures which allow the blood to be highlighted (no joke), and there is plenty of blood. The sound mix will prove particularly gratifying to fans of action sequences -- the robbery scenes and shoot-out are stunners, with the East Chicago robbery heralding a series of killer, action set pieces, each gunshot captured in perfect fidelity. The same clarity on the audio track allows one to fully appreciate composer Barry DeVorzon's integration of period pop music and acoustic bluegrass instruments into the score. The latter sequences reveal Milius' lyrical side as a filmmaker, such as the Tucson, AZ, dance scene; escaped convict Reed Youngblood (Frank McRae) running after Dillinger to join him; and Pretty Boy Floyd's final attempted escape. The disc, apart from a good transfer and excellent sound, has no other bonuses except the original trailer, but the movie has enough virtues to justify buying. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide