Even though the "Public Enemies" DVD will not be released in the United States until Dec. 8th, I had the opportunity to get a preview last Saturday.
My friend and fellow actor Robert Hollingsworth ordered a copy from the UK, where it was released on Nov. 2. Having seen the film twice already -- once at the Chicago premiere and later on opening day, July 1, 2008 -- we watched the behind the scenes commentary by Director Michael Mann. One word describes it: fascinating.
For anyone who doesn't know the story of bank robber John Dillinger, Mann does a brilliant job of narrating the film. Yes, some web posters describe the commentary as boring. But, having been born in Chicago near where Dillinger was shot and killed, I have an inherent interest in the life, and death of Dillinger.
Mann moves through the film describing actual places, such as the Crown Point Indiana Jail, where Dillinger escaped, to non-authentic scenes where he clearly points out the filmmakers took literary license.
I did not have time to watch the movie, but I will later this week in Chicago where I was invited to attend a special screening hosted by Universal Pictures. It will be my third viewing, and after hearing Mann it will no doubt offer a much deeper appreciation for this film, even though I enjoyed it the first two times.
It will be interesting to see if Universal shows us the DVD version, or the original theatrical film. They differ some in that some scenes in the DVD are longer offering more continuity and a less choppy movie. Of course the DVD version is about 20 minutes longer.
For disclosure, I am Reporter #1 in "Public Enemies."