Public Enemies analysis

This is the first 6 minutes of the Michael Mann film Public Enemies.


The film opens immediately to action, drama and fighting. The entire sequence, shown in the video, introduces the whole film as violent, aggressive and crime based. The first shot shows the feet of prisoners, chained together and being marched through the sand. The shot creates discomfort and immediately the sense of danger, as the action is in a prison, full of dangerous characters. The camera shots cut quickly, in time with the beat of the prisoners' march, between over-the-shoulder, close-up, low angle and long shots. The sounds are diegetic; the only sounds are from the chains and the prisoners' feet.

The first fighting that the audience see's begins when the prisoners are made to work. (1:42 - 3:12)
Again, Mann uses plenty of close up shots, including the close ups of the guns being passed around and the prisoner walking with a limp. The audience hears the sounds of the sewing machines working accompanied by slow string music whilst the audience prepares for the action about to unfold. A sudden surge  high-pitched strings occurs when the first prisoner turns on one of the guards, increasing the tension of the moment.

The next scene of the prisoners includes the first kills of the film. (3:50 - 4:47)

This shot is particularly effective as it shows the violence from the guards' perspectives, behind the prison bars. As the prisoner attacks the guard on the left, the audience views it from behind the bars, as if a witness to the scene. It puts the audience in a vulnerable position, increasing suspense. Another brief shot of this action is a close up of the victims head on the ground as the baton hits it. It is graphic and disturbing, and used to shock the audience.
By using diegetic sounds, Mann keeps the sense of realism high within the action. The diegetic sounds heard are the shouts between prisoners and guards, the baton hitting the man, the grunts of the attacker, the character John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) shouting, and the sudden gunfire as a second guard is killed. This is followed by the chilling sound of a siren, which creates an feeling of panic.