Public Enemy: The Extremely Brief and Violent Life of John Dillinger

The Legend
At a time when Americans felt victimized and unsure, a man who stole from the institutions they felt had failed them was easy to lionize. Michael Mann's film is not the first to turn him into a celluloid hero. Dillinger has also been played by Lawrence Tierney (Dillinger, 1945), Warren Oates (Dillinger, 1973) Robert Conrad (The Lady in Red, 1979) and Mark Harmon (Dillinger, 1991).

• Public Enemies: Richard Corliss' Review