tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690266.post6326412773390335776..comments2024-03-24T20:15:00.996-04:00Comments on Critic After Dark: Public Enemies (Michael Mann, 2009)Noel Verahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05904212081036547668noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690266.post-83399799638313131452009-09-15T21:56:59.330-04:002009-09-15T21:56:59.330-04:00Hm. If I prefer Mann to De Palma nowadays it's...Hm. If I prefer Mann to De Palma nowadays it's because I think I like the direction he's going in at the moment, the kind of projects he wants to make and the style he's developing.<br /><br />De Palma over Hawks? Blasphemy! Well, I strongly disagree anyway (I don't think it's De Palma's best work, either).Noel Verahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05904212081036547668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690266.post-48401988052524978232009-09-15T06:25:50.951-04:002009-09-15T06:25:50.951-04:00I prefer De Palma´s to Hawks´ and infinetly both o...I prefer De Palma´s to Hawks´ and infinetly both of them (and there´s a very thin relation and quite different purposes) to overrated Mann´s, which is a good film anyway. Only a good film.Jesús Cortéshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01686012184015404230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690266.post-59077015028662715992009-09-13T21:48:33.947-04:002009-09-13T21:48:33.947-04:00Hawks did more with less, he did it first, and he ...Hawks did more with less, he did it first, and he did it in under ninety minutes.<br /><br />De Palma's version is okay. He takes his ending not from Hawks, but from Kurosawa's Throne of Blood.Noel Verahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05904212081036547668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690266.post-32432233330222301842009-09-13T19:59:37.020-04:002009-09-13T19:59:37.020-04:00Oh yeah, Scorsese talked about that:
Everytime so...Oh yeah, Scorsese talked about that:<br /><br />Everytime someone gets killed in Scarface, there'd be an "X" somewhere in the frame.<br /><br />Scorsese reproduced this for "The Departed" (and the notion of the double-cross makes sense within the context of that movie).<br /><br />Also, yeah, I like Hawk's movie better; it was REALLY cool and those gunfights and car chases were great (though, Tony kinda turns into the biggest bitch in the ending... but I think that was the point)...<br /><br />Al Pacino was still cool in the remake though, have to admit.DKLhttp://dklreviews.deviantart.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690266.post-63055790615772559042009-09-13T17:53:32.752-04:002009-09-13T17:53:32.752-04:00The COPS photography in a period setting is intere...The COPS photography in a period setting is interesting too, isn't it?<br /><br />Hawks is the original procedural director; Mann probably was inspired by him. <br /><br />In Scarface, he notes the entrance of the submachine gun (Tony Manero's all for it), and when Manero introduces his defences, it's only to find out that those very safety devices would insure that the people he cared for WOULD get hurt. Irony, with iron panelling. <br /><br />Tactics aren't emphasized too much, but the gun battles do have this incredible shape to them. You check out all the hidden X's throughout the picture (it's like looking for hidden Mickeys), while Scarface himself has an X on his cheeck, a living, walking doublecross. Plus those long tracking and rising shots. It's got a style like no other. <br /><br />I know gnagstas and rappers love De Palma's remake, but this is the true no-fat, no bullshit gangsta movie. light and fast on its feet.Noel Verahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05904212081036547668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690266.post-32405529022304578042009-09-13T14:13:29.010-04:002009-09-13T14:13:29.010-04:00One of the things I really liked in the movie was ...One of the things I really liked in the movie was Mann's emphasis on making the tactics used come across as realistic.<br /><br />Whereas people just run around and shoot tommy guns in old movies like, say, Howard Hawke's Scarface movie [though, I may need to see it again, but there doesn't seem to be too much emphasis on tactical cohesion], Mann gets you really deep and dirty in what were likely used as real tactics.<br /><br />For example, during the excellent firefight in the hotel in the forest, notice how Dilligner and his partener roll in and out of cover when returning fire; there's a logical reasoning as to WHY these men have survived in bank robbing business as long as they have.<br /><br />Also, I like how, despite the antiquated setting of the movie, the tactics that Purvis and the FBI uses actually does come across as cutting-edge; listening to phone conversations on vinyl seems to be more interesting than it should be.<br /><br />Even the thing with Dilligner's coat and how they used it to narrow his location down is an impressive detail, not only because it's an interesting detail, but because it gives insight into what was considered to be high-end sleuthing during that time-period; little things like that speak volumes. <br /><br />In general, Mann does a really good job of making police tactics and whatever really sexy and interesting; I remember the part in Manhunter [the original version of Brett Rattner's The Red Dragon, which I've not seen yet, actually] where they had to analyze a letter from the tooth fairy and it was such an interesting sequence by virtue of how quickly and professionally people worked (a lot of credit goes to the actors who conveyed this sense of professionalism very convincingly).<br /><br />Talking about professionalism, just look at how Christian Bale handles his rifle at the beginning of the movie; it's amazing.<br /><br />Anyway, really, Public Enemies was totally worth watching for the emphasis on police tactics alone (though, not a lot of people will think this... in fact, a lot of people I talked to said that the movie was boring, which I find disappointing consider how rife with weighty content the movie was). <br /><br />Good review thingy; I liked the comment about the angel holding a sword over houses, in particular.<br /><br />Also, the sets are so sexy; goddamn; I don't think I've ever been so impressed at looking at a bank vault as I was with this movie.DKLhttp://dklreviews.deviantart.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690266.post-35573613900989282262009-09-13T04:46:46.358-04:002009-09-13T04:46:46.358-04:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Wow Goldhttp://www.wow-gold.denoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690266.post-77937490910091884962009-09-13T04:46:35.151-04:002009-09-13T04:46:35.151-04:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Wow Goldhttp://www.randyrun.denoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690266.post-17139651189759687842009-09-12T12:21:21.076-04:002009-09-12T12:21:21.076-04:00GREEAAAT review.GREEAAAT review.Mariannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13160729541385252117noreply@blogger.com