Today’s quick review: Dillinger. During a stint in prison, small-time crook John Dillinger (Lawrence Tierney) meets Specs Green (Edmund Lowe), a successful bank robber. Inspired to more ambitious crimes, Dillinger busts Green and his gang out of prison and leads them on a cross-country spree of bank robberies. But as the police increase their pressure on the gang, Dillinger and his men are forced into even riskier jobs to keep the cash flowing.
Dillinger is a biographical crime drama about the infamous 1930s bank robber John Dillinger. Dillinger features solid acting, a crisp presentation style, and rapid pacing. Even without much in the way of graphic violence, the film manages to paint a dark picture of a man all too ready to kill to get what he wants. However, Dillinger’s short run time, simple characters, and thin plot make it more a snack than a full meal.
Dillinger is an exercise in economy of storytelling. Barely over an hour long, the film is a whirlwind tour of the highlights of John Dillinger’s life, from his first arrest to his tense days on the lam. The events chosen for the film are all significant in one way or another, but Dillinger wastes no time on gratuitous action, unnecessary subplots, or character development apart from what comes across in the main story.
The result is a quick, efficient watch that conveys the basics but little more. The film also suffers from a problem common to biopics: the contours of an individual’s life do not necessarily form a neat story arc. Dillinger does deserve credit for its acting. Lawrence Tierney captures the young, bold Dillinger well, while co-stars Edmund Lowe and Anne Jeffreys turn in solid, if one-note, performances as his partner in crime and girlfriend, respectively.
Give Dillinger a watch when you’re in the mood for a classic crime movie with a serious tone and grounding in real events. Dillinger has no elaborate plot or indulgent character drama to draw the viewer in, but its clean fundamentals are enough to make it a fine watch nonetheless. For a modern take on teh same story, check out Public Enemies. For a historical crime drama with more of a plot, try The Untouchables.
6.6 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for polished, no-frills storytelling.