User Reviews

After a pretty slow start, DILLINGER erupts into a fast moving bloodbath. Warren Oates has the title role and Ben Johnson is the cigar chomping, G-man extraordinaire Melvin Purvis. It's great to see so many character actors in one film: Oates, Johnson, Geoffrey Lewis, Harry Dean Stanton, John Ryan. It's Oates who carries the film and he's excellent in a rare lead. Michelle Phillips is "introduced" even though she was already famous as a singer and had appeared in Dennis Hopper's THE LAST MOVIE. She's not bad as Oates' at first unwilling, then very willing gun-moll. Cloris Leachman makes a late and hammy appearance as the notorious "lady in red." Richard Dreyfuss is a very hot headed Baby Face Nelson.

Whether or not the facts are kept straight is debatable but DILLINGER is the best of the post-BONNIE AND CLYDE gangster films. John Milius hasn't directed a movie this good since.

Anyone who visited drive-ins in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, must have seen a film or two by American International Pictures, a distributor that resembled 1980s giant Cannon Films. Wherever movie-goers ventured, AIP would be right there to supply the latest en vogue titles - in the 50s came horror movies like 'Voodoo Woman' and 'The Undead;' in the 60s were Frankie Avalon-Annette Funicello beach comedies and biker flicks like 'The Glory Stompers;' and into the 70s, AIP churned out grindhouse-level trash like 'Cannibal Girls' and 'Sugar Hill.'

'Dillinger,' released in 1973, is one of the more 'highbrow' AIP efforts that capture the true spirit of drive-in film-making; it is one of those uneven, over-the-top flicks that satisfied the masses' thirst for entertainment, craftsmanship and common sense be damned. On the whole, 'Dillinger' is typical for its era: entertaining and worth a couple of hours, but certainly not memorable. Heavy on action and short on both acting and historical fact, 'Dillinger' was a fair effort by screenwriter-director John Milius ('Magnum Force') but certainly left room for improvement in his extensive career.

The 109-minute 'Dillinger' - epic for AIP's scope - follows the quest of FBI Midwest chief Melvin Purvis, played by Academy Award winner Ben Johnson. Purvis was the investigator who sought revenge for four FBI agents killed in a 1933 Kansas City ambush that helped gangster Frank Nash to escape justice. At large were the men who supposedly plotted that breakout, including expert bankrobber John Dillinger (Warren Oates), Pretty Boy Floyd (Steve Kanaly), and psychopath Baby Face Nelson (Richard Dreyfuss). Dillinger eventually joined forces with Floyd and Nelson, taking along Homer Van Meter (Harry Dean Stanton) and Harry Pierpont (Geoffrey Lewis). He also hooked up with Billie Frechette (Michelle Phillips), a prostitute of French and Indian extraction. While taking place over several months in 1933-4, 'Dillinger' is basically a chase film, with Purvis's entourage looking to run down and kill off the men wanted by J. Edgar Hoover.

'Dillinger' has a documentary feel, listing dates and places while Johnson supplies loose narrative as Purvis. Milius keeps an honest Depression look, using authentic fashion, cars, weapons, and buildings; he also sprinkles around black-and-white photography and stock footage of gangster shootouts. The film is never boring, moving at a quick, if haphazard, pace. The action scenes are Dillinger's strongpoint, edited competently by Fred Feitshans Jr in his last professional effort. Thousands of blank ammunition rounds must have been used to make this film, not to mention pounds of explosives. This film is certainly not for the squeamish, with people getting shot and dropping dead all over the place. The violence, while gratuitous, brings some understanding of the mayhem that organized crime dumped on American life.

This film never transcends its exploitation status, however, because the needed writing just isn't there. John Milius, somewhat overrated as a filmmaker, places way too much emphasis on action. The action scenes (mostly blood-filled shootouts) are impressive and comparable with any major crime film of its era, including 1967's 'Bonnie and Clyde.' But we simply don't get to know much about Dillinger and his gang members as people; the vital relationship that develops between Dillinger and Frechette is barely touched upon, with the pair meeting in a bar during one scene and cavorting as lovers just ten minutes afterward. Melvin Purvis also seems to wander in and out of the storyline, becoming a prominent figure only when Milius needs to keep the film from unraveling. All too often, the film takes on a shoot-'em-up persona when its characters could have been explored in detail.

Aside from this, the picture's main crime is ignorance of historical fact. While many say that 'Dillinger' is just a film, it's films such as this one that create fables and make them permanent. Those with knowledge of gangster history will point out that John Dillinger was not the last of his ring to die, as Milius's screenplay and the film's documentary style encourage us to believe. In fact, Dillinger died before Baby Face Nelson and Homer Van Meter; he also was said not to be carrying a gun on the night of his death, nor did he have Billie Frechette in tow. While these inaccuracies might make for high drama, there is no reason why Milius couldn't have stayed with the facts and written a great story around them.

Warren Oates's performance as Dillinger is quite good, although he sometimes looks unconvincing. Oates is humorous and nicely portrays how Dillinger became consumed by his larger-than-life image in the American press; however, we never really feel the menace he invoked in his lifetime. Ben Johnson gives some life to Purvis, suave but rather flat. Michelle Phillips brings emotion to the Billie Frechette character and it's really too bad that Milius's screenplay didn't flesh out her relationship with Dillinger. We never learn what drew her to a cold-blooded killer, other than the stereotype of an easy-going girl who is attracted to men of danger. The supporting roles with Kanaly, Dreyfuss, Stanton, Lewis, and a briefly-appearing Cloris Leachman, are acceptable for such talent.

As a piece of 1970s exploitation, 'Dillinger' appears doomed to retail bargain bins, which is exactly where I picked up MGM's DVD release for $4.99. The film is nicely presented in widescreen (a must for drive-in flicks) with subtitles in French and Spanish. Dillinger's theatrical trailer is supplied as a lone extra. Largely forgotten except by gangster movie fans and drive-in enthusiasts, the film doesn't really call for much else in way of supplementary material. For fans of the genre, it's certainly worth checking out.

** out of 4

Roving Reviewer - www.geocities.com/paul_johnr

While it falls short of real greatness by an inch here and a mile there, John Milius' debut film "Dillinger" is a nasty treat, packed with a Peckinpah-ish cast headed by Warren Oates and Ben Johnson, with Harry Dean Stanton, Michelle Phillips and Richard Dreyfuss in strong support. While dialog is often rough and cartoonish -- you can almost feel Milius' strain as he attempts to write dialog that is both romantic and cynical for the love scenes between Oates and Phillips -- the action scenes are top notch in both staging and execution. The cinematography is crisp and just lightly overstated, Milius' direction is assured if never subtle, and the performances rise well above the script.

Although it's a rare pleasure to see the incomparable Warren Oates in a leading role, this film is not as rewarding in that sense as Peckinpah's "Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia" from the following year. There's a feeling that Oates and Milius are a bit too concerned with making Dillinger a macho badass, although they do a good job of showing how his farmboy roots shine through. A few too many scenes verge on hero-worship. As good as Oates is, I thought Ben Johnson was perhaps even more impressive, particularly since he's been cast here well outside of his normal comfort zone. He's very impressive, for example, in a brief scene where he connects with a young boy who idolizes Dillinger and admits he "wouldn't wanna be a G-man."

Chinatown, it is not. Milius stages mythology in an impressive manner but with no subtlety and very little flair. The film does have a special sort of quality about it, but we don't feel the exhilaration that a good bank-robbing movie should impart. There's too much focus on the Phillips/Oates relationship, which begins with a beating, rape, and kidnapping and suddenly veers into romance. It's all very confusing and feels, like much else in this film, like a attempt to "top" the earlier "Bonnie and Clyde" (dismissed in the film as "amateurs").

Most younger viewers today have no concept of the term gangster as it applied to films of the seventies or for that matter the gangsters of the past. For them gangster refers to gang bangers and gang members in today's world with no relation to where the term originally came from. While for the term "O.G." or original gangster means gang members in the hood the reality is that the true original gangsters were the bank robbers and killers of the 20s and 30s who ran rampant at the time. Perhaps the most famous of these was John Dillinger and Arrow Film has just released the blu-ray version of a movie made about him back in 1973.

In the late 60s and early 70s gangster movies were making a comeback as seen in the success of films like BONNIE AND CLYDE and THE GODFATHER. So it was natural for a studio like AIP, known to make low budget films on popular film cycles, to dip their toe into the water. The result of their efforts was this film starring Warren Oates as Dillinger.

Picking up in midpoint of the career of Dillinger the movie shows him as a folk hero to some and a hard boiled killer to others. Dillinger and his gang robbed banks at gunpoint and were not shy of firing on anyone who tried to stop them. As the film opens their robbing a bank and escaping, wounded after a gun battle at their latest bank robbery.

The film is told through the narration of FBI agent Melvin Purvis (Ben Johnson) as he tracks down not just Dillinger but any and all gangsters on the run. With Dillinger as public enemy number one, Purvis has set his sights on him but knows it will take time. Time is on his side as he tracks down each criminal in the hopes they will lead to Dillinger.

Dillinger on the other hand is content to live his life on the run. With original gang members Homer Van Meter (Harry Dean Stanton), Harry Pierpont (Geoffrey Lewis) he takes on two new recruits, Pretty Boy Floyd (Steve Kanaly) and Baby Face Nelson (Richard Dreyfuss). His inclusion of the psychopathic Nelson will help with his downfall.

While most of us are aware of the life and times of John Dillinger this movie gives us a perspective of him rarely seen. Showing both sides of his life, perspectives from his point of view and Purvis', we get an idea of the real man rather than just those who were out to capture or kill him. Many of the movies made at the time attempted this with their depiction of gangsters. While BONNIE AND CLYDE almost made heroes of their characters, DILLINGER doesn't quite do so displaying the harshness of the character as well as the moments when things were calmer.

One of the things that stands out in this film is that it was the first major film directed by John Milius who went on to direct films like CONAN THE BARBARIAN and RED DAWN. Milius was more known as a screenwriter having written DIRTY HARRY, JEREMIAH JOHNSON and THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JUDGE ROY BEAN prior to this film. Fans of Milius will be overjoyed to see this release on blu-ray. Not only that they'll be delighted to see it get the full on Arrow Film treatment.

As with all Arrow releases this film provides the cleanest transfer to be found of the movie. Their transfers are so well done that there are times you feel as if you're watching a film for the first time no matter if you've seen it before or not. But that's never enough for Arrow and the new release is packed with extras as well. Included are a commentary track featuring Stephen Prince the author of SAVAGE CINEMA and SCREENING VIOLENCE, a new interview with producer Lawrence Gordon, a new interview with director of photography Jules Brenner, a new interview with composer Barry De Vorzon, a stills gallery, the theatrical trailer, a reversible sleeve with new artwork by Sean Phillips and a collector's booklet that includes an interview with Milius.

At the time of the film's release I was a year shy of a driver's license and the ability to see an R rated film. I'd looked forward to seeing this one for some time since and for some reason never had the chance. I'm happy to say that I wasn't disappointed. If you're a fan of the genre or seventies films then this one is not just worth watching but one to own as well. You won't find a better version out there.

John Milius's DILLINGER is a hardcore, fast-paced account of a G-Man pursuing and getting his man, one of the most notorious outlaws of the century.

The problem the writer/director faces when dealing with historical figures is what kind of movie do I want to make? Do I want to lionize the protagonist, make him bigger than life, a living myth? Or do I want to show a man with all the failings that implies, struggling with the same emotions the rest of us do? Milius here chooses the latter approach, and Warren Oates as Dillinger is never less than human exudes the requisite bark and menace but lacks, to some degree, the gravitas that would have been needed to make him a more imposing figure.

The film, unlike most of its kind, doesn't bother to probe the psychological impulses that first drives an individual to crime. There are no flashbacks to Dillinger's childhood (we are only shown his coming home to an average, middle-of-the-road American family) and those unfamiliar with the true story will have to assume that John Dillinger, the bank robber and outlaw, is a natural by-product of the Great Depression and the poverty that sweeps the nation. That sentiment is echoed in the scene in which Ben Johnson confronts a little boy. Used to be that cops, cowboys, and firefighters were boys' heroes. Well, not no more they're not. The kid, when told he has to go to school to be a G-Man, bluntly retorts that "Dillinger didn't." "But he's in jail!" Purvis shoots back. The kid waves and walks away. Purvis is puzzled. Things have changed.

Only later on, during Dillinger's confrontations with "Babyface" Nelson do we get hints that Dillinger's bank-robbing spree is fueled by growing megalomania: "You can't kill me, punk! I'm immortal!" He has embraced the myth that sensationalized press accounts of his exploits have created and it becomes clear that Dillinger fancies himself a hero of the people, a rebel fighting Hoover, Roosevelt's New Deal, and Big Government. The films remains even-handed though, never passing judgment on the central figure's morality or lack thereof (though Dillinger himself is a little too often referred to as "nice" despite some proofs to the contrary). Purvis is not necessarily portrayed as an Elliott Ness-like paragon of morality either, he's no arbiter of all that's just and good, he's just a man on a mission -- to avenge the Kansas City massacre in which several FBI agents perished at the hands of gangsters. DILLINGER is almost documentary-like in this way; the viewer is presented with the facts (however fictionalized for creative purposes) and it's up to him to make up his mind, though I'll admit I found myself rooting for Dillinger and his gang during the shootouts (is the failing on my part or Milius's?)

Like all bank-robbery films, the movie tends to be somewhat shapeless, events happen in an elliptical fashion to mark the span of time between hits and the tension in-between what is basically a succession of set-pieces, is relieved by quiet interludes of the wild bunch enjoying the fruits of their labor in the peaceful countryside.

Another problem with the film is that, Harry Dean Stanton apart, none of Dillinger's partners in crime fully register with personalities of their own, not even -- most egregiously -- Richard Dreyfus's "Babyface" Nelson.

Ben Johnson, as tough, stone-faced FBI Agent Purvis, brings the cool veteran assurance of a man biding his time to his role. If anything, Johnson makes Purvis too tough, almost invulnerable -- never once letting a crack in his armor show -- that it's hard to believe that such a man would later in life commit suicide with the gun he used on Dillinger.

Michelle Phillips, in her debut, does a creditable job as a half-breed former prostitute turned Dillinger's girlfriend and her attachment and devotion to her man is never less than credible, bringing a certain kind of poignancy to her scenes with Oates.

Aesthetically, the film's compositions are pleasant (if a tad too tight-cropped) and take full advantage of the barren, scorched earth landscapes of Depression-era little towns. The archival footage, newspaper clippings, and (older) movie clips interspersed in the narrative gives the film its of-the-era feel and further its newsreel-like quality. As for the violent action sequences, they are the highlights really, staged Old West style a la Peckinpah, fast and furious bouts of carnage, mayhem, and death punctuated by the mighty roar of Tommy guns.

DILLINGER may, in the end, be too narrow in scope to fully do justice to as fascinating a figure as its eponymous anti-hero. Nevertheless, it is a very watchable actioner a la Joseph H. Lewis's "DEADLY IS THE FEMALE" (a.k.a. "GUN CRAZY") or the FBI STORY and true crime story fans should give it a try AFTER having seen such gangster classics as LITTLE CAESAR, SCARFACE - SHAME OF A NATION, PUBLIC ENEMY N.1, WHITE HEAT, etc...

As primarily character actors, you don't get many chances to catch Warren Oates and Ben Johnson at the top of a bill, but they get the opportunity here in this Seventies gangster romp featuring many of the top hoodlum names of the era. My instincts tell me that most of this story was probably fictitious, and without the time or inclination to check out the details, I'll just say that it was an entertaining flick if you go for this kind of stuff.

The film opens with an 'Introducing' Michelle Phillips credit, an early picture for the former Mamas and Papas singer. Though third billed right after the nominal stars of the picture, I didn't get a sense that she had a major impact on the story, even though she wound up as John Dillinger's (Oates) moll following his virtual kidnap of her in a run down barroom. She certainly didn't find herself in league with the era's infamous Bonnie and Clyde pair, though she did manage to squeeze off a few effective machine gun rounds in the latter part of the story.

There's some interesting casting for Dillinger's associates, folks like Harry Dean Stanton as Homer Van Meter, Geoffrey Lewis as Harry Pierpont, and a young Richard Dreyfuss aptly chosen as Lester 'Baby Face' Nelson. That scene where Dillinger works over the fresh mouthed Nelson was one of those instances that didn't ring true to me. If it happened, I'm surprised Nelson would have stuck around.

The coolest scene in my estimation took place right after Dillinger maneuvered his way out of the Lake County Jail, freeing Reed Youngblood (Frank McRae) and grabbing a guard and the warden for a brief period as hostages. As they make good their escape, Dillinger has his driver pull over so he can rob a bank! That I believe, is what they call chutzpah!