Johnny Depp never fails to astound his fans with his performance, be it in ecstatic roles or super serious drama movies. Maintaining his performance like always, Depp appeared in Michael Mann’s 2009 mob drama, Public Enemies, alongside Christian Bale and earned critical acclaim.
However, the biopic that attempted to tell the story of gangster John Dillinger and FBI agent Melvin Purvis, had a few scenes that seemed unbelievable. Thus, during an interview, Mann revealed how he had to tone down the original script since even he found Johnny Depp’s scene hard to believe.
Michael Mann’s Public Enemies Earned Over $214M
Writer-director Michael Mann made his best attempts when he came up with the idea to create a 2009 biopic based on the story of gangster John Dillinger and FBI agent Melvin Purvis. Hiring Johnny Depp for the role of the gangster, Mann eyed Christian Bale for the role of FBI agent Purvis.
Thereafter, the movie recreated transformative moments in the life of John Dillinger and even filmed at the actual locations where the gangster squared off against FBI agents. Telling the tale of Dillinger from 1933 as he appears smuggling weapons into Indiana State Prison, the film portrayed the historical events with utmost authenticity.
Created with an estimated budget of $100M, Public Enemies earned over $214M at the box office. By far, Johnny Depp’s 2009 biopic remained Michael Mann‘s most undervalued film, despite his honest attempts. But believe it or not, the director had to tone down a pivotal moment from Dillinger’s life, as he was worried that audiences would find it unbelievable.
Michael Mann Toned Down Johnny Depp’s Escape Scene
According to director Michael Mann, he had to de-dramatize a scene from Public Enemies as he believed that audiences might question its authenticity. The rumor first originated after a Reddit user pointed out an interesting tidbit about the film’s script. Thereafter, speaking with IndieLondon via Independent, Mann disclosed how he had to tone down a particular scene.
“He didn’t take six or seven people hostage, he took 17 guards hostage with that wooden gun he had carved. It wouldn’t be credible if you put it in a movie, so we had to tone it down.”
As far as reality is concerned, when John Dillinger got arrested in Tuscon and transferred to Indiana to get questioned by journalists, he had the risk of being killed before his trial began. That’s when out of survival instinct, Dillinger astonishingly used a fake wooden gun to scare guards into helping him escape.
Even in the movie, Johnny Depp performed the particular scene with sheer authenticity. But, the incident was such that it might have left viewers wondering if the entire sequence was historically accurate. Although Dillinger’s real-life escape was extremely shocking, the movie scene would have faced all the questions.
Thus, in an attempt to avoid such issues, the director simply toned down the scene.
Watch Public Enemies on Netflix.
