In Reply to: Yep...Agree totally... posted by MaxwellP on January 18, 2010 at 07:27:19:
"I don't think he could convey an ounce of meanness that is necessary for a gangster role."
Opinions of the movie aside, Depp was not playing a gangster role. He was playing Dillinger. I suggest you do some research on Dillinger, because he was generally well liked, and the citizens at the time actually liked him. Watch the actual video of the scene in which Dillinger was captured, and he really did smile with his arms around the coppers. The coppers really liked Dillinger. Dillinger generally did not randomly kill people, and never stole money or jewely off the people who were in the banks he robbed. He was likeable because he was the one gangster who did not file the gangster profile, other than robbing banks, and, believe it or not, was considered a robin hood, much like Jesse James.
Contrast Dillinger with Pretty Boy Floyd, or more particularly Baby Face Nelson, who were generally hated because, one, they did seem to enjoy killing people, were psychopaths, and stole from everyone they could.
Depp played Dillinger accurately. You can either have an honest portrayal of Dillinger, or you have the snarling, madman gangster popularized by 40's and 50's era Hollywood, but not both. The latter would not have been accurate.
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Follow Ups
- Gangster role? - jamesgarvin 09:12:04 01/18/10 (24)
- RE: Gangster role? - chris.redmond2@bushinternet.com 05:41:38 01/23/10 (0)
- You're funny...//nt - MaxwellP 11:02:16 01/18/10 (0)
- A saint! - DWPC 09:35:14 01/18/10 (21)
- You miss thepoint...and the history.... - jamesgarvin 12:56:33 01/18/10 (20)
- You're serious? - DWPC 15:10:12 01/18/10 (3)
- You need strawmen? - jamesgarvin 06:31:03 01/19/10 (2)
- Read your own post - DWPC 13:20:54 01/19/10 (1)
- RE: Read your own post - jamesgarvin 14:24:42 01/19/10 (0)
- Dillinger robbed banks and killed cops; newspapers made him a popular figure and he hid behind it - MaxwellP 13:12:11 01/18/10 (15)
- RE: Dillinger robbed banks and killed cops; that's why he was a bandit not a gangster - Tom Brennan 18:45:52 01/19/10 (0)
- You are having trouble with the issue.... - jamesgarvin 13:51:23 01/18/10 (13)
- I'll regret this, but... - MaxwellP 14:17:32 01/18/10 (12)
- RE: I'll regret this, but... - jamesgarvin 14:56:39 01/18/10 (11)
- RE: I'll regret this, but... - MaxwellP 05:57:40 01/19/10 (0)
- In your world, "gangsters" are all scowling misanthropes. Dillinger - tinear 21:28:30 01/18/10 (9)
- You carry your daftness from outside to films too, I see... - jamesgarvin 06:47:44 01/19/10 (5)
- What balderdash you write. You may remember a certain lawyer that was a vicious serial - tinear 07:35:02 01/19/10 (4)
- One other thing... - jamesgarvin 09:09:27 01/19/10 (0)
- You've still not answered the question.. - jamesgarvin 09:00:56 01/19/10 (2)
- Uh, no. Depp's portrayal had Dillinger as a regular guy who just - tinear 08:05:27 01/20/10 (1)
- Will you ever answer the question???? - jamesgarvin 10:32:01 01/25/10 (0)
- Dillinger was aware of his "celebrity status" + played up to it - grinagog 01:54:43 01/19/10 (2)
- RE: Dillinger was aware of his "celebrity status" + played up to it - chazro@charter.net 12:16:33 01/22/10 (0)
- I think that is the problem for some here... - jamesgarvin 09:07:14 01/19/10 (0)