In Reply to: A saint! posted by DWPC on January 18, 2010 at 09:35:14:
The point is that while Dillinger did bad things, he did them with a smile on his face, was good natured, and he was smart enough to nurture a favorable public image. Which is why folks in the towns he stayed in did not turn him in.
You must remember that Dillinger did his work during the great depression, and many people saw banks as their enemies. So, when he stole from the banks, many people saw him as a good guy screwing those institutions that screwed the little guy. He intentionally did not steal from and kill citizens in the banks because he wanted to preserve the good grace he had from citizens.
Floyd and Nelson liked killing people, and stole from everyone in the bank - customers included.
The point, of course, is that Dillinger did not act like a gangster, though he most certainly was a gangster. If he did not act like a gangster, when why should Depp portray him as a garden variety gangster, which is apparently what you expect.
You commented that Depp is not act like a gangster in the film, curiously omitting any discussion whether Depp acted like Dillinger. Perhaps you could explain in what way did not Depp not act like Dillinger, or how did Dillinger act in such a way that Depp failed to capture. You could also explain whether Depp brought the character that appeared on the page to screen, and if so, whether that depiction is really a screenwriting issue rather than an acting issue. Do you think Depp should added nuances to a real life character that were not there in the first place in order to satisfy someone's preconceived notions of what a 20's era gangster acted like?
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Follow Ups
- 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)