The ambitions of the character of Tom Powers in The Public Enemy are not so far off from that of any determined young man, he just happens to have the viciousness (and occasional rage) to pull it all off. His rise through the crime world happens naturally, though starts with a (literal) bang with the murder of a police officer. James Cagney imbues the role with a wiry, searing energy that so dwarfs his co-stars – Edward Woods in particular – that he nearly overwhelms the picture. You can’t take your eyes off of him. He’s the whole show here, though the pre-code material
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