If it seems appropriate that "Public Enemies," director 's film starring as Depression-era bank robber and all-around gangster , is opening Wednesday in the midst of the greatest economic meltdown in 70 years, that's because the 1930s were the golden age of the gangster film. With their up-from-thegutter storylines, movies like "Scarface," "The Public Enemy" and "Little Caesar" not only helped define the gangster genre but also acted as a subtle critique of the capitalist system itself. "It's interesting to me that a major gangster film is coming out at a time when we are in a recession," says...
photo: AP/Matt Sayles
