Quotes by the Director and Cast

"He didn't see himself as a criminal in a bad way; he went out there as a rock 'n' roll star. On some level there was a sort of a Robin Hood in John Dillinger and he used that. ... He knew that his love for the people and the people's love for him would work in his favor. He spoke to [the people] and owned them. He was very, very charismatic."
-Johnny Depp

"What I liked about Dillinger was that here was the greatest bank robber in American history, and yet he definitely won the heart of the nation, becoming an outlaw-hero."
-Michael Mann

"Whether it's legend or not, Dillinger was a charismatic man. He was being cheered for back then and I'm sure it will happen again now with all the fat cat factors everyone is dealing with nowadays."
-Christian Bale

"John Dillinger didn't appear as a bad criminal; he went out there and he was a star, he spoke to the people and they absolutely loved him. He was a hero. This was all unfolding at the height of the Depression and so many people had had their lives ruined, when they saw someone fighting back against the banks, they loved him for it."
-Johnny Depp