More Great Gangster Films
More Great Gangster Films
Gangsters, the characters we love to hate, have long been staples of cinema. But what truly distinguishes one gangster film from another? It’s often in how characters are developed, how we as viewers are positioned in relation to their exploits, and how their stories unfold within the context of their eras. The films discussed above are just a few examples of the exceptional stories the genre has to offer.
The Departed (2006)
Martin Scorsese finally won an Academy Award for best director with this Boston-set crime thriller. Based on the Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs, Scorsese’s film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as an undercover cop attempting to infiltrate an Irish-American gang, and Matt Damon as a mole placed by the gangsters within the Massachusetts State Police. The film explores themes of duality, loyalty, and identity, and offers explosive action set pieces to balance its tense moments of intrigue.
Road to Perdition (2002)
Tom Hanks plays Michael Sullivan, a Depression-era hitman who goes on the run with his son to seek revenge after his family is murdered by a rival gangster. This beautifully shot movie by Sam Mendes is surprisingly sentimental despite its brutal and bloody narrative. The film features an exceptional cast, including Paul Newman in one of his final roles, who portrays the ageing head of the Irish mob who employs Sullivan as his trusted enforcer.
Casino (1995)
This sprawling epic marked Scorsese’s third collaboration with Robert De Niro in his recurring exploration of the mob. It stars De Niro as Sam "Ace" Rothstein, a Jewish-American handicapper sent by the Chicago mob to run a Las Vegas casino. Over the film's runtime, greed and corruption seep into its characters – including Sharon Stone’s turn as Rothstein’s volatile wife Ginger – which inevitably leads to the casino's downfall.
Donnie Brasco (1997)
Al Pacino stars alongside Johnny Depp in this fact-based crime drama about an undercover FBI agent who infiltrates the Bonanno crime family in 1970s New York City. Depp plays Joseph D. Pistone, also known as “Donnie Brasco,” who befriends aging mobster Benjamin "Lefty" Ruggiero (Pacino). Brasco's six-year undercover operation leads to over 200 indictments and over 100 convictions across five separate organized crime families.
American Gangster (2007)
Based on the real-life story of Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington), a heroin kingpin who smuggled the drugs into the United States via American service planes returning from Vietnam. Meanwhile, police detective Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe) heads up a task force dedicated to taking the ruthless but business-savvy Lucas down. Director Ridley Scott masterfully orchestrates this sprawling true-crime epic, capturing both sides of the law with equal levels of moral ambiguity.
Gangster Films Across Cultures
Gangster cinema isn’t confined to the United States. Some of the most fascinating portrayals of criminals and criminal enterprises come from directors working all over the world, who explore the unique aspects of their own cultures to tell stories steeped in both history and contemporary relevance. Let’s look at a couple of compelling examples.
Gomorrah (2008) Italian director Matteo Garrone based this film on the book of the same name, itself an investigative work of journalism by Roberto Saviano. The film explores the criminal activities of the Camorra – the Neapolitan mafia – across five interwoven narratives that showcase the brutal realities of their influence. Viewers encounter the stories of a pair of teenagers seduced by the life of crime, a tailor working for a Chinese garment factory that secretly disposes of toxic waste for the Camorra, and a businessman operating under their thumb. Garrone’s approach is relentless and uncompromising, a far cry from the more romanticized depictions of the mob that often come from Hollywood.
Sonatine (1993) Japanese master Takeshi Kitano directs and stars in this stylish and minimalist yakuza film. Kitano plays Murakawa, a weary gangster sent with his underlings to Okinawa to help settle a dispute between rival gangs. The mission descends into a violent and bloody game of survival, and Murakawa contemplates the possibility of a peaceful life away from the criminal underworld. Sonatine is filled with bursts of shocking violence, moments of stark stillness, and wry gallows humor, and cemented Kitano's unique filmmaking voice.
Global Appeal, Local Concerns
Gangster films, whether they're from America, Japan, Italy or elsewhere, often appeal to our fascination with living outside the law, rebelling against authority, and gaining immense power. They explore the seductive nature of a lifestyle that can offer both extreme wealth and extreme brutality.
However, many gangster films, especially those made within the communities where a criminal enterprise operates, also aim to reveal the harsh consequences of this lifestyle. Often, they tell cautionary tales, and some films become potent tools for criticizing social and political systems that contribute to the rise of organized crime in the first place.
Great gangster films give us a window into other worlds, whether they're rooted in history or set in the present day. These films offer us glimpses into the lives of criminals, allowing us to contemplate their motivations, their triumphs, and their inevitable downfalls.
Image Credit - Shat the Movies
Women in Gangster Films
While gangster films throughout history have primarily focused on male characters, women have always been part of the equation. However, their roles have often been restricted to archetypes that reflect how broader society views women: they are either the loyal, supportive wife, the scheming femme fatale, or the innocent victim. However, with the rise of the complex antihero, and as more women take creative leadership roles both behind and in front of the camera, more nuanced portrayals of women within the criminal underworld have been taking shape.
Thelma and Louise (1991)
Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon star as two best friends on an ill-fated road trip. Louise, a downtrodden waitress, shoots and kills a man attempting to rape Thelma in a bar parking lot, and they go on the run. As they evade authorities, the women begin to embrace their newfound liberation, committing more crimes along the way. While not explicitly a gangster film, director Ridley Scott’s movie subverts conventional archetypes and explores themes of female agency and defiance against a patriarchal society that stifles and punishes them.
Jackie Brown (1997)
Quentin Tarantino adapted this film from Elmore Leonard's novel Rum Punch and made Pam Grier a blaxploitation icon in the lead role. Grier plays flight attendant Jackie Brown, who smuggles money for an arms dealer. When the situation goes sideways, she's forced to double-cross both the police and her employer to extricate herself from trouble. With exceptional dialogue and a phenomenal soundtrack, the film celebrates Grier as a formidable, complex, and ultimately triumphant female presence.
Animal Kingdom (2010)
In this gritty Australian crime drama, Jacki Weaver is chillingly brilliant as Janine "Smurf" Cody, the matriarch of a Melbourne crime family. Weaver won an Academy Award for her performance. Her sons run the family gang, while Smurf exerts control and influence from behind the scenes, her maternal warmth masking a ruthless nature. The character taps into society’s complex understanding of motherhood, particularly when the mother transgresses expected boundaries.
The Godmother (2011)
This French film offers a fact-based and surprisingly comedic take on a female gangster. It stars Isabelle Huppert as Patience Portefeux, a French-Arabic translator for the police who uses the knowledge she gleans to build a marijuana smuggling business of her own. Huppert brings a sly sense of humor, determination, and resourcefulness to the role as Portefeux navigates both the cutthroat Parisian underworld and the prejudices she faces within her own family.
The Future of Gangster Films
The gangster film will undoubtedly continue to evolve, offering us new perspectives, new stories, and new ways to understand the complex relationship between society and the outlaws on its fringes. As with all film genres, increasing diversity among filmmakers is essential, and this will open up even more thrilling and nuanced portrayals of both male and female criminals.
And in turn, as depictions of gangsters in film become more complex and multifaceted, they can continue to inspire reflection on the systems that enable or even encourage criminal activity, and lead us toward more thoughtful consideration of social justice issues.
The Rise of the Antihero
Tony Soprano. Walter White. Dexter Morgan. These iconic characters have redefined the gangster image on television. They are complex and contradictory – capable of both terrible violence and moments of surprising tenderness. Often family men, their primary motivations may stem from a misguided desire to provide for their loved ones, or a hunger for power. These gangsters are more relatable, even as their actions become increasingly abhorrent. This shift in storytelling has had a profound impact on the evolution of gangster narratives on-screen.
The popularity of such morally ambiguous characters may reflect a wider societal desire to explore the gray areas of human existence. In a world where clear-cut distinctions between good and evil feel increasingly difficult to identify, viewers may crave stories that reflect these complexities. The gangster antihero provides just that.
Gangsters and the American Dream
The gangster film often interrogates the darker side of the American Dream – the relentless pursuit of wealth, status, and power by any means necessary. The gangster embodies this pursuit in its most extreme form. The original rise of gangster films during the Great Depression may have partly been tied to the fact that even honest work seemed like a dead end for so many Americans. With opportunities seemingly scarce, stories about men (and occasionally women) rising to the top through illicit means were both seductive and escapist for Depression-era moviegoers.
This exploration of the American Dream undercurrent continues today. Modern gangster movies often use crime syndicates as a backdrop to examine issues like capitalism, corruption, and the widening gap between the wealthy and the poor. They can be both critiques and cautionary tales about what happens when ambition and greed are left unchecked.
The Influence of Video Games
The gangster genre has had a major impact on video games, and in turn, video games have influenced gangster films. Games like the Grand Theft Auto series allow players to create their own criminal empires, providing a level of immersion and agency difficult to achieve in a more linear film narrative.
This cross-pollination between film and gaming has influenced gangster storytelling in several ways. Some modern gangster films have adopted a more kinetic and visually dynamic style, inspired by the action and visual language of video games. Additionally, the open-world structure of some games encourages players to create their own unique narratives within the criminal underworld, and this may be prompting filmmakers to experiment with less traditional and more multi-layered storytelling within the genre.
The Evolution of the Genre
The gangster film has evolved significantly since its roots in the early 20th century. From the gritty realism of classic film noir to the stylistic excess of the 1980s and the rise of the complex antihero, the genre continues to reinvent itself. This is perhaps the truest indication of the gangster film’s enduring appeal; it can adapt and reflect changing social anxieties, desires, and artistic trends while retaining its core essence as a story of power, ambition, and the allure of living outside the law.
Image Credit - Medium
The Enduring Appeal of Gangster Films
Gangster films have a long and storied history, and it seems clear their appeal isn't going anywhere. They give us glimpses into shadowy, dangerous worlds that most of us will never experience. In turn, they offer a safe space to explore our own fascination with power, transgression, and the consequences of living beyond society's rules.
They can also be vehicles for social commentary, exploring themes of poverty, inequality, and corruption. The best gangster movies force us to confront uncomfortable truths about the world around us, even as they thrill and entertain. While a gangster's lifestyle might initially seem seductive, most films eventually lead us toward the inevitable consequences of living by the sword.
Whether realistic in their depiction or more overtly stylized, gangster movies offer filmmakers an incredibly flexible canvas for exploring character, conflict, and the struggle for power. Some classic gangster tropes persist, such as the rise-and-fall narrative, feuds between rival gangs, tension-filled shootouts, and the uneasy relationship between criminals and law enforcement.
However, the genre also has room to reinvent itself. The rise of complex antiheroes and the exploration of morally gray areas is a hallmark of contemporary gangster stories. Additionally, we're likely to see more diversity among characters and filmmakers within the genre. This will add new perspectives and ensure its continued relevance.
Gangsters on Our Screens
From the classic Hollywood era to modern streaming services, gangster films remain a popular and enduring genre. If you're looking to delve deeper, here are a few additional recommendations:
The French Connection (1971): A gritty police procedural about two New York City detectives pursuing a heroin smuggling ring. Director William Friedkin is known for his raw, realistic style, and the film's iconic car chase still thrills.
Mean Streets (1973): Martin Scorsese’s breakthrough film about small-time crooks in Little Italy. Features explosive performances from Harvey Keitel and Robert De Niro.
A Better Tomorrow (1986): A classic Hong Kong action film directed by John Woo that ignited the heroic bloodshed genre of gangster cinema.
Election (2005): Johnnie To's stylish and brutal story of power struggles within a Hong Kong Triad.
The Wire (2002-2008): This critically acclaimed television series is often hailed as one of the greatest shows of all time. Its complex narratives and unflinching realism offer a nuanced exploration of the various participants within Baltimore's criminal landscape.
The gangster film's future will remain bright as long as filmmakers continue to innovate within the genre and reflect its enduring themes in a fresh and engaging way. They offer us a window into the criminal underworld, providing us with both thrills and a unique lens through which to examine our own world. And it seems like the possibilities for cinematic exploration within the realm of crime, ambition, and loyalty are endless.
