Genre ResearchAction – Crime/Gangster

Introduction

• A typical gangster film contains violence, guns, lots of swearing, death, and dark comedy.

• The gangster genre originates from the USA, although has been shaped and moulded to fit a more British audience over the years.

• The use of Cockney accent and slang has become hugely popular in British gangster films.

The 1920’s Crime Boom

The 20’s seen a massive increase in crime in the US. The government put a ban on the sale of alcohol, which made criminals such as Al Capone, distribute alcohol through speak easies; the consumption of alcohol was not actually banned.

Because of this, there was an increase in crime related films in the 30’s, although films focussing on these criminals were not produced until later.

The Musketeers Of Pig Alley

This film is considered the first Crime film in history. It was released in 1912, and only runs for 17 minutes. The film follows a young couple who are both targeted by gangsters. Each of the men perusing the man and woman are rivals and begin to shoot at each other.

Bulldog DrummondBulldog Drummond (1922) is

possibly a ‘lost film’; there is no known recording of the film left. This character went on to star in British crime films up until 1968, the actor playing Drummond changed a lot.

These films concentrated Captain Hugh "Bulldog" Drummond, a former WW1 officer, who, after the war leads his life as a private detective.

Chicago (1927)

Based on a true story, Chicago follows Roxie Hart, and her murder of her husband. Although the real Roxie wasn’t charged, and neither was the character in the film, the film is much more cruel to Roxie. A remake of this film was made in 2002.

Lights of New York (1928)

Released in 1928, Lights of New York was the first all-speaking feature film, and was said to define the crime genre as we know it. The critical reception of this speaking film meant that by the end of 1929, Hollywood was producing sound films exclusively.

The Big House (1930)

The Big House got the ball rolling for crime drama’s in the 30’s. This film focused on characters in a prison block, ruled by convict Butch. The prisoners take over the block, in order to escape. Although, like other films in this era, good prevails.

This film was not a silent, which made it interesting for the audience; most films released before this had no vocals.

Scarface (original)

This film laid a basis for future films of the genre; as with modern day Gangster films, it revolves around gang warfare and police intervention, and the control of a city.

The film centres around Toni Camonte and his struggle to take over South Side. He and the rest of the gang make money by selling illegal alcohol to speak easies.

This film influenced Brian De Palma in making the popular film of the same title.

Film Noir

The 40’s saw a change in crime films; due to them becoming more dark and cynical, this was known as film noir (black film).

The films would literally become darker due to directors using a lower shade of black and white. This term was given by French.

You Only Live Once (1937)

You Only Live Once is a 1937 crime drama film starring Sylvia Sidney and Henry Fonda. This was successful and considered an early Film Noir classic.

The films realistic violence meant that at least fifteen minutes of the original film was edited out before cinema release.

Eddie Taylor is an ex-convict who cannot get a break after being released from prison. When he is framed for murder, Taylor is forced to flee with his wife Joan Graham and baby. While escaping prison after being sentenced to death, Taylor becomes a real murderer, condemning himself and Joan to a life of crime and death on the road.

High Sierra (1941)

High Sierra is an early heist film and Film Noir. The film was noted for its extensive location shooting, especially in the final scenes.

The film is about a group felons who plan to rob a casino. Their leader ‘Big Mac’ puts together a group of experienced criminals for the job.

Their efforts are wasted when they are perused by the police and Mac’s recently released aid, Roy Earle, is killed. This sticks with Hollywood rules of evil losing.

Raw Deal (1948)

This film could be seen as a basis for a series of film scenario’s in todays age; a prisoner on the run is cut out of a deal and is now not only running from the police, but the contact in which the deal is set up with.

This film was given negative reviews initially, as it did not show that crime doesn’t pay, this was a major breakthrough in Crime films; until now good had normally prevailed.

The Ladykillers (1955)

The Ladykillers is a British release, it saw the beginning of black comedy, a mixture of serious plot development and humour.

This film is another film centred around a robbery. In this case a lodger staying in an old woman’s London home, and his gang of thieves are to rob a security van. The plan is successful until Mrs Wilberforce finds out about their recent crime.

In an attempt to silence Wilberforce the men end up double crossing each other and she walks away with the money.

Machine-Gun Kelly (1958)

This film, followed the real-life criminal George ‘Machine-Gun’ Kelly, this was one of the first films centring around American criminals during the prohibition era.

This was unusual because typically, crime films would see these criminals in a bad light, and a full feature film dedicated to Kelly would have shown him in a more positive way.

Oceans Eleven (1960)

Starring five members of ‘The Rat Pack’ this film anticipation was high. The likes of Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra conducted a casino heist, run by Danny Ocean (Sinatra) on new years eve.

The film was recently re-released on Bluray DVD, which shows that the massive hit is still popular now. Also, a remake of the film was released in 2001.

Bonnie and Clyde (1967)

Bonnie and Clyde is a 1967 American crime film directed by Arthur Penn and starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway as the title characters Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker. This is another film based on the infamous criminals of the great depression.

The Godfather Trilogy

The first Godfather film was released in 1972, it had an outstanding critical reception and was dubbed one of the greatest films ever made. The soundtracks main theme, composed by Nino Rota is also extremely well known and used in other places; always in honour of the film.

Real life gangsters responded to this film saying that it was a brilliant representation of the real ‘Gangster’ lifestyle. A former under-boss of the Gambino crime family stated that he ‘floated’ out of the cinema in awe.

No other film following gangsters had had the psychological depth that had been portrayed in both the first and second Godfather films. This influenced how mobsters were represented in future productions; such as Martin Scorsese’s ‘Goodfellas’ .

The Godfather III is seen as the least powerful of the three movies, this is partly blamed on the casting.

Fun With Dick And Jane (1977)

This film, directed by Ted Kotcheff, followed the Bonnie and Clyde scenario; in which it shows a young, middle class couple (Dick and Jane) who lose everything and go on a crime spree to earn money back. This is a more light hearted crime film and could be watched by families; the crime genre has crept away from Film Noir.

Scarface (1983)

Scarface is arguably the most influential crime film of its era; Al Pacino (star of The Godfather) has a very big role in the crime genre, thrusting him into the lead role kicked up a lot of anticipation and made the film a cult hit.

The film follows Tony Montana, a Cuban refugee who fled his home land to become a drug lord. The film goes back to Hollywood’s rule that crime pays. The film has a very dark ending.

The film contains an abundance of violence, bad language and graphic imagery.

The Untouchables (1987)

The Untouchables is a 1987 American crime-drama film directed by Brian De Palma. Based on the book The Untouchables, the film stars Kevin Costner as government agent Eliot Ness. It also stars Robert De Niro as gang leader Al Capone and Sean Connery as Irish-American officer Jimmy Malone. The film follows Ness' autobiographical account of his efforts to bring Capone to justice during the Prohibition era.

Batman (1989)

Batman is a crime film which completely differentiates from other films of its sub-genre; it follows the story of a superhero who is fighting crime in Gotham City. The film shows themes of vengeance from Batman and also introduces the arch-enemy concept. Unlike other superhero films Batman is very dark which is why it lies within the crime genre.

The 1990’s

Up to now the Crime genre has been shaped into a more free area for productions. With censorship in Hollywood less strict, film writers are producing realistic movies with immersive storylines. These films usually focused on organised crime, which is a hugely popular subject for films of the crime genre up until today.

The 90’s saw the end of the climax of the Godfather trilogy; which had influenced many writers to make films focused on the wrong side of the law.

GoodFellas (1990)

Goodfellas is a 1990 American crime film directed by Martin Scorsese. It is a film adaptation of the 1986 non-fiction book Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi. The film follows the rise and fall of Lucchese crime family associates Henry Hill and his friends over a period from 1955 to 1980. Influenced by the Godfather, Goodfellas shows the mob in the same sense; the gangsters being represented in a real-life portrayal.

The Krays (1990)

The Krays is a 1990 film based on the lives and crimes of the British gangsters Ronald and Reginald Kray, twins who are often referred to as The Krays. We have seen many autobiographic crime films from the USA, this British release gives a very good insight on crime in the UK.

Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Reservoir Dogs (1992) is an American crime film marking debut of director and writer Quentin Tarantino. It depicts the events before and after a botched diamond heist, but not the heist itself. Quentin’s use of special effects were very good; some people found the violence unnerving because of its heightened sense of realism.

Pulp Fiction (1994)

Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 hit Pulp Fiction was a very odd movie, due to its non-linear story and intense mixture of action and humour. Again, Tarantino used extreme gore and bad language which, earlier in Hollywood, would have been frowned upon severely.

Directed in an alternative style, Pulp Fiction joins the intersecting storylines of Los Angeles mobsters, fringe players, small-time criminals, and a mysterious briefcase.

The Usual Suspects (1995)

The Usual suspects is an American crime film which in some aspects reflects the Film Noir era, critics have called it a neo-noir release.

The film follows the interrogation of Roger ‘Verbal’ Kint, who tells the story of how he and four others ended up at a crime scene. Using flashback and narration, Kint's story becomes increasingly complex.

American History X (1998)

The film tells the story of two brothers, Derek Vinyard and Daniel Vinyard, their father killed by a black drug dealer. Derek, angered by this turns to the neo-nazi movement and after brutally killing two black people spends time in prison and changes his ways. When released we see Derek trying to turn him away from the movement. The film expresses racism in a different light, Edward Norton (Derek) was nominated for an Oscar because of his performance.

Ocean’s Eleven (2001)

Ocean's Eleven is a 2001 American crime and remake of the 1960 Rat Pack film. The film is less serious than the original as it incorporates humour into the original plot. The film, like the original, stars very famous faces in the film industry. It was a box office smash hit and went on to become a trilogy.

Conclusion

Over time, the crime-action genre has been shaped into what it is today. With the progression in special effects and after effects, these movies provide seemingly real scenes of intense action, mixed with deep storylines and give a great portrayal of the crime world.