Mob/Crime Manny M Bryan N.

Mob/Crime Films Crime films are films which focus on the lives of criminals. The stylistic approach to a crime film varies from realistic portrayals of real-life criminal figures, to the far-fetched evil doings of imaginary arch-villains. Criminal acts are almost always glorified in these movies

History The first film to be categorized under the organized crime and gangster genre was The Musketeers of Pig Alley which was a silent film directed by D.W. Griffith in This film initially showed audiences the reality of politics and social aspects of their time. Crime films became popular during the time of prohibition and illegal activities before WW1.

Subgenres Crime films can be broken up into many different subgenres: Crime Comedies (Tower Heist) Crime Thriller (Seven) Mob Films (Goodfellas) Hood Films (Boyz n the Hood) Heist (Reservoir Dogs) Film Noir (Sin City) Foreign Crime

Foreign Films Some more famous kinds of foreign crime films are those that include the Yakuza, or Japanese organized crime. Takeshi Kitano: Fireworks (1997) Seiichi Shira: Tokyo Mafia: Yakuza Wars (1995) Kinji Fukasaku: Battles without Honor and Humanity (1973) Sejun Suzuki: Tokyo Drifter (1966) Akira Kurasawa: High and Low (1963) and The Bad Sleep Well (1960)

Setting Many mob films are set in large cities such as Chicago or New York and its surrounding areas during many different time periods such as prohibition and post-World War II. Other crime films were set in more exotic cities, such as Miami or Las Vegas during the time of the rising of the drug trade. Settings can also take place during times of excessive bootlegging, prostitution, and gambling; reflecting the time period they were made in.

Setting Sometimes the setting tends to be dark, and have characters standing in shadows with their faces barley visible, to give the illusion to the audience that what they are doing is shady and not legal.

Style Crime films are usually fast-paced and tough, seeing that many of the films contain gun showdowns between law enforcement and gangs. Many characteristics of Film-Noir cross into Gang films: Deep Focus Expressionistic Lighting Alcohol Gloomy colors/lighting

Themes The changing relationship between friends and family due to the involvement in crime Honor, Family Pursuit of the American Dream Greed, Guilt, Family Glorifying money, power Respect being earned drug use, drug dealing, and murder. Betrayal Rise and fall of criminals Romance Death

Narrative A typical Crime film will focus on the criminal and how he begins to lie, steal and kill in order to make money, which is the fuel for their dream. While he is living this lifestyle he falls in love with the female character that is good and wants the male to get out of the illegal mess he is in. He promises her he will, after he does one last job. This last job he does will either land him in jail or in a coffin (Donnie Brasco, and Goodfellas)

Iconography Many crime films contain, but aren’t limited to: Gangs Guns Violence Blood Money Cars Big Homes/Hideouts Crooked cops Large Cities Everyone is in a suit or dress

Characters The criminal (or criminals) is usually the main character of the film, and as the film progresses we find out how it is he (or she) became the criminal they are today and how they work and fight to avoid the police/law enforcement. Although criminals are the “Bad guys”, they are praised in crime films. Law Enforcement officials are the men who work around the clock to get the criminal behind bars.

The Godfather (1972) Starring: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, and James Caan Directed By: Francis Ford Coppola Don Vito Corleone, the aging founder of an organized crime dynasty, wishes to transfer power to his son and live life in the way of the “old country”. However when the Don survives an assassination attempt by the Sollozzo Family, the Don’s son leads the family to war, which eventually breaks the Corleone family apart.

Scarface (1983) Starring: Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Steven Bauer Directed By: Brian DePalma Cuban immigrant Tony Montana and his close friend Manny Ray build a strong drug empire in Miami. Montana must deal with the hardships of this type of business, but as his power begins to grow so does his ego and his paranoia.

Millers Crossing (1990) Starring: Gabriel Byrne, Albert Finney, John Turturro Directed By: Joel Coen Tom Regan is an advisor to Leo, a crime boss in an unnamed Prohibition-era town. When Leo and rival boss Johnny Caspar feud over a bookie who's been cheating Caspar, Tom tries to keep the peace. Instead he finds himself caught in the middle of a war of ambushes and shifting allegiances where nothing is ever quite what it seems.

Road to Perdition (2002) Starring: Tom Hanks, Jude Law, Daniel Craig, and Tyler Hoechlin Hit man Mike Sullivan works for crime boss John Rooney, however after Sullivan’s son is witness to a killing he has done, Mike finds him self on the run trying to save the life of his son while seeking revenge on the man who set him up.

Bonnie and Clyde (1967) Starring: Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, Michael J. Pollard Directed By: Arthur Penn Bonnie Parker is bored with life and wants a change. She gets her chance when she meets a charming young drifter by the name of Clyde Barrow. Clyde has dreams of a life of crime that will free him from the hardships of the Depression. The two fall in love and begin a crime spree that extends from Oklahoma to Texas.

Audience Reaction Initially audiences enjoyed mob films because they usually portrayed hard working gangsters rising to the top only to lose it all in the end. This made mob films very popular during the depression. Crime and Mob films are also enjoyed by audiences because they provide them with an inside look of the flaws within their society. Whether it's realistic or exaggerated, audiences can see to an extent, the corruption, violent and drug crimes in major cities.

Audience Reaction Audiences began to enjoy these movies because of the reality they offered about the corrupt political and criminal system of the time.

“Did you know” One psychological aspect of crime and gangster movies is they do not contain any African American characters. Crime and gangster movies do not have African Americans characters because it makes the movie more realistic for the audience because there are no African Americans in the mob.

“Did you know” One of the most popular and well-known character in crime and gangster films is Al Pacino. He has starred in numerous films including Donnie Brasco, Scarface, Godfather etc. He always plays the male character that is trying to live the American dream. About 50 gang films were made in 1931 alone, two years before the end of prohibition.