Gangsters Movies

[Tory Lattin]

Alreadya master of the crime film (and the inventor of the serial-killer thriller with M), Fritz Lang returned to the fearsome villain of 1922's Dr. Mabuse: the Gambler for this superior sequel. It didn't make the incoming Nazi regime happy; Goebbels banned it, probably because it cut too close for comfort. Lang fled his homeland shortly thereafter.

Simultaneously a yakuza movie, a kung-fu flick and a love letter to cinema, Japanese director Sion Sono's Why Don't You Play in Hell is the anti-gritty gangster tale. Following a group of young filmmakers who decide to turn a real conflict between rival gangs into a film, while inserting some stars of their own. Comedic and bloody in it's execution, Sono's movie pokes fun at genre tropes one minute and shamelessly embraces them the next.

Director John Woo deserves several places on any list of classic crime movies, but there's no more perfect representation of his stylish brand of brotherly bonding across lines of justice than this box-office smash. It made Chow Yun Fat a star and was centrally responsible for thrusting Hong Kong action cinema into the global limelight.

Takeshi Kitano takes a dispassionate but heartfelt look at what happens after high school, as two best friends follow divergent paths, one becoming a boxer, the other a yakuza soldier. The result is a razor-sharp study of Japanese masculinity wrapped up in a lucid tale of post-adolescent angst.

You've seen plenty of gangster and crime movies that build to a heist, but The Hot Rock is a string of heists that take place as a result of unforseen circumstances. Robert Redford and George Segal play against type, presenting themselves as hardened crooks, but ultimately revealing that they're extremely fallible. And just wait until you hear the funky soundtrack that Quincy Jones cooked up for this crime comedy of errors.

This twisting Steven Soderbergh film is best described as a depiction of unorganized crime, depicting a ramshackle Detroit crew dealing with a job gone wrong. The super-wide angle cinematography is an acquired taste, but seeing Don Cheadle and Benicio del Toro portray complicated criminals trying to save their own hides is worth the trouble.

It's better remembered for popularizing Scott Joplin's rags, but George Roy Hill's verbally deft comedy has staying power as a fun, double-crossing caper, gentler than most films on this list. Stars like Paul Newman and Robert Redford don't hurt the appeal one bit.

This list is filled with movies that follow gangsters who meet untimely ends, but directors rarely devote much screentime to the people they leave behind. Steve McQueen's Chicago-set caper is centered around the widows of a recently-deceased criminal outfit, who band together to complete their husbands' unfinished business, attempting to pull off a dangeous heist.

The first of three collaborations between David Cronenberg and Viggo Mortensen, this explosive thriller stars Mortensen as a diner owner who might not be the all-American small-town guy he appears to be. It's executed with Cronenberg's signature wit and bravura style.

Director Jean-Pierre Melville would become a giant in the specialized field of the gangster film and this is one of his earliest triumphs, a beautiful showcase for rising star Jean-Paul Belmondo as a shifty informant. Cool and minimalist, Melville's style remains influential.

The template for the modern heist movie was set by this brooding slice of French noir, as a gang of thieves plan to pull off the impossible by ripping off a jewelry store on the Rue de Rivoli. The heart-stopping, near-wordless break-in scene remains unbeaten 60 years on.

A devastating, kaleidoscopic portrait of modern-day crime in southern Italy, Gommorrah became an instant classic upon release and even spawned a five-season Italian series. Director Matteo Garrone dramatized real-world corruption (along with well-armed teens acting out Scarface) and still managed to stay alive.

Sergio Leone's Depression-era epic evokes New York City's teeming Lower East Side like no movie before or since. The curiosity of youth is balanced against the euphoria and bitter sacrifices of criminal life. More than just The Godfather of Jewish gangster movies, Leone's masterwork is the apex of a glorious, genre-bending career.

It might just be Martin Scorsese's finest two hours and change, this swirling, relentlessly paced crime classic that served up a feast of salty dialogue (we all have our favorite quotes) and, in turn, directly inspired both The Sopranos and Quentin Tarantino's on-the-horizon game-changers. It's not a stretch to call Goodfellas the most significant movie of the last 30 years. It's certainly the most fun.

The plot of the film takes place mostly in the 1960s, which gives American Gangster the unique perspective of being able to look back at 20th-century crime from the present. The result is a blockbuster film somewhere between popcorn filler and violent think-piece.

King of New York is a film that fits into the stylistic tone of other New York City underworld movies, Escape from New York and Good Time. The use of color; like neon deep blues, gives this sub-genre an interesting visual tone.

The most modern gangster film on this list, Killing Them Softly addresses the impact of organized crime on American society after the collapse of the housing market. It also happens to be one of the best crime movies.

The themes of questioning loyalty and escape from poverty are shown in new and modern lights. It's one of the best Brad Pitt movies and James Gandolfini also gives an excellent performance. The last scene, although divisive among viewers, is one that has stuck with me for years.

Anchored by an incredible cast and helmed by Brian De Palma, The Untouchables is one of the most iconic gangster films ever made. Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, and Robert De Niro all turn in incredible performances. The Untouchables is a Prohibition-era crime film that mixes police procedural and thriller to a satisfying degree.

Although nearly 60 years old, the themes of Mafioso still ring true today. In the first part of the film, the social and cultural distinctions between the North (Milan) and the South (Sicily) are portrayed beautifully.

Depp finds a rare balance of emotional depth in playing a dual role as an FBI agent (Joseph Pistone) who becomes someone new after infiltrating the mob (Donnie Brasco). This is also inspired by a true story which lends a sense of credence and authenticity to the film.

Paranoia seeps into the mind of gangster Martin Cahill (Brendan Gleeson) like a drug by the end of The General. After drawing the ire of the IRA with his business dealings, Cahill is forced to reflect on a lifetime of mischief and crime.

This is an authentic Irish film that portrays authentic Irish crime; such as the crimes of the Catholic church and the corruption of the police. Cahill is a real Irish gangster played by a real Irish actor.

But the differences between the Italian Mafia and the Irish Mob have never been clearer. Still, the themes of controlling your city and pride in your work stay at the forefront of the seminal film, The General.

The Harder They Come is perhaps best known for its infectious reggae soundtrack, which holds its own against the best movie songs. But at the heart of the picture, is an important commentary on gangster celebrity. The protagonist Ivan, played by Jimmy Cliff, wants to be a reggae singer but corruption and poverty keep him from success.

Instead, Ivan finds himself enraptured in a life of crime. He becomes infamous for killing police officers. In turn, his former record label releases his song and reaps the profits of his celebrity. Ivan succumbs to a glorified view of the gangster which ultimately forces his downfall.

The film condemns the gangster lifestyle even more than before. This is also one of the first gangster films to heavily involve the Catholic faith, which would go on to become a major characteristic of Mafia films.

The Departed is adapted from the Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs. Infernal Affairs is an excellent movie in its own right and I considered putting it here in place of The Departed. But I came to the conclusion that if one film outranked the other, it was The Departed.

Scorsese paints a sensational portrait of South Boston crime with Jack Nicholson commanding the screen in one of his all-time great performances. In some ways, The Departed is the antithesis of The Friends of Eddie Coyle. Whereas the former is loud, explosive, and consequential, the latter is quiet, understated, and contextual.

The Long Good Friday is the quintessential British gangster film. Bob Hoskins plays the leader of a British gang that plans to start a partnership with the American Mafia in hopes that he can become a legitimate businessman.

By the year 2000, world culture had grown to see gangster films as a mostly sensational, idyllic genre. Popular gangster movies were rife with moral praise; often creating heroes and badass anti-heroes out of people the court would sentence to death.

Gomorrah, which is based on a book of the same name about the real Mafia group from Napoli, has no intent of glamorizing gang life. In fact, Gomorrah is an indictment of gangster films that have inspired young people to take up a life of crime.

One film in particular that is condemned in this way is Scarface. Children in the film say they want to be like Tony Montana but the life of crime they find is not the one that they had envisioned from the movies.

Jacques Audiard directs this thrilling gangster film about a young man who finds himself recruited into the Corsican Mafia while serving a prison sentence. A Prophet is a remarkably modern gangster movie.

At the center of the film is a struggle between Muslim and Corsican French cultures. The protagonist, played Tahar Rahim, is a man that is caught between these cultures. On one side, he has his ancestry. On the other, he has the illusion of a future.

City of God is about the rise and fall of criminal under lords throughout the Cidade de Deus favela in Brazil. It also represents a cast made up primarily of people who lived in that favela. The whole film has a documentary-style feel to it while very much still being a thriller.

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