Mobster Movies, we seem to love them. There are so many in this genre it's hard to really pick an all-time single one. There are many that had some great scenes and lines. There are many that were just crap but we still watched them. We love organized crime. We love the brutality of it. We love the extravagant lifestyle. The common man that becomes powerful through organized crime. A man who's words become action; we applaud their excess and delight in their demise.
The very words, Mafia, Cosa Nostra, the Mob, Yakuza, Triad, Tongs, Syndicates bring visions of brutality and excessive violence. Over the past 20 years a new group of organized crime has been introduced , the street gangs like the Bloods, Crips, and Latin Kings.
We love the mobster names, Scarface, Johnny Sideburns, the Dapper Don, Sammy the Bull, Jimmy The Chin. Even the movie and TV names, Tony Soprano, Big Pussy, Walnuts, Jimmy Two Times, Billy Batts., we adore them and venerate them. The iconography of Al Pacino's black and white Scarface movie poster, the hands of manipulation on the Godfather posters, the Tommy gun in a violin case, and the colors of red and blue, all of these things have become religious archetypes to the gangster mythos and followers and enthusiasts cannot get enough of it.
We think their wives are hot, and we drool over their mistresses. We love the drunken, drug fueled, steamy sex scenes. The women that they attract are passionate, hot, and incredibly sexy.
AFI lists the 10 Best Gangster Films:
1. The Godfather (1972)
2. GoodFellas (1990)
3. The Godfather, Part II (1974)
4. White Heat (1949)
5. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
6. Scarface: The Shame of a Nation (1932)
7. Pulp Fiction (1994)
8. The Public Enemy (1931)
9. Little Caesar (1930)
10. Scarface (1983)
Askmen.com Top 12 Gangster Flicks
1. Godfather Trilogy
2. Goodfellas
3. Miller’s Crossing
4. Scarface
5. White Heat
6. A Bronx Tale
7. The Public Enemy
8. Donnie Brasco
9. Bugsy
10. Casino
11. Once Upon A Time In America
12. The Untouchables
I recently watched The Godfather and The Godfather, Part II. It was a bit challenging to watch because there have been so many more movies and shows to fill in the mobster mythos since it’s release in the 70’s. The production values differ then from what is considered something today. The material is incredible. It is the gold standard.
I’m not familiar with any of the movies listed in the 30s, 40s, and 60s. I was too young. I did originally see Godfather in my youth, but I could not recall much of the movie at all. I remember the violent assassinations at the end like the death of Moe Green shot in the eye.
My favorite of the entire gangster genre is really hard to figure out. Both AFI and Askmen.com seems to only see Italian Mafia. But I believe there are other types that are just as interesting as the Sicilians like the Chinese, Japanese, or British criminals. It’s not the nationality of the men that intrigues us. It is the sheer power and authority that these individuals command. People willing to give up their life for a thief’s code of honor or are willing to kill their own brother for a double-cross. What a powerful moment when Michael Corleone gave the kiss of death to his brother and said, “I know it was you, Freddo! You broke my heart! You broke my heart!”
Black Rain is a modern story of Asian organized criminals, much different than the The Yakuza from the 70’s starring Robert Mitchum. There is a handoff from the Italians to the Japanese in the opening scene which leads the protagonist and xenophobe Michael Douglas’ character to Japan. The code is similar, a bit more over the top due to slight cultural differences such as the yubitsume scene where the antagonist cuts off his pinky as atonement for wrongdoing.
Goodfellas, the Henry Hill story has some incredible over the top scenes. Joe Pesci’s character was an arrogant prick, but he was a good earner. He did the family well and was good at breaking balls. It also has a great soundtrack.
A recent entry is The Departed, directed by Martin Scorcese. It is based on a Hong Kong film, Infernal Affairs. While they are similar in some scenes and characters, there are fundamental differences in the character story arcs. I found the Triad story much more interesting because the character development was more interesting. But as far as mobsters go, the Departed is a tried and true formula, with excess and largesse, double crosses and violent gunplay. It has surprise after surprise after surprise.
Over the past couple of decades we’ve seen the introduction of a new kind of organized criminal, the street gangster, the gang banger. The Warriors in the 70s, showed the modern street gangs of New York and New Jack City updated it to the 90s feel of crack cocaine. Los Angeles would not sit idle as Blood and Crips were introduced to the screen in Colors in 1988, Boyz in the Hood followed up in 1991. The Bloods and the Crips went to the movies to see how accurately they were portrayed. Bloodshed met the movie screen for real as gang bangers took out rivals not just on screen, but standing in line at the movies. Art imitates Life.
What are your favorites?
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