Why Do We Love Mobster Movies?
 

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?

A mobster thread, eh? Subtle. Very subtle.

I'm one of those few people that doesn't generally like mobster movies. Departed was good, but Internal Affairs was better as it was more character driven than plot driven. Wouldn't that be a cop thriller, though?

I love mobster movies. I really can't think of one that I've watched that I didn't like. I know The Godfather movies are considered by many the best mob movies ever...but I like Casino the best.

So many to choose from. There's also Casino. It wasn't necessarily a Mobster movie, but you really can't tell a Las Vegas story without the mob.

Scarface is another classic. You can't tell the story of Miami without cocaine. Makes me wonder why there hasn't been anymore Miami-based Mobster movies. Miami was pretty much built with drug money according to the documentary, 'Cocaine Cowboys'

And one good Pacino film deserves another. If not Scarface, the definitely Carlito's Way. And if that doesn't tickle your fancy, Donnie Brasco should. And if that doesn't get to you, Heat should. I mean, it obviously was the inspiration for that ballsy North Hollywood bank robbery, talk about life imitating art.

I just noticed that all of my favorite mobster movies starred either Al Pacino or Robert DeNiro....or sometimes both.

My list in no particular order are:
Casino, this is one of the best...
Scarface, a classic for great action even for a B movie...
pulpfiction if you want to call it a mob movie...
donnie brasco, for a nice twist on the regular mob movies...
Godfather trilogy although my favorite is the 2nd one.
Goodfellas, for sure. this is a great story!!
Mafia The video game: one of the best games ever that would be a great videogame to movie.

Quasi...I saw Carlito's Way for the first time recently. Loved it. I've also noticed most good mob movies have either Pacino or De Niro...they just fit so perfectly.

that's one I never saw. I'm going to download/rent it this weekend!

Nice OP, cynthetiq!

I think gangster movies are popular because there is a little bit of the anti-authority impulse in all of us. And gangsters, instead of being punished, they get rewarded for their disregard of the law and of fairness and convention. Rewarded, that is, until either the law or the bullet comes to call. And even then, there is something about such eventualities that make their stories even more meaningful.

My favorite gangster films:

Miller's Crossing
Goodfellas
Godfather I & II
The Krays
Shoot the Piano Player
Bonnie and Clyde
On the Waterfront
Pickup on South Street
Kiss of Death
The Killers
The Grifters

I'm partial to the old film noir greats....

never seen these ones... which would you recommend 1st?

On the waterfront, MOAB,
these are all good though, you are in for a treat!

What do you think, mm?

All of them are great. I guess it depends on whether you like older movies or not.

On the Waterfront is probably one of the most frank portrayals of organized crime ever made in that it doesn't focus on the glamorous lifestyle, but rather how it takes advantage of the weak and vulnerable. Much like Hollywood and any other big business, it lures people in who are looking for a way to the top and then, if you're not up to the game, it chews you up and spits you out.

Shoot the Piano Player is a French film from the 1960's by Francois Truffaut and it's a well-deserved classic in the genre.

The Krays is an excellent British film about two brothers in the who became kingpins in the British mob during the 1960's. A little bit of trivia about this film is that it stars the two brothers from the 1980's pop group Spandau Ballet. They are very, very good though.

Bonnie and Clyde is the late '60's classic starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway and you most certainly should see that.

Pickup on South Street is one of cult filmmaker Sam Fuller's early movies from the '50's and, although not literally a gangster film, more a crime/espionage caper, it shares of a lot of the elements.

Kiss of Death was Richard Widmark's debut in movies (he stars in Pickup on South Street, too) and even though his role is secondary he really steals the show as the psycho killer with the menacing laugh.

The Killers is classic film noir starring Burt Lancaster with Ava Gardner as the film's stunning femme fatale. It is a fabulous film all around, with great dialogue, perfomances and cinematography.



I'd also like to add Once Upon a Time in America, to my list.
Can't believe I forgot that one, I just watched it a few weeks ago.

I enjoy them from time to time. But they are not my favourite.

And for the record. Every time I read "Love Mobster movie" I actually am reading it as "Love Lobster movie"

So I get a funny picture in my head about lobsters.

Casino and Good Fella's.

I read it the same way :). Lobster movies, mmm.

I'm not a huge fan of mobster movies, but I really like Goodfellas.

depends if it's well made. I will check them out. thanks for the list!

The only reason why i don't put it on my lists is that it's overrated. Very good movie but way too long and not enough action.

Well, man, that's just like, your opinion, man.

movie reference :p

I was too late to enjoy The Godfather. It had already inspired other great movies, it had been copied and parodied and by the time I did watch it, I'd pretty much already seen every element of the film elsewhere. Had Godfather and The Departed been released on the same day, Departed would blow The Godfather out of the water. It's just, The Departed wouldn't exist without The Godfather paving the way.

My Fav. Mafia movie is Jane Austen's Mafia.

(It's a shame Digg grabbed Cyn's avatar as the picture for this article. It's a little weird to have an article about gangster movies with a kitten-doing-pushups picture...)

I wouldn't call Bonnie and Clyde a mobster film. It's more of a couple on the run film (sub-genre of the Road Movie). After all, Bonnie and Clyde are in a gang but they are not part of organized crime.

I think there are a lot of reasons why people like mob films but one of the strong reasons is that American mob films hold up a mirror to both the American Family and to the American Dream. These two thing are at the centre of American culture.

I've never watched a gangster movie. However, I really enjoy reading the prose of Damon Runyon, whose stories were used as the plot of the musical Guys and Dolls. What I like the best is the precision of language. The characters never use contractions. Their sentences are constructed in such a way to ensure that there are no possible alternative meanings and no misunderstandings... probably because they could be killed if something was misinterpreted.

I really liked Mad Dog Time. It was a little rough around the edges ... but I usually like anything that Roger Ebert hates.

You're right it isn't a mobster film. Nor did they live a glamorous or extravagant lifestyle.

Several of my movies aren't literally 'mob' films so I should revise it.

I just wanted to mention The Untouchables since it isn't listed above. It's definitely one of my favorite mobster movies, and probably in my top 20 overall, as well.

No, and its politics are different, too. It's an overtly populist movie. The gangster movies are more complicated. They may critique political corruption, or crooked cops, or religious hypocrisy, but they seem a lot more comfortable with order than Bonnie and Clyde. Bonnie and Clyde shoot the cops. The Corleones buy them off.