For my final project in American Gangster, I’m analyzing the relationships between the original Scarface, all three Godfather films, and the popular TV series Breaking Bad. Each piece of media explores America’s fascination with gangsters and their stories in surprisingly similar ways, largely keeping the core structure of the tragic gangster narrative. All the films share the aspects of an […]
(I highly recommend this movie if you haven’t seen it, and this post contains some spoilers.) A few nights ago I made the excellent decision of watching Baby Face (1933), a classic pre-Code film starring Barbara Stanwyck in a shocking role, even by today’s standards. Stanwyck plays Lily, the daughter of a speakeasy owner in a working […]
In 1930, two high-ranking Catholic figures assisted Will Hays with the drafting of the Motion Picture Production Code. In doing so, these figures sought to instill Christian values in movies that were becoming increasingly scandalous with their content. This was, in large part, a response to the growing popularity of gangster and crime films that […]
Which is less moral: the crooked detective or the gangster? In my opinion, it’s the crooked detective. Sure, both figures use similar tactics for their own personal gain, but at least the gangster is honest about the fact that he’s a criminal. The crooked detective hangs onto the security and legitimacy of the law he […]
(For some context, I’d suggest reading my previous post on Scarface). Wellman’s The Public Enemy (1931) chronicles the life story of Tom Powers, from his childhood in New York’s Irish slums to his peak as a successful gangster. As expected from a pre-1934 gangster film, it has all the elements required by censors in the Hays Office: the […]
Because I’m writing my research paper about early Hollywood censorship, I’ve been watching a lot of old gangster films lately. Typically, I’m not a fan of old movies, but I’ve found myself thoroughly enjoying these films. They’re pretty entertaining albeit tame by today’s standards. My favorite one so far is Scarface. No, not the one with Al […]
Near the beginning of Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 film Pulp Fiction, there’s a scene where two gangsters, Vincent (John Travolta) and Jules (Samuel L. Jackson), discuss at length the implications of giving another man’s wife a foot massage. An odd topic of conversation, even more so when you’re right outside the apartment of a guy you’re about to […]
In American pop culture, The Godfather is everywhere. Elements of the iconic film (and novel) are present in nearly every gangster film since its release. For instance, I didn’t even notice that the protagonist of Miller’s Crossing was named Tom Reagan. Multiple elements of the Coen Brothers’ 1990 gangster film were obvious nods to The […]
A few days ago, I had the pleasure of watching The Dark Knight (Nolan, 2008) for my Film and Media Studies class. We were supposed to be analyzing elements of the superhero genre and references to the liminality between justice and anarchy personified in Batman. I definitely noticed some of that stuff, but I couldn’t help but […]
During promotion of his 2013 film The Great Gatsby, director Baz Luhrmann described his work as a “great, tragic love story with action, passion, [and] drama.” And F. Scott Fitzgerald rolled over in his grave. In my opinion, Fitzgerald’s literary exploration of class, consumerism, and organized crime is too complex to be watered down into its romantic […]