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Genre Research

On Gangster Movies and their

conventions

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Background of the genre

This film genre started on the silent screen with records dating back to 1904(The Moonshiners)

This film genre (with sound) originated in the 1930s (Bad Company)

The genre was heavily criticised for glamorising violence and crime(Scarface)

In the 1940s more sinister films originating from this genre were made, thistype was called film-noir

In the 1960s British gangster films (Get Carter) started it emerge

In the 1980s a renaissance (The Godfather) and new urban takes (Boys nThe Hood) on the genre were developed

In the 1990s post-modern directors tackled the genre to give their takes on

it, also the genre spilled into TV programmes (The sopranos) and comedy(Analyse This).

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The basic Narrative of this genre

The narrative of this genre normally

highlights the life of a crime figure or a

crime's victim (s). Or they glorify the riseand fall of a particular criminal (s), gang,

bank robber, murderer or lawbreakers in

personal power struggles or conflict with

law and order figures, an underling orcompetitive colleague, or a rival gang

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Directors and actors associated

with the genreDirectors

Quinton Tarantino

Michael Klinger

Matthew Vaughn

Actors/ Actresses

Michael Caine

Helen Mirren

Ray Winston

Ross Kemp

Colin Farrel

Jude Law

Jason Statham

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Analysis of opening sequences,

ReservoirD

ogs (1992)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzMpH9jjo4wIt starts with the mobsters walking down the street with up beat music, this is a

counter hegemonic to the genre as normally it is a black background, white

text and dramatic music. This therefore creates a new opening and makes

the viewer want to see more.

at this point it also introduces the characters one at a time with names bottom

centre in orange/red/yellow, this is another challenging the genre

conventions as the text is a different colour.

Once it has finished the introductions the music stops and we man screaming

in pain this therefore creates an effect on the viewer that makes them want

to know what's happening and who is screaming and therefore keepingthem hooked. We then see the man covered in blood and it becomes clear

that it was the men walking down the street who are the inflictors.

We can denote the men in suits and there fore connote that they are gangsters

as this is a typical genre convention.

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Analysis of opening sequences,

The Krays (1990)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgdRKl-es5k&feature=relatedThis film is based on a true story like many other gangster films.

It begins with white text on black background is used as it is sticking to

the common gangster convention, with dramatic music playing to

build tension

It then changes to a woman narrating broken by a screaming woman

given birth and blood running down the sheet, for this particular

movie it can be connoted as the pain inflicted by the twins.

After the woman has finished her business another woman breaks the

news that it is twins therefore introducing the main characters of thefilm and also even though the beasts that developed, they started off

the same as us, as children.

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Analysis of opening sequences,

Long Good Friday (1980)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMyaRq94KDkThis film starts with the credits appearing in whit text on a black background,

this is a convention of gangster movies and of which many use as the genre

found it successful from the past.

The moving footage starts with a man getting off a boat with a case andjumping in to a car quickly, this connotes that he is trying not be seen and

there fore creating an opening that will hook the audience and want them to

see more, after this he opens the case and removes a wad of money and it

soon becomes clear why he was moving quickly and this gives the

audience the idea that he is a wanted man for good or bad reasons.

Non-diegetic sound is played all the way through the opening scene. This isMusic that sounds dramatic. This helps accentuates the tension as it makes

the audience feel that something may occur that may cause damage to the

character.

The costume the character is wearing also implies at his outlaw occupation, as

he is smartly dressed and has a nice car (another common convention with

gangster movies) this implies that he is rich and therefore powerful withinthe underworld.

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Analysis of opening sequences,

Get Carter (1971)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoa3OTJfWIYIt starts with the popular convention of a black background with white text, then

the noise of a moving train. This suggest that it could be a gangster movie

as trains are often used as getaway transport or targets to attack.

By including men in suits and an attractive woman it follows the genreconventions as we can tell they are gangsters through the stereo type of

multiple men in suits with one woman (a wife maybe?) as members of

gangs/mobs.

Upper class, by having the main character in a high class way of travel it shows

he has money which is a common convention within gangster films.

Music is used to build tension to hook the viewer at the start and want them towatch more.

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Analysis of opening sequences,

Lock stock and Two Smoking

barrels (2000)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_o1UXSxTjfo

White text on black background is used again, repeating the common

convention.Using cockney accent, flogging stolen goods we can see that the

character is on the other side of the law and it is based in London,

England.

Music is used to create the feeling that the film will be fast paced and

exciting.A voice over occurs and we can hear a man describing what the other

is good at, this includes crime so we can see that the man is a gang

member.

Slow motion shots at the end creates tension as it makes you perceive

that the characters are slow and therefore get caught for their

actions.

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A DVD cover, Scarface

Director; Brian De Palmer

Year of Relaease;1983

Certificate; 18

This film begins by having white text running

over a black background explaining a

piece of history behind the immigration ofCubans to America

Then it changes to a man giving an emotive

speech saying that they do not want them.

Then Red text flashes on a black background.

After this person finished speaking it changes

to the docks of Cuba and people riding intheir boats and others boarding

overcrowded boats to get to America

We then see boats over filled with people

moving out the docks

Then we see the Red text on a black

background again

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Scarface cont.Conventions that are challenged at the beginning of this film are; that it did not introduce or

show the main characters, it was setting the background of which the character was from

i.e. A Cuban immigrant, also it challenges the dialect stereo/archetype as normally it is astrong Italian-American accent where as in this it is only the Cuban language in dialect we

can hear, also the narrative of setting the scene for violence to occur is challenged as it is

only showing the Cuban population immigrating to America. Furthermore it challenges theconvention of costume as there was nobody in a smart suit, all the people you could see

were quite ragged and rough looking.

as well as challenging some conventions it also stuck to some, firstly it stayed with the

traditional white text on a black background to connote death with the black, but then theyaltered this and had red text this then change the view and could connote blood as blood is

red. Also by denoting everyone wanting to leave to get a better life it connotes that they all

want money and this of which is a major importance for gangsters as this helps to getpower.

Not many main characters are shown in the opening two minutes but one influential

character is --------- and when he is shown he is in a military style hat and has a beard,

these are the only things we can see as it is a close up shot, this shot also has a low angleand this therefore connotes power and he is giving an influential speech about a problem.

This helps attract the audience as it is building up tension as he is irate about a topic and

because they don't show the full speech it hooks them as they want to know more about it.

Also by having slow editing it keeps viewers interested as it creates the effect that the

action is going to build up and be a really good film.

I feel that the audience for this film will be from teenagers to people in their 30s as it is a

film with loads of violence and foul language and also it is a certificate 18 so young peoplewill not be able to watch this.

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Conventions of gangster movies

shown in Donnie Brasco

(DVD, 1997)In this film the conventions of genre conventions shown are;

It has White text, using a famous convention but it challenges this by having imagesunderneath this instead of the black background.

It is in black and white, this is used as this genre originated when films were black andwhite, so in some sense they are paying homage to the original films, also black andwhite still images can be denoted these still image that flash up connote policesurveillance photos, as the people they are of do not know about them taking thephoto, which gives us an idea of what they do for a living.

Also orchestral music can be heard throughout the opening sequence, this connotes tous that the characters may be religious, this therefore relates back to the conventionof operatic/orchestral/religious music first shown in the godfather this is used to helpbuild up the tension within the audience whilst they are waiting for the moving film tobegin.

The conventions of mise-en-scene were used as men in suits can be denoted, by usingthis denotation we can connote that it may be a gangster movie, and that thereforewe can anticipate violence and crime.

Camera conventions can be denoted in the opening sequence such as extreme close up,close up and mid-shot, and techniques such as match on action. By using thesetechniques and types of shot it makes you feel that you are getting to know thecharacters.

Editing used that sticks to the conventions are that it is fast paced to build the tension forthe film, also this fast paced editing works in tandem with the sound as they are both

helping to crank up the tension/anticipation for the film