The Change of the Gangster Genre

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The Change of the Gangster Genre

The two films that I have chosen to analyze are Carlito's Way (1993)

and Out of Sight (1998) both films are of the gangster/crime genre.

Genre means what type anything belongs to, or what kind of category

something can be placed in.

The gangster films belong to the crime genre. The most popular

gangster films made were in the 1930's, during this period America was

going through the depressions and audiences wanted the characters of

these gangster films to gain money, wealth and power during a time of

economic decline. The gangster characters in the films were seen as

living the American dream but not lawfully or legally. But audiences

could relate to these gangsters because of prohibition as well. This

Crime genre basically is evolved around how the illegal supply of

alcohol during the prohibition was making gangsters rich and powerful,

and this is how the so-called Mafia came about.

One of the greatest characters in film history called, Al Pacino

established him self during the film's greatest decade, the 1970's.

During this period Al Pacino was offered the part for Michael Corleone

in Godfather, The (1972). Nobody wanted him to have the part but

afterwards nobody complained. Due to the success of the film two

sequels followed and the first sequel The Godfather, Part 2 won was

the first sequel ever to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Al Pacino came from an Italian background therefore was the perfect

actor to play gangster roles. He made numerous films later on but the

ones that stand out are Scarface (1983) and Carlito's Way, both

directed by Brian DePalma.

Carlito's Way is se...

... middle of paper ...

...ter genre has moved on over time

because of the way audiences have come to realize what a gangster

actually is and how the word is portrayed in the media recently.

Whereas in the 70's the films were about the Mafia and the Mob this is

backed up by films such as The Godfather trilogy. Recent gangster

films have involved more of a romance part to it and a lot more screen

time on the stories, not like 30-40 years ago where the girls where

seen as hookers and one night stands or blonde bimbo's where the girls

just listen to anything the man said. Also Films have moved on in the

way of technology obviously. You can get more expensive better cameras

and directors can play about with a lot more camera techniques and

angles. More lighting techniques are used and basically everything

does move on over time nothing stays static.

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