Gangster films - Jim Smith

The step-by-step companion to Ganster Films.

Filmmaking has given us almost every conceivable portrait of organised crime: from dununciations of social problems to dynastic tragedy and from glorifications of a lifestyle choice to tales of loveable rogues. Gangster Films looks at more that two dozen examples of American and British filmmaking and the actors, such as Janes Cagney and Edward G Robinson, who are immediately identified with the gangster movie genre. The films discussed include:

Little Caesar, Get Carter, Pulp Fiction, Scarface, The Godfather, Sexy Beast, The Blue Lamp, The Roaring Twenties, The Limey, Angels with Dirty Faces, Once Upon a Time in Americal and Brighton Rock.

Tracing a past through the iconography and shifting morality of the genre, detailing technical interests and exploring cast and crew histories, Gangster Films is a fascinating journey through cinema's portrayal of criminals and organised crime.