GANGSTER FILMS

OUTLINE OF WHAT MAKES A GANGSTER FILM, A

GANSTER FILM.WITH CASE STUDIES FROM

PAST AND PRESENT.

INTRODUCTION:• What makes a gangster film, a gangster film?

– Guns?– A crime family?– Movie plot that has violence at every corner?– Organized crime?– Or just a bunch of hoodlums acting tough?

• It is all of these and yet none of these.• While it is important to remember that all

these are elements that add to a gangster film, they alone do not constitute a good gangster film.

• A gangster film, when looked from an American perspective, is the warped idea of the “American dream.”– To be rich and successful with the most power one

can obtain.– It speaks to the American public, the evidence

being the huge popularity of gangster films in the American film industry.

– Films from across the Atlantic, namely from Britain have made themselves necessary to mafia movie junkies.

– Of course not to forget that our own country has made some notable gangster films too.

CATEGORIES:

1.Classic.2.Contempor

ary Western .

3.Contemporary Eastern.

How do we start understanding gangster films?

There are seven points of interest or Parameters that we will look into in order to understand this genre. They are as follows:

1) The nature of the protagonist- i.e. the character and mental state of the main protagonist and his allies, if he has any.

2) The nature of the antagonist: the character and mental state of the character that opposes the protagonist.

3) Shape of the Dramatic action: how the story unfolds and the different twists that make the movie interesting.

4) Catalytic event: An event that prompt the characters into more and more action which finally leads to the Resolution.

5) Resolution( Climax point): It is the peak of the film whether in action, or drama or simply a culmination of events. It is here when it is seen which side wins.

6) Narrative style: It is the way the story is told. It is different and distinctive for every story.

7) Narrative tone: The emotion that is conveyed through the words or music or through the images in the film. The tone of the film can change unlike the mood which is the ultimate overall feeling.

Snatch: A Case study.

Directed by: Guy RitchieWritten by: Guy RitchieActors:

Jason Statham, Brad Pitt, Vinnie Jones, Dennis Farina, Benicio Del Toro

Snatch is a film set in London. The film contains two plots: one dealing with a stolen diamond, the other a

small-time boxing promoter named Turkish.The film features characters, including traveller Mickey

O'Neil, ex-KGB agent Boris "the Blade" Yurinov Šerbedžija, professional thief Frankie "Four-Fingers" and

bounty hunter Bullet-Tooth Tony.

ANALYSIS BASED ON PARAMETERS:

• Nature of Protagonist: In Snatch, there is no such clearly defined protagonist so to speak. Almost all the characters we consider to be good have some ties to the mafia and undertake not so legal businesses, with the exception of Mikey, who is a travelling gypsy.

• Nature of the Antagonist: There are a number of villains to choose from in the movie, from the two small time crooks Sol and Vinnie, right up to the big shark, Brick Top. Brick Top is the main antagonist, since all actions that the characters take eventually lead to him. He is a stereotypical villain.

• Shape of Dramatic Action: The drama in this film filter in through three main sources.– The search for the diamond.– The risks taken by Tommy and Turkish.– The actions of Sol and Vinnie which entangles

them in the above two situations, with comedic results.

• Catalytic Event: There seems to be only one catalytic event that spurs everyone into their spiral towards the climax. Brick Top.– The two small crooks try to rob his betting station

and find a large diamond.– The man working for Doug enters the Betting

station of Brick Top and loses the Diamond.– Turkish has to rig a fight so that Brick Top wins.

This is to pay back what he owes.

• Resolution: The resolution of this whole complex situation falls into the hands of the most unlikely character. The Gypsies. They suffer personal loss at the hands of Brick-Top and promptly seek vengeance.

• Narrative Style: The story has a narrator, namely Turkish who describes all the events that happen in some detail. This implies that there has been a happy ending, for Turkish at least because he is able to narrate the story.

- A Case Study

A Francis Ford Coppola Film

 Vito Corleone ( (PART 1 and 2))

Michael Corleone (PART 1,2 and 3)

PART 1 : All Other Mafia Families

PART 2 : Hyman Roth

PART 3 : Don Altobello

PART 1 : Rise of Michael Corleone and the fall of Vito Corleone.

PART 2: Transformation is most evident in the character of Vito Corleone and his rise.

PART 3: Fall of Michael Corleone and thus the end of the Corleone Legacy.

PART 1 : The attack on Santino Confusion Attack on Vito Corleone .

PART 2: Vito Corleone travels from Italy to U.S.A.

PART 3: The killing of Zasa by Vincent Mansini.

PART 1 : Murder of the heads of the 5 other Mafia families.

PART 2 : The murder of Fredo.

PART 3 : Death of Mary on the opera house stairs.

Part 1 and 3 have a linear narrative structure.

Part 2 has a parallel narrative structure.

Murders and Fights.3 Act structure in the films.

PART 1 : The tone shifts from being a very happy to a very intense one.

PART 2 : The tone is intense throughout in one part of the film but in the other part from a very weak and distressful life Vito rises up to be a rich and powerful man.

PART 3 : Changes from being angry to remorseful.

CASE-Study onBollywood Gangster Movie

Vaastav: The Reality

Introduction

Vaastav has the Mumbai underworld as its backdrop. This subject has been dealt with before many times in Hindi films. But rarely is it handled properly "The Reality" as described by the film's tagline, refers to the harsh realities of life in the Mumbai underworld. The film is said to be loosely based on the life of Mumbai underworld gangster Chota Rajan.

The film depicts a grim look at the underworld rather than glorifying it. It shows that even though a gangster stays above the law, how restless he is.

Protagonist and its Nature

• The story is about Raghu (Sanjay Dutt), who lives in a chawl with

his parents (Shivaji Satam and Reema Lagoo) and his brother

Vijay (Mohnish Behl). Raghu doesn’t pay attention to his studies

and always hangs out with his friends. Raghu’s father tells him to

settle down and do something, either get a job or pay attention

to his studies. Raghu persuades his father to lend him money to

open up a pav bhaaji stall that he’ll run with his buddies. His

father agrees, and Raghu starts working and making money.

Raghu accidentally kills one of his customers in a fight over an unpaid

bill. That customer was the brother of a gangster, now Raghu is on the

run from the police and the gangster. Through one of his friends

(Deepak Tijori), Raghu finds refuge under Vitthal Kaanya (Ashish

Vidhyarthi); a rival gangster of the one Raghu is running from. Kaanya

turns Raghu into a gangster and a dreaded name in the underworld.

So,the nature of the protagonist would probably be a Gangster at mind but not at heart and soul..as he also falls in love later.

Antagonist and its Nature

It is difficult to point out the antagonist in particular in the movie..

There isVitthal Kaanya (Ashish Vidyarthi), a rival gang lord who offers Raghunath (Raghu) and Dedh Footiya protection and later hires them both as hitmen.

And there is Babban Rao (Mohan Joshi), a corrupted Home Minister who uses Raghunath for his needs and later decieves him.

Shape of Dramatic Action

• As the Plot of the Movie is Quite clear now..• Most of the Dramatic Action takes place after

Raghu turns into a gangster and a dreaded name in the underworld.

Catalytic event

• The Catalytic event in the story would be introduction of Paresh Rawal, though in a guest-appearance type role, manages to make an impact. He plays a broker that settles disputes between rival gangs.

Resolution

• The Resolution starts from:• When Raghu comes to know that the police

have been ordered to kill him in an "encounter." He realizes that there is no escape from this harsh reality. He kills Babban Rao as he would spoil others' lives like his, in the future.

• Unable to save himself from the police, Raghu comes back to his home and tells his mother to save him. His mom takes him away to safety. When Raghu asks for some liquor by selling his pistol, his mother remembers how Raghu had taught her how to use a gun;

• “she pulls the trigger and kills him.”

Narrative Style

• The movie has a quite simple narrative style.• Just follows a linear pattern; continues straight

forward; very easy to understand.• Less twist and turns in the story.• Only a few introduction to new events, i.e., the

turning of a simple boy to a Gangster, the introduction to the broker who settles disputes between rival groups,the corrupted minister

• The most interesting part is how the story turns against Raghu at the end.

Tone

• What’s different about Vaastav and other films in its genre .

• The tone of the movie is emotional and hard-hitting at the same time.

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