Shuvrajit Das Biswas
6. American Gangster (2007)
Directed by Ridley Scott, the film stars Denzel Washington as Frank Lucas, the dreaded drug dealer who used to be the right-hand man of Bumpy Johnson, the man who later on partnered with the feared Lucky Luciano. Lucas’ rise to power and dealing with the old order of the New York Five Families is portrayed in a typical Hollywood style, with embellishments and exaggerations. However, Washington’s portrayal of Lucas as he navigates a crime-addled empire and remnants of racial and post-war tensions makes the film a truly spectacular watch.
5. Casino (1995)
Directed by Martin Scorsese, the film explores the outreach of the Mafia in Las Vegas during its formative days. Starring Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, the film is a gripping tale of a friendship that devolves under the strain of building Vegas. The character of Rothstein played by De Niro was based on the real-life character of Rosenthal a wizard at analyzing most games and a member of the Chicago mob outfit. Pesci’s character is a made man based on the real-life gangster Anthony Spilotro. Scorsese tries to stay as true to the story as possible including some of the execution styles as well, making this movie a brilliant watch for those interested in mob history, and it’s a Scorsese film so I won’t even go into why cinephiles should watch it.
4. The Untouchables (1987)
Directed by Brian De Palma the film is a Hollywood retelling of the great takedown of the Chicago mobster Al Capone, on tax evasion. Sporting a strong cast which included Kevin Costner as Eliot Ness, Sean Connery and Robert De Niro and Billy Drago as Al Capone and Frank Nitti respectively. The brilliance of the film is in the acting, the pervasive menace of Al Capone’s character and De Niro channels it brilliantly – from the apologetic barber who nicks him while shaving to the press being brazenly told that alcohol served in his house during Prohibition wasn’t bootlegging, it was hospitality. Nitti’s cold calculated role is captured by Drago, whose understated nature next to De Niro’s performance was exactly like the relationship between Nitti and Capone, the cold mobster eventually replaced Capone as the head of the Chicago Outfit when he was imprisoned.
3. Goodfellas (1990)
Another film by Martin Scorsese and based on Nicholas Pillegi’s book ‘Wiseguy’ based on the real-life story of Henry Hill, his rise to power and his eventual move to witness protection to escape the wrath of the mob and the closing authorities. Henry Hill is played by Ray Liotta who brings an explosive intensity to the role, much like the real-life Henry who truly did believe that gangsters were above normal people and loved the way of life. De Niro appears once again as Jimmy Conway based on the character of Jimmy Burke. Both Liotta and De Niro’s commitment to the role is evident – De Niro called Hill multiple times to figure out how Jimmy walked, talked or held his cigarette and for Liotta’s part- he heard FBI cassettes to get Hill’s voice down to a notch. An excellently made film and perhaps one of the best gangster movies we have had the pleasure of watching, the film remains an insightful and pleasurable documentation of a part of the Lucchese crime family.
2. Public Enemies (2009)
Directed by Michael Mann, the film traces the life and exploits of notorious gangster John Dillinger and his crew which included infamous names like Baby Face Nelson. The film has an impressive cast including Johnny Depp as Dillinger, Stephen Graham as Baby Face and the talented Christian Bale cast as FBI agent Melvin Purvis. The movie follows the FBI trying to catch Dillinger, and the brilliant acting from Depp brings this role to life – a man who was always above the law and a man who flouted society every step of the way. The charm, the notoriety and the ruthlessness of Dillinger are brought to life in this movie excellently.
1. Gangs of New York (2002)
Directed by Martin Scorsese this is a fantastic film that explores the street gang culture in New York set before the Civil War. Including a very strong cast amongst whom were Leonardo DiCaprio and Daniel Day-Lewis, the film has been praised for its raw intensity and the fantastic acting is a large part of it. Day-Lewis’ method acting really channels Bill the Butcher who was based on William Poole. Scorsese in his thoroughness keeps the major details same – Bill running a meat shop, being a pugilist and having dealings with Tammany Hall. A fantastic story about old days of America, this has to be one of the finest representations of a real-life gangster that we have had the privilege of seeing thanks to Martin Scorsese and Daniel Day-Lewis.
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