Aahana Swrup
In ‘Play Dirty,’ New York becomes ground zero for a series of robberies targeting some of the most lucrative artifacts ever. An ambiguous country uncovers the remains of a sunken Spanish ship, the Lady of Arintero. However, the nation’s corrupt leader, De La Paz, has plans to have the billion-dollar worth of treasure stolen in order to secure his own cut from the deal. As a result, he enters into business with The Outfit, a known criminal organization that operates in New York, the city where a UN showcase for the artifacts will be happening. However, Paz and the organization’s leader, Lozini, are in for a surprise when professional thief Parker enters the picture, with plans to rob the robbers. The Prime Video film presents an epic caper with high stakes and daring maneuvers. Yet, amidst the story’s guts and glamor, Lozini and his crime organization manage to ground the narrative in genre-typical criminality.
Lozini and The Outfit are Both Fictional Elements That Enhance Parker’s Story
‘Play Dirty’ is a work of fiction adapted from a crime fiction novel series written by Donald E. Westlake (under the pseudonym Richard Stark). Even though the film adapts the literary work to the screen, it doesn’t find a narratively identical basis in any singular installment in the series. As a result, the end result ends up being a blend of Stark’s base elements mixed with additions from director Shane Black and his co-screenwriters Chuck Mondry and Anthony Bagarozzi. The character of Lozini and his dangerous organization is no exception. The Outfit is a signature element from Stark’s novels and was even garnered titular prominence in the third book, ‘The Outfit.’
In the novels, the organization plays much the same role as the on-screen counterpart, adding a layer of tension to Parker’s narrative. However, the books more closely examined the thief’s relationship with the group, delving into the reasons behind their animosity and its subsequent impact. Nonetheless, the film intentionally fast-forwards through this lore, using The Outfit as pre-existing backstory for the character. As a result, the film adaptation utilizes the narrative element in a new and intriguing way, allowing The Outfit to sport a distinct on-screen personality. Alternatively, outside of Stark’s work, the criminal organization further adds a sense of realism to the crime-driven movie. Notably, the Italian American Mafia crime family of Chicago, better known as the Chicago Outfit, or simply The Outfit, presents a glaring nominal similarity to the fictional organization. Nonetheless, there’s no evidence that suggests the two are directly connected.
The Outfit is portrayed as a New York-based operation. Although there are no identical crime networks in reality, the city that never sleeps isn’t a stranger to the idea of mobilized criminal groups. Notably, the Forty Thieves, the real-life gang that rose in 1825, is said to be the oldest street gang in New York City. They were notorious for local crimes, including muggings and robberies. Even though the Forty Thieves aren’t a direct counterpart, or likely even an inspiration, for The Outfit, their history adds context for the on-screen organization’s prominence in New York. Interestingly enough, unlike the gang itself, it seems the character of Lozini, who plays a central antagonistic role in the story, might be an original character created for the film. The gang leader has no identical counterparts in Stark’s novel, which features individuals like Bronson as the big-bad boss behind the organization. Ultimately, Lozini’s character remains as fictitious as The Outfit.
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