To celebrate the release of Il Divo, in cinemas now, I thought it would befitting to put together the top ten gangster films ever made, plus it is alwaysa good topic of debate! So apart from having lots of violence, sharp suits,sexy women and the occasional Italian, the most important element is a grittyand believable storyline with powerhouse performances… and at least onewet-look hairdo!

Il Divo is the acclaimed new film from Paolo Sorrentino (Winner Jury Prize,Cannes Film Festival 2008; Winner Best European Actor – Toni Servillo– European Film Awards 2008; Film on the Square – London FilmFestival 2008). Released on March 20th the film tells the story of ItalianPrime Minister Giulio Andreotti, who has been elected to Parliament seven timessince it was established in 1946, spanning the period since the seventhelection of Andreotti as Prime Minister of Italy in 1992, until the trial inwhich he was accused of collusion with the Mafia…

Are you ready? Here goes, my friends….

Curve Ball Entry:

10. RomanzoCriminale (Michele Placido, 2005)

Rome, 1960s. Three young criminals, Lebanese, Ice and Dandy, decide to takea step up from the streets of Rome into the world of organised crime. It's thebirth of a smart and ruthless organisation which soon crushes all its rivalsassuming total control of the drugs trade, whilst imposing brutal criminal lawson Rome. Their progress and changes in leadership take place over twenty-fiveyears, from the 1970's into the 90's, and are inseparably intertwined with thedark history of modern Italy: terrorism, kidnappings and corruption at thehighest levels of government. As the three friends head to the end of an erawhere all vendettas are executed and scores are settled only one questionremains, who will be left standing...

9. Lock,Stock & Two Smoking Barrels (Guy Ritchie, 1998)

Four Cockney wide-boys are tricked into owing ‘500,000 nicker’to the local gang-land boss and porn king, Harry ‘Hatchet’Lonsdale. With the very real threat of finger amputation looming over them thelads come up with a plan to nick the cash from their next-door neighbours: agang of hard case drug-dealers… Meanwhile, ‘Hatchet’isn’t too pleased when a pair of antique shotguns “wot hewants” are sold on by a pair of Scouse thieves, to be used in a‘job’… The involvement of a conscientious debt-collector,some public school ‘chemists’, a psychotic hash-baron, a lot ofguns and knives, ensures that karma is surrealistically resolved (just!) beforethe end credits roll…

8. DonnieBrasco (Mike Newell, 1997)

This true story follows FBI agent Joe Pistone (Johnny Depp) as heinfiltrates the mafia of New York. Befriending Lefty Ruggiero (Al Pacino),Pistone (under the name Donnie Brasco) is able to embed himself in a mafiafaction lead by Sonny Black (Michael Madsen). Ruggiero and Pistone become tightas the group goes about collecting money for ‘the bosses’.Eventually, the group become big time when Black himself becomes a boss, allthe while Pistone collects evidence. However, the trials and tribulations ofthe undercover work become more than Pistone can bear. His marriage falls apartand to top it off, the Mafia suspects a mole in the organization. The realdilemma is afforded to Pistone, who knows if he walks away from the mafia,Ruggiero will be the one punished…

Old School Entry:

7. Bonnie &Clyde (Arthur Penn,1967)

Perhaps the most sartorially elegant of all gangster films, Bonnie and Clydeis a romantic and comic telling of the gangster film. The story of Clyde Barrowand his paramour Bonnie Parker, leaders of the real Barrow Gang, who committeda string of bank robberies in the 1920s. The film turned Bonnie and Clyde intohousehold names, and courted controversy through its supposed glorification ofviolence. Many violent scenes were deliberately shot with a comic, almostslapstick style it was one of the first films to make explicit the allure ofsex and violence… Classic starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway.

6. TheDeparted (Martin Scorsese, 2006)

Legendary director Martin Scorsese makes his first appearance in our listfor this film about a South Boston cop Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) whogoes under cover to infiltrate the organization of gangland chief FrankCostello (Jack Nicholson). As Billy gains the mobster's trust, a careercriminal named Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) infiltrates the police departmentand reports on its activities to his syndicate bosses. When both organizationslearn they have a mole in their midst, Billy and Colin must figure out eachother's identities to save their own lives.

5. TheUntouchables (Brian De Palma, 1987)

1920’s prohibition Chicago is corrupt from the judges downward. Ness(Kevin Costner) is a federal agent who has come to Chicago during theProhibition Era, when corruption in the local police department is rampant. Hismission is to put crime lord Capone (Robert De Niro) out of business, butCapone is so powerful and popular that Ness is not taken seriously by the lawor the press. One night, discouraged, he meets a veteran patrolman, JimmyMalone (Sean Connery), and discovers that the acerbic Irishman is the onehonest man he's been seeking. Malone has soon helped Ness recruit a gunslingerrookie, George Stone (Andy Garcia), and, joined by nebbish accountant OscarWallace (Charles Martin Smith), the men doggedly pursue Capone and his illegalinterests. At first a laughingstock, Ness soon has Capone outraged over his andMalone's sometimes law-bending tactics, and the vain mobster strikes back invicious style. But the four rookies are untouchable and refuse to give in toCapone. The four of them are ready to battle Capone and his empire, but itcould just be that guns are not the best way to get him. (Favourite line in thefilm comes from Sean Connery, who also won and Oscar for Best Supporting Actor,when in the middle of a shoot-out with Capone’s men shouts “Enoughof this running sh*t”).

4. Goodfellas (MartinScorsese, 1990)

The second Martin Scorsese film as we get closer to the number one spotexplores the the lowly, blue-collar side of New York’s Italian mafia. Thestory of Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) as he makes his way from strapping young pettycriminal, to big-time thief, to middle-aged cocaine addict and dealer. The filmexplores in detail the rules and traditions of organized crime. Watching therise and fall of Hill and his two counterparts, the slick jack-of-all-tradescriminal Jimmy Conway (Robert De Niro) and the brutish, intimidating TommyDeVito (Joe Pesci), this true story realistically explores the core,blue-collar part of the mob. (Cheeky info: There is a long tracking shot, whereScorcese’s camera follows Henry as he walks down the back stairs of theCopacabana nightclub, through the kitchen and into the bar, has been muchadmired and imitated.)

3. Casino(Martin Scorsese, 1995)

The third Martin Scorsese film in our list is based on a true story of acrime syndicate that ran a casino in the seventies and the eighties in LasVegas. The film chronicles the lives and times of three characters: "Ace"Rothstein (Robert De Niro), a bookmaking wizard; Nicky Santoro (Joe Pesci), aMafia underboss and long-time best friend to Ace; and Ginger McKenna (SharonStone), a leggy ex-prostitute with a fondness for jewellery and a penchant forplaying the field. Ace plays by the rules (albeit Vegas rules, which, as hereminds the audience in voiceover, would make him a criminal in any otherstate), while Nicky and Ginger lie, cheat, and steal their respective ways tothe top. The film's first hour and a half details their rise to power, whilethe second half follows their downfall as the FBI, corrupt governmentofficials, and angry mob bosses pick apart their Camelot piece by piece. Thismovie does not hold back as it shows what the mob is all about and how itoperates.

2. TheGodfather (Francis Ford Coppola, 1972)

The classic gangster film, ranked number 2 of the IMDB's top 250; Thoughhardly the first gangster film, Francis Ford Coppola’s sympathetictreatment (based on Mario Puzo's best-selling novel), of the Corleone family,despite their habit of chopping off horses’ heads and leaving them inpeople’s beds. Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) is the aging‘don’ of the Corleone Mafia Family. His youngest son Michael (AlPacino) returns from WWII just in time to see the wedding of his sister toCarlo Rizzi. All of Michael’s family is involved with the Mafia, butMichael just wants to live a normal life. Drug dealer Virgil Sollozzo islooking for Mafia Families to offer him protection in exchange for a profit ofthe drug money. He approaches Don Corleone about it, but, much against theadvice of the Don’s lawyer Tom Hagen, the Don is morally against the useof drugs, and turns down the offer. This does not please Sollozzo, who has theDon shot down by some of his hit men. The Don barely survives, which leads hisson Michael to begin a violent mob war against Sollozzo and tears the Corleonefamily apart.

Shout out to - The GodfatherPart II (1974)

That rarest of beasts, rather like a unicorn – a sequel that isartistically equal, some may even say superior to, the original film, itcontinues the story of the Corleone family and also portrays the rise to powerof the young Don Vito Corleone(Robert DeNiro). Al Pacino’s performance asMichael Corleone has generally been considered his finest and one of the bestperformances of all time, the film won six Academy Awards including BestPicture.

BUT, it can only be:

1. Scarface (Brian De Palma, 1983)

An update of the 1932 film, Scarface follows gangster Tony Montana and his close friend Manny Ray from their trip on the Cuban Boat Lift for refugees to their arrival in Miami. After killing a powerful Cuban figure, Montana and company gain the ability to leave their refugee camps and roam around the U.S. After unsuccessfully trying to make it legitimately in the country, Montana and Ray resort to selling cocaine to dealers around the world. Tony’s rise is quick, but as he becomes more powerful, his enemies and his own paranoia begin to plague his empire… Any film buff especially one of this genre will have this film, and undoubtedly, having it sitting pride place in their collection!

Recommend (0)

|  Comments (0)

|  Email

|  Share

Share  Facebook Digg del.icio.us