American gangster cinema
E920009
American gangster cinema is a film tradition that explores organized crime in the United States, often focusing on themes of power, family, loyalty, and moral corruption within criminal underworlds.
Statements (92)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
cinematic genre cycle
ⓘ
film tradition ⓘ |
| analyzedInDiscipline |
American studies
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
cultural studies ⓘ film studies ⓘ |
| countryOfOrigin |
United States of America
ⓘ
surface form:
United States
|
| developedInPeriod | early 20th century ⓘ |
| hadMajorCycleInDecade |
1930s
ⓘ
1970s ⓘ 1990s ⓘ |
| hasCharacteristic |
antihero protagonists
ⓘ
depiction of organized crime families ⓘ ensemble casts ⓘ focus on criminal underworlds ⓘ focus on hierarchical criminal organizations ⓘ graphic violence ⓘ moral ambiguity ⓘ noir-influenced visual style ⓘ period settings such as Prohibition era ⓘ urban settings ⓘ voice-over narration in some films ⓘ |
| hasTheme |
betrayal
ⓘ
corruption of institutions ⓘ ethnic identity ⓘ family ⓘ greed ⓘ immigrant experience ⓘ law versus crime ⓘ loyalty ⓘ loyalty versus ambition ⓘ masculinity ⓘ moral corruption ⓘ power ⓘ rise and fall narrative ⓘ the American Dream NERFINISHED ⓘ violence ⓘ |
| influenced |
global gangster film traditions
ⓘ
television crime dramas ⓘ |
| influencedByEvent |
Great Depression
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Prohibition in the United States ⓘ |
| influencedByGenre |
Italian neorealism
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
crime fiction ⓘ film noir ⓘ |
| language | English ⓘ |
| mainSubject | organized crime in the United States ⓘ |
| notableActor |
Al Pacino
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Edward G. Robinson NERFINISHED ⓘ James Cagney NERFINISHED ⓘ Joe Pesci NERFINISHED ⓘ Marlon Brando NERFINISHED ⓘ Paul Muni NERFINISHED ⓘ Robert De Niro NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| notableDirector |
Brian De Palma
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Francis Ford Coppola NERFINISHED ⓘ Howard Hawks NERFINISHED ⓘ Martin Scorsese NERFINISHED ⓘ Mervyn LeRoy NERFINISHED ⓘ Michael Mann NERFINISHED ⓘ Quentin Tarantino NERFINISHED ⓘ William A. Wellman NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| notableSubgenre |
Mafia film
ⓘ
Prohibition-era gangster film ⓘ urban gang film ⓘ |
| notableWork |
Bonnie and Clyde
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Casino NERFINISHED ⓘ Donnie Brasco NERFINISHED ⓘ Goodfellas NERFINISHED ⓘ Little Caesar NERFINISHED ⓘ Mean Streets NERFINISHED ⓘ Miller's Crossing NERFINISHED ⓘ Once Upon a Time in America NERFINISHED ⓘ Scarface (1932 film) NERFINISHED ⓘ Scarface (1983 film) NERFINISHED ⓘ The Departed NERFINISHED ⓘ The Godfather NERFINISHED ⓘ The Godfather Part II NERFINISHED ⓘ The Public Enemy NERFINISHED ⓘ The Untouchables (1987 film) NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| portraysInstitution |
Federal Bureau of Investigation
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
courts and legal system ⓘ local police departments ⓘ |
| portraysOrganization |
Irish-American mob
ⓘ
Italian-American Mafia NERFINISHED ⓘ Jewish-American organized crime ⓘ street gangs ⓘ |
| relatedTo |
American crime cinema
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
film noir ⓘ police procedural film ⓘ |
| typicalSetting |
Chicago
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Las Vegas NERFINISHED ⓘ Los Angeles NERFINISHED ⓘ New York City NERFINISHED ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.