(Student’s Full Name)
The Gangster Movie: Questions and Answers
1. VIDEO CLIP 1: Identify two classical conventions of gangster genre (e.g. theme, plot device, character type, and/or stylistic device) present in this image and briefly explain the significance of each one. (2 points) The two classical conventions of Gangster Genre present in the first video are theme and character type. The theme that is being explored in the video clip is the immigrant criminal, who has been left to die in humiliation and as a comic, as required by the Production Code Administration (PCA). The character type is the gangster, who has dark, ethnic or exotic features, who decides to join a life of crime in order to easily move up the social ladder.
2. VIDEO CLIP 2: In this scene, briefly analyze (~80-100 words) the ways in which the visual and aural storytelling conveyed in this scene are linked to allegories and metaphors of the gangster genre (2 points). The ways in which the visual and aural storytelling conveyed in this scene connect to allegories and metaphors of the gangster genre are they align themselves with the “mythos of glamour, power, and money,” which is linked to the American Dream (Friedman, Desser, Kozloff, Nochismon & Prince, 2014, p. 420). The visual and aural storytelling illustrate how the main character, Henry Hill, is able to use his money earned from his criminal activities to buy influence and get respect and notoriety.
3) SLIDE 1: How does this image reflect the effects of the Hays Production Code? The image reflects the effects of the Hays Production Code by censoring how the actor, who plays a gangster, has killed his victim. The Hays Production Code requires that not too many graphic details are given to the audience as to how the victim is killed. The cameraman is, therefore, required to look away from the victim and focus on another subject. However, the actor, who is James Cagney playing Cody Jarrett, appears to be laughing at the fact that he is about to die with a gas storage tank being blown up behind him. This allows to be portrayed as a “larger-than-life” character that can choose to die in a “literal blaze of glory” instead in “humiliating circumstances” (Friedman, Desser, Kozloff, Nochismon & Prince, 2014, p. 416).
4) SLIDE 1: How and why does this image evoke iconography associated with the Cold War?
The image presented in Slide 1 evokes iconography associated with the Cold War by placing the fire arm in a prominent position in the image, which is seen in the actor’s hand while the actor is laughing at the fact that he had killed someone. In addition, the image evokes iconography connected with the Cold War because the actor is standing in front of what resembles a large gas storage tank that has exploded. This iconography is associated with the Cold War because it resembles a “nuclear detonation,” which would be an event that one would experience during a period of war (Friedman, Desser, Kozloff, Nochismon & Prince, 2014, p. 431). The actor playing the gangster is portrayed as a “repulsive” psychopath as he laughs after killing someone and while he prepares to kill himself by blowing up a gas storage tank, which is shot in the background (Friedman, Desser, Kozloff, Nochismon & Prince, 2014, p. 415).
5) SLIDE 2: Briefly explain the significance of at least 4 elements of the mise-en-scene (setting, props, composition, character placement, lighting, etc.) in these images and how these stylistic choices symbolize the film’s conflicts, characters, and/or themes. One of the four elements that should be considered in Slide 2 is the placement of the gangster’s girlfriend or wife, who is usually referred to as the moll. She (who happens to be Kay Adams of The Godfather: Part III) is featured prominently in the screen, with her husband, Michael Corleone, way off in the background of the shot. This could highlight the fact that both Kay and Michael come from two different social backgrounds and upbringing. The use of props is another element that should be examined in the slide. Michael Corleone, who plays the gangster, leans against a table in what looks like an office while facing his wife, Kay, and eyeing her suspiciously. This suggests that Michael believes that Kay is his property and feels that he has to guard or watch her every move. The lighting of the scene should also be examined. The type of lighting used in the scene is referred to as low key lighting. There are certain areas of the scene that are dark (such as Michael’s office and some areas in the room where Kay is located) while others are lighted. This is effective because it helps to unnerve the audience and prepare the audience for something bad that is about to happen. Costume is another element that should be analyzed in the scene. It should be noted that Michael wears a light colored shirt and dark pants so as to distinguish himself from the lower and middle class, and appear as if he is living the American Dream, which is allowing him to appear to be successful. However, the clothes are not fitted properly. This could suggest that, as a son of immigrants who recently arrived in America, the trappings of the American Dream does not appear to suit him well. This is contrasted with Kay’s outfit. She wears a gold blouse, which looks like it is made of silk or satin. The gold color suggests that she is a trophy wife, who is the “‘real American blonde,’” and from a better social background (Friedman, Desser, Kozloff, Nochismon & Prince, 2014, p. 425). The blouse looks as though it fits her perfectly and suggests that the American Dream suits her more than it does Michael.
6) SLIDE 3: Briefly explain how this image reflects the genre revisions that take place in “gangsta” or “hood” films. The image in Slide 3 reflects the genre revisions that take place in “gangsta” or “hood” films in that the movie is set in the projects or communities with low-income housing, which many African-Americans, who are often at the bottom of the socio-economic ladder, reside.
7) SLIDE 4: Identify the gangster genre convention (or revision) that is being displayed at this point in the plot and how this relates to the “post-Godfather” gangster films (i.e. “old world” vs. “new world” gangster)
i. Genre convention: “late-twentieth-century” gangster film (Friedman, Desser, Kozloff, Nochismon & Prince, 2014, p. 421)
ii. New World Gangster: This character, Henry Hill (played by Ray Liotta), represents the new world gangster and is different from the old world gangster because he enters a life of crime not out of necessity, but for “mythos of glamor, power, and money,” which he attempts to acquire by “any means” so as to live the American Dream (Friedman, Desser, Kozloff, Nochismon & Prince, 2014, p. 420).
8) SLIDE 5: How does this image relate to (and even revise) typical notions of narration and point of view of the gangster genre? The image relates (and even revises) typical notions of narration and point of view of the gangster genre by showing how an outsider, who is not a part of a life of crime, can be negatively affected by the gangster lifestyle, despite not being physically harmed by it. The narrator in the image depicted in Slide 5 show that although gangsters in the “late-twentieth-century” gangster films do not “die for their illegal activities,” but instead endure “emotional, spiritual and/or mental wounds” that although gangsters to undergo a “living death” to the extent that outsiders sympathize with them (Friedman, Desser, Kozloff, Nochismon & Prince, 2014, p. 421).
9) SLIDE 6: Analyze the visual storytelling of the image and how it relates to one of the thematic myths of the Gangster genre: The image depicted in Slide 6 relates to the thematic myth of the American Dream, which states that one can move up the social ladder if he works hard enough. However, the image depicted in Slide 6 shows that the American Dream eludes most persons, and finds living a life of crime is best if one wants to move up the social ladder rather quickly. Indeed, directors, such as Scorsese, use characters, such as Henry Hill, to show that their “greed and lack of respect for law and hard work” to obtain success is “very much a part of the America” in which these gangster characters reside (Friedman, Desser, Kozloff, Nochismon & Prince, 2014, p. 426). The gangster family has access to a large home depicted in Slide 6 because of their involvement in crime, which represents a reality that many Americans do not want to openly admit.
10) SLIDE 7: Analyze the visual storytelling of the image and how it relates to two revisions of the Gangster genre presented in this show’s pilot episode. The visual storytelling of the image found in Slide 7 relates to the gangster genre relating to “ethnicity, race, and television” and the blurring of the line between “ordinary American society and gangster attraction to violence and materialism” (Friedman, Desser, Kozloff, Nochismon & Prince, 2014, pp.421, 422). The lead character, Tony Soprano, (played by James Gandolfini) in the television show, Sopranos, is able to seemingly lead an ordinary life, such as reading the morning newspaper, but beneath the surface he is involved in criminal activity to maintain his lifestyle.
PART 2: Short Answer and Multiple Choice
11. The popularity of Urban Gangster Film of the 1930s was bolstered by which event(s)?
a. The advent of sound in cinema
b. Prohibition
c. The Great Depression
d. All of the above
12. Which of the following is not one of the stages of genre films?
a. Baroque/Parodic Stage
b. Refinement/Revisionist Stage
c. Basic Stage
d. Classic Stage
13. In The Public Enemy the character Nathan “Nails” is based upon a real gangster.
a. True
b. False
14. In “Apes and Essences: Some Sources and Significance in the American Gangster Film,” Edward Mitchell claims that the genre incorporates taps into American ideals of Secularized Puritanism, Social Darwinism, and the Horatio Alger myth. Mitchell argues that the combination of these three elements results in a genre that
a. Is hopelessly contradictory, ambiguous, and ambivalent.
b. Is incredibly violent.
c. Is too melodramatic.
d. None of the above.
15. Which character infamously declared, “I’m on top of the world, ma!”
a. Tom Powers
b. Cody Jarett
c. Walter White
d. Tommy DeVito
16. Film Noir is a style defined by its use of low-key lighting, diagonal lines, and props which resemble prison bars.
a. True
b. False
17. Boyz n the Hood generated awareness about which urban social problems? Circle all that apply.
a. Poverty
b. Joblessness
c. Drug abuse
d. Violence
e. Consumerism
f. Homelessness
18. Boyz n the Hood mythologizes the gangster lifestyle.
a. True
b. False
19. In Boyz N the Hood, name two things that Furious Styles (Laurence Fishburne) believes are keeping African Americans in a cycle of poverty:
The two things that Furious Styles (Laurence Fishburne) believes are keeping African Americans in a cycle of poverty is men who are unwilling to take care of their children after they get a woman pregnant and being addicted to the liquor that they always buy from the liquor store.
20. Which seminal gangster genre director’s style does Narcos emulate?
a. Martin Scorsese (Mean Streets and Goodfellas)
b. Francis Ford Coppola (The Godfather)
c. De Palma (Scarface)
d. Tarantino (Reservoir Dogs)
21. Which two of our gangster films are based on true events and real life gangsters?
The two gangster films that are based on true events and real life gangsters are Al Capone (1959) and Bonnie and Clyde (1967).
22. According to Wondemaghen in “Walter White: the Psychopath to Whom We Can All Relate,” which character attributes and/or stylistic traits function to heighten viewer identification with Walter White in Breaking Bad? Name two
The two stylistic traits that Walter White has that the viewing audience can relate to are “self-presentation” and “compartmentalization” (Wondemaghen, 2015, p.1).
23. According to Fulvio Orsitto in “Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas: Hybrid Storytelling between Realism and Formalism,” what is unique about Scorsese’s use of the voiceover in the movie? Scorsese’s use of the voiceover is unique in Goodfellas because he used it to provide “narrative coherence to a series of events” visualized through “the eyes” of the main character (Orsitto, 2011, p. 143). Additionally, the voice over was used by the director to establish a “particular sense of intimacy between narrator and audience” (Orsitto, 2011, p. 143).
24. Thinking of the cultural context of the early 1990s, name two crises of the time period that arguably shaped audience reception to the gangster – or gangsta – films of the era.
The two crises of the nineties that shaped audience reception to the gangsta films of the era are the high incidence of violent crimes and the poverty in the American inner cities.
25. Considering the link between the gangster genre and economics, name two different ways that The Godfather, Goodfellas, The Sopranos, or Breaking Bad can be considered an Allegory of American Capitalism. Identify specific examples from the film(s).
Goodfellas can be considered an allegory of American Capitalism in the following ways: the movie emphasizes the fact that being honest and hardworking attitude is not necessary to become successful in life and it underscores the point that the appeal of American Capitalism is so strong and alluring that it will make one give up his moral inhibitions in order to get it.
26. In Fluvio Orsitto’s article, “Martin Scorsese’s GoodFellas: Hybrid Storytelling between Realism and Formalism,” what are two examples of the use of Formalism (or Stylized Storytelling) in the film?
a. Jump cuts and camera pans
b. Photographs and dates
c. Freeze frames
d. Both a and c
27. What motivates Michael Corleone to become a gangster?
a. Economic need
b. Mad psychosis
c. Psychology of family or ethnic group
d. The mythos of glamour, power, and money
28. To be a classified as a traditional Gangster Film, the narrative must be told from the point of view (POV) of the criminal (the gangster’s)?
a. True
b. False
29. In Nochimson’s chapter, “The Gangster Movie,” she explains that the genre “scrutinizes some dark realities behind [the] generalizations” that the American Dream is obtainable by all. With this in mind, provide one example from one of our films that supports this claim. A film that supports the claim being made by Nochimson is Belly (1998). The film is about two Harlem-based gangsters, who are African-American, are unable to “break into mainstream society” and, therefore, experience the American Dream because of the society’s racist attitudes (Friedman, Desser, Kozloff, Nochismon & Prince, 2014, p. 424).
30. Film Scholar Robert Warshow argued that the gangster film genre is the only Hollywood genre that “speaks the truth about an American society steadfastly in denial about its problems.” Provide one enduring American “problem” from one of our films that has not been solved over the decades. In other words, one that continues to plague America 85 years after the classical gangster films of the 1930s. Be specific – identify the film and how the problem relates to the story.
One enduring American “problem” from one of our films that has not been solved over the decades is the problem of the immigrant having a difficult time fitting into the mainstream American society and achieving upward social mobility within a short period of time without being involved in crime. One such film that clearly illustrates this is the Scarface (1932) movie where Tony Camonte, played by Paul Muni, shows his desperate need to be accepted by the mainstream society as a recent Italian immigrant.
32. Anthropologist Mark Shute argues that film “Gangsters are [not] people who have imposed their will in our community. Their values are our values.” Identify two of these values and briefly explain how this notion helps create the contradictory messages/meanings in the Gangster Genre. One of the values that are important for American citizens is the importance of working hard so as to move up the socio-economic ladder and another one is being loyal to family and other relationships. The first value helps to create the contradictory message in the Gangster Genre in that immigrants are often portrayed as taking the path of “least resistance” to acquire upward social mobility with the help of the gangster lifestyle, as illustrated in The Godfather (1972) where the Coppolas enter a life of crime to achieve the American Dream (Friedman, Desser, Kozloff, Nochismon & Prince, 2014, p. 417). The second value helps to create the contradictory message in the Gangster Genre in that “loyalty to friends” is disregarded, as depicted in Once Upon a Time in America (1984) where Noodles betrays his friend Deborah by raping her (Friedman, Desser, Kozloff, Nochismon & Prince, 2014, p. 440).
References
Friedman, L. D., Desser, D., Kozloff, S., Nochimson, M., & Prince, S. (2014). An introduction to film genres. New York: W. W. Norton & Co.
Klein, A. A. (2012). American film cycles: Reframing genres, screening social problems and defining subcultures. Austin: University of Texas Press.
Mitchell, E. (2003). Apes and essences: Some sources of significance in the American gangster film. In B. Grant (Ed.), Film genre reader III (pp. 219-228). Austin: University of Texas Press.
Orsitto, F. (2011). Martin Scorsese’s GoodFellas: Hybrid storytelling between realism and formalism. In D. Renga (Ed.), Mafia Movies: A reader (pp. 141-148). Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
Wondemaghen, M. (2015). Breaking Bad's Walter White: The psychopath to whom we can all relate? In J. Blevins and D. Wood (Eds.), The Methods of Breaking Bad: Essays on Narrative, Character, and Ethics (pp. 1-7). MacFarland: North Carolina.
