Crime films are those films that portray stories about crimnal activity, law enforcement or invetigation. Being gangsters films more of a subgenre of crime film, focusing on organized crime comited by criminal organizations. This films are characterized by a dark thone sparked by a high amount of violence. This aims to reach a male adult audience.
Conventions
The conventions of crime and gangsters film come mainly from the film noir; popular during the 40's and 50's. Taking elements from crime movies like the classic and original Scarface (1932) but also from movies which plot isn't crime orientated the entirity of the film like Orson Welle's Lady From Shangai (1947), Billy Wilder's Sunset Boulevard (1950) or even a romance film like Gilda (1946) with Rita Hayworth. Film noir has an unoptimistic vision of society, portraying it as vicious, corrupt and violent. This is reflected in its characters. Being characterized for their cold and sometimes hopeless nature. This can affect the main character even if it is a policemen or detective. This is done with the intentiont of making the difference between good and bad almost imperceptible. This steryotype of a cold main character hasn't died even with the passage of time. In movies like Drive (2011) we got a modern vision to what this characters used to be.
In film noir there is a key figure called the "Femme Fatale". A charming woman that seduces the main character and usually tricks him to achieve her personal purpposes. This figure is used to show some sence of humanity or weakness in the main character. This element is still being used; for example; the whole James Bond franchise makes use of this element. Now a days with the evolution of culture the audience may want to see humanity portrayed through a different lence and not just succumbing to carnal desire. There are new conventions that are used to depict this; family bonds in movies like The Godfather (1972) or a genuine romantic interest in movies like Carlitos Way (1993) or the desire to protect a son/daugther figure like in the case of Leon the Profesional (1994).
Production Conventions
In crime & gangster films the colors used are often dark. Colors as grey and black are predominant. It is also important to highlight the prescence of red, as the color of blood and the representation of violence. Low level lighting, and a lot of contrast between highlights and shadows are conventions that also come from the days of film noir.
Crime cinema almost without exception takes place in urban areas. Clothing is another really characteristic element of the mise en scene of crime movies. Suits and ties for men, and fancy dresses for women are almost mandatory in gangster films. This can change deppending on the setting, but for classical hollywood gangster films is almost a rule. The props and make up highly contrast with this elegant vibe, being that both usully reflect violence. Crime films use makeup to show blood and scars and the props are ofcourse weapons, like guns and knives.
Institutional Conventions
How can movies about the world of crime, which audiences feel so distant from should be marketed. The key to make this stories attractive and capable of reaching audiences is representation. As the stories can choose to play with the audiences morbid that has grown over time and show explicit content. The other aspect of representation that works as a great piece of marketing is using the criminal world to explore social problematics that can concern an adult audience. The already mentioned Scareface talks about immigration and works as a critique towards the american dream.
Jackie Brown (1997)
Jackie Brown directed by the well known Quentin Tarantino, is a crime film that actually is a little bit special. This movie doesn't have the dark, neutral colors and low lights the genre is characterized by. It actually is a really colorful movie, and this colors have high saturation. The costume design is also different from usual crime films. Samuel Jackson's (Ordel) character who is a weapon delear he wears pretty casual clothes, that match his really calmed energy he reflects despite his dngerous work. But this also is meant to represent how he is not a professional at all, because at the end of the film we see how Jackie a normal woman is able to get her way, ending up with Ordells death.
Another aspect in how Jackie Brown is different to conventional crime movies is the lack of violence. This movie is mainly driven through dialogue. This gives a deeper view into the characters allowing the audience to see how they can be related to classical figures in the genre. Jackie, the main character despite being the minor force in the confrontation between the police and Ordilles, her cold nature helped her fight without hessitation. Also the pessimistic look that main characters have is seen as she is really concerned about how she will keep on living making so little money. But there is another thing I found really interesting about her character. It could be argue that she plays a role of a femme fatal a role normally given to a secondary character but as the main character. Being caught in the middle of the confrontation of Ordilles and the police, she is able to manipulate both sides to steal the money of one of Ordilles biggest sell. This femme fatal role is easy to see when she involes Max Cherry a lawyer in her plan, taking advantge of him because she knew he liked her.
This movie also represents the struggle of the working class being a key element for the audience to feel related. As well as it portrays a woman as a strong figure opening the possibility of a wider target audience.
Casino (1995)
One of my favorites if not my favorite Martin Scorsese's film. A film that follows the conventions of its genre: luxury and fancy clothing for both man and women, a lot of contrst with deep black shadows but due to the casino environment going a little bit out of the conventions and using more vivid colors. But it is the maximum exponent of a fast pacing and a lot of violence. The film is almost like a montage of events, with its characters as first person narrators (element popularized in film noir crime films) that increase this pacing.
This movie that offers a contrast between the characters of Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, but both of them fit into classical crime movies charcters. In one hand Ace Rothstein (De Niro) is a more calm and calculator mind, who tries to have everything under control. In the other hand Nicky (Pesci) is a highly impulsive gangster that acts before thinking. Characters like this are really common to trigger clonficts in gangster film. An example could be Sonny Corleone in the Godfather 1972.
I've talked a lot about the figure of the femme fatal, and Casino isn't an exception. In this movie Ace marries a femme fatal and tries to control her but her selfshish nature is what takes Ace's empire to the ruin.
Love this movie fr.
Other Film Samples.
La Haine (1995)
Taxi Driver (1976)
Reseirvoir Dogs (1992)
Killers of The Flower Moon (2023)
Irrational Man (2015)
Nine Queens (2000)
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