12 of the best… Gangster Movies

I love a list. I know it’s wrong. Art should not be compared. Each thing exists on its own merits, right? Well, it is a guilty pleasure of mine to try and sort something into a “best ever” and score it anyway, I can’t help myself!

So, let’s do it for Gangster Movies!

Inspired by Scorsese’s excellent The Irishman (which does not make the cut… it’s a strong field!) This list explores the best of organised crime, defined by a masculine ethos of greed and violence, where lost morality, the consequences of bad choices, and often regret, drive the narrative. Each film is accompanied by my rating (The Decinemal Score) and it’s current rating on IMDb, for context and a guide.

One thing The Wasteland does not endorse is over defining a list into a rundown to reach a definitive #1. That always seems a pointless exercise, and guaranteed to annoy. Also, why always ten? Far too neat. Here then is my list of “12 of the best” Gangster flicks, listed in chronological order. Comments and argument welcome – tell me what you think is missing, or what shouldn’t be on there, and why?

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Cagney was gangster movies in the early days of Hollywood. No one did it better, though many tried. Bogart is in this one too, so what more could you want? Iconic in every sense, with a final scene often paid homage to. Some prefer The Roaring Twenties or The Public Enemy, but the direct showdown of corruption vs the priesthood, plus some incredible black and white photography, make this golden oldie the one for me.

Decinemal score: 77 IMDb: 7.9

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One of the greatest onscreen partnerships of all time! This is Butch and Sundance in pinstripes. A film with a plot, endless character and charm, and if not the greatest twist of all time, then one that is definitely in the conversation. It deservedly won 7 Oscars, including costume and music – two details that really make it stand out. Interestingly, Redford was nominated, but Newman was not! Whilst gloriously sinister bad guy Robert Shaw was ignored completely. I have yet to meet anyone who saw this that didn’t enjoy it. An almost perfect film.

Decinemal score: 82 IMDb: 8.3

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What is there left to say about the cream of this list, and the only one that would perhaps graduate to the title of greatest film ever made? For me, the package comes together, like tea and biscuits: one or the other is good, but both together and you really have something! Visually and emotionally one of the best stories ever shown on the silver screen. Told by an embarrassment of talent – Pacino, De Niro, Brando, Keaton, Caan, Duvall, Cazalle, and dozens of others. Not to mention the genius of Coppola in every shot, every frame, every patient, weighted and impactful moment. The bar that may never be surpassed! “I knew it was you, Fredo”. Goosebumps!

Decinemal score: 93 IMDb: 9.1

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Seen by some as an 80s Godfather light, this masterpiece of storytelling stands very much on its own two feet. There is a melancholy and nostalgia that make you care about the characters in ways many crime films don’t achieve. Led by one of the best cinema scores there has surely ever been. Ennio Morricone’s haunting melodies stay with you for life, evoking in turns the spirit of childhood, the regret of old age, and the ache for love and happiness that ultimately evades every one of them. Moments of laughter and glory turn to brutality, betrayal and bitterness, leading to an ambiguous end that breaks the heart. The look and feel of New York, captured with immense care in every shot, is a character in and of itself. An extraordinary allegory of what we were, what we dreamed we’d be and what we actually became.

Decinemal score: 87 IMDb: 8.4

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Perhaps the jewel in the crown of Scorsese’s gangster movies, from a fine crop. Adopting the voice of Henry Hill (a career defining role for Ray Liotta) as narrator is the first point of difference, and it works with tremendous effect. The suggestion is we are watching one man’s version of events that may or may not be entirely true. It is a relentless piece of cinema, that drives with complete bravado through each scene of shocking violence, machismo and greed. Too many memorable moments to mention… De Niro’s fountain pen; Pesci’s “Funny How?”, etc. A high level of rewatchabilty sets it above a lot of its rivals. It never judges or preaches to us, but lets us feel bad for enjoying the often repellent acts as so much fun! A product of 90s extremism, but never gratuitous. Simply a joy to watch and a nailed on classic.

Decinemal score: 82 IMDb: 8.7

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In a word: Style. Note, in the picture, how Gabriel Byrne’s posture in the chair reflects that of Micheal Corleone in The Godfather! Knowing Joel and Ethan Coen, that is not a mistake. This is a movie designed to the millimetre. The clothes, the furniture, the guns, the cars, everything is meticulously chosen, creating nothing less than a moving work of art. Even the language is poetry, using a vocabulary, largely invented, to highlight the rhythm of the wiseguy era that is entirely romanticized, but so perfectly consistent we wish it was history. It steals knowingly from the best in the genre at every turn, weaving a tale so nuanced and detailed that it demands several watches to truly mine every multi-layered meaning. In every way, a rich feast, about loyalty, weakness and humanity. The film on this list I am mostly likely to keep watching at the drop of… a hat!

Decinemal score: 86 IMDb: 7.8

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De Palma’s best films are thrillers, told with a sense of dread and urgency. His characters are flawed anti-heroes either running toward something or away from it, sometimes both at once. As is the case with Carlito, played with an unforgettable lisp and absolute relish by a Pacino let loose to do his thing without restraint. It’s a big film with broad strokes, that sucks you in and keeps you on a tightrope right to the inevitable end, that you should see coming, but somehow didn’t. A transformed Sean Penn steals the show, with a solid gold turn, quirky, intense and thoroughly repugnant. But it is the story that drives it – a man who always wants “out” and finds himself in a labyrinth of pressure and bad choices, in a world overflowing with fools and selfishness. The set pieces are sublime, the pace is relentless – a film where everything comes together to create more than the sum of its parts.

Decinemal score: 78 IMDb: 7.9

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Is Pulp Fiction a gangster film? Well, if you define the genre as a morality tale about organised crime, then yes, it is. Of course, it is so much more than that. There is so much going on in Tarantino’s opus that it can’t be clearly defined – which is obviously part of the appeal. You can try not to enjoy every minute of it, but why bother? Once you are in on that amazing soundtrack, and the interwoven tales so unique it hurts, you are in to the end, no matter how many times you’ve seen it already. Incredible dialogue, naturally; colourful characters everywhere, it goes without saying; violence, remorse, betrayal, guns, cars, a gold watch, a samurai sword and a briefcase. A moment of decision or hesitation has a consequence that plays out in strange and mystical ways – as a theme, that in itself connects it to the gangster / crime genre.

Decinemal score: 87 IMDb: 8.9

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In many ways, I prefer this film to Goodfellas. It has a slower burn, but feels more mature and grounded, somehow. The acting generally from all the regulars is top of the game stuff; especially Sharon Stone, who surprised many by just how good she could be, and is a rare mention in this genre for a female stealing the show! The lush visuals afforded by the glamour of the casino itself dazzles the eye. The suits are there, the attitudes are there. Much more than a lot of “ganster” films, however, this one focuses on relationships at its core. The glitz and crime are a context for looking at the people underneath and how they fail one another. It demonstrates how you can have it all in life and still despair. Criticised for lacking focus and a rock solid script, it can’t be denied there are faults, but it is still one hell of a ride!

Decinemal score: 80 IMDb: 8.2

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Look, there had to be something British on the list! Brighton Rock, Get Carter, The Long Good Friday and Sexy Beast were all considered, as was Ritchie’s own follow up to this stylised romp, Snatch. But, in the end, I chose this because it is the most fun to watch, and really re-invented the non American crime film. For my money a tighter film than Snatch, and less silly, Lock Stock has a naivety that puts you on an equal footing with its protagonists and keeps you engaged from start to hilarious finish. Its sense of humour is key to its success, as we watch one botched effort to get ahead after another. The pay off moments are glorious, and the whole package is wrapped up in every cinematic trick in the book, making it a dizzying rollercoaster experience you never forget first watching. There is a nastiness of spirit and “laddishness” underlying it that is perhaps a little too indulged without a sense of irony, but you can always forgive it. Will it continue to age as well as some on this list, I’m not sure.

Decinemal score: 75 IMDb: 8.2

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If there is one film I insist folk who don’t often go for a subtitled film watch, then City of God is it. Organised crime takes on a much different flavour in different cultures, and here we see how it is not merely a choice in search of riches and power, but a way of life that becomes a matter of survival. This exceptional film has everything: story, character, beauty, cruelty, ugliness, religion, morality and an abundance of heart and soul. Importantly it was co-directed, including a rare female eye in the genre, and it shows. There is a sensibility to City of God that transcends the trivial nature of many gangster / crime films. The violence is a means by which we feel genuine sorrow and empathy for a world gone mad. A highly polished work of art that resonates in human ways a lot of films on this list fail to do.

Decinemal score: 85 IMDb: 8.6

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Last, but not least, we travel to France and journey into a seedy and disturbingly real world of crime and society in modern Europe. We follow the life of Malik, a confused young Arab man forced into a life of crime by circumstance, as he grows from petty criminal to a man of real power and influence. The whole thing feels dirty, deprived and cold; there isn’t a lot of glamour here. The pinstripe is a leather jacket and a tracksuit; the weapon is as likely to be bare hands or a rusty knife as a gun. The power of this film is in wondering how this young man can ever attain peace and redemption, as he descends deeper into the mire; how he becomes both truly lost and at the same time somehow enlightened. A grim tale, told with a European eye that shuns fancy camera work in favour of forcing you to watch, and think. Not a pleasant film, but an important one.

Decinemal score: 76 IMDb: 7.9

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The ones that got away: A secondary dozen of films seriously considered that didn’t quite make it, despite some having a higher Decinemal score. Either they didn’t quite fit, were too similar to another film on the main list, or more comfortably sit within another genre.

• LA Confidential, 1997
• The Long Good Friday, 1980
• Donnie Brasco, 1997
• Sexy Beast, 2000
• American Gangster, 2007
• Scarface, 1983
• The Departed, 2006
• The Public Enemy, 1931
• The Irishman, 2019
• Rififi, 1955
• In Bruges, 2008
• Animal Kingdom, 2010

Thanks for viewing 12 of the best… Gangster Movies. Do let me know your relevent thoughts… and please stay tuned to The Wasteland. Shantih Kx