Gangster Film Genres

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This essays is going to evaluate and develop a critical argument in response of the expression “Genres are fixed and discrete entities”. It will begin by defining what the word Genre is. It will also go further and explain the question of what a gangster film is, how it has started and where is it at today. Using a classic and contemporary American crime film ‘Scarface 1932’ as the case study this essay is going to critically compare with other crime movie.
Using two other type of gangster movies which are Paid in Full (2002) and War Dogs (2016) as a reference; this essay will aim to evaluate and pin point similarities and other element these different period movies have in common.

The word genre itself was taken from the French literature …show more content…
Nowadays, you can find material of comedy in a horror film or romance in horror films. Genre helps to understand set of conversions. One movie could have many genres within itself.

Gangster film or Mob film is a subgenre of crime film. The industry believes that gangster film should come under the wings as it all started as a film noir and then develop into a genre. Gangster film had his debut after the World War 2, but it is only in 1930s the new type of film started to be seen as entertainment and appealing to viewers and audiences. Audience were none than those who were interested to lawlessness and violence.

Shadoian states that “The gangster film is a paradigm of the American dream. The gangster film is a vehicle that responds to our wish to have our dreams made visible to us in a form that retains their dreamlike qualities but contains a narrative that is the living dream of its hero who makes it happen, actualizes it.” This genre often portrait criminal life and films are inspired by real gangsters the life’s such as (Henry Hill, Pablo Escobar, Franck Lucas, Al Capone …show more content…
It deal with critical phases of American history. It could be said that it represent America talking to itself about its urban technological present”. He argues that Gangster film take its inspiration from real society issues such as contemporary organized crime from Mafia, Gangs and Terrorist whom are believed to be the cause of escalation of urban violence. Gangster film does not only portrait the life of criminals but also those that are fighting them such Law-enforcing agent such as Police, Secret agent, Military. Although this genre has evolved gradually over the years, it still consider the same principles gang, mafia, organized crime, and bank robber same as the earlier
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