Mafia Flicks: The Ten Greatest Film Depictions of the "Cosa Nostra"
Dec 30 '05
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Mafia Flicks: The Ten Greatest Film Depictions of the "Cosa Nostra"
10) Road to Perdition “This is the lifestyle we choose, and what is guaranteed is none of us will make it to heaven”
This movie seems misplaced in a list dominated by Italian productions, yet it’s position on the list is under whelming. Tom Hanks plays Michael Sullivan, a Irish hitman who’s life is forever changed with the murder of his son, who witnessed a crime. The movie focuses on the characteristics of the lead characters and the violence of the criminal life takes a back seat. Director Sam Mendes, who accurately depicts the 1940 mafia setting. Sullivan has a personal vendetta for the loss of his family who died on the hand of a man who was the father he never had, John Rooney. Paul Newman does a splendorous job, with the role, portraying a carrying yet brutal elderly mob boss. Road to Perdition includes many memorable scenes, great acting all the way through, and excellent writing makes it an emotional mob thriller.
9) Godfather 3 “All the power on earth can't change destiny”
Godfather 3 has received a lot of mixed feelings. Many people I know say this movie is a perfect third installment to the greatest film trilogy produced. Others see it as a poor attempt to ride the fame of the first two movies. My viewpoint is neither extreme yet I feel it is a nice conclusion to the series. Godfather 3 was made 14 years after the second and features an older, resentful Michael Corleone. It seems that his conscious has finally caught up to all the atrocities of his past, and Michael is attempting to legalize the Corleone family, while repenting his sins. Al Pacino returns as Michael, clearly a classical acting veteran, and a man comfortable with the made man role. Diane Keaton handles Kate as graceful as ever, while Andy Garcia portrays Sunny’s son, as a mirror image of his father is the best new inclusion. Francis Ford Coppolla directing is as enticing as ever, and Mario Puzo excellent inclusion of the political misdeeds of the Catholic church was a very original angle to take the film, yet it is his ability to tie in the older characters and plots of the previous installments is the most captivating, as this chapter finishes the story of three generations of the Corleone family.
8) Carlito’s Way “Okay I’m reloaded, you Mother F****’s think your big time, your going to die big time, here comes the pain”
Carlito’s Way is an underrated mob flick, which never blew up like Pacino’s successors. Al Pacino plays Port Rican gangster Carlito Brigante, fresh out of the joint, looking for a way out of the criminal lifestyle. Carlito was a powerful individual before being incarcerated, and as he returns to the streets, his dream of leaving it all behind, becomes just that a dream. This story has been done many times before, but it’s the acting performances and the direction taken by producer Brian De Palma, that creates cinematic glory. Al Pacino laid back, street wise character seems to be a cross of Michael Corleone, with a touch of Tony Montana spark. Sean Penn is on par with the star giving a captivating performance David Klienfield, a layer who is on the burg of loosing his sanity. The Climatic, action packed ending, is among the best of the genre, and every aspect of the film comes together to create one of the better movies of Pacino and De Palma’ luxurious careers.
7) A Bronx Tale “Those mobsters aren’t tough guys, getting up everyday and working for a living makes you a tough guy”
This movie is not technically a mob movie, yet the mafia plays a huge role in the background of the story. It captures the live Brooklyn feel back in the days, as no other movie does. This movie touches on many aspects of the time including the mob, racism, family loyalty and peer pressure. The main character C, is a young ambitious boy who fantasized as a child of the mafia until one day he helps get the main wise guy Sunny out of a fix, and becomes his ‘adopted son’. This is complicated by C’s father Lorenzo (Denero) who wants his son to have nothing to do with that despicable mobster, and his crew who are a bunch of ignorant hooligans. The star ___ fits in perfect with the role, and with a cast of acknowledge supporting actors, including the greatest actor of our time Denero himself, this movies acting always comes correct. This is Denero’s directing debut, and although not as spectacular or technical as the works of Scorsesse or Copolla, he succeeds with the directorial approach and a nice script about just another Bronx tale.
6) Donnie Brasco “I am not like one of them, I am one of them”
Al Pacino and Johnny Deep take the center stage for this modern day mob thriller. It is a very emotional look at the relationship of Lefty (Pacino) and Donnie Brasco (Deep). Donnie Brasco is an undercover agent who gets into deep with the mob, transforming into what he was sent to take down. The job is “eating him alive” as he becomes attached to his mentor, while loosing touch with his own wife and three daughters. The crime aspect of this movie takes a back seat to the more introspective, emotional relationship between Donnie and Lefty. The film ending is one of the best of any genre, as Pacino gives one of the best performances of his lustrous career. 1997 was the release date of this masterpiece, as it stands as the last classic mobster movie produced.
5) Casino “In the Casino the Cardinal rule is to keep them playing and keep them coming back. The longer they play, the more they lose. In the end we get it all.”
Martin Scorsese’s latest mafia masterpiece is Casino. De Nero and Joe Pesci take center stage in this mafia movie of grand scale. This movie is usually misrepresented as a poorer version of Goodfella’s but I couldn’t disagree more. This picture is on a grander scale and focuses on the 1970’s Mafioso casino empires. Ace is a small time bookie turned Casino kingpin, played by a man familiar with this role Robert De Nero, who essentially shows the cunning intelligence of a businessman, with the edge of powerful mafia affiliation. Joe Pesci re-plays his Goodfella role as Nicky Carintino, a psychotic out of control mobster. Pesci eventually crosses the line with the attempted murder of Ace, and he is brutally beaten, and buried alive in one of the most gory and disturbing scenes ever put out. Scorsese takes this movie in the right direction, focusing on the dirty work behind the scenes of the Las Vegas Empire. Although all the characters represented are fictional, the story as a whole is a real accurate portrayal of the rise and fall of the five family owned Casinos, and the beginning of the sin city of Los Vegas, which has become the gambling capital of the world.
4) Goodfellas “As far back as I remember I always wanted to be a gangster”
The critically acclaimed Scorsese’s masterpiece remains one of the most cherished works in film history but critics, and fans alike. If Raging Bull was the introduction of revolutionary directorial technique, then this is the Cadillac of his legendary film discography. This film takes you deep into the criminal world of the men of honor, wherever man must exercise the rule of Omerta. Ray Liotta plays Henry Hill, a small time mobster who begins working under the mafia as a young teenager until he makes it big time under mob boss Paulie. Jimmy Conway played by De Nero is an intellectual mobster, whose wisdom and suspicion of others leads him to flip out in a mind state of paranoia. Constantly over looked but never underachieving Joe Pesci plays the mentally insane Tommy De Vito, whose rage results in his demise. Henry Hill did the same, as he turned on the family leaking information to the feds. He broke the rules, and his punishment is expulsion from the life of power and respect. Martin Scorsese is flawless, as the club scene will go down as the films most memorable scene, as we see the first person perspective of Henry as he enters a club. The little subtle touches and attention to little details in that scene and the whole movie in general is what makes this movie the phenomenon masterpiece it is.
3) Scarface “First you get the money, then you get the power, then you get the respect”
Brian De Palma must of never realized what he had going when he began to film this controversial gangster thriller. After finally being able to be released under the rated R rating (Original rated X) Scarface went from a remake of a cult classic to one of the most influential films ever created. It follows the rise of Cuban Immigrant, Tony Montana coming from nothing to having the world in this classic “rags to riches” story. Tony Montana had balls, and he wouldn’t break them for anyone, as he was a fearless character, which would become an icon for many. Tony Montana become big, so big that it was just time before he fell. And he fell hard, taking down as many people with him as he was shoot down trying to single handedly defend his castle. Brian Del Palma’s directing was intense and violent, as the movie has a legendary aura that is visible from the beginning to end. Al Pacino is an acting God, showcasing how an actor can steal a role, with his pure brutal portrayal of the powerful Tony Montana. The rage and fury portrayed in the final moments of the film are unmatched by none, and Pacino’s stage presence is breathtaking. Al Pacino truly took this movie in to legendary status all by himself, which may take away from all the other great factors of this movie, which creates “the gangster film.”
2) Godfather 2 “Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer”
How do you make a sequel to the Godfather, one of the films industry’s most cherished pictures? I sure have no clue, but it seems Francis Ford Copolla rose to the expectations and destroyed them. Godfather 2 picks up where Godfather 1 ended, and feels more like a continuation then a sequel. Just look as the first two godfathers as one epic 6 ½ hour movie which demonstrates acting, directing, writing and film making at it’s finest. Al Pacino sleep walks through his role as the Don, Michael Corleone who has surpassed his father in power and influence as his jurisdiction has expanded from New York to Los Vegas, to Cuba. Pacino feels at home with his role, and plays him the second time around with tremendous ease and charisma. Robert De Nero role as a younger newly immigrated Vito Corleone is astonishing, as he fully captures the presence of Vito Corleone. The supporting cast is accomplishment in itself as Robert Douvall, Dianne Keaton and John Cazale all perform their roles respectively. Francis Ford Copolla went out on a limb with this unorthodox approach to sequencing of this movie, with flash backs and time lapses which differs from the straightforward perspective of the original. Yet this format adds to the charm of the sequel, allowing it to be comparable to the original in every different aspect, and as a whole this film delivers everything you could want in a sequel by staying true to the original but creating an identity of itself.
1) Godfather “I’ll make him a offer he can't refuse”
Mario Puzo wrote a small time novel entitled the Godfather. This novel was then created into a film script, and brought on screen by the then unknown Francis Copolla. Acting veteran Marlon Brando took the lead role of Vito Corleone, the head of the Corleone crime family. Al Pacino took the supporting role as his son Michael, who did not want to get involved with his fathers lifestyle. But his destiny was already chosen, as he would be the heir to his father, and become the most notorious mafia boss in film history. To simply put it, this motion picture epic mixes perfection with flawlessness. As the viewer follow the two generations of the Corleone family, the world of the Godfather draws you in for a whole 3 hours, and does never falter. This movie has no faults, as every performance is perfect, every line of the dialogue is well crafted, every camera angle is exquisite as not one second goes to waste. Al Pacino breaks into the film industry with a performance that only comes every thousand or so years, and Marlon Brando’s depiction of Vito Corleone demands your attention, as he showcases the multi layers of Vito’s wisdom and Brilliance. This movie is an intellectual movie that caters to the average viewer, an artistic movie that is enjoyable to watch. The setting, characters and plot is such a realistic portrayal of the “Cosa Nostra” that is still uncontested from every angle. Forget greatest mafia movie, this is the greatest film of any genre, an uncontested masterpiece, a timeless motion picture of grandest scale.
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