Making the Movie Mobster 1: Criminals on Camera.
by Fionn Morris
Crime fiction has been subject to a universal obsession. It transcends cultures and mediums, with a loose outline for what makes “crime fiction,” allowing it to become so versatile that it almost exceeds the notion of genre entirely. In spite of this, the genre is heavily reliant on the existence of many societal constructions, such as the concept of law and an established judicial system, ones that needed to be built overtime. As a result, compared to other overarching genres such as romance and science fiction, crime fiction is relatively new, with some of its earliest examples coming from the Middle East during the Islamic Golden Age. It was adopted properly by Western audiences even later, only truly catching on with the rise of the 9th century detective novel, a response to the creation of a national police force in 1856 and the expansion of a penal system in the form of prisons. This lay the groundwork for crime fiction to become arguably the most popular genre to exist, with its adaptability allowing for elements of other genres, such as comedy or horror, to be incorporated, while its focus on the smaller scale questions and the human condition set it apart from other genres which leave a broader space to focus on more existential and conceptual subjects.
Therefore, it was only a matter of time before the subject of crime fiction was adopted into the medium of film. The genre of detective stories were abundant, with adaptations of classic novels, for instance Sherlock Holmes, being a constant throughout the years of cinema, along with crime thrillers that take on more risqué and violent subjects with some popular early examples coming from Hitchcock’s films such as, North by North West (1959) , and, Strangers on a Train (1951) .
Though it is gangster films that seem to be the most recognized and prolific throughout cinema. The genre's tendency to focus on the criminal rather than an outside source, as well as a common unflinching attitude towards extreme violence, gave audiences an up close look at those that the genre of crime fiction had focused on for so long. Its massive success has shaped the public consciousness and the way we now interpret what a, “criminal,” might be. In turn, the genre of gangster films have evolved, moulding itself to fit within different contemporary times and cultures. From American gangster or, “mafia,” films, to the Japanese production companies Toei and Nikkatsu fighting for national domination over the genre of yakuza, the subgenre has seen many different interpretations to be explored by audiences.
The Making of Mafia Movies
However, in order for a genre to exist in the first place, there needs to be an established set of rules, traits and characteristics for a film to either uphold, innovate on, or break away from entirely. And it is this idea of creation that we must focus on, acknowledging the origins of the gangster subgenre, and how later films adapted and evolved the characteristics, morphing it into the genre that we see today.
The Musketeers of Pig Alley (1912)
Snapper Kid begs The Musician and The Little Lady for help in 'The Musketeers of Pig Alley', 1912.
The United States were arguably the originators of the gangster film subgenre. D. W. Griffith is credited as director of one of the earliest gangster flicks to be distributed. The film in question, 1912’s The Musketeers of Pig Alley, advertised this fact loudly and proudly at the top of it’s posters. Although the film, to put it in kinder words, is simple. It’s easy to follow and doesn’t give much to chew on artistically, rather it seems more interested in the spectacle of the cutting edge technology that seemed to grab the attention of a pre war America, as well as further expanding Griffith’s techniques in editing. The film doesn’t even follow or align the audience on the side of the criminal, rather it follows a couple who are at first assaulted by him, then saved and return the favour.
In spite of its simplicity, we are still able to witness some aspects of the gangster subgenre within this film. One example could be as surface level as the similar aesthetic choices used in the film that we can relate to later pieces of work. The mise en scene, for example, with the background set designed to look like an urban environment, a setting typical of the gangster subgenre, or sharp suit and fedora that the Snapper Kid wears as a costume, with these pieces becoming almost stereotypical among depictions of mafia characters. These examples go deeper, with the film also taking a loose anti-authority stance that, while being a staple theme of the gangster subgenre, is surprising when taking a look at Griffith’s later, less favourable works. This stance comes in the form of the depiction of the policeman, with his exaggerated performance of John T. Dillion, taking large swings to the back of Snapper Kid’s head, is inherently comedic, making this action of violence come off as both extremely brutal and entirely incompetent. Griffith also makes time to craft a somewhat sympathetic criminal in the character of Snapper Kid, with his actions of stopping the Little Lady from being mugged as heroic in a sense. The title of the film reinforces this, using the word, “Musketeer,” to describe Snapper Kid, a word semantically associated with ideas of bravery and honour. As a result, while overly simple in order to fit in with the rest of the contemporary film industry, “The Musketeers of Pig Alley,” is still witness to many different elements that would become staples of the gangster subgenre, pioneering these aesthetics and themes into the larger public consciousness.
Scarface (1932)
Scarface blasts his way into the film in 'Scarface', 1932, United Artists.
Considered a classic among not just gangster films, but all golden age Hollywood films in general, Howard Hawk’s Scarface is where we are able to see many traits that would later become typical, realised and cemented into the identity of the gangster genre. In terms of aesthetic values, the film builds upon the basis established by films such as, The Musketeers of Pig Alley. These include the urban set design and the similar costume choices of a suit jacket and fedora for the gangster characters. However, Hawk also builds this sense of wealth to the titular character and his gangsters, such as the character of Johnny Lovo, who wears an expensive silk dressing gown, in an apartment that is both equally large and lavish. The character of Tony, Scarface, Camonte is also given more of a threatening presence in the frame, a deviation from Snapper Kid who is more shown as a menace rather than a proper threat. An example of this presented when we are first shown Tony, or, more importantly, aren’t shown him. His presence is instead first established through his shadow, an effect created through hard back lighting. Tony, therefore, is immediately established as faceless, lacking any sort of character for the audience to latch onto. His presence as a threat is reinforced through the camera that begins to dolly to the right before suddenly stopping when Tony’s shadow becomes centre frame, as if the camera itself is frozen in fear at the sight of him. As a result, the audience's first impression of Tony is not of human contact, but instead as a violent entity without any face to latch onto.
However, Scarface, does not only show examples of how certain elements typical of the gangster subgenre are being morphed overtime, but also helps us keep track of some new characteristics that were missing from the previous one. This includes the subgenres signature unflinching behaviour towards showing the audience brutal violence. The ending is where is is most present, with the shootout between Tony and the police outside not shying away from showing the bloody conclusion, forcing the audience in a close two of to watch Cesca die in the arms of Tony, only for him to try and escape, being riddled with bullet in the process. This all culminates with a blood scene of Tony’s dead body centre frame being swarmed by officers, as the non diegetic music cuts out, leaving the audience with a lasting image of an absolute massacre without any distraction to latch onto. Hawk’s use of practical effects and sound, as well as the dramatic acting of Paul Muni and Ann Dvorark, help to portray this image of absolute carnage that concludes the film. This display of explicit violence was so prolific that well known politician William Hays called for re-shoots of the film, citing its extreme bloodiness. This was not the only act of censorship of the film, with many alterations having to be made in order to, “condemn the gangster lifestyle,” such as a change in the character of Tony’s mother, who was originally supportive of his criminal career. It has even been called, "one of the most highly censored films in Hollywood history,” by Warwick University professor J. E. Smyth. The only reason why we have the ending that is presented today is because of the film's producer, Howard Hughes, deciding to go directly against the orders of Hays and instead organised a showing to the press, later releasing the uncensored film to the rest of the world in 1932. As a result of Scarface’s massive box office success and its highly praised critical status, Hays was forced to back down from any more censorship. Hughes actions, in turn, not only help further cement the gangster subgenres attitude towards violence, but also characterised the genre itself as, “rebellious,” in the era of the Hays code.
Even before we see the rise of the gangster sub genre as the critically acclaimed titan that it is, the identity of the movie mobster is still very strong. The costumes, the unflinching attitude towards violence, and, most significantly, the anti authority themes both in films and outside are strong even long before this acclaim. However, how this genre will evolve in the Hays code era and a post Golden Age Hollywood would see it become the mammoth of a sun genre it is now.
by Fionn Morris, October 2022.
