The Top 25 Gangster Films of the Last 40 Years
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The greatest gangster film of all time—Francis Ford Coppola’s masterpiece The Godfather—just turned 40. To celebrate the birthday of Coppola’s classic, we’re counting down the top 25 gangster films that followed it (broadly defining the genre). Here are the top 25 gangster films of the last 40 years:
15. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Right off the bat, in his first feature film, Quentin Tarantino flaunts the love and knowledge of cinema that he developed as an employee of a video rental store. He borrows heavily from Kubrick’s The Killing and Scorsese’s early gangster pics but, at the same time, makes Reservoir Dogs his own. Violent, clever and lively, it epitomizes the talented auteur he’s become.
14. Eastern Promises (2007)
David Cronenberg’s film about a London midwife (Naomi Watts) who gets caught up with the Russian mob contains one of the most memorable fight scenes to date: a nude and tattooed Vigo Mortensen beats the brains out two gangsters in a bathhouse. In contrast, the story has a genuine grace and sentiment about it. Who knew the sadistic Cronenberg had such a soft spot?
13. The Departed (2006)
Martin Scorsese’s first gangster film to be set in Boston isn’t his best, but it won him his first Best Picture Award at the Oscars. Featuring an all-star cast in the likes of Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio and Jack Nicholson, the gangster drama, a remake of the Hong Kong thriller Infernal Affairs, upholds the optimum qualities of a classic Scorsese picture: style, morality and grit.
12. The Usual Suspects (1995)
With all its twists, turns, rumors and flashbacks, The Usual Suspects could have easily been a mess, but director Bryan Singer, screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie and the outstanding cast, led by Kevin Spacey and Chazz Palminteri, hold it together. While technically a mystery film at the core, it goes gangster by the end.
11. The Untouchables (1987)
Don’t let anyone fool you: Brian De Palma’s greatest gangster film isn’t Scarface. It’s The Untouchables. Starring a brilliant Sean Connery, Robert De Niro and Kevin Costner, this large-scale look at the Chicago mob wars of the 1920s comes together with style and force—and some genuine laughs. The grandiose score from Ennio Morricone provides an extra bang.
10. A Bronx Tale (1993)
After acting as the centerpiece for so many gangster films, Robert De Niro decided to make his own. In his directorial debut, he spins a gripping coming-of-age story that delves into the depths of family and race. Though honest and brutal, the film has a heavy heart and sound sense of morality. De Niro captures the time and place—the Bronx of the 1960s—spot on.
9. City of God (2002)
City of God is, at times, not easy to watch because of its honest portrayal of gang life in Rio De Janiero, where the killers and victims are kids and teenagers. But that’s part of what makes it so enthralling. Similar to Goodfellas in story, as an outsider makes his way into the world of crime, the Brazilian film moves urgently and gets a beautiful visual treatment from director Fernando Mierelles.
8. Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
In the wake of the first two Godfather films, Sergio Leone showed boldness to attempt a gangster film of this scale and magnitude, but the boldness paid off. Centered on a gang of Jewish mobsters—played by greats such as Robert De Niro and James Woods—Once Upon a Time in America makes for a violent and haunting social history of crime in America.
7. Pulp Fiction (1994)
Still Quentin Tarantino’s greatest accomplishment, Pulp Fiction rehashes a handful of other great gangster movies to form a modern masterpiece. In a full-circle plot of crossings and complications, the smart elick of a movie takes us on an ultra-violent and ultra-funny ride with John Travolta at his best and Samuel L. Jackson dropping F-bombs like no one else.
6. Casino (1995)
A three-hour examination of crime and punishment—and loyalty and betrayal—in Las Vegas, Martin Scorsese’s Casino may be long and slow but, at the same time, it’s totally intoxicating, and the experience is rewarding. Scorsese brings the same style of Goodfellas back—the bravura visuals and rock ’n’ roll soundtrack—and Sharon Stone gives the performance of a lifetime.