The Gangster Film

Fatal Success in American Cinema

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by Ron Wilson

Type

Studies

Subject

Genre > Gangster films

Keywords

gangster films, United States

Publishing date

2014

Publisher

Wallflower Press

Collection

Short Cuts

Language

English

Relative size

Physical desc.

Paperback • 144 pages
5 x 8 inches (13 x 20 cm)

ISBN

978-0-231-17207-3

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Book Presentation:
This volume examines the gangster film in its historical context with an emphasis on the ways the image of the gangster has adapted and changed as a result of socio-cultural circumstances. From its origins in Progressive-era reforms to its use as an indictment of corporate greed, the gangster film has often provided a template for critiquing American ideas and values concerning individualism, success, and business acumen. The gangster genre has also been useful in critically examining race and ethnicity in American culture in terms of "otherness." Films studied include Musketeers of Pig Alley (1912), The Racket (1928), The Captive City (1952), The Godfather, Part Two (1974), Goodfellas (1990), and Killing Them Softly (2012).

About the Author:
Ron Wilson is a Lecturer in the Film and Media Studies Department at the University of Kansas. He teaches courses in American popular culture, classical and contemporary film/media theory, and graduate writing.

See the publisher website: Wallflower Press