Is 'Casino' the best gangster film ever made

guitars4you

Jalapeno said:

No love for The Long Good Friday ?

Not seen it for a while but recall it was a good movie - Might see if i can find it via Netflix or similar and give it another shot - Recall it has a younger 'Kaff' from the Eastenders in it

Blueingreen

Has "Heat" been mentioned? It has its flaws, but I like it better than the Scorcese ones (not that I have anything against Scorcese but I like Taxi Driver better than any of his mob movies).

Also if Sopranos gets a mention, what about The Wire?  OK not about the mob but very much about gangsters, and arguably a better show.

richcol

Casino is great and brilliantly shot. My favourite is Carlito's Way with Goodfellas very close behind. Need to watch the Godfather series again though, might change my mind on things.

boogieman

earwighoney said:

A lot of these films are 'mob' films opposed to films dealing with 'organised crime', and the 'mob film' is a largely an Italian American construct.

I've seen most of the films mentioned being the Godfather, Casino, Goodfellas etc, but I prefer some other films out there.

Along the lines of 'Goodfellas' which is aspirational, I prefer 'Animal Kingdom' which is based in fatalism instead.

Even if it's not a 'mob' film but a film concerning organised crime, I think 'The Third Man' is in it's own class.

For modern French films, I'm not a fan of the Mesrine films, I prefer 'A Prophet' & 'The Beat My Heart Skipped'.

The Brazilian film 'City of God' is superb as well.

I’d forgotten A Prophet, superb film. 

boogieman

Jalapeno said:

No love for The Long Good Friday ?

Certainly lots of love for Helen Mirren in that. Phwoar. 

sofasteve

Mesrine parts one and two are both excellent. Subtitled French film starring Vincent Cassel.

ICBM

earwighoney said:

The Brazilian film 'City of God' is superb as well.

It's an incredible film, but I wouldn't really describe it as a gangster movie even though it does involve gang crime.

boogieman said:

Certainly lots of love for Helen Mirren in that. Phwoar. 

Helen Mirren in anything, really...

Teetonetal

vasselmeyer said:

I think it depends on what you mean by "Gangster" rather than "crime movies involving gangsters". To me, a Gangster movie is a character study of those involved in organised crime as well as needing a plot. If we're just talking films (which excludes The Sopranos), as well as the usual Godfather trilogy, Casino, Goodfellas etc, then the following are definitely worth looking at:

Once Upon a Time in America

Gangs of New York

The Departed

Donnie Brasco

American Gangster

Miller's Crossing

Eastern Promises

Miller's crossing is another film I really enjoyed. Well worth a watch.

Springywheel

Carlito’s Way is very good. The Departed...

Casino is the best though imo.

tony99

Springywheel said:

Caroito’s Way is very good

it is

Fuengi

ICBM said:

Fuengi said:

I'm a huge fan of Once Upon A Time In America, it is an epic movie in every sense.

I think it's probably Sergio Leone's greatest film, and that's saying something when he also made Once Upon A Time In The West.

I think I just prefer Once Upon A Time In The West, the first time I watched it I was just open mouthed at the Harmonica / Frank gunfight ending. I love his use of lighting and shadow and the musical character themes are genius. A true classic.  

tone1

I thought Casino was a fantastic film

ICBM

Fuengi said:

I think I just prefer Once Upon A Time In The West, the first time I watched it I was just open mouthed at the Harmonica / Frank gunfight ending. I love his use of lighting and shadow and the musical character themes are genius. A true classic.  

Me too - I just think America is marginally the better film in terms of pure movie-making. West has the better music as well - as I posted in the other thread, I think it's the finest movie soundtrack ever.

On the gangster movie subject I think the first two Godfather films are on a level above everything else though - utterly iconic in every way, brilliant plots and acting, incredible cinematography, and arguable candidates for the best films ever made in any genre. The third one isn't actually terrible, it's just an ordinarily good film - so it seems like a damp squib by comparison.

BluesyDave

The Godfather 1
Miller's Crossing
No Country for Old Men

Philly_Q

Just noticed an old DVD box set on my shelf.  This is a pretty good selection:

Little Caesar
White Heat
The Roaring Twenties
The Public Enemy
Angels With Dirty Faces
The Petrified Forest

DB1

Philly_Q said:

Just noticed an old DVD box set on my shelf.  This is a pretty good selection:

Little Caesar
White Heat
The Roaring Twenties
The Public Enemy
Angels With Dirty Faces
The Petrified Forest

Brilliant!

tony99

BluesyDave said:

No Country for Old Men

Right so this kept coming in my head whilst reading this thread, is it allowed as a gansgter flick really?

I read the book years ago and thought ok not bad, but the film took me a few goes to realise its sheer brilliance

it is truly a masterpiece of cinema

BluesyDave

tony99 said:

BluesyDave said:

No Country for Old Men

Right so this kept coming in my head whilst reading this thread, is it allowed as a gansgter flick really?

I read the book years ago and thought ok not bad, but the film took me a few goes to realise its sheer brilliance

it is truly a masterpiece of cinema

Ah yes....love the Coen Bros.  I guess Fargo could also qualify.