The Gangster Film Fatal Success in American Cinema |
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| Author:
| Wilson, Ron |
| Series title: | Short Cuts Ser. |
| ISBN: | 978-0-231-85067-4 |
| Publication Date: | Dec 2014 |
| Publisher: | Columbia University Press
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| Imprint: | Wallflower Press |
| Book Format: | Digital (delivered electronically) |
| List Price: | USD $19.99 |
Book Description:
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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...
More DescriptionThis 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).