27. The Killing (1956)
Can’t do the time, don’t do the crime: Kubrick’s racetrack stick-up unfolds in flashbacks, storytelling fractured to nail the fatalistic theme.
“A crime film,” said the director, “is almost like a bullfight; it has a ritual and a pattern, which lays down that the criminal isn’t going to make it.”
Kubrick’s OCD-editing flits from Sterling Hayden’s perfectly planned heist to the aftermath as his cool professionalism’s undone by the gang of squealers and bunglers he’s working with.
Tarantino nicked ideas for Reservoir Dogs, boasting, “This movie is my The Killing.”
Killer Scene: Elisha Cook’s turned worm: “The jerk’s right here.”
26. Tokyo Drifter (1966)
“Inspired lunacy,” reckoned Time Out. They were right on both counts. Seijun Suzuki’s yakuza run-around is your average gang-warfare flickplot-wise, locked’n’loaded by a crime boss’ struggles to “go straight”.
Twists, though, include a fractured structure, freaky effects, impromptu songs, near-slapstick gags, Pop Art colour coding (our hero is frequently coordinated to correlate with the wallpaper) and a villain who pretty much always arrives on screen sunglasses first.
With logic sidelined, are we talking style over content? Not quite: Suzuki extravagantly, exuberantly amplifies style to crack open and unpick conventional crime-flick content.
Killer Scene: A burly brawl in the “Saloon Western”. Insolent, pointless, well cheeky.
25. The Big Heat (1953)
Predating Dirty Harry and Popeye Doyle by two decades, Glenn Ford is the tough cop hunting the ruthless mobster who blew up his wife in Fritz Lang’s brutal thriller.
Shockingly violent for its day, this hard-boiled noir paints a bleak universe steeped in the kind of endemic corruption that was being uncovered at the time by the Kefauver Committee.
What unsettles, though, is the way women – beaten, burned, scalded and tortured – become the story’s collateral damage: sacrificial lambs caught in the cross-fire of a vicious new order.
Killer Scene: Lee Marvin’s psychotic gangster Vince Stone throwing hot coffee in Gloria Grahame’s face.
Comments
ebrown2112
Jun 23rd 2009, 14:04
I disagree about the exclusion of The Departed, but I agree about Goodfellas at #1.
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weirdr0b0t
Jun 23rd 2009, 18:53
i had forgotten about the departed, and i agree that should have been in there!! What about Road to Perdition as well!! That movie should definitely be in there!!
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adammiller2k
Jun 24th 2009, 1:43
forget the departed, infernal affairs is so much better! and having both in the list would have been stupid. great list though. i know i might get hounded for this, but if you had room for only 1 new wave "gangster movie" i'd replace breathless with truffaut's "shoot the pianist" that's a stonking good movie. do the vengance triology not count as gangster movies? i know they are revenge tragedies, but then so is get carter (what a movie). ps tokyo drifter rocks!
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Desperation
Jun 24th 2009, 11:39
I think Carlito's Way should have been higher.
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weirdr0b0t
Jun 24th 2009, 18:38
and you figure s****h or lock Stock or even RocknRolla would have got a mention!!
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Film2517
Jun 25th 2009, 15:26
a pretty accurate list but Gomorrah is the most notable exclusion on it.
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SUPERmovieFREAK
Jun 25th 2009, 17:25
Okay this isn't that bad a list. You've definitely got some all time classics in there like the Godfather Part 1 & 2, Mean Streets, Goodfellas etc, etc. I disagree with Goodfellas being number 1, The Godfather is the greatest movie and greatest gangster movie EVER made (but okay I can deal with Goodfellas being Number 1). But there are some films in there I've never even heard of. What the hell is Casque D'or, never heard of it. Or The Killing, never heard of it. The Big Heat, never heard of it. Instead the complete shmucks you are, you’ve gone and missed major classics out like The Untouchables. How could you forget that? It’s got a small but classic role by Robert DeNiro and the legendary Sean Connery. Plus like people have said above you’ve also missed out major modern classics like The Departed, Gommorah, Road To Perdition and Rock ‘n’ Rolla. AND WHAT THE HELL ABOUT Eastern Promises and A History Of Violence. Two great movies by a great director and I still can’t believe you missed them out. If I was a Don and I saw that list I’d have you all whacked you shmucks.
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Hip2thabone
Jun 26th 2009, 13:56
Seriously this list is totally f****d up. How can u have pulp fiction higher than donnie brasco or infernal affairs? What about a movie called "SHOTTAS"?
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hazey
Feb 5th 2011, 14:45
Breathless is not a gangster flick..the main protaganist is a small time hood!
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DAO999
Jun 21st 2011, 23:35
Once upon a time in America is the worst gangster movie I have ever seen. epic piece of garbage. The acting was horrible and over the top. The scenes were comical. Tried way too much to be overly dramatic; having actors looking off in the distance, as if in deep thought every 5 mins, was beyond lame. The dialog was horrible. The ending was stupid. I love movies and I’ve seen enough gangster movies. I am beyond confused why this movie is well received. I did watch the extended original version and still couldn’t believe how bad it was. It wouldn’t make my top 50 gangster movies. Pulp Fiction needs to be moved up. Also Reservoir Dogs, The departed, and Road to Perdition need to be on this list. Sorry; I’m 2 yrs late on my posting
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glenmarks
Oct 16th 2011, 5:16
What about "New Jack City"?
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