The document provides an overview of the history and evolution of gangster films from 1912 to the 1990s. It notes that early influential films included "The Musketeers of Pig Alley" in 1912 and films of the 1930s that portrayed the rise of organized crime during that era. The genre became less popular in the 1950s but saw a resurgence in 1972 with "The Godfather." Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino are highlighted as influential directors known for their gangster films, including "Goodfellas" and "Pulp Fiction." Brief plot summaries are also provided for the films "Goodfellas," "Mean Streets," and "Pulp Fiction."

1. Gangster Film Research

2. Genre History
• The first real gangster film to be released was called 'The Musketeers of Pig Alley' in 1912.
This was the pioneer of all gangster films in the film industry without it we wouldn’t see the
modern greats we currently have.
• the 1930s is where gangster films became really popular, when New York and Chicago were
the cities notoriously known for crime with high ratios of death. Films such as Little Caesar
(1930) and the original Scarface (1932) were made during this time, portraying the rise in
organized crime in the time period. These films generated massive profits as most people at
the time were suffering from the great depression the films were a chance to get away from
their lives and experience what it was like to be a wealthy and powerful something known
little buy majority of the US at the time.
• During the 1950s the gangster film genre had died out, most people switched their attention
to the ever evolving action genre which were more obscure and were more unrealistic giving
the audience a bigger sense of escapism
• 1972 The Godfather was the rise of the gangster film genre after the fall in the 50's it was
also the first gangster film where crime and criminals were glamorized, this was probably why
it was such a big film at the time.
• 1990 Goodfellas was another massive gangster film. It is a real story based on the life of
Henry Hill, who wanted to be a gangster from a young age, the audience liked this movie as it
was based on real life so the audience could slightly relate to it. As most of the other gangster
film it ended in tragedy.

3. Martin Scorsese
• Martin Charles Scorsese is a man
known for many classic gangster
crime he is seen as one of the
pioneers and somebody who set
the bench mark of the standard we
see today of gangster films. He was
raised in the neighborhood of Little
Italy, which later provided the
inspiration for several of his films.
Highest rated films:
• Goodfellas
• Taxi Driver
• Raging bull
Awards:
BAFTA Film Award 1991 – Best film
Best Direction
Best Screenplay
For Goodfellas

4. Scorsese Trademarks
1.New York City as the main setting in his films
http://www.listal.com/list/famous-directors-trademarks
2.Main character often falls in love and has a
wife, and often has a turning point between
the main character and the wife.
3.Corrupt Authority Figures

5. Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino is an expert on
using the cinematic language in
his own work to express his
thrilling stories visually.
Awards:
In January of 1992, first-time writer-director
Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs (1992) The film garnered
critical acclaim and the director became a legend
immediately.
Two years later, he followed up Dogs success with
Pulp Fiction (1994) winning the coveted Palme D'Or
Award.
Highest rated films:
• Pulp Fiction
• Django Unchained
• Reservoir Dogs

6. Tarentinos Trademarks
The Trunk & Hood POV Shot
http://wiki.tarantino.info/index.php/Quentin_Tarantino's_Trademarks
The Mirror Shot
The Torture Scene
Who's On The Phone?

7. Goodfellas
• Brief plot: Henry Hill is a small
time gangster, who takes part
in a robbery with Jimmy
Conway and Tommy De Vito,
two other gangsters who have
set their sights a bit higher. His
two partners kill off everyone
else involved in the robbery,
and slowly start to climb up
through the hierarchy of the
Mob. Henry, however, is badly
affected by his partners
success, but will he stoop low
enough to bring about the
downfall of Jimmy and Tommy?
Tag line: As far back as I can
remember, I've always wanted to
be a gangster.

8. Mean Streets
• Basic plot: The future is set for Tony
and Michael - owning a neighbour-hood
bar and making deals in the
mean streets of New York city's
Little Italy. For Charlie, the future is
less clearly defined. A small-time
hood, he works for his uncle,
making collections and reclaiming
bad debts. He's probably too nice
to succeed. In love with a woman
his uncle disapproves of (because
of her epilepsy) and a friend of her
cousin, Johnny Boy, a near
psychotic whose trouble-making
threatens them all - he can't
reconcile opposing values. A failed
attempt to escape (to Brooklyn)
moves them all a step closer to a
bitter, almost preordained future.
Tagline: You don't make up for
your sins in church. You do it in
the streets.

9. Pulp Fiction
• Jules Winnfield and Vincent Vega
are two hitmen who are out to
retrieve a suitcase stolen from
their employer, mob boss
MarsellusWallace. Wallace has
also asked Vincent to take his wife
Mia out a few days later when
Wallace himself will be out of
town. Butch Coolidge is an aging
boxer who is paid by Wallace to
lose his next fight. The lives of
these seemingly unrelated people
are woven together comprising of
a series of funny, bizarre and
uncalled-for incidents.
Tagline: You won’t know the facts until
you’ve seen the fiction.