Anyone who is a fan of gangster films is going to love this book. The book lists the 101 most important and best gangster films from each decade and describes what makes them great and important. In addition to all the ‘usual suspects’ (which is of course included!) such as ‘Goodfellas’ and ‘Scarface’, 101 Gangster Movies To See Before You Die is also an invaluable resource if you want to discover and learn more about this often complicated and controversial genre.
Gangsters have of course been around long before film was invented so it is no surprise that filmmakers have used gangsters as their inspiration and subject matter since the very early days of film. The book picks out some of the most important films from the early days of cinema such as ‘Regeneration’ (reckoned to be the first full length gangster film ever made), Fritz Lang’s ‘Dr. Mabuse The Gambler’, and ‘The Public Enemy’ starring the incomparable James Cagney, all of which are definitely worth a watch. From the old greats we shift through the decades to films like ‘The French Connection’ and ‘Shaft’ right through to modern greats like ‘Get Shorty’, ‘Boyz N The Hood’ and ‘The Departed’.
The book doesn’t just deal with the bigger Hollywood gangster films though and in addition to some British films like ‘Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels’ and ‘Get Carter’, there are also some important foreign language films that make essential viewing for fans of the genre such as ‘Short Sharp Shock’ and ‘Brother’.
101 Gangster Movies To See Before You Die is a nice buy propecia france handy ‘pocket size’ and is an ideal pick up and put down sort of book and makes an ideal gift. Perhaps most importantly though, it is a great way to learn more about the genre and whilst everyone will have an opinion about films that should have been included, the book is certainly an indispensible guide to the world of gangster films.
Also see 101 War Movies You Must See Before You Die by the same author.