The Gangster film genre is one that has been around since the early beginnings of motion pictures. These stories usually have the same underlining plots of crime doesn't pay in the end, but then why do we keep coming back for more? Why do we adore crime movie figures such as Don Vito Corleone, Tony Montana, Frank White,Sonny, Henry Hill and Little Cesaer? I will give the top 5 reasons in no specific order today why we as movie goers cannot get enough of the gangster/crime film and why it will live on for many years to come.

1. We Want the Love Gangsters Receive: When we see Sonny walk into the bar and everyone laughs at his unfunny jokes in Bronx Tale or when Henry Hill gets his own table put out for him in the lounge in Goodfellas we secretly or not want that love and attention. Everyone deep down inside wants to have admiration from their peers. They want to feel accepted and ultimately dream of being known and looked up to by the masses. These crime figures are always portrayed as the life of the party or the headline snatchers and most average movie goers latch on to this subconsciously as something they desire for themselves.

2. We Want the Gangster Lifestyle ! Especially now with the economy woes, the lifestyles portrayed by these gangster characters is another trait we would love to possess. I mean everything from Scarface's grand staircase Mansion, the Goodfellas Cadillacs, the freshly pressed Armani suits filling up Ace's Las Vegas closets, the gorgeous women filling up the club booths beside Carlito Brigante and even being the owners of the most happening bars/clubs is a lifestyle most would dream about. Almost everyone in America at least wants has a desire to have more than enough means of living to be stylish and live the way they want all the time. This is usually how gangster figures are portrayed in mafia/crime films.

3. Heroic Guns and Fights : Let's face it your average 9-5 worker is not going to be carrying a gun everywhere he goes. He is not going to pick fights in a bar for the fun of it like Joe Pesci in Goodfellas. I also don't think, correct me if I'm wrong, he is going to be sticking his head out a car window and busting out rounds of ammunition at another person. This fantasy of us being able to let out our subconscious aggression out is another reason we love the gangster movie. We put ourselves as the gangster smacking that ex girlfriend that broke our hearts, or that boss that fired you or even a friend that slept with your wife that you wish you could go beyond the law to solve. The ability for us to act on our emotions freely like the mob figures in these films most movie goers secretly lust.

4. We All Want to be Respected: I'm sure nobody would mind a red carpet being rolled or being kissed on the hand like when the Godfather enters a room. The respect these crime figures get in these films is something everyone wishes they could recieve. As humans we want people to look up to us and feel like our words impact others. These mafia dons and street kings get treated like royalty wherever they go and when they speak they are heard. They can turn the heads of police officers, influence politicians and overrule the verdicts of judges. The more human characters in these films often ask them for favors and admire when they walk down the block because they understand their power and respect their stature. This is a trait almost everyone desires from the gangster movie figure.

5. We All Love Our Families: Almost everyone in the world admires, looks up to and molds themselves in the image of their parents or other significant family members. We would do whatever it takes to protect them and we love them unconditionally. The gangster characters in these films usually feel the same way towards their families, they just go outside the law if necessary to protect them. I feel that the viewer can relate with these characters because sometimes in situations of family we have the urges to do the same acts they execute on screen. This gives the vicious characters such as Michael Corleone, Don Clericuzio, John Gotti and many more the human element necessary for the movie goers to latch onto to look past the violence and relate with these characters.

These are my thoughts on why we love mafia/crime movie characters and movies so much. Let me know what you guys think and let the debate begin.

Jonathan Drewes

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