Genre in film is how you can sort between different types of film. Within all aspects of genre there are similarities between films. This places them within a certain genre. In this essay, I am going to compare two films of the gangster genre and see how they are similar, and what places them within this genre. The two films I shall be focusing on are "Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels" (1998, Guy Ritchie) and "GoodFellas" (1990, Martin Scorsese).
Many similarities turn up within films. Setting, storyline, period of time, etc, can be seen in films. This makes them part of a genre. For example a lot of science fiction movies are set in space (Alien, Star Wars, etc), action movies have a "good guy" versus "bad guy" storyline (True Lies, James Bond, etc) and vampire films follow myths that vampires die in sunlight and have no reflection (Interview With A Vampire, From Dusk Till Dawn, etc). Gangster movies are no exception. Most of the films in the genre are set in areas that have no landmarks and are in back streets of major cities. Foreigners are also featured, with Italians and Sicilians playing big parts due to Mafioso connections. The Italian Americans have been the main characters in many gangster films. Men play these characters, with women taking a backseat, and show they are very close knit, as many of the films feature gangster families. Some of the films show a gang of friends that act like they were brothers. With all of the films in this genre, crime plays a part. From petty crimes like selling stolen goods, all the way up to murder. Strong violence and bad language is also included and most gangster films are intended for an adult audience.
Gangster films have been popular for many years, with the success of The Godfather trilogy, and on television with The Soprano's and the Lock, Stock series. Not all gangster films have been made in America, with the British producing many independent films of this genre.