10. A Bronx Tale - A movie that focuses on why & how easy it is for a very young life to become attracted to the mob-life.
9. Reservoir Dogs - The first thing that everyone thinks about this movie are the hit-men/thieves in the warehouse. However, the scenes of the initial planning/ set-up of the heist by mob-head Joe Cabot & the planning of the infiltration by the undercover cop by Mr. Orange & Holdaway are pretty cool, too.
8. The Godfather lll - I know, I know.... everybody thinx this one sux. However, the Godfather Trilogy didn't come to me til much later in my life. Therefore, the 1st. Godfather film I ever watched was this one. So I got to see it without the comparison of it's 2 predecessors. And, IMO, on it's own, it's a very good mobster movie. Obviously, it can't compare to the 1st. 2, but, in the genre of mob-flicks, it kicks it's own particular brand of mafia @ss. Plus, with it's redemption-themed, politically-charged corporation/Vatican storyline,
it's a pretty goddamn smart movie, too.
Now, if only Sofia Coppola would've gotten shot at the beginning of the film instead of the end, maybe this flick would get a little more respect.
7. Casino - Goodfellas, Las Vegas style.
6. Road To Perdition - This is a quality film that addresses something that rarely gets any notice from any mobster movie: the relationship of a gangster with his kid(s). Just this one aspect of the mafia lifestyle is enough to open a new set of ideas for future movies plotlines that focus on those in the world of organized crime.
5. Donnie Brasco - Al Pacino in the mob, but this time, on the opposite side of the hierarchy. A low-level aging hitman who can't get no respect. One of the few times Al gets to expand his acting muscles as opposed to just flexing 'em with a loud performance, which, though he's good at, has sorta become his standard.
For me, a great gangster movie isn't just about "wacking" people. It's when it shows the inner-most details of how the mob works. This one goes towards the very lowest part of the totem & shows us how the "cogs" grind thru a living in hopes of someday climbing that mafia ladder.
4. Bugsy - Bugsy is a film that doesn't even try to compete with other mob flicks. And therefore, it succeeds as a gangster movie that stands out on its own. It almost completely removes the realistic-type dialogue & the grittiness that is usually associated with this genre. I can almost sense the same sheen that the old black & white mafia films used to use to screen over the mobster characters & give em that "romanticized" look that they became famous for back then. For all their ruthlessness, the major players in this story come off as very likeable people. And you can't beat the acting by Warren Beatty, Annette Benning, Harvey Keitel, Ben Kingsley, Elliot Gould & Joe Mantegna.
3. The Godfather ll - I shan't go into detail why I think this such a great movie cuz I'll just end up repeating what has been said about this movie a millions times already.
However, I will mention that just when I thought I spotted all the " orange = death/violent act" scenes in this trilogy, upon my most recent viewing of G-2, I spotted another one. Right before Massimo Fanucci, The Black Hand Don, get's "hit", he grabs an orange from one of the fruit stands as he is walking thru the parade.
When I think about how many times I've watched this series, I cannot believe that this shot had eluded me for all this time.
Trying to spot these kinds of foreshadowing is just but one tiny aspect why this series is considered such a classic in not just the genre of mobster films, but also, in all films in general.
2. Goodfellas - You just can't beat this gangster movie for charismatic energy. Scorcese pays close attention the minute details that the mafia engage in for the sake of maintaining the lifestyle that they have become accustomed to. Also, the director shows how that type of self-contained lifestyle can only eventually crumble as the outside world continually changes & evolves.
1. The Godfather - As I stated with G-2, I'm not gonna repeat what every other friggin' person has already friggin said about why this friggin' film friggin' rocks. Instead, I'd like to point out my favorite foreshadowing in this flick ( which I did mention somewhere on another friggin' forum discussion).
When Luca Brasi ( the guy who ends up sleeping with the fishes) goes to make a deal with the rival crime-family, he walks thru a glass door that leads to the bar where he will meet his end. As the door closes, the scene is shot looking at Luca from behind, setting up the shot to so that you will notice fish that have been engraved into the glass & give the impression that they are surrounding Luca's body.
IMO, this is an example why friggin' Coppola is a friggin' genius.
One final note about the Godfather: I don't want to like this movie as much as I do. Because, when it comes to movies, I like it when my opinion veers away from that which the mainstream tends to think. However, when it comes to the Godfather,
I was made an offer that my tastes in cinematic-entertainment could not refuse.