When you think of concepts that define “American”, things like baseball, apple pie, muscle cars and mainstream pornography spring to mind. But we must include another category: the classic American gangster film. In honor of that tradition, we came up with a list of essential films that transcend the genre.
20. The Untouchables
Brings a whole new meaning to “batting clean-up”. Some of the scenes were laughable — much like Connery’s ATTEMPT AT AN (Does that clear it? He was playing an Irish character) English Irish Accent — (thanks Josh), but the movie was shot well and DeNiro was excellent as usual. Al Capone is a not only a legend in mafia lore but also an icon that exemplified the American Dream, albeit through violent and illicit means. Nevertheless, he captured the imagination of the American public and this movie maybe be the best portrayal of the man they called “Scarface”.
19. State of Grace
Can you go wrong with a crazy Gary Oldman (wait…that’s pretty much all his movies), a solid Sean Penn and the steel-jawed Ed Harris? We think not. Darkly shot and richly acted, this gritty Irish mob tale gave us a great story of family and betrayal, not to mention sparked the fire between Penn and his current wife Robin Wright. Seriously, we envy this guy: first the Material Girl and then Princess Buttercup.
18. Get Shorty
Elmore Leonard’s adaptation of a Hollywood loan shark trying to break into movie producing produces genuine laughs and admiration for a revived Travolta. This was his second showing after playing the now-legendary role of Vinny Vega in Pulp Fiction (no relation) that relaunched his career. The dialogue is full of wit and humor and boasts a robust cast including Danny DeVito, Rene Russo, Gene Hackman, and James Gandolfini.
17. Mean Streets
The second of six showings for DeNiro on our list is his earliest role and possibly — after a young Vito Corleone — his strongest. Throw in a similarly youthful Harvey Keitel and you cannot miss. Though flawed in many ways, “Mean Streets” shows us a Scorcese on the verge of stardom who would continue to keep us coming back for more with every succeeding film.
16. Donnie Brasco
Johnny Depp and Al Pacino have amazing chemistry in one of Pacino’s few roles where his penchant for over-acting was held in check. Depp’s innocence and subsequent descent into the underworld was beautifully portrayed — his versatility, charisma and instincts as a screen actor go underappreciated. Few other contemporaries have his ability to lose himself in a role so completely: seeing only the character, not the man playing it, is the hallmark of superb acting. (cf. Cate Blanchett on the women’s side.)
Why on earth doesn’t he take on more similar, serious roles instead of constantly teaming up with Tim Burton for colorful caricature movies? (Though it’s true we loved Edward Scissorhands. Willy Wonka, not so much.)
15. Carlito’s Way
True, Al Pacino’s Carlito was a memorable performance, but who could forget John Leguizamo as Benny from the Bronx? Add Viggo Mortenson, Luis Guzman and an Afro-styled Sean Penn and we have one for the ages. How many of us have crooned the line:
“You think you’re big time? You’re gonna f#$%in’ die big time!”?
Priceless!
14. Snatch
Guy Ritchie’s sophomore junior effort (thanks Nathan) was especially hip with its cockney-tongued Irish/Gypsy (thanks K) Brad Pitt gives us a rich (and sweaty) performance as a gambling boxer with a steel chin. Grisly and disturbing at times, it still resonates with its closing revenge scene that brings much satisfaction to the viewer.
We also want to mention that watching this flick makes us wish Benicio del Toro did more movies, because despite the relatively small role as Franky Four Fingers, no one could play a Hasidic Jew diamond thief better. (See also a mumbling Fred Fenster.)
13. The Godfather Part 3
The only installment in the franchise that did not take home the best picture award (although it was nominated) didn’t just ride on the coattails of its predecessors: it was a great film on its own merits. But once again, Coppola cast a female role poorly — in this case, his daughter Sofia — which leaves a whole lot to be desired.
The film is much-maligned in comparison with the overwhelming success of the first two installments but we’re convinced the story is solid and portrays the final chapter of the Corleone family with admirable tenderness and grace. The hot-tempered Andy Garcia made us believe that he really was the heir-apparent to the Corleone throne as James Caan’s bastard son and his evolution from fiery youngster to competent don was so effortless we hardly noticed it was happening.
Just when we thought we were out of the gangster movie game, Coppola pulls us back in!
12. Once Upon a Time in America
Sergio Leone’s gripping and extremely long tale of the origins of the mafia in America is led once again by Robert DeNiro and an all-star cast. At a shade under four hours, be prepared with lots of popcorn and soda and leave the loved ones with attention deficits at home. No movie on this list, even the king sitting at the top, may be more faithful to details and atmosphere. From beginning to end, the film draws you into the spectacular sets and powerful dialogue.
11. Casino
Fantastic epic about Ace Rothstein and Nicky Santoro who revolutionized Vegas while destroying those around them. DeNiro and Pesci make an amazing team which is probably the reason they have been cast together in, oh, about 400 films. No one (with perhaps the exception of Tarantino) mixes tremendous scripts, colorful wardrobes, glorious soundtracks and magnificent direction to make a balanced film as well as Scorcese.
10. Payback
Mel Gibson stylizes one of the classic characters in modern films in this intrepid and dark gangster drama. The whole movie is shot in shades of blue which lends realism to its mood and delivers the goods in terms of “coolness”. The premise is hilarious as the anti-hero goes after the bad guys for the monumental sum of… uhhhh… $80,000 $70,000? (thanks Travis) Watch this movie and tell me: when you have rooted more for such an ignoble character?
9. True Romance
Written by Tarantino and directed by Tony Scott, this love story is cast by a who’s-who of nineties’ stars and features an unforgettable scene by Patricia Arquette and James Gandolfini in his pre-Sopranos days. In virtually every shot there is a cameo of some sort from an actor who would become famous in the near future. (We don’t want to give up the names because it is more fun to watch and recognize them.) Outside of “Pump up the Volume”, Christian Slater has never been better, although we do have a weird thing for “The Legend of Billie Jean”.
8. Reservoir Dogs
What do you get when you mix seven gangsters, a undercover cop and a score gone wrong? A work of art that has inspired countless projects since and made a star out of Quentin Tarantino. Most of the movie takes place in an abandoned warehouse, and outside of the main characters the cast totals about three. Make no mistake: it is not for the faint of heart, but it features one of the most compelling scripts ever produced.
Mr. Brown: Yeah, yeah, but “Mr. Brown”? That’s little too close to “Mr. S#%t”.
Mr. Pink: Yeah, “Mr. Pink” sounds like “Mr. P#$$y”. Tell you what, let me be Mr. Purple. That sounds good to me. I’m Mr. Purple.
Joe: You’re *not* Mr. Purple. Somebody from another job’s Mr. Purple. You’re Mr. Pink!
and:
Mr. Pink: You kill anybody?
Mr. White: A few cops.
Mr. Pink: No real people?
Mr. White: Just cops.
I am stopping right now to watch it again.
7. Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Guy Ritchie brings the goods in this complex, twisty urban London crime thriller. With tons of laughs, quirks and unforgettable characters — not to mention some indecipherable British accents — it may need a few screenings in order to get the full scope of the film. The movie created a whole new world of British slang and introduced us to Jason Statham and Vinnie Jones.
6. The Usual Suspects
Brian Singer directs this stunning crime thriller with a solid cast and shocking conclusion that had the water cooler buzzing for months. How this one missed out on major awards was beyond most of us, but at least Spacey took home the gold (it may have been a supporting role, but it stole the show). The cast was phenomenal and Singer was amazing in direction, but Christopher McQuarrie’s script is once in a lifetime.
5. Pulp Fiction
A massive and brilliant film that that may be rivaled only by #1 on this list in terms of a gangster films. Reviving several careers (not just Travolta’s — what was the last thing you remember Uma Thurman doing?) and launching others (this was Sam Jackson’s big break), it brought a whole culture of lingo and slang into popularity. In terms of pop influence, this one may top our list. The story is told on a backward timeline that is brought together at the satisfying conclusion.
Although Travolta got the Oscar nod, Samuel L. Jackson’s monologue in the beginning may be one of the best ever. Also featuring Tim Roth, Eric Stolz, Ving Rhames, Patricia Rosanna Arquette (thanks Ccrow) and a small cameo by Steve Buscemi.
4. The Departed
Scorsese finally took home the hardware in this 2006 remake of 2002′s Infernal Affairs. Jack Nicholson was vintage, DiCaprio was sinfully good and Damon and Baldwin more than delivered. The musical score was perfect and the dialogue was brilliant. What an ending! After the initial shock wears off, it has you wanting more.
(Some argue that this was a make-up after Goodfellas failed to take home the bald statue, but we feel that it is epic film making in its own right.)
3. Goodfellas
From beginning to end this film leaves you awestruck. The characters, the vocabulary, the power-driven performances and the directions took on a life of their own and gave us one of the best films in the last quarter century. Pesci and DeNiro were never better and Ray Liotta is excellent as the lead, but it may have been Paul Sorvino as Paulie that brought it all together. The director’s band of mafioso thugs delivered better than ever and we should be thankful this movie is in our lives. (OK, that may be a little strong. But did we mention we like it?)
2. The Godfather Part 2
Here is where the controversy begins (in our minds, at least). Many feel the second was better than the first, but we defend its spot here. It was lengthy, sure, and too dark at times (literally, not figuratively — though we hear the Blu-ray brings out a whole new world), but at the same time massively luminous in its depth and scope. Even smaller support roles the likes of Bruno Kirby, Lee Strasberg and a young Dominic Chianese (Uncle Junior from the Sopranos) left us clamoring for more.
No one will ever forget the moment that Michael figured out who betrayed the family and the tragic decision he makes as a result. All in all, a classic that would be top five on any list.
1. The Godfather
What can we say? The greatest film ever made, with an emphatic period, was at its heart not concerned with a vivid portrayal of gangsters or violence, but a tale of family drama spanning two generations.
There was not a flaw from beginning to end and the film made stars out of several of its actors. From the immortal Marlon Brando, to Al Pacino, James Caan and the legendary John Cazale, this family lived and breathed with us for the last forty years and no matter how many times you watch the movie, it never grows old. The film’s greatest strength revolves around the relationship between father and son(s) as it tracks young Michael’s gradual, inevitable transition from innocent war hero to family don. Vito Corleone’s only wish was that his beloved youngest son not follow in his footsteps: And so it was that the pained look on Brando’s face upon waking from his coma and learning of Michael’s tragic fate conveyed silent volumes of anguish, heartbreak, fear and loss.
Like all masterpieces, this film endures in our memory long after we’ve watched it. How many lines can we recite? How many characters do we know? How many times do we philosophize about it? There may never be an equal and all films — gangster or otherwise — will always aspire to its greatness.
Only american and British movies???
What about the rest of th world??
excellent compilation!
This list is crap. Godfather Part III? The Godfather as THE CLICHE #1 gangster film in the past 40 years? Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels over Snatch? The Departed was great, but the original Hong Kong flick “Infernal Affairs” was incredibly superior. Everyone knows Godfather Part II is better that Part I, and Goodfellas should be #1. Oh, and Godfather Part III sucks.
i am sorry, but there is no russian mafia here. nor any asian crime syndicates. throw eastern promises in there.
what about road to perdition
what about scarface?
Sorry, but I thought The Departed was terrible. It was completely implausible and contrived and I couldn’t seem to tell Matt Damon from Leonardo DiCaprio half the time. Scorsese should have a shelf full of Oscars, but not from this one.
You would also think the Gangster movie was invented in the 70s from this list. How about the original giggling psychopath, Richard Widmark in Kiss of Death?
u ever herd of scarface
How does Bronx Tale not make the list?
what happened to “lucky number sleven”
that was a good movie, a great movie
i loved it
and im pretty sure its gangster enough to get on this list
Nice list! But Get Shorty and Godfather III definetly don’t belong. Good coice with State of Grace, not many people have seen that movie and it’s fucking awesome. The Departed is definetly the best gangster movie of the past 15 years. Whoever said it sucks is an idiot…classic Scorsese.
Perfect top 5!
Wow! Thanks for all the dialogue, whether we agree or disagree this has been a hotly debated and very entertaining thread to watch.
A few points of note.
1) As the author, I was judging the movies on a wide variety of criteria and therefore came up with the list that I thought was most representative of the topic.
2) Where I may have gone wrong was leaving Miller’s Crossing and Eastern Promises off the list. Its hard to remember every movie when so many good ones have been made.
3) I stand by the Godfather 3 and Scarface. The third installment of the Godfather was in and of itself a great movie and an adequate (though not spectacular) conclusion to the series. The acting (good AND bad at times) and the story remained constant and in line with the originals.
Scarface, as a few of the more adept readers have noted, was not a very well made nor acted movie. Brian DePalma is notorious for his bad directing (letting the actors over-act) and the movie just has a lot of flash and no substance. Those that tend to love it usually have not seen it in a while or just think it is “bad-ass”, but it is in no way a quality movie.
4) I have not seen Infernal Affairs and therefore could not include it on the list, but the Departed was an overall compelling and beautifully portrayed thriller. Sometimes we tend to hold on to what we love and refuse to accept that anything new can be well done. In this case Scorsese not only hits a home run, but knocks it out of the park.
With that said please continue to enjoy the upcoming lists and feel free to send us ideas on lists you would like to see in the future.
-The Pulp List
Oh comon, no Eastern Promises? I went down the list thinking it would be somewhere in the top 10. Russian Mafia kicks the pants off of any other mafia.
No scarface?!? And Godfather 3 shouldnt be there, but cheers anyway
what about american gangster : /
Wheres the Boondock Saints man
thats one of the best movies ive ever seen
to all the scarface lovers: it’s not a very good movie. what’s with the Take it to the Limit music montage?
it has great scenes, but the movie is mostly masturbation.
how the fuck did payback get in there…let alone beat true romance and godfather part 2 and the rest! what the shit!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You must watch the Russian film “Brat” (Brother). Could/should definitely hit your top 10.
boondock saints was a pretty kick ass movie, and lucky number sleven surprised me with how good it was (i had low expectations on that one). it’s a decent list, but it could be much better. usual suspects should be further down the list, maybe even # 1 it was better then the departed thats 4 sure.
This was a cool list and all but, (and there’s always a but) you should rename it the best gangster movies you ever saw. Perhaps call it the best Pacino\DeNiro movies you ever saw. And to the dunce who said Departed sucked….take your head out of your @$$! I thought Leo was a pansy before this one and when he takes one in the face at the end I was stunned. Totally didn’t see that coming. Don’t even get me started about the last scene when Damon opens the door and Walburg is standin there…..lets just say I look at Mark Walburg as a funtioning retard because of the dimwit he played in Boogie Nights. That movie belongs on a top ten in this category.
very nice list. There are definitely a good many films you missed but that goes with the nature of limiting the list to 20. But all in all I agree with all of the films on the list (at least all the ones I’ve seen). Definitely think Boondock Saints deserves a place on the list, even if it is a little over acted at times.
I would suggest checking out “A Bittersweet Life”. Epic movie.
miller’s crossing is my all time fav gangster film. the cohen’s excel as always.
ha ha so maybe jackie chan’s movie about gangsters could get on here???? Its cheesy beyond belief just like all his movies but cheesy is a better adjective than some others i could use to describe some of these other movies on here. And Eastern Promises was the shit, it needed to be #1 and its not even on here…
I really have to disagree with Lock Stock being above Snatch. I think Snatch is a better and more entertaining movie for sure.
Scarface, Sexy beast, Layer Cake, American Gangster, American Histroy X, A History of Violence, Eastern Promises, Gangs of New York, The Warriors, Boondock Saints, Green Street Hooligans, In Bruges, The Wrong Man, Rock n Rolla, Long Good Friday, Road to Perdition and city of god
but great list get rid of godfather 3 and payback through…
The Godfather , always classic
damn, you make a good site and everybody complains about it. wtf. Thanks though for your perspective.
What about City of God?
King of New York needs to be on the list… way better then Godfather 3
Solid List! I would probably swap a few around and add Boondock Saints.
Great list and commentary! Thanks!!!
Yes all those are the bomb!!Seen them,the best 1 2 me isLock,stock& 2 barrels.Love me some Pulp Fiction.
Everyone shut up about Scarface. It’s awful. It’s so overrated and the only reason it has held any kind of ground as a classic is because every moron celebrity has a framed movie poster on their wall. Ugh. Shut up about Scarface, it’s not good.
I would have liked to have seen “We Own The Night” on there. That was a surprisingly great movie. Also you can’t have a gangster movie list without “Boyz in the Hood”.
Miller’s Crossing trumps at least a third of this list. You’re entitled to your opinion, but come on. Donnie Brasco? And True Romance? Shudder…
Irish/Gipsy is incorrect. Irish gipsies are a group indigenous to Ireland and have nothing to do with the original gipsies of Europe, nomadic grifters who are
called the Rom.
Once Upon a Time in America maybe my favorite. Although who can argue Godfather one and two.
By the way Once Upon a Time in America is not about the Mafia. It’s about relatively small time Jewish organized crime in the Orthodox lower Lower East Side – shot in Williamsburg Brooklyn. Not Italian. Watch it again there’s Jews all over the place.
Three words, “City of God”. I know it’s already been mentioned but I would just like to emphasize how good this damn movie is. I watched it on a whim looking through i.m.d.b.’s top 250 one night and was totally surprised. It should be on this list before half of these other movies. Also, the three “Infernal Affairs” movies were far superior to “The Departed” even though Departed was still really good.
I know I’m just reiterating what many have already said, but these movies absolutely belong on the list: Eastern Promises. Miller’s Crossing, and City of God. Also, where’s the love for some classics like White Heat?
Contrary to most postings, Scarface and Boondock Saints do not belong. I first saw both of them when I was younger and thought they were both amazing. But I went back recently and rewatched them, and realized that I loved them so much for no other reason than the ridiculous amounts of stylized violence. Boondock Saints in general (but especially Troy Duffy’s miserable attempt at character development) is laughably bad. And the only Scarface that deserves to be on the list is the original 1932 version.
No love for Eastern Promises?
Number 6 is sooo bad. Easy to guess the trick.
Why “Payback” the remake with Mel Gibson and not “Point Blank” the original with Lee Marvin?
Ehh what about Scarface, Bronx Tale, Gomorrah, City of God, to name but a few which are far better then Payback??? WTF
Mike is right – why the hell is Payback in there and not the much superior Point Blank with Lee Marvin?
these are only from America and Britain… you missed Russia and Asia (well, in my opinion, the best gangster movies are South Korean ones, have you ever seen A Bittersweet Life or A Dirty Carnival?)
Sean Connery’s accent is SCOTTISH. Seriously.
ACTUALLY, his accent in reality is Scottish, but if you have seen the movie he was trying to do an Irish accent, but thanks anyways.