When I get in a tight spot, I shoot my way out of it.

I do struggle with early talkies just from a production standpoint, as they lost some of the liveliness of the silent films, and hadn’t yet incorporated scores. Dialogue scenes can sometimes be quite stilted, with many of the interesting directorial choices being left in the silent era. All that being said, Edward G Robinson’s face is impossible to look away from. He’s so good at being evil here, and very charismatic on screen.

All that being said about early talkies, the Hays code not being enforced allows for much darker and more gruesome murders in this, making it feel like a Scorsese movie at times.

Solid gangster flick!

When I get in a tight spot, I shoot my way out of it.

I do struggle with early talkies just from a production standpoint, as they lost some of the liveliness of the silent films, and hadn’t yet incorporated scores. Dialogue scenes can sometimes be quite stilted, with many of the interesting directorial choices being left in the silent era. All that being said, Edward G Robinson’s face is impossible to look away from. He’s so good at being evil here, and very charismatic on screen.

All that being said about early talkies, the Hays code not being enforced allows for much darker and more gruesome murders in this, making it feel like a Scorsese movie at times.

Solid gangster flick!

It only took 80 minutes to define a whole genre.

It only took 80 minutes to define a whole genre.

An exceptionally cool piece of gangster cinema, and a very interesting one too. This is one of the most seminal early gangster films there are, starring off the genre and inspiring films to come. The story was pretty terrific, an exciting story of how a low-level crook managed to rise to a powerful mob boss through ruthless attacks and a harsh outlook. His rise was fun but very quick and seemingly easy, maybe he was just a very talented gangster. This film was not just an iconic starter to the genre but also to the acting career of Edward G. Robinson, his charismatic and energised performance really brought him to life in the acting industry. Having a relatively short runtime means this film maintains its action filled momentum and keeps the story nice and snappy.
A very solid and engaging film!

An exceptionally cool piece of gangster cinema, and a very interesting one too. This is one of the most seminal early gangster films there are, starring off the genre and inspiring films to come. The story was pretty terrific, an exciting story of how a low-level crook managed to rise to a powerful mob boss through ruthless attacks and a harsh outlook. His rise was fun but very quick and seemingly easy, maybe he was just a very talented gangster. This film was not just an iconic starter to the genre but also to the acting career of Edward G. Robinson, his charismatic and energised performance really brought him to life in the acting industry. Having a relatively short runtime means this film maintains its action filled momentum and keeps the story nice and snappy.
A very solid and engaging film!

Few scattered thoughts about this:
-Not about pizza
-Is this where the Bugs Bunny gangster impression comes from?
-Big shout out to Criterion for featuring these, would have never watched this otherwise.
-Why no dance scenes, this guy loves to dance, but no dance!?!?
-This is the second Marvin Le Roy movie I've seen where I'm shocked at the scope of the film for being so short, more directors should watch these for some ideas on being concise.
-This is kinda lacking in the direction department, but I'm not sure if thats just me critiquing something from almost 100 years ago unfairly. It's a bit flat, and kind of a plot machine.
-Edward G. Robinson is one of the best, paved the way for short king gangsters like Joe Pesci and....Joe Pesci.


Format: Streaming (criterion channel)

Few scattered thoughts about this:
-Not about pizza
-Is this where the Bugs Bunny gangster impression comes from?
-Big shout out to Criterion for featuring these, would have never watched this otherwise.
-Why no dance scenes, this guy loves to dance, but no dance!?!?
-This is the second Marvin Le Roy movie I've seen where I'm shocked at the scope of the film for being so short, more directors should watch these for some ideas on being concise.
-This is kinda lacking in the direction department, but I'm not sure if thats just me critiquing something from almost 100 years ago unfairly. It's a bit flat, and kind of a plot machine.
-Edward G. Robinson is one of the best, paved the way for short king gangsters like Joe Pesci and....Joe Pesci.


Format: Streaming (criterion channel)

why mafia isn't a fucking aesthetic: a thread 
(ayez la réf pls)

why mafia isn't a fucking aesthetic: a thread 
(ayez la réf pls)