Articles/Miscellaneous/Other/Classic Mafia Films
I used to watch a lot of mafia films and there are a number that stand out as true classics. I have compiled a list of my favorites here (ordered by production date) so that fellow mafia film fans can check them out.
The Public Enemy (1931) | An early James Cagney film |
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Little Caesar (1931) | An early film starring Edward G. Robinson as a crook named Rico that claws his way up the ranks of the mafia. |
Scarface (1932) | The oft-missed original version of the popular 1983 version. This one stars Paul Muni and is much more sober in its depiction of the tragic main character. |
Angels With Dirty Faces (1938) | A really good film with James Cagney playing a hood that tries to be a role model for younger kids after getting out of prison. |
The Roaring Twenties (1939) | James Cagney stars as a bootlegger in the 1920s. |
White Heat (1949) | Made it, Ma! Top of the world! |
On The Waterfront (1954) | Marlon Brando plays a washed up boxer that reluctantly takes on the mafia, who control the longshoremen. |
The Godfather I (1972) | The classic adaptation of Mario Puzo's model |
The Godfather II (1974) | The equally stunning sequel |
Scarface (1983) | Al Pacino's modern Cuban drug dealer take on the original Scarface |
Once Upon a Time in America (1984) | Sergio Leone's epic bootlegging saga, following a group of young Jewish friends through their lives. |
The Untouchables (1987) | A somewhat cheesy and very inaccurate film about the government's take down of Al Capone. |
Goodfellas (1990) | Scorsese's classic film adaptation of Henry Hill's life story |
The Godfather III (1990) | The final installment, which didn't do nearly as well as the first two |
Miller's Crossing (1990) | A story about two rival gangs and one man who profits from both of them. |
State of Grace (1990) | A story about two gangsters who bring an old friend back in the fold, not knowing that he is now a cop bent on bringing down their organization. |
Billy Bathgate (1991) | A film about a young man that becomes a friend to Dutch Schultz, the ruthless bootlegger. |
A Bronx Tale (1993) | Robert de Niro's film about a young boy growing up under the influence of his saintly father and mob boss idol. |
Carlito's Way (1993) | An excellent film starring Al Pacino about a reformed drug dealer trying to retire and start a new life. |
Casino (1995) | Scorsese's adaptation of the Pileggi book of the same name, focusing on organized crime in early Las Vegas. |
Donnie Brasco (1997) | The mostly true story of an FBI agent going undercover in the mafia, starring Johnny Depp and Al Pacino. |
Road to Perdition (2002) | Tom Hanks and Paul Newman star in a rather serious film about a young boy and his gangster father. |
The Departed (2006) | A modern crime saga involving two moles, one in the Boston police department and one in the Boston Irish mafia. |