 |
| Godfather (1972), ranked first as best gangster movie of all time, making top five in 77% of top expert lists |
Gangster movies mix elements from thrillers and
suspense films through great dialogue, one-liners, and high stakes, often
deadly, confrontations. Add in a cigar, a tux, and go back a few decades, and a
great gangster movie has been born. Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather (1972), the number one ranked gangster movie, balances
all of these elements to near perfection. The movie does not rely on action to
engage audiences, certainly not the Quentin Tarantino kind where everyone kills
everyone in Mexican stand-offs. Instead, The
Godfather (1972) focused on dialogue, which appealed to critics and
audiences alike. The Godfather (1972)
won three Oscars: for best picture, actor (Marlon Brando), and screenplay
adaption. Gangster films for the most part do not focus on the actual killing
of people but rather on the intricate lattice that is the hierarchy of the mob
and the dynamics of its internal power struggles. Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas (1990) follows the mafia gang
members as they rise in the mob hierarchy.
The prominence of the mafia of past times is
reflected in this genre as most gangster movies take place in the past and in urban
backdrops where the mob ruled (although there are notable exceptions such as
The Departed (2006)). Another recurring theme in gangster film is the game of
cat and mouse. The police or FBI attempt to catch and/or shutdown a gang in the
gangster film (i.e., The Departed (2006)
and The Untouchables (1983)). Like romantic comedies,
gangster films have their classic actors. Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Al
Pacino have starred in several of the most successful and critically acclaimed
gangster movies. Gangster films also have similar directors. For example,
Francis Ford Coppola has directed four gangster films, including all three Godfather (1972, 1974, and 1990) movies.
Martin Scorsese has directed seven gangster films, including Goodfellas (1990), Casino (1995), The Departed (2006),
and Gangs of New York (2002). Brian
De Palma directed Scarface (1983) and
The Untouchables (1986). These
directors and actors work together to produce a great plot for a gangster film.
Critics treat gangster movies favorably and the list’s top gangster films have
won several Academy Awards. This is due in part to the great demand for dialogue
and strong acting to engage audiences in gangster films. Film noir has
influenced how gangster films flow. From the sharp black and white imagery on
the screen to strong sexual themes, the influence of film noir is clear in the
gangster genre. Chinatown (1974),
ranked thirty-three on our list, is categorized in the film noir and gangster
genres. While the gangster genre has a clear formula, the plots remain
interesting to both critics and audiences.
The results of the rankings do not surprise us. The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather 2 (1974), ranked number
one and three respectively, are considered two of the greatest gangster movies,
if not the best written movies of all time. To see the films take the top
rankings is expected, as both were critically acclaimed and won nine Oscars
collectively. In fact, The Godfather 2
(1974) won six Oscars, more than the first one. Goodfellas (1990) and Scarface
(1983), ranked two and four, were also expected to be in the top spots. All
in all, we found the rankings to be expected, with the only surprise that
earlier gangster movies do not rank higher. The
White Heat (1949) is the only film made before 1970 that cracks the top 10
best gangster films, tying for tenth place. This could be due in part to the
fact that most gangster films tend to take place in the past (i.e., The Godfather (1972) takes place in the
1940s). In this way, gangster movies developed out a fascination with the past
and mob bosses such as Al Capone. The
Untouchables (1987), tied at thirteen, actually follows an FBI agent attempting
to arrest Al Capone. Newer gangster movies are starting to break the mold. The Departed (2006), ranked eighth,
takes place in present day Boston and follows an officer trying to shut down an
Irish gang. Most gangster movies tend to star homogenous casts, and we would
like to see that change. For example, urban African-American movies did not get
much attention, including Belly
(1998), which is not listed, and Ghost Dog:
The Way of the Samurai (1999), which came relatively low on the list at thirty-eight.
In this regard, we hope to see growth and updated stories in the gangster film
genre.
| Top 60 Movies based on 141 published rankings | |
| Percent of online top fives movies appear on shown | |
| 1 . The Godfather (1972): 77.3% | |
| 2 . Goodfellas (1990): 74.4% | |
| 3 . The Godfather 2 (1974): 62.4% | |
| 4 . Scarface (1983): 36.8% | |
| 5 . Once Upon a Time in America (1984): 20.5% | |
| 6 . Casino (1995): 19.8% | |
| 7 . Pulp Fiction (1994): 19.1% | |
| 8 . The Departed (2006): 16.3% | |
| 9 . Donnie Brasco (1997): 11.3% | |
| 10 . The Godfather 3 (1990): 10.6% | |
| 11 . White Heat (1949): 10.6% | |
| 12 . Public Enemies (2009): 9.92% | |
| 13 . The Untouchables (1987): 9.21% | |
| 14 . City of God (2002): 9.21% | |
| 15 . Bonnie And Clyde (1967): 8.51% | |
| 16 . Reservoir Dogs (1992): 7.80% | |
| 17 . Miller’s Crossing (1990): 5.67% | |
| 18 . Mou gaan dou Wai Keung Lau (2002): 5.67% | |
| 19 . Road to Perdition (2002): 4.25% | |
| 20 . Bronx Tale (1993): 4.25% | |
| 21 (tied). American Gangster (2007): 3.54% | |
| 21 (tied). On the Waterfront (1954): 3.54% | |
| 23 . Little Caesar (1931): 2.83% | |
| 24 . The Usual Suspects (1995): 2.83% | |
| 25 . Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1999): 2.83% | |
| 26 . Carlito's Way (1993): 2.83% | |
| 27 . Snatch (2001): 2.83% | |
| 28 . Angels with Dirty Faces (1936): 2.12% | |
| 29 . King of New York (1990): 2.12% | |
| 30 (tied). Bugsy (1991): 2.12% | |
| 30 (tied). Mean Streets (1973): 2.12% | |
| 30 (tied). Heat (1995): 2.12% | |
| 33 (tied). The Killing (1956): 1.41% | |
| 33 (tied). Married to the Mob (1988): 1.41% | |
| 35 . The Big Heat (1953): 1.41% | |
| 36 . Eastern Promises (2007): 1.41% | |
| 37 . China Town (1974): 1.41% | |
| 38 (tied). A Most Violent Year (2014): .709% | |
| 38 (tied). Killing Them Softly (2012): .709% | |
| 40 . Mafioso (1962): .709% | |
| 41 (tied). Boobdock Saints (1999): .709% | |
| 41 (tied). The Ladykillers (1995): .709% | |
| 41 (tied). The Iceman (2012): .709% | |
| 41 (tied). Drive (2011): .709% | |
| 41 (tied). Army In The Shadows (1969): .709% | |
| 41 (tied). The Killer (1989): .709% | |
| 47 (tied). Rififi (1955): .709% | |
| 47 (tied). Gangs of New York (2002): .709% | |
| 47 (tied). State of Grace (1990): .709% | |
| 47 (tied). Leon The Professional (1994): .709% | |
| 47 (tied). Gangster # 1 (2000): .709% | |
| 47 (tied). Last Man Standing (1996): .709% | |
| 47 (tied). Romanzo Criminale (2005): .709% | |
| 54 (tied). Boca (2011): .709% | |
| 54 (tied). Brother (2009): .709% | |
| 54 (tied). Gran Torino (2008): .709% | |
| 54 (tied). Analyze This (1999): .709% | |
| 54 (tied). Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999): .709% | |
| 54 (tied). Showdown in Little Tokyo (1991): .709% | |
| 60 . Kay Largo (1948): 0% | |
| Gangster Movie Ranking Sources | |
| Games Radar | List of top 30 (link) |
| Time Out | List of top 50 (link) |
| Sky Movies | List of top 40 (link) |
| AFI | List of top 10 (link) |
| Paste Magazine | List of top 25 (link) |
| Ask Men | List of top 12 (link) |
| list Challenges | List of top 50 (link) |
| Ranker | List of top 80 (link) |
| AMC | List of top 20 (link) |
| Screen Junkies | List of top 10 (link) |
| List Verse | List of top 20 (link) |
| Mirror | List of top 10 (link) |
| The Script Lab | List of top 10 (link) |
| Film Junk | List of top 30 (link) |
| The Top Tens | List of top 10 (link) |
| Flick Chart | List of top 100 (link) |
| Reelz | List of top 10 (link) |
| PJ Media | List of top 8 (link) |
| The Gay UK | List of top 10 (link) |
| Top Mens Magazine | List of top 10 (link) |
| Rotten Tomatoes | List of top 11 (link) |
| 411mania (B. Kristopowitz) | List of top 5 (link) |
| 411mania (C. Winfield) | List of top 5 (link) |
| 411mania (M. Weyer) | List of top 5 (link) |
| Chron | List of top 30 (link) |
| Info Please | List of top 10 (link) |
| My Film Views | List of top 10 (link) |
| Top Ten Diary | List of top 15 (link) |
| Center for Creative Media | List of top 10 (link) |
| Alternative Reel | List of top 10 (link) |
| Carl Alves | List of top 5 (link) |
| Movie Pilot | List of top 580 (link) |
| Rate Your Music | List of top 122 (link) |
| News One | List of top 5 (link) |
| Film Site | List of top 10 (link) |
| Movie Review Query Engine | List of top 76 (link) |
| Taste of Cinema | List of top 10 (link) |
| IMDb | List of top 100 (link) |
| Alpha Male Traits | List of top 25 (link) |
| Watch Mojo | List of top 10 (link) |
| The Most 10 | List of top 10 (link) |
| Heavy | List of top 10 (link) |
| The Richest | List of top 10 (link) |
| Letter Boxd | List of top 62 (link) |
| CNN | List of top 10 (link) |
| Frolic Hawaii | List of top 5 (link) |
| Hub Pages | List of top 10 (link) |
| Mubi | List of top 160 (link) |
| California Literary Review | List of top 100 (link) |
| Word and Film | List of top 5 (link) |
| CNBC | List of top 13 (link) |
| IGN | List of top 25 (link) |
| Lists World | List of top 5 (link) |
| Listology | List of top 30 (link) |
| List Land | List of top 10 (link) |
| First Showing | List of top 4 (link) |
| Shark Ranks | List of top 20 (link) |
| Movies Films Motion Pictures | List of top 10 (link) |
| Film Gourmand | List of top 12 (link) |
| Digital Dream Door | List of top 100 (link) |
| Pelfind | List of top 50 (link) |
| Mud Mosh | List of top 5 (link) |
| Wrestling Classics | List of top 95 (link) |
| CBC News | List of top 13 (link) |
| Viral Camera | List of top 25 (link) |
| Mr. RauRauR | List of top 10 (link) |
| Sign Viral | List of top 20 (link) |
| The Blog Gangater | List of top 20 (link) |
| Aspect | List of top 10 (link) |
| Sonic Youth | List of top 10 (link) |
| Ebay | List of top 10 (link) |
| Movies Men | List of top 9 (link) |
| Solent Creatives | List of top 5 (link) |
| Film Aware | List of top 10 (link) |
| Rant Lifestyle | List of top 10 (link) |
| Xinhuanet | List of top 10 (link) |
| Louder Than War | List of top 10 (link) |
| Pittsburgh Post Gazette | List of top 10 (link) |
| High Infidelity Notes | List of top 5 (link) |
| Decider | List of top 10 (link) |
| To Watch Pile | List of top 10 (link) |
| English dbw | List of top 10 (link) |
| Metro Feeds | List of top 10 (link) |
| Filmgurl | List of top 10 (link) |
| List World | List of top 5 (link) |
| The Telegraph | List of top 20 (link) |
| Cheat Sheet | List of top 5 (link) |
| What Culture | List of top 10 (link) |
| Film School WTF | List of top 100 (link) |
| All Womens Talk | List of top 15 (link) |
| Mo Eat the Movies | List of top 10 (link) |
| What Movie Should I Watch | List of top 10 (link) |
| Listal | List of top 50 (link) |
| About | List of top 7 (link) |
| Top 10 Filme | List of top 10 (link) |
| Alle Top10 lijstjes | List of top 10 (link) |
| Topito | List of top 10 (link) |
| IMDb | List of top 30 (link) |
| Enki Village | List of top 10 (link) |
| Popcorn Film | List of top 5 (link) |
| Agents of Geek | List of top 5 (link) |
| Indigo Productions | List of top 10 (link) |
| Godzi List | List of top 5 (link) |
| Boston | List of top 5 (link) |
| Soda Head | List of top 5 (link) |
| List Dose | List of top 10 (link) |
| Wiki Best | List of top 9 (link) |
| Azcentral | List of top 10 (link) |
| Factet | List of top 10 (link) |
| Now You Heard | List of top 10 (link) |
| My Five Best | List of top 5 (link) |
| Youtube | List of top 20 (link) |
| Youtube | List of top 5 (link) |
| Youtube | List of top 5 (link) |
| Youtube | List of top 10 (link) |
| Youtube | List of top 10 (link) |
| Aol Real Estate | List of top 5 (link) |
| CATUR | List of top 10 (link) |
| Nerdisr | List of top 10 (link) |
| Legal Movie Shop | List of top 10 (link) |
| How-to cast | List of top 10 (link) |
| Daily Motion | List of top 10 (link) |
| The List App | List of top 5 (link) |
| Ebay | List of top 10 (link) |
| Quora | List of top 20 (link) |
| Zazen Life | List of top 6 (link) |
| Master in Criminal Justice | List of top 100 (link) |
| Baklol | List of top 10 (link) |
| Wire Club | List of top 10 (link) |
| List of the Best | List of top 26 (link) |
| Trailer Snack | List of top 10 (link) |
| Rajnikant VS CID Jokes | List of top 10 (link) |
| Tiny Jump | List of top 10 (link) |
| Bold List | List of top 5 (link) |
| Comedy Spot Nation | List of top 10 (link) |
| Lowell Sun | List of top 5 (link) |
| Duke Today | List of top 5 (link) |
| Pop Culture Spin | List of top 5 (link) |
| Blog Talk Radio | List of top 5 (link) |
| CV Rick | List of top 10 (link) |
| Gbooza | List of top 30 (link) |
| Identifying the top movies is our mission. | |
| www.reelfives.com | |
| https://twitter.com/reelfives | |
| https://www.facebook.com/reelfives | |
