This Thing of Ours
How Gangster Movies Have Helped
to Stereotype Various Ethnic Groups
in our Society
Q: How has the popularity of gangster movies helped to create stereotypes?
Q: Why are these films so popular?
Gangster movies have always been one of America’s favorite genres. From
Angel’s With Dirty Faces to The Godfather series and Goodfellas, Americans have
always loved to root for these sinister criminals. These movies appeal to all types of
people, whether they be black or white, rich or poor. From the streets of New York to
the back roads of Kentucky, people all over enjoy engrossing themselves in the lives of
these modern-day Robin Hoods. But what price have certain groups payed because of the
immense popularity of these movies?
Italian-Americans are the most obvious victims of the stereotypes perpetrated by
these films, but it should not be forgotten that other groups are also victims. For example,
several movies have been made about Jewish-American gangsters. The most well-known
was most likely Once Upon a Time in America, which was directed by Italian director
Sergio Leone and starred Robert DeNiro. While this movie was a masterpiece, it
portrayed the young Jewish men as less than moral characters. For example, the main
character, DeNiro’s “Noodles”, is shown raping several women. Also, the gang murders
several rivals and even switches a police chief’s baby boy in order to control him. From
watching this movie, you can see how some could view Jewish people in a bad light.
Another group which has suffered as a result of gangster movies is the
Irish-Americans. Some of the most famous mob movies have included unsavory
Irishmen. For example, Henry Hill, the main character in Goodfellas was half-Irish and
half-Sicilian. Also, his partner, Jimmy Conway, was full-blooded Irish. Conway was
known to be very violent and it was said that he started doing hits for the local mob and
the age of fourteen. The best movie about Irish gangsters is probably State of Grace,
starring Sean Penn. This film is loosely based on T.J. English’s book, The Westies, about
the “Irish Mafia”, operating out of the Hell’s Kitchen section of Manhattan. State of
Grace perpetuates many of the stereotypes that have followed Irish people for many
years. The characters are shown drinking practically all the time. They also are prone to
fits of unprovoked violence, which inevitably ends up in a body floating in the Hudson.
While these films are entertaining, they do not help to bury some of the stereotypes that
accompany Irish-Americans.
South Americans have also been stereotyped in many a gangster movie. Although
they are rarely, if ever, main characters in these films, they are often portrayed as nothing
but drug smugglers. A good example is in Goodfellas, when an associate of Henry Hill’s
says “Those f---in’ spics sure are stupid, but at least they get the good stuff.” South
Americans, especially Colombians, are always shown as involved in the drug trade. This
just perpetuates the common stereotype in America that South Americans are all drug
dealers.
Now we come to the Italian-Americans and the obvious stereotyping that they
have experienced in these movies. Practically all of the major mob movies feature lead
characters of Italian descent. From Don Corleone(The Godfather) to Big
Paulie(Goodfellas) and Al Capone(The Untouchables), Italians have been the main
source of mob movies. Italian-American actors such as Joe Pesci and Robert DeNiro
have practically made their careers off of their ability to play the part of a gangster. The
casts of these movies often read like a who’s-who of Italian actors: Pacino, Bracco,
Sorvino, Palmintieri, DeNiro, Capra, Gandolfini, Pesci, Narducci and on and on. While
most Italian-Americans aren’t offended by the characters portrayed on the silver screen,
there are some who are. For example, former New York governor Mario Cuomo refuses
to watch the classic Godfather series because he believes that the movies depict his
countrymen in a biased manner. Another well-known instance of this was when Joseph
Colombo, a reputed mob member, created the Italian American Civil Rights Defense
League in response to the Godfather movies. The Untouchables, a 1960’s TV show
about Al Capone and his crime syndicate, was criticized because the “bad guys” were
always Italians. The show’s producers were forced to make some of the criminals of
other ethnicities, including Russian, Irish, and Brazilian. The show was eventually made
into a movie which starred Kevin Costner and (surprise)Robert DeNiro.
In reality, though, many Italian-Americans like these movies and many try to act
like they know something about the underworld. For example, mob-style clothes are very
popular nowadays. Black and gray pinstripe suits are in and everyone wants to look like
they are “mobbed up”. This was made obvious when over 10,000 people showed up for
a casting call for the Sopranos in New Jersey two years ago. The crowd was filled with
high-haired women, and men with gold chains and cheap cologne on. This just illustrates
the public’s amazement and obsession with the dark side of the American dream. The
mob has also moved into other parts of popular culture. For example, many music artists
have used popular sayings and phrases from mob movies in their songs. One example is
the rap group “The 504 Boyz”, who titled their second album “Goodfellaz”. Even
television has used mob culture in their programs. A hilarious episode of “Seinfeld”
featured Kramer becoming “The Godfather” to his friend’s first child. The whole episode
spoofed the classic movie, complete with the tarantellas from the soundtrack. And you
know what they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
This brings us back to the question of why the gangster movie has become such a
pop culture phenomenon. Many writers, professors and movie experts say that the reason
is that people want to escape from their average lives and imagine what it would be like
to have the power, money, and respect that these silver screen gangsters have. They wish
that they could run a union, pay off a cop, or make someone quiver in fear of them. They
wish that they could walk down the street and have young children stare in amazement at
them, with their gold jewelry, designer suits, and brand new Caddies. Gangster movies
allow the average Joe to venture into a world where the normal rules of life don’t apply.
Mob movies also cause some people to actually believe that they are somehow
involved in the world of gangsters. Many phrases that were made famous by mob movies
have now become common in our vernacular. “Fuhgedaboutit”, “I’ll make him an offer
he can’t refuse”,and “How am I funny” have almost become cliched. You can walk
down a street in the Bronx, for example, and hear kids talking about who they’re
“connected” to, meaning which local gangster they supposedly know. The child’s
amazement with this world was beautifully shown in the 1993 movie, “A Bronx Tale”.
Robert DeNiro and Chazz Palmintieri starred in this story about a young man’s short
lived life in the mob. It all starts when young Calogero Anello, the main character,
witnesses a murder in front of his building and doesn’t tell the cops who shot the man,
despite knowing very well who did. In one of the great lines from this movie, Calogero’s
father(DeNiro) tells him that he did “a good thing for a very bad man.” Calogero soon
becomes close with the shooter(Palmintieri) and gets involved with the neighborhood
rackets. A near death experience prompts Calogero to give up the gangster lifestyle, but
a good point is made on how children are influenced by this life.
In conclusion, I believe that the gangster movie genre has contributed to some
stereotyping of several groups in this country. As a member of the Irish and
Italian-American community, I would like to point out that the groups mentioned are
also some of the most hard-working, law-abiding American citizens and that no
conclusions as to their characters should be made based on the actions of a few and their
depictions in the movies that we love to watch. I hope that my information shed some
light on these facts.
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