Saturday, November 27, 2010

Public Enemies: The Golden Age of the Gangster Film (2008)


Director: Constantine Nasr

Starring: Alec Baldwin and every badass actor that showed their dirty mugs in a gangster movie

More info: IMDb

Plot: As popular as these films were in their heyday, seminal giants like Little Caesar and Public Enemy as well as post-war gems like Key Largo and White Heat still hold power over their audiences today. Public Enemies: The Golden Age of the Gangster Film will explore the invention and development of the crime genre; the rise of Warner stars like Cagney, Bogart and Robinson; as well as directors like Walsh, Wellman and Curtiz. It will cover the films themselves and the influence they had on filmmakers all over the world; and the artistic merit that these defining classic films still warrant. Finally, the documentary will celebrate the impact that Warner Bros. Studios had in establishing the iconic Hollywood Gangster, often imitated but never equaled.

My rating: 9/10

Will I watch it again? Twice already.

For my money, you can't beat Cagney for a good gangster picture. This recent documentary covers a lot of ground and a shit load of movies in under two hours. It's a terrific starter course for anyone interested in the genre. I love them all but I'm partial to the ones from the 30s and 40s. I love documentaries like this because they provide me with a tremendous list of more movies to seek out and watch. This one is interesting and very entertaining.

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