Crime film
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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| - | A '''crime film''', in its most general sense, is a [[film]] that [[Crime fiction|deals with crime]], criminal justice and the [[Naturalism (literature)|darker side of human nature]]. Stylistically, it can fall under many different genres, most commonly [[drama]], [[Thriller (genre)|thriller]], [[Mystery fiction|mystery]] and [[film noir]]. Films focused on the [[organised crime|Mafia]] are a typical example of crime films. | + | '''Crime films''', in the broadest sense, is a [[film genre]] inspired by and analogous to the [[crime fiction]] literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of [[crime]] and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine with many other genres, such as [[Drama (film and television)|drama]] or [[gangster film]], but also include [[Comedy film|comedy]], and, in turn, is divided into many sub-genres, such as [[Mystery film|mystery]], [[suspense]] or [[Film noir|noir]]. |
| + | Screenwriter and scholar [[Eric R. Williams]] identified crime film as one of eleven super-genres in his [[Screenwriters Taxonomy]], claiming that all feature-length [[Narrative film|narrative films]] can be classified by these super-genres. The other ten super-genres are action, fantasy, horror, romance, science fiction, slice of life, sports, thriller, war and western. Williams identifies drama in a broader category called "film type", mystery and suspense as "macro-genres", and film noir as a "screenwriter's pathway" explaining that these categories are additive rather than exclusionary. ''[[Chinatown (1974 film)|Chinatown]]'' would be an example of a film that is a drama (film type) crime film (super-genre) that is also a noir (pathway) mystery (macro-genre). | ||
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| + | == Source of plots == | ||
| + | Crime films are often based on real events or are [[Film adaptation|adaptation]]s of [[stage play|plays]] or novels, or a remake or adoption of a previous film. Some plots are original and entirely fictional. For example, the 1957 film version of ''[[Witness for the Prosecution (1957 film)|Witness for the Prosecution]]'' is an adaptation of a 1953 [[Witness for the Prosecution (play)|stage play of that name]], which is in turn based on [[Agatha Christie]]'s [[The Witness for the Prosecution|short story]], originally published in 1933. The film version was [[Witness for the Prosecution (1982 film)|remade in 1982]], and there have been other adaptations. However, each of these media has its own advantages and limitations, which in the case of cinema is the time constraint. | ||
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| + | == Plays and films == | ||
| + | ''[[Witness for the Prosecution]]'' is a classic example of a [[courtroom drama]]. In a courtroom drama, a charge is brought against one of the main characters, who claims to be innocent. Another major part is played by the lawyer (in England a [[barrister]]) representing the [[defendant]] in court and battling with the public prosecutor. They may enlist the services of a [[private investigator]] to find out what really happened and who the real perpetrator is. However, in most cases it is not clear at all whether the accused is guilty of the crime or not—this is how suspense is created. | ||
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| + | Often, the private investigator storms into the courtroom at the last minute in order to bring a new and crucial piece of information to the attention of the court. This type of literature lends itself to the literary genre of drama focused more on dialogue (the opening and closing statements, the witnesses' testimonies, etc.) and little or no necessity for a shift in scenery. The auditorium of the theatre becomes an extension of the courtroom. When a courtroom drama is filmed, the traditional device employed by screenwriters and directors is the frequent use of [[Flashback (narrative)|flashbacks]], in which the crime and everything that led up to it is narrated and reconstructed from different angles. | ||
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| + | A classic courtroom drama is U.S. playwright [[Reginald Rose]]'s ''[[Twelve Angry Men (Westinghouse Studio One)|Twelve Angry Men]]'' (1954), which is set in the [[jury]] deliberation room of a [[New York, New York|New York]] court. Eleven members of the jury, aiming at a unanimous [[verdict]] of "[[Guilt (law)|guilty]]", try to get it over with as quickly as possible. And they would really succeed in achieving their common aim if it were not for the eighth juror (played by [[Henry Fonda]] in the 1957 movie adaptation), who, on second thoughts, considers it his duty to convince his colleagues that the defendant may be innocent after all, and who, by doing so, triggers much discussion, confusion, and anger. | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Subgenres == | ||
| + | === Crime action === | ||
| + | Crime [[Action film|action films]] are those that favor violence. According to [[Jule Selbo]], the crime and action genres are intertwined: "the films could not exist in their popular form without the other on equal footing—therefore they are working in ''tandem''". Examples include the ''[[Fast & Furious]]'' film series. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Crime comedy === | ||
| + | Crime comedy films are a hybrid of the crime film and the comedy that play with the conventions of the crime film and may introduce aspects of [[Black comedy|dark humor]]. Generally, they feature dim-witted criminals or crime sprees that are bumblingly executed or are presented in a lighthearted manner. The genre had a resurgence in popularity in the independent film scene of the 1990s, which combined the clichés of the crime thriller with comic appropriations. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Crime drama === | ||
| + | Crime dramas are films that focus on the moral dilemmas of criminals. They differ from crime thrillers as the films generally focus on a grimmer and more realistic portrayal of the criminal world over violence and gunplay sequences. Occasionally these films begin with the flashier elements of the crime thriller such as in ''[[The Godfather]]'', ''[[Goodfellas]]'', and ''[[Once Upon a Time in America]]'' to develop into more contemplative narratives.'' | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Crime thriller === | ||
| + | Crime [[Thriller film|thrillers]] focus on the exciting elements of both successful and unsuccessful crimes. Unlike [[Police procedural|police procedurals]], they focus on a criminal or a group of criminals rather than law enforcement. These films tend to focus on conspiracies and psychopathology of criminals, and are often violent and nihilistic. Examples include ''[[The Killers (1971 film)|The Killers]]'', ''[[The Peacock (1982 film)|The Peacock]]'',''[[Joseph (2018 film)| Joseph]]'' and ''[[Nayattu (2021 film)|Nayattu]]''. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Dacoit film === | ||
| + | Dacoit films are a genre of [[Indian cinema]] revolving around [[dacoity]]. The genre was pioneered by [[Mehboob Khan]]'s ''[[Aurat (1940 film)|Aurat]]'' (1940) and ''[[Mother India]]'' (1957). Other examples include ''[[Gunga Jumna]]'' (1961), ''[[Sholay]]'' (1975) and ''[[Bandit Queen]]'' (1994). | ||
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| + | === Gangster film === | ||
| + | |||
| + | Gangster films are films that tell the story from the perspective of gangsters, who are portrayed as idealistic antiheroes. The gangster film is among the oldest genres of films, with examples dating as early as ''[[Underworld (1927 film)|Underworld]]'', ''[[Little Caesar (film)|Little Caesar]]'' and ''[[Scarface (1932 film)|Scarface]]''. After World War II, these films became increasingly violent and menacing with films like ''[[Underworld USA]]''. These films also were made outside the United States in Hong Kong, Japan and France. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Heist film === | ||
| + | The [[heist film]] deals with a group of criminals attempting to perform a theft or robbery, as well as the possible consequences that follow. Heist films that are lighter in tone are called caper films. Examples include ''[[The Killing (film)|The Killing]]'', ''[[Ocean's Eleven (1960 film)|Ocean's 11]]'', ''[[Dog Day Afternoon]]'', ''[[Reservoir Dogs]]'', and ''[[The Town (2010 film)|The Town]]''. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Mumbai underworld === | ||
| + | Mumbai underworld is an Indian cinema crime film genre. The genre frequently draws inspiration from real [[Mumbai underworld]] gangsters, such as [[Haji Mastan]], [[Dawood Ibrahim]] and [[D-Company]]. The genre was pioneered by [[Salim–Javed]]'s ''[[Zanjeer (1973 film)|Zanjeer]]'' (1973) and ''[[Deewaar]]'' (1975), starring [[Amitabh Bachchan]]. Other examples include the ''[[Don (franchise)|Don]]'' franchise (1978 - 2012), ''[[Nayakan]]'' (1986), ''[[Salaam Bombay!]]'' (1988), ''[[Parinda]]'' (1989), ''[[Satya (1998 film)|Satya]]'' (1998), ''[[Company (2002 film)|Company]]'' (2002), ''[[Black Friday (2004 film)|Black Friday]]'' (2004), ''[[Slumdog Millionaire]]'' (2008) and ''[[Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai]]'' (2010). | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Police procedural === | ||
| + | Police procedurals focus on the police who investigate the actions of criminals, with examples such as ''[[He Walked by Night|He Walked by Night]]'', ''[[In the Heat of the Night (film)|In the Heat of the Night]]'', ''[[Madigan]]'', and ''[[The French Connection (film)|The French Connection]]''. | ||
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| + | ===Prison film=== | ||
| + | The prison film is a type of crime film that focuses on the difficult living conditions in prisons, as well as occasionally focusing on inmates adjusting to life outside of prison. | ||
| == See also == | == See also == | ||
| * [[Lists of crime films]] | * [[Lists of crime films]] | ||
| * [[Pre-Code crime films]] | * [[Pre-Code crime films]] | ||
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"The beginning of the 20th century saw the arrival of film as a new medium. By and large, what people wanted to watch on the screen did not differ from what they expected to see on the stage or read in short stories and novels: the good and the bad things in life (clearly separated from each other); virtue and vice; human prowess and human weakness; sin and redemption; and, probably more than anything else, poetic justice, or iustitia commutativa, as it is called according to Aristotle, with everyone getting what they deserve. In this respect, the cinema has always served as a means of escape from real life, though a temporary one. This escapist function of both literature and film did not change substantially in the course of the 20th century: One still feels uncomfortable if at the end of a film the "bad guy" gets away with all his evil doings, if order is not restored, if justice does not succeed in the end. Subconsciously, an average human feels that if the wicked character is not punished, the film comes too close to reality and makes the person remember, rather than forget his inadequate life."--Sholem Stein |
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Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine with many other genres, such as drama or gangster film, but also include comedy, and, in turn, is divided into many sub-genres, such as mystery, suspense or noir.
Screenwriter and scholar Eric R. Williams identified crime film as one of eleven super-genres in his Screenwriters Taxonomy, claiming that all feature-length narrative films can be classified by these super-genres. The other ten super-genres are action, fantasy, horror, romance, science fiction, slice of life, sports, thriller, war and western. Williams identifies drama in a broader category called "film type", mystery and suspense as "macro-genres", and film noir as a "screenwriter's pathway" explaining that these categories are additive rather than exclusionary. Chinatown would be an example of a film that is a drama (film type) crime film (super-genre) that is also a noir (pathway) mystery (macro-genre).
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Source of plots
Crime films are often based on real events or are adaptations of plays or novels, or a remake or adoption of a previous film. Some plots are original and entirely fictional. For example, the 1957 film version of Witness for the Prosecution is an adaptation of a 1953 stage play of that name, which is in turn based on Agatha Christie's short story, originally published in 1933. The film version was remade in 1982, and there have been other adaptations. However, each of these media has its own advantages and limitations, which in the case of cinema is the time constraint.
Plays and films
Witness for the Prosecution is a classic example of a courtroom drama. In a courtroom drama, a charge is brought against one of the main characters, who claims to be innocent. Another major part is played by the lawyer (in England a barrister) representing the defendant in court and battling with the public prosecutor. They may enlist the services of a private investigator to find out what really happened and who the real perpetrator is. However, in most cases it is not clear at all whether the accused is guilty of the crime or not—this is how suspense is created.
Often, the private investigator storms into the courtroom at the last minute in order to bring a new and crucial piece of information to the attention of the court. This type of literature lends itself to the literary genre of drama focused more on dialogue (the opening and closing statements, the witnesses' testimonies, etc.) and little or no necessity for a shift in scenery. The auditorium of the theatre becomes an extension of the courtroom. When a courtroom drama is filmed, the traditional device employed by screenwriters and directors is the frequent use of flashbacks, in which the crime and everything that led up to it is narrated and reconstructed from different angles.
A classic courtroom drama is U.S. playwright Reginald Rose's Twelve Angry Men (1954), which is set in the jury deliberation room of a New York court. Eleven members of the jury, aiming at a unanimous verdict of "guilty", try to get it over with as quickly as possible. And they would really succeed in achieving their common aim if it were not for the eighth juror (played by Henry Fonda in the 1957 movie adaptation), who, on second thoughts, considers it his duty to convince his colleagues that the defendant may be innocent after all, and who, by doing so, triggers much discussion, confusion, and anger.
Subgenres
Crime action
Crime action films are those that favor violence. According to Jule Selbo, the crime and action genres are intertwined: "the films could not exist in their popular form without the other on equal footing—therefore they are working in tandem". Examples include the Fast & Furious film series.
Crime comedy
Crime comedy films are a hybrid of the crime film and the comedy that play with the conventions of the crime film and may introduce aspects of dark humor. Generally, they feature dim-witted criminals or crime sprees that are bumblingly executed or are presented in a lighthearted manner. The genre had a resurgence in popularity in the independent film scene of the 1990s, which combined the clichés of the crime thriller with comic appropriations.
Crime drama
Crime dramas are films that focus on the moral dilemmas of criminals. They differ from crime thrillers as the films generally focus on a grimmer and more realistic portrayal of the criminal world over violence and gunplay sequences. Occasionally these films begin with the flashier elements of the crime thriller such as in The Godfather, Goodfellas, and Once Upon a Time in America to develop into more contemplative narratives.
Crime thriller
Crime thrillers focus on the exciting elements of both successful and unsuccessful crimes. Unlike police procedurals, they focus on a criminal or a group of criminals rather than law enforcement. These films tend to focus on conspiracies and psychopathology of criminals, and are often violent and nihilistic. Examples include The Killers, The Peacock, Joseph and Nayattu.
Dacoit film
Dacoit films are a genre of Indian cinema revolving around dacoity. The genre was pioneered by Mehboob Khan's Aurat (1940) and Mother India (1957). Other examples include Gunga Jumna (1961), Sholay (1975) and Bandit Queen (1994).
Gangster film
Gangster films are films that tell the story from the perspective of gangsters, who are portrayed as idealistic antiheroes. The gangster film is among the oldest genres of films, with examples dating as early as Underworld, Little Caesar and Scarface. After World War II, these films became increasingly violent and menacing with films like Underworld USA. These films also were made outside the United States in Hong Kong, Japan and France.
Heist film
The heist film deals with a group of criminals attempting to perform a theft or robbery, as well as the possible consequences that follow. Heist films that are lighter in tone are called caper films. Examples include The Killing, Ocean's 11, Dog Day Afternoon, Reservoir Dogs, and The Town.
Mumbai underworld
Mumbai underworld is an Indian cinema crime film genre. The genre frequently draws inspiration from real Mumbai underworld gangsters, such as Haji Mastan, Dawood Ibrahim and D-Company. The genre was pioneered by Salim–Javed's Zanjeer (1973) and Deewaar (1975), starring Amitabh Bachchan. Other examples include the Don franchise (1978 - 2012), Nayakan (1986), Salaam Bombay! (1988), Parinda (1989), Satya (1998), Company (2002), Black Friday (2004), Slumdog Millionaire (2008) and Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai (2010).
Police procedural
Police procedurals focus on the police who investigate the actions of criminals, with examples such as He Walked by Night, In the Heat of the Night, Madigan, and The French Connection.
Prison film
The prison film is a type of crime film that focuses on the difficult living conditions in prisons, as well as occasionally focusing on inmates adjusting to life outside of prison.
See also
