Hmm this is a tricky one depending on what your into. Typically, the portrayal of a gangster in american cinema is based around Italians, and so some of the greatest gangster films to come out of hollywood are along these lines. That said, we are not capable of any less and so we have some excellent british titles up for the trophy too….

Contenders for the Front Row Title are:

The Godfather part 2
In my opinion the best of the trilogy, Godfather two tells the story of Michael Corleone’s rise to power as his father’s protege, increasing his families grip on 1950’s America. Under council from his father Michael, played by Al Pacino, moves the family crime business into Cuba and Nevada through gambling and politics. The film has a strong story line which also portrays Vito Corleone’s rise to power, with his first kill of a local hustler marking his rise amongst other italian immigrant peasants. This film, which is a classic, is a potential not just for its excellent script, but also becuase of its all star cast. The film stars not on Al Pacino, but also Robert De Niro as the young Vito, and ofcourse Marlon Brando, the legend himself playing the godfather. For early cinema of the 90’s, this film is epic and grand.

Scarface
“Say hello to my lil friend!” Probably the most famous quote to originate from a gangster movie, Scarface focuses on the introduction of mass market cocaine into America in the 80’s. Al Pacino plays Tony Montano, a no body from cuba washed up on the shores of Miami with nothing but a heart and a big dream. The heart got him there, and his dream killed him. A must see gangster movie, this film is similiar in nature to later releases such as Blow (jonny depp) which focus on the huge industry that drug trafficking was when first introduced on such a large scale. I think that the reputation that this film has holds testament to its quality, showcasing the powerful success an immigrant can have in the “Land of opportunity”.

Carlitors Way
A strangely emotional film, Carlito Briganti is an ex con released back into the community after serving a lengthy sentence for pushing drugs. Coming back into the swing of things and seeing the old faces, Carlito realises that he doesnt want to go back to his old ways, and wants another chance to live a good, healthy, law abiding life. Sticking with whom he considers a good friend, David Kleinfeld, Carlito (Al pacino) finds himself in a situation he doenst want to be in. Unfortunate for him, he realises that those around him dont share the same loyalties as he does, and things take a sad turn.

For the emotions that Carlitos Way manages to capture from its audience, this is a strong contender for the title. Empathy is a strong emotion and this hit gangster film does well to bring it out in us.

Charlie
A british film that I think is highly underated, Charlie tells the story of the Richardsons, a real life crime family that had a mafia style grip on South London in the 60/70’s. Focusing on the older brother, Charlie, the film follows a court trial which opens up a raft full of allegations against the brothers. A very graphic film, this film is probably best compared to The Krays, a film about the more notorious and possibly more well known family ruling the East End around the same time. Told as a documentary from Charlie Richardsons perspective, the most interesting part for me was when Charlie met the krays in prison. Given the rivalry these two london gangs developed, its quite interesting to see that the film does not show this, and focuses more on their awareness and respect for each other before the clashes began. A true british gangster film based on real events. Top notch.

Rise of the Footsoldier
What a story this film tells. Based on the Range Rover murders of 1995 in Epping Forest, Essex, Rise of the Footsoldier is a cold, gripping portrayal of East Londons messiest most powerful gangsters that rampaged through London in the late 80’s and 90’s, resulting in a most horrifc murder scene known to Essex. Carlton Leach was a football hooligan general, responsible for being involved in a number of major riots up and down the country. Using fooball as an excuse, he and his crew organised clashes with other football gangs to shed blood and tears on a weekly basis. Creating quite a reputation for himself, the film tells the story of how Carlton develops his career into the criminal underworld, running doors and getting involved with drugs. As power grew for Carlton and his gang, more and more people become aware of the implications of their actions, and before long, someone (still unknown to the police) decides they have had their time, and its time to call it a day….

Rise of the Footsoldier is an amazing film purely because of the way the narrators story is captured and presented. Its serious, and watching the film you realise how deep people including Carlton were. An immensley entertaining film, this is one not to be missed.

Thats it for now, we will be putting Part two of this post up shortly, before unveiling the winner. Keep posted!