Gangster and heist movies took off as a genre back in the 1930s. While films such as The Godfather, Goodfellas and The Departed are still popular in 2017, they are relatively recent movies produced in an era where technology has advanced massively. Still, it was as far back as the 1930s when gang and mafia-related films first started to gain the attention of the public in the United States of America.

One of the best gangster movies of all time is Little Caesar. A 1931 American pre-Code crime film, it centred on a hoodlum who rises through the ranks of organised crime until he reaches its upper echelons. The film was actually based on the novel of the same name by William R. Burnett and is more popular than the book. Received well by the critics, Little Caesar aptly portrayed the social situation at the time and is worth a watch even now if someone wants to get a picture of what life was in the 1930s.

Another well-known gangster movie released in 1931 was The Public Enemy. Directed by William A. Wellman and starring James Cagney and Jean Harlow, the film also explores the rise of a young man in the criminal underworld. Just like Little Caesar, The Public Enemy was based on a novel which was actually never published. The book was written by John Bright and Kubec Glasmon, who had witnessed some of Al Capone’s gang rivalries in Chicago.

Chinatown, released in 1974, and On the Waterfront, released in 1954, are two of the other well-known mafia movies of the 20th century, but arguably the best in the last century is Scarface. Released in 1983 and starring the legendary Al Pacino, it is arguably one of the best films of all time. Although a remake of the 1932 movie of the same, Scarface is great and original in its own right, exploring the story of a Cuban refugee in the 1980s Miami who becomes a drug kingpin.

The success of Scarface, both critically and among the public, was instrumental in gangster flicks becoming so famous and popular. Movies released in the 21st century such as The Departed (2006), Road to Perdition (2002), 25th Hour (2002) and Eastern Promises (2007) would probably have never seen the light of the day had it not been for the massive worldwide success of Scarface. One could even say that it was due to that movie that gangster-related video games are so popular this season. In fact, one can even use bitcoins to play online slots such as Gangster Gamblers or Kings of Chicago, as well as all mBTC games. Omerta: City of Gangsters from 2013 and 2002’s Mafia are two more well-known gangster-themed video games, these two focusing more on the action element.

Just like World War II movies or films based on the Cold War, the gangster genre has proven that is here to stay. The worldwide success of relatively recent films such as Snatch, American History X, Carlito’s Way, American Gangster and Gran Torino means that there is still enough appetite for such films among the public. Gangster movies are still relevant, and there is a lot to learn from them.