Masculinity In Gangster Films

Within the gangster, and organized crime movie genre, we see a common theme amongst the gender roles: the overemphasis of masculinity, and the inferiority of women. Much like the underworld civilization they depict, gangster films have been extremely male-dominated since their beginning (Coccimiglio, 2013). Masculinity is highly accentuated in most gangster films, with the main male characters embodying a code of manliness that is violent, ruthless, and unforgiving. Although most of the gangsters in these films are from immigrant backgrounds, their exaggerated qualities resemble those of American masculinity. On the other hand, women are portrayed as inferior, and are sometimes absent from main action altogether. Women are shown as the lesser of the two sexes, possibly to further add to the portrayal of the overemphasis of masculinity. The radiating masculinity, and the disapproval of femininity is a common theme throughout this genre, but why? Why is masculinity overstressed, and even glorified in the gangster film genre, but women are portrayed as inferior and dependent objects; and how do current directors depict these typical gender roles? Gangster and organized crime films’ plots are very heavily male dominated; Hollywood has made themes of masculinity and violence the norm in this genre, and the inferiority of women is almost expected when watching a film about the criminal …show more content…
Very few films have attempted to break away from the traditional standards of what makes a gangster film, and propel this genre into a new day and age. However, Robert Benigni’s Johnny Stecchino and Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in America challenge what is expected in a crime film. Each director takes on different approaches to their gangster films, however together they break out of the gendered cage that has been put around this