mafia

mafia

DEPICTION OF THE ITALIAN MAFIA THROUGH HOLLYWOOD MOVIES:

A STUDY ON THE GODFATHER I & II, GOODFELLAS AND DONNIE BRASCO









ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Firstly, I would like to thank God for
CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 3
      Literature Review 4
      Movies 14
















INTRODUCTION

Despite the Mafia's penchant for murdering, maiming, prostitution, extortion, drug-running and other untaxed enterprises, there has been a boom in the number of entertainment projects featuring mob figure. They are often as sympathetic heroes and with little concern for the sensibilities of Italian-Americans, who are expected to good-naturedly bear the stereotyping.
In the last decade, there may have been more films made about "made men" than men “made” in the actual mob. Even movies with no direct mob theme are finding ways to include gangsters in subplots.
Take, for instance, the children’s movie "Dr. Dolittle 2." Among its talking animals are a wiseguy weasel and his boss, a fat, dam-building capo known to the local fauna as the God Beaver.
In the last few years, there have been various films about the Italian – Mafia, These films look at the organisations as ruthless, extortionists, but with an element of good, sympathy. Such movies have immortalized characters like Don Vito Corleone, Michael Corleone ("The Godfather"), Henry Hill, Jimmy Conway ("GoodFellas"), Donnie Brasco/Joseph Pistone, Lefty Ruggiero ("Donnie Brasco") and other organized-crime kingpins.
Even on television we have seen a spree of mob-centred entertainment like HBO's mega-hit "The Sopranos," which owes some of its inspiration to another mobster-in-therapy hit, the movie "Analyze This." Before that, there were "GoodFellas," "Married to the Mob" and, of course, the first two "Godfather" movies.
We also receive some of Hollywood most famous and memorable quotes from these movies. For instance, Michael Corleone infamous quote from "The...