I know it’s pretty self explanatory, but I’m wondering what about a mafia movie is so intriguing? I know I love them and really can’t get enough of them, but why? Is it the respect factor that is given to the bosses? The Power? Money? What about “Goodfellas”, “Donnie Brasco”, “The Godfather”, and even “The Sopranos” make them so interesting?
I think of them as analogous to Science Fiction: What if …
there was a society with its own system of laws and ethics but notably very different from our own system. All sorts of interesting story telling possibilities open up that actually end up making us question our own vaues. Add to that the fact that the Mafia really does exist and the real life stories of some of them make quite good morality plays.
There is quite a bit of romanticizing of the real “Our Thing”. Esp. that they turn on each other with great regularity and are not all that honorable to each other. Only a few films highlight this, such as “Goodfellas” and “Gotti” (which is more about Sammy Gravano).
IANA mobster but a relative once sold real estate for Tony Bonanno. Most of his commissions disappeared.
I think they’re like Dracula movies. You fear the character, but you also want to be them.
Have you ever stood in line trying to get something accomplished, like at the DMV or something similar. Tony Soprano would just pick up the phone, and badda bong (I know, bing), task accomplished. The power is seductive, smite thy enemies and all that.
I think because they are just replays of the old themes of Power, honour, betrayal, revenge, and over all the price of loyalty. Those kind of stories seem to always have a resonence with audiences throughout history.
Look at some of Shakespeares plays some famous Operas and turn of the century plays. The same types of stories with a different setting. Sometimes it is in the setting of a court sometimes a fued between two influencial families.
It usually ends one of two ways:
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The King maintains the status quo (somewhat), those who betrayed him die horribly, and he must pay the price for maintaining his power, Loss of a loved one, decrease in power, sometimes his own life (the power passed on to an heir or close friend).
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The betrayer usurps the King after suffering greatly in the effort, but his victory is hollow as the entire status quo which he reveled in before betrayal is gone.
The character types are also very interesting men (Lets face it women in mob movies get the short end of the stick). They are all men of power and all make their own law based on old codes of honour. They do not follow the same mundane lives as the rest of us, and ignore the laws we are bound by.
Their code is simple
Unquestioning Loyalty is good.
Betrayal is the worst of all possible sins (Always punished by Death)
Power and money are the only goals to be sought.