Generic Conventions

Mis-en-Scene - Costume:
Characters in gangster films are most commonly seen wearing suits
and ties, or other formal attire, along with jewellery. This connotes
the luxury lifestyle, in which they live, as well as the power, riches
and sophistication of these men on screen. Women in this genre are
also usually dressed formally; regularly seen wearing dresses,
makeup and expensive jewellery just like the males. A film that does
not follow this tradition however is Lock, Stock and Two Smoking
Barrels, as although its characters are usually wearing formal shirts,
and sometimes even suits suits and ties are not a common outfit
throughout the movie. This connotes that these men are not
involved in organisations
such as the mafia, like in
most American gangster
movies, such as the
Godfather.

Props:

The most commonly used throughout

the gangster genre are drugs, money
and guns. This connotes the organised
crime in which these men are
frequently involved in, as well as the danger they may experience
living this life style. These props are regularly used as denotations to
tell the story of the film.

Setting:

Movies of the gangster are usually set in an urban area of a big city,
such as New York or London. This connotes the shady aura of the
location, as lots of crime occurs in these areas. The housing estates
denoted throughout these films connote the hard upbringing the
antagonists may have head, resulting in this life of crime.

Lighting:
The lighting in many gangster films is usually low-key. Blacks and
greys are common. This signifies that most of the organised crime in
which these gangsters commit is done during the night time,
allowing them to easily escape in the shadows. Red is commonly
seen as part of a scene in the mis-en-scene, as this connotes many
themes, such as blood and danger, further signifying the risky

lifestyle in which these men live.

Sound:
Sounds in gangster movies are usually loud and diegetic. This
includes guns, police sirens and dialogue. These will be
synchronised with the action on screen. However there may be
some non-diegetic sound also. This could include a voice over
describing the events, signifying the scenes we are seeing are a
flashback from the narrators memory, with the speech synchronous
to the images. The non-diegetic soundtracks of the movie may be
classical or old fashioned, this
connotes the era in which many
of these movies are set in.

Editing:
Steady cams are used frequently in
the gangster genre to record action
scenes. This is effective when recording shootouts or car chases,
possibly between a gangster and the police. The Zolly shot was first
used in Goodfellas, as two characters are shown in a mid shot at a

diner. There are a lot of low angles in gangster movies, connoting

the power of the gangsters as the audience is made to look up
them, feeling inferior. These may be POV shots from a victims
vision. Establishing shots are used to show the urban settings.