The Mob and the Movies: A Cinematic History of the All-American Criminal

From the Prohibition-era pre-code gangster movies of the 1930s through to the 1940s Film Noir productions to The Godfather (1972), Tarantino and beyond, the world of the American criminal has and always will be a violent and fascinating obsession of the big and small Hollywood studios. This course will explore that seedy underworld, examining the on and off-screen impact of real-life criminals like Al Capone and look at the way cinema has exploited and been exploited by organised crime and gangland operations. With plenty of clips and discussion we will trawl through the flea-pits and speakeasies in search of those illicit characters to take a closer look at moves like Scarface (1932), Public Enemy (1931), White Heat (1949), Chinatown (1974), The French Connection (1971), Goodfellas (1990) and many, many more.

Tutor: Andrew Graves
Duration: 10 weeks
When: Tuesday evenings from Tuesday 9 January 2024, 7pm-8.30pm
Price: £75 / £54 members & concessions / £38 under 25