Gangster moviesare one of cinema’s most tried and true genres, populated by slick and larger-than-life anti-heroes that make being so bad look so good. Who among the film-watching population hasn’t stared into a mirror, fingers pointed like mock pistols and uttered, “You talkin' to me?” While many may point to films likeGoodfellasorCasinoas the quintessential gangster flick due to their shockingly violent scenes, the violence in these movies is more of a backdrop for what are stories about mafia culture and the characters that inhabited that life.Gangster No.1,the Britishcrime dramafrom 2000 directed byPaul McGuiganand based on the stage play of the same name, is easily the most brutal gangster film. In McGuigan’s film, violenceisthe main point. The film is replete with bloody shootouts, torture and dismemberments, but what sticks out is the young gangster’s narration, which gives the audience a rare insight into the mental processes which drive the character.
Gangster No. 1
Chronicles the rise and fall of a prominent, and particularly ruthless English gangster.
What Is ‘Gangster No.1’ About?
Gangster No.1follows the meteoric rise and life of a young gangsterPaul Bettany, whose penchant for violence distinguishes him from the who’s who of the London underworld. It is his most defining feature in the film, an unfeeling psychopath whose taste for the finer things and the blood of his enemies propels him to the rank of top dog in what is a rogues gallery of English villainy. The film begins at the end of the young gangster’s career, now an aging Gangster, 55, played by the incomparableMalcolm McDowell. Now firmly entrenched as London’s most feared gangster, he overhears some compatriots, while at a boxing match, say that his old boss, Freddie Mays (David Thewlis), is getting out of prison, causing the veteran criminal to wax poetic about the circumstances that brought him to this immediate present.
Told as a flashback, Gangster 55 recalls his lost youth during the 1960s when he was simply a young gangster, recruited as an enforcer into Freddie May’s cadre of money-obsessed thugs. The young gangster is eager to impress his boss and quickly distinguishes himself among his peers by being exceptionally violent. The young gangster proves his loyalty to Mays by performing various hits, which are known for their brutality and creativity, but as he grows closer to his boss, his envy grows, too. He is also obsessed with wealth and fashion, desiring the glamorous life of Mays and upon learning that May’s rival, Lennie Taylor (Jamie Foreman), is planning to murder Mays, chooses to keep his boss in the dark and let the hit happen. Mays, of course, does not die and instead ends up doing a thirty-year stint in prison, but with him off the street,the young gangster decides to swoop in, kill Lenny, and take his place as the boss of the London underworld.
Paul Bettany Plays a Brutal Thug in ‘Gangster No. 1’
Before Paul Bettany captured hearts in theMarvel Cinematic UniverseasVision, he was carving out hearts as a brutal thug inGangster No. 1.The young gangster’s ruthlessness and bloodlust are on full display, and McGuigan doesn’t shy away from the gore.Bettany’s character is pure evil, revelling in the destruction he causes and devoid of compassion; only possessing the desire for more. This fact makes him both terrifying and compelling. This is most evident during the Freddie Mays hit where the young gangster watches with detached bemusement from a car as Lennies' thugs go to work on Freddie. He mocks Freddie’s helplessness, noting Freddie’s messy suit, now soaked in blood, as an allegory for Freddie’s weakness. It is an important insight into the character’s mind and a look into the cold mindset and selfishness that it takes to become “Gangster Number One.”
Perhaps the most shocking scene in the film occurs during the murder of Lennie, which feels much like a blood-soaked fever dream. The young gangster disrobes, tortures, and murders Lennie, delighting in his brutality while Lennie eggs him on.The violence between the two is imbued with a type of intimacy that seems almost sexual. It also adds a disturbing layer to the scene that makes it so damn effective. It is here we see the young gangster’s penchant for violence unfold in its most wanton and brutalistic fashion. A memorable kill that leaves the streets of London wide open for the young gangster and firmly cements the film as the most brutal gangster film of its era, if not of all-time.
‘Gangster No.1’ Is a Different Kind Of Gangster Film
While detractors might criticize the film as one-dimensional and lacking the wit and charm of aGuy Ritchiefilm or the nuance of aScorsesefeature, McGuigan’s film is unique in that it gives the devil its due in an underrated character study about what it takes to be the biggest gangster in London. Violence in a gangster film is inevitable. After all, it is a violent world where conflict is resolved at the end of a knife or from the barrel of a gun. However, in mostgangster filmsthe violence is a product of the drama and is not actually the drama itself andthis is what makesGangster No. 1a different kind of film. Instead of the violence being a backdrop to a life of crime, the glints and glamour of a gangster’s life seem to be a backdrop for the violence, which is the only thing every character seems to really enjoy in that film.
Freddie Mays loves the young gangster because of his unhinged capacity for mayhem and murder. Even Lennie seems to respect his propensity for violence, as his murder scene obscures the line between pain and pleasure on the part of Lennie, who almost enjoys being taken apart by Bettany’s character.The focus of the film is almost entirely on the violence, with the glamorous bits beautifully understated, because audiences are well aware of why people get into crime in the first place. Every gangster is after a pay day, but so few films open up the psychology of a character and deliver those explanations in such a straight forward manner. London’s underworld is a place where violence is rewarded and the most violent get the biggest rewards and that kind of brutality is shocking to watch but also very entertaining.
There’s a Brilliant, Little Gangster Movie You’ve Never Heard of Hiding Out on Netflix
The captivating thriller follows a ruthless gangster on a brutal revenge mission.
McGuigan’s film is one that has flown under the radar since it premiered in the early aughts and might seem like a Guy Ritchie film, which often straddles the line between harrowing and hilarious. McGuigan does away with this sentiment, clearing out all the funny and back-filling in the blood, because in order to be the number one gangster, a person has to be capable of the most heinously violent things. With the gloves off, this film is free to deep-dive into the mind of a gangster, a horrible place that feels more akin to a horror movie than a drama. This approach works to great effect and should be the next watch for genre fans.
Gangster No. 1is currently not available to stream in the U.S.
