A2 Catalogue Films.

" How does Brian De Palma create his own signature style on the gangster genre film with reference to Scarface?"

FILMS:

ITEM 1:  Scarface (Brian De Palma, 1983). This source is very useful as it is one of Brian De Palma’s popularise gangster film made. This film depicts from a previous version ( Howard Hawks and Richard Ronson 1932) and is recreated with De Palma’s style on the gangster genre. I believe this film definitely highlights the aspects of how De Palma see’s his gangster genre as he uses a wide variety of iconography throughout this film to show his style of gangster genre and he defiantly has a signature style compared to the earlier make of this film. Brian shows a clear view of his style in this film pushing the lifestyle of a gangster to the max with visual masses of cocaine and violent scenes with reference to the shower chainsaw scene , showing the gangster genre. Which is why this is my focus film.

ITEM 2:  Carlito’s Way (Brian De Palma, 1994). This is another close source as to Brian De Palma’s signature style , not only does he uses the same star as godfella’s and in Scarface films Al Pacino. This film shows the gangster genre with a different narrative as we see Charlie who is released from jail from breaking the law and is shown going back into a normal life who is then dragged back to crime unlike Scarface where Tony is breaking the law to begin with. Money and greed take over in this film as Charlie wants to build his money and break free when he’s dragged back down by helping a friend to a life of crime and death. This film shows a different narrative however is shown with similar cinematography. I will be using this item to not only show the signature style of De Palma also how it’s used in a different narrative.

ITEM 3:  The Untouchables (Brian De Palma, 1987). Brian De Palma’s The Untouchables take on a different style to the gangster genre as it uses post modernism by including the genre conventions of the  western genre. This film tells us  a story of the high powered lifestyle of gang leader and a cop. Where the cop loses his sensibility and hires gang members to kill of Al Capone and his high running liquor business. The two rivals begin to set up gangs to help win the battle and send each man down.  This shows Brian’s change in motif although you don’t start off breaking the law and work for the police to make justice and finish the case you may have to.

All these films show different aspects of how Brian see’s a gang culture for instance Scarface this shows an illegal immigrant with nothing making it to the top and receives the beautiful woman the money and riches, yes he does lose them but he also gains them before. Where as Carlito’s Way shows an ex criminal released back into the world where he tries to avoid the crime and live with his girl however an old friend pulls him back into it when he needs help dragging Charlie back into a life of crime taking him over once again. Finally The Untouchables shows how the cops must work in order to fight of the gangsters by making them selves corrupt and having to hire people to kill the gang leader.

 BOOKS:

ITEM 10:  Brian De Palma, Little Pocket Essentials Film, I shall be using this item as it summarises aspects of all the films Brian De Palma has filmed and also the genre he has filmed them in. I will be able to use quotes from this for my annotated catalogue as it relates to my chosen films and the secondary films I have chosen with information about each film giving information about plot’s , why De Palma shot in a certain way.

ITEM 11: Easy Riders Raging Bulls, I shall be using this item as it highlights Brian’s relationships with him self and his cast and other directors especially Scorsese this book tells us how De Palma was a  struggling film maker this book also highlights how De Palma taken drugs especially cocaine which shows how this impacted his personal experiences in the film Scarface which relates to my topic.                                                                       

ITEM 12: Brian De Palma Interviews, this item provides interview s with Brian De Palma about the work he has done and actors involved and how the critics responded I shall be using this for quotes from Brian’s interviews stating how he created the violence scene’s what it mean to him and how it affected his audience and ratings.

ITEM 13: Un American Psycho tells exactly what De Palma uses to make his movies have his signature style by using  surrounding American social and cultural issues which happen at the time of era of the film and interpreting this in his work. This also discusses how Hitchcock has had major influences on De Palma’s style of filming. This item will be used for quotations of Brian’s style used in the gangster genre with reference to Hitchcock’s style.

Rejected Items:

Item 14: Gangster Film , By Jim Smith this book has a wide variety of background knowledge of American and British film makers and the actors and summarising the film in sub sections such as , sources to screen , counterparty reaction, the verdict . However this book is about gangster films and does have a snippet about Scarface (1983) it mainly holds context with the original Scarface 1932. This item shall be rejected as it doesn’t hold enough information for me to take and relate to my topic.

Item 15:  Violence  And American Cinema By J. David Slocum this book has a large knowledge of the original Scarface (1932) and actor Al Capone however this doesn’t relate to my concept as it doesn’t provide enough information about Brian’s style on the gangster genre. A small mention is made about the Ethnicity and Masculine Violence in Scarface (1983) relating to the diversity of the races. As this book doesn’t hold enough information about my topic I have rejected it.