doddj003294

Hey everybody, im an A-Level student carrying out some research into the representation of women in gangster films since 1980 and would love it if you could all let me know of your thoughts! Im looking at films in from both the USA and also the UK so every comment would be much appreciated and would go a long way!

So please help me out here

Thanks very much

grillreaper

It seems to me to be all about a power struggle. The lead woman in a gangster usually is a girlfriend or wife of the bigman.

It seems to me it is a huge battle over power. The mobster wants to control all, even his wife, but the wife in hope that there is love or that she wants in on the business fights for these.
Basically they symbolise a never ending Power Struggle for the lead mobster.

ChristineCB

In the recently released director's cut of PAYBACK, a "Mrs. Bronson" is the ganglord, not Kris Kristofferson.

BODY HEAT and BLACK WIDOW can't be confused with Gangster movies, but they make an interesting point of a woman using her assets to better her opponents that possess different strengths and assets. The KILL BILLs offered but a veneer of those tactics.

And the best bad girl has to be Ava Gardner in THE KILLERS, where she's twisted all the men in her web to get what she wants. But that's a far older film than your scope, but still gets my top vote.

Harleybloke

Vanessa Redgrave in Mission Impossible. Verrry bad lady!

.....You couldn't hear it, if they were shooting at me with howitzers!

Moor Larkin

Not British and hardly ever on TV, although remade I believe recently, was a film that cusped the 1980's:



Gena Rowlands might reward as much study as any gangster's moll; extremely charismatic but never a Superstar, although I suspect in the biz she's probably an A+ celebrity.

Another good one to see a woman of power, who plays by her own rules but doesn't have to 'put out' to win was the equally charismatic Kathleen Turner:



The only British one I can immediately think of was Helen Mirren in The Long Good Friday but her part was the fairly traditional rich bitch, so far as I recall. Recent Brit efforts just seem to want to ape Hollywood actioneers, but there are probably some I'm not thinking of.

[code]http://www.flickr.com/photos/29487363@N02/sets/72157606700675506/code]

Harleybloke

The Ronin...............nah, I guess it's American...?

.....You couldn't hear it, if they were shooting at me with howitzers!

ChristineCB

Consider Helen in COOK, THIEF, WIFE & HER LOVER. That's an interesting portrait of a woman in a gangster film. I mean, if someone needs a starting point, she gives precise instructions on that, too...

Moor Larkin

Billie Whitelaw in The Krays and the poor wifie who went mad possibly typify the British don't they?



Wicked mothers who are totally asexual and brutalise their kids or bimbo's who cannot deal with conflict. Even in the heyday of Fifties Stanley Baker macho, the women were usually weak or willing or old, weren't they?

[code]http://www.flickr.com/photos/29487363@N02/sets/72157606700675506/code]

doddj003294

Thanks very much guys and gals, it seems that your quite up on this topic and all of the posts so far have really given me alot of things to look into!

Keep them coming!

Cheers

doddj003294

The posts so far have been great, really helpfull! Im trying to find some books at the moment but Amazon is driving me crazy and i cant really seem to hit the nail on the head...suggestions if known would be great if not websites!

Thanks again

ChristineCB

Harley, does Vanessa's badness match Ava Gardner's in THE KILLERS?

Ava has guys wrapped around her finger, at least sexually, in order to achieve her selfish goals. She's quite willing to see them killing each other, and she's willing to accept the survivor, too. I gather she's totally ambivalent about who survives - if any of them do - as long as she gets her money. I presumed she'd find a suitable death for whoever survived, too.

Vanessa's past her sex-object prime, and while she attempts a few coy behaviors, none of the men she'll use mercenarily are probably considering a Happy Ever After Life with Vanessa.

So - is one "Badder" than the other? In my view, the men that could be used by Vanessa have a greater chance of danger-awareness and their vunerability by siding with Vanessa. Therefore, they can plan their own safety more easily.

Ava's men seem to be unaware of her ultimate goals, or are so overwhelmed by the likelihood of her sexual charms, they're not paying attention to her dangers.

So... which is the more dangerous choice for the men? I vote "Ava".

Harleybloke

What if the bloke's into Domination by an older stronger woman? Game over then Ava...........:

.....You couldn't hear it, if they were shooting at me with howitzers!

silverwhistle

Another interesting modern (US) treatment of women in a gangster-story setting is Bound, which has a lesbian love-story: Violet, who starts off as the traditional 'moll', escapes from an abusive gangster through falling for and teaming up with Corky.

"Trust me, I'm a doctor...!"

silverwhistle

I'm not a fan by any means, but I vaguely recall that there may have been TV adaptations of some of Martina Cole's London gangland fiction; that might be worth checking up on.

"Trust me, I'm a doctor...!"

doddj003294

I think you may be right there silverwhistle, i have read martina coles books and heard that there might have been some as TV adaptions, thanks anyway