StudioCanal
Scorsese might be the godfather of gangster movies, but the British film industry has delivered a slew of crime dramas that rival Hollywood’s best.
Kicking off as early as the 1940’s with Brighton Rock, the British gangster narrative has spanned a range of genres over the years from comedic crime capers and character-driven thrillers to real-life dramas that portray the gruesome dealings of the UKs most notorious gangs.
Villain, starring Richard Burton and Ian McShane, is one such classic and, although not as well known, deserves to be on every list of the best British gangster films. To celebrate the release of the fully restored Villain, we’ve picked a few of our favourites.
BRIGHTON ROCK, 1947
Adapted from Graham Greene’s novel, Brighton Rock was one of the earlier British gangster flicks to hit UK cinemas. The film follows the psychopathic gang leader Pinkie (Richard Attenborough) who sets out to murder a reporter who he holds responsible for the death of a fellow gang member and stops at nothing to cover his tracks. The film was instantly popular with British audiences, who found Attenborough’s dark portrayal of the gang leader’s unstoppable brutality deeply unsettling.
THE ITALIAN JOB, 1969
Peter Collinson’s The Italian Job blew the bloody doors off back in 1969 and has been heralded a classic ever since. Starring Michael Caine as Charlie Croker, a recently released thief who concocts a plan to steal a gold shipment from the streets of Turin by creating a traffic jam, the film embodies all the tropes of a comedic crime caper.
Audiences will never forget that extended car chase scene and cliffhanger ending.
GET CARTER, 1971
Gritty realism abounds in Mike Hodges’s Get Carter, a dark revenge thriller that stars a cold and unforgiving Michael Caine as Jack Carter, a London gangster who embarks on a brutal mission for revenge following the mysterious death of his brother.
Despite being a man of few words, Caine’s Jack Carter has been enduringly quoted since the film graced the screens of UK cinemas. With lines like, “You know, I’d almost forgotten what your eyes looked like. Still the same. Pissholes in the snow” being delivered in Caine’s unmistakable cockney accent, the film was bound to make a lasting impression.
LOCK, STOCK AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS, 1998
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6hZkvrFIj0
Guy Ritchie exploded onto the scene in 1998 with the comedic crime caper Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, which reinvigorated the genre and firmly positioned
Ritchie as the don of the British gangster narrative.
Set against a grimy London backdrop, four friends become embroiled in a botched card game which lands them in debt to a local crime lord. There ensues a chaotic collision of weed-growers, debt collectors and thugs as the group tries to pay back half a million pounds.
With a cracking ensemble cast, razor-sharp dialogue and dark comedy, Ritchie didn’t pull any punches with his first foray into the dodgy dealings of the London gangland.
SEXY BEAST, 2000
With a sharp script and outstanding performances, Jonathan Glazer’s feature-length directorial debut, Sexy Beast, is firmly established as one of the best character-driven crime dramas of all time. Ben Kingsley puts in a chilling and deeply disturbing performance as Don Logan, a brutal gangster intent on persuading ‘retired’ safe-cracker Gal Dove (Ray Winstone) to get back in the game. Audiences are left wondering whether they should laugh or cry as they watch Kingsley’s fearsome crime boss poetically drop more F-bombs than you can count.
LEGEND, 2015
A round-up of some of the best British gangster films wouldn’t be complete without a look at London’s most infamous crime duo, Ronnie and Reggie Kray. They’ve provided real-life inspiration for some of the worst crime lords in film, and it’s even said that Richard Burton once visited Ronnie Kray at Broadmoor in preparation for his role as Vic Dakin in Villain.
In fact, Ronnie and Reggie Kray are so notorious that they have become the subject of four gangster flicks since ruling the East End in the 50’s and 60’s but Brian Helgeland’s Legend is the only one that can boast of having the same actor play both twins in the same film.
Hardy puts in such a convincing portrayal of the camp and volatile Ronnie Kray and the more restrained yet vicious Reggie Kray that you can’t help but forget that the brothers are played by the same person.
Villain is available for the first time on Blu-ray now.
