On the early gangster film.
Feb. 15th, 2011 12:56 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sechan19The early gangster film supposedly wanted to demonstrate that a lack of virtue led to ignominious death. But in many of the films, it's actually a surfeit of virtue that does the villain in.
Rico, Rocky, Tom Powers, Duke Mantee. They all of them pass up chances to escape their doom solely for the sake of friendship with an often, though not always, sanctimonious figure.
It makes you wonder if people of the thirties really took away the lessons that the Legion of Decency wanted them to.
I'd like to think they didn't.
Not so much because I applaud a lack of virtue, but because I really despise condescension.
Rico, Rocky, Tom Powers, Duke Mantee. They all of them pass up chances to escape their doom solely for the sake of friendship with an often, though not always, sanctimonious figure.
It makes you wonder if people of the thirties really took away the lessons that the Legion of Decency wanted them to.
I'd like to think they didn't.
Not so much because I applaud a lack of virtue, but because I really despise condescension.
