Robberies, murder, revenge… some of the most renowned films are centred on some of the vilest human

The aim of this paper is to examine the various aspects of the crime genre in film and television and to illustrate that the artificial image of the ‘Hollywood art thief’ detracts from the understanding of and attitude towards the serious threat that art theft and illegal trafficking pose to the global community. This analysis has been done using research on art cases, crime theory and through the exploration of film and television having to do with crimes involving art.

1. Sobchack’s argument pertaining to on -screen violence that she wrote thirty years ago was that any violent acts portrayed in movies back then was to emphasize the importance of an element in a story, an emphatic way of engaging the viewers and forcing them to feel what the movie was about. It gave them a sense of the substance of the plot which would allow them to feel for the characters and yearn for good to overcome evil. In other words, the effort made to engage audiences through depictions of violence created violence that was artistic and well done, or as Sobchack writes, violence was “aestheticized.” Violence was incorporated into film in a stylistic

Society has been subjected to many violent acts over the course of its history. Although violence is immoral and wrong, somehow people everyday condone and commit violence for countless reasons. Many Hollywood films glorify mindless violence to their advantage and captivate audiences through its entertaining shock value and rake large box office profits. Car chases, crashes and glorified gladiator sword fights are all familiar scenes in which violence is portrayed in an unrealistic glamorised manner.

Ultimately, justice is what we are seeking in these entertainment driven TV series and movies. When criminals are held accountable for their misdeeds we as society are able to accept the misdeeds of others who are responsible for bringing the dangerous criminals to justice. A sense of peace and restoration of order is established in our hearts providing a sense of harmony in our

In his book, More Than a Movie: Ethics in Entertainment, F. Miguel Valenti examines nine “hot buttons” of violence – “creative elements that filmmakers use to manipulate viewers’ reactions to onscreen violence.” (99) These elements, posited by researchers conducting The National Television Violence Study (Valenti, 99) are “choice of perpetrator, choice of victim, presence of consequences, rewards and punishments, the reason for the violence, weapons, realism, use of humor, and prolonged exposure” (Valenti, 100) .

Quentin Tarantino is well known and often criticized for his depiction of violence in his films. Although at times graphic, Tarantino’s violence holds a purpose. This paper will look at two films, Jackie Brown and Pulp Fiction, and their depiction of violence and the aesthetics used. It will also look at classic film conventions and ultraviolence aesthetics used by Tarantino.

Films have been around for a very long time starting from the silent era leading to the classical phase up until today, and with time comes change and adapt to what’s current and popular. However, one thing that has stayed constant are the upcoming of film genre. One of the primary ways to identify and differentiate films are by their genres and styles. This lays out the foundation of the film using many factors like iconography, language, conflicts, lighting and story plot. One of the most iconic styles in the cinematic world would have to be the typical gangster films. Two of the most recognizable gangster films of their time were the Public Enemy (1931), along with the film Scarface (1983). Although these two films were shot in completely different eras of the U.S. we see both encounter the same stages in life despite the time change. This goes to show that these two films strongly symbolizes and demonstrates just what the gangster genre is all about in terms of social context, themes, conflict and iconography.

The portrayal of crimes in all various forms of media are mostly exaggerated and tend to overstay there welcome. When a crime gets reported on the news or any other media they tend to focus on violent crimes only. Most focus sole on crimes in poor neighborhoods and only on certain race and genders. When a crime is portrayed in movies or in video games it is usually unrealistic and tend to be blown out of proportion for the viewers to get them hooked. Once in a while there are good types of media that can correctly describe crimes. Boyz n the Hood is a story about a group of friends who have to struggle and cope to live in the hard streets of Crenshaw, located in Los Angeles. In the film their friend gets killed by a group of blood members and they seek revenge at the end of the film by killing the culprits cold-bloodedly with an AK-47. There are numerous theories described in the books and modules that can help explain why the characters in the film committed the murder and crimes depicted in the film.

The characteristics of crime films are illegal activities, violence, and conflict or drama between two or more characters.

Organized crime has been an extremely prevalent subject over the past decades, whether it’s in the news, fictional stories or hybrid docudrama, this type of crime has been a steadily popular subject in the media’s eyes. It has provoked a stream of intellectual discussion on its nature and the impact of its diverse representations. Regardless of opposing views as to this relationship, there is a broad agreement that the media has a tendency to be selective and oversimplify. They tend to focus largely on individual pathologies and violence. Hollywood’s style of glamorizing things is commonly fused with dubiously obtained facts, which provide an energetic account of excitement and danger for society. This is because in today’s world, quick news turnover and profit growth drive media. Organized crime TV shows and movies have embellished and created popular stereotypical characters as well as criminal activities, to the point where the line between real and fake has become extremely distorted.

Starting with Ken Dowler, Thomas Fleming, and Stephen Muzzatti, the authors of “Constructing Crime: Media, Crime and Popular Culture” (837-839) one can see how they believe the media impacts the view of crime from a public perspective. In Canada, crime is a main segment of the news and while that source would be considered informational, the subject of crime itself can also be for entertainment. Likely, North America favors the subject of crime and this can be prove true based on television content today through shows such as Chicago P.D., Law and Order: SVU, Killer Couples or Rosewood. While these shows and many others manage to hook an audience through intriguing storytelling of crime the lines between the true crime information and creative

Film Noir was a result of it's time - The war had just ended and It was time where prohibition had influenced an abundance in crime and corruption. Film noir serves to highlight the darkest aspects of human beings. ‘Society is making the machinery of it's own destruction.

To define a film by a certain genre, there are several elements and signatures that a film will display in order to signify its place amongst the genre. A film from the gangster genre is characterized by violence and lawlessness of american capitalism and The American Dream. The short lived classical era of the gangster genre in Hollywood is also greatly influenced by the production code which manifested the iconic moral narrative of the gangster genre. William A. Wellman’s 1931 film The Public Enemy can be considered a film of the gangster genre when one examines the conflict with the American dream, the rise and fall of the protagonist Tom Powers, as well as the visual storytelling employed to support the narrative.

A very popular 1995 film involving crime is “Bad Boys” directed by Michael Bay. Michael Bay and his team of writers were able to film a highly intense action-comedy based around two detectives fighting organized crime. By examining distortions, crime causation theories, and the image portrayed in “Bad Boys,” the viewer is absorbed into the Hollywood perspective of our justice system.

In essence, this paper will outline two significant themes related to crime and the effect of media explored in the film. Most notably, the nature of crime and criminality is explored thoroughly. Specifically, the effect limited opportunities and racial stereotyping can have on promoting an individual down a path of crime. Particular attention will be given to a scene in which a youthful fox wishes to join a prey-dominant Boy Scout troop, only to be rejected and humiliated because he is a predator. Furthermore, the concept of a moral panic caused by media news reporting is displayed excellently in a montage scene in which prey are scared of predators as the media reports that aggression and criminality is in their nature. Finally, I will critique how these issues are communicated in a neo-noir