Summary
2024’s reveal ofMafia: The Old Countryhas got a lot of players excited. The unexpected return of a franchise that hadn’t been touched since 2016’sMafia 3was a welcome surprise to many, and this entry even offers something very different.Mafia: The Old Countrymoves out of its predecessors' American settings to visit… well… the old country. That is, exploring the Italian Mafia in its early days when it started in Italy. It’s an exciting setup, and one that could make for a very interesting game, but unfortunately, it’s still going to be a while before it comes out. Players will have to wait, and that can be difficult when such an exciting game is on the horizon. What can they do? Well,they could find some similarly-themed games to play for now, but why not try something a little different? How about going back and looking at the films that inspired this iconic series of games about organized crime?
TheMafiaseries owes a lot to crime films, particularly the genre known asgangster films. This is a genre that has persisted for decades, first popularized in the 1930’s and continuing to appear today almost unchanged. Most gangster films center around an ambitious protagonist who starts at the bottom and seizes an opportunity to work his way up to fame and fortune, eventually rising to the top only for everything to come crashing down in the final act. There’s even a fair number of actors who became intertwined with the genre. In the early days, Edward G. Robinson and James Cagney helped popularize the image of a cigar-chomping gangster brandishing a tommy gun, and they’ve been succeeded in the modern day by Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci.For fans ofMafia, there are a lot of interesting gangster film options to choose from while awaiting the series upcoming fourth entry.
Although not portraying the Italian mafia, this 1991 gangster film icon deals with a lot of themes that might be familiar toMafiaplayers. It will especially resonate with fans ofMafia 3, which put front and center the topic of institutionalized racism in America. It makes sense that these themes would go hand-in-hand. After all, if a society is built in which one group is disproportionately marginalized because of arbitrary circumstances, it inevitably produces a higher crime rate simply because it puts people in an environment where turning to crime is the only way to survive. Once they’re caught up in the criminal underworld, it can be very difficult to escape.
This is a big theme ofBoyz n the Hood, a movie that deals with the challenges of growing up in 1980s Los Angeles at the peak of the War on Drugs. This was not a great time to be Black in America, caught between the crossfire of police brutality and endless gang violence. It’s a theme that should be quite familiar toMafiaplayers in general.
Arguably the quintessential gangster film, Francis Ford Coppola’s 1971 hitis easily one of the most iconic movies in the genre. It’s easily one of the most influential movies ever made, one that shaped not only later crime films but cinema as a whole, and that’s not even getting into its impact on literature, television, and video games. In fact, it’s arguably one of the biggest influences on theMafiaseries. The movie follows several different characters involved in drama surrounding the Italian mafia, with the main plot centering on the titular godfather, Vito Corleone (famously played by Marlon Brando),trying to pass the reins of the Corleone crime family to his son, Michael, who’s a little unsure about taking up a life of organized crime. Lots of drama ensues, including some double-crossings in the ranks. There’s an infamous scene where a studio executive finds the head of his favorite horse in his bed. Lots of people get killed.
However, it is worth warning potential viewers that, as well-made asThe Godfatheris, it is a movie that can be very hard to follow. It’s a full three hours long and involves a very complicated story with a bunch of characters and subplots which can be difficult to keep track of. This is not a movie to watch if viewers want something straightforward.
Coppola’s follow-up toThe Godfathertook on a life of its own, to the point where some fans consider this film to be better than the first. This was a more ambitious project that alternates between being a prequel and a sequel with parallel storylines. Obviously, the sequel potion continues the story of Michael Corleone from the first movie, and his experiences as the new leader of the Corleone family. The prequel storyline is actually about the rise of a young Vito Corleone (now played by Robert De Niro). It is this second part of the film that would makeThe Godfather Part 2of particular interest to those eager to playMafia: The Old Country.
The Vito Corleone plot happens to take place in Sicily, Italy, during the early days of the mob. This film was probably a big source of inspiration forMafia: The Old Country, which also features a very similar setting. WatchingThe Godfather Part 2might help players to spot its influences on the new game. Like the firstGodfather, it is worth mentioning that this one can be difficult to follow, and it’s actually even longer than its predecessor. Viewers should be adequately prepared when watching it.
Perhaps the second-most iconic post-Production Code gangster film (afterThe Godfather), Martin Scorsese’s 1990 biography of real-life gangster Henry Hill has been an icon of crime films for decades and has a lot of themes thatMafiaplayers will recognize. One of the big ones is the seemingly glamorous mob lifestyle that draws people in only to trap them in a cutthroat world where the slightest misstep can turn best friends into worst enemies. As Henry Hill says, “As far back as I can remember, I wanted to be a gangster,” a sentiment he ends up regretting by the film’s end, since it turns out those “goodfellas” aren’t all that good.
In fact,Goodfellaswas probably a big influence on the originalMafiagame, which told a very similar story about Tommy D’Angelo, right down to him being railroaded into police custody to protect his family once things come crashing down. This film is easily a must-see for fans of crime films.
Mervyn LeRoy
Cast
Edward G. Robinson, Douglas Fiarbanks Jr., Glenda Farrell, William Collier Jr., Ralph Ince
Runtime
79 minutes
In a discussion about gangster movies, it wouldn’t be right to omit the classics. 1931’sLittle Caesarwas part of a trend of pre-Code gangster films in the early 1930s, and marked the breakout role of Edward G. Robinson (who would go on to become the Robert De Niro of his time, having a big part in shaping later crime films).
Little Caesarfollows the adventures of Caesar “Rico” Bandello, an ambitious small-time crook who decides he wants to “be somebody” and make it big. As often happens in these types of movies, Ricomanages to aggressively work his way up the chain of commanduntil he becomes the boss, only to end up becoming the instrument of his own destruction.Little Caesarhad a big part in popularizing the gangster genre, and while the production of gangster films would be halted in 1934 by the Motion Picture Production Code (in fact being cited as justification for censorship), it still has a lasting impact on everything fromThe GodfathertoMafia.
The last film directed by Italian legend Sergio Leone (himself a big influence on another popular game series,Red Dead Redemption),Once Upon a Time in Americais an epic drama exploring the rise and fall of Jewish gangster David “Noodles” Aaronson (Robert De Niro). It’s a very character-driven experience, placing a lot of emphasis on how Noodles is shaped by his experiences and the relationships he forms with others in his life. Butit’s not what might be considered a conventional gangster film. This being Leone, there’s a lot more experimentation and ambiguity to the events portrayed, not to mention the ambitious timeframe.
Once Upon a Time in Americacovers a full five decades of American history. The story begins with Noodles' childhood in 1920s New York and ends with him as an elderly man in the 60s, though the film is not presented in that order. It also boasts a pretty impressive cast, including a teenage Jennifer Connelly in her first acting role. It should be noted thatOnce Upon a Time in Americais almost four hours long. Viewers interested in watching this should ensure they have the time to see the whole thing.
Another one of the classics,The Public Enemysaw the breakout performance of the iconic James Cagney, who would go on to be a big star in later crime films produced by Warner Bros. Studios. Similar toOnce Upon a Time in America(on which this film was probably a big influence), it follows gangster Tom Powers from his childhood life of petty crime to making it big during prohibition.
Unfortunately, that success comes at the price of his moral compass and his relationship with his childhood friend, Matt Doyle. And, as he discovers the hard way, once a person gets sucked into a life of crime, they don’t get out. Coming out around the same time asLittle Caesar,The Public Enemywould become one of the main foundations for the gangster genre,helping to popularize the formula that still persists today.
One of the last of the original gangster movies, coming out shortly after the Production Code was enforced,The Roaring Twentiesis the tragic story of World War 1 veteran Eddie Bartlett (James Cagney once again), who survives the war only to find himself betrayed at every turn and reluctantly dragged into the cutthroat world of bootleg alcohol.
A lot ofMafiafans can probably relate to this kind of setup, which actually isn’t too far off from some of the games' storylines. The firstMafiagame featured a protagonist who started as a cab driver, just like Bartlett, and ended up getting into trouble due to moral conflicts with this boss.Mafia 2featured a World War 2 veteran as its protagonist and incorporated his wartime experiences into the story.The Roaring Twentieswas clearly a big inspiration for both of these games.
