A preoccupation with crime and stories of criminality pervades society. Everyday, audiences are bombarded by print media, television news, Internet, video games and film with an overwhelming amount of depictions of crime - from murders and kidnappings to drug smuggling and financial fraud. Crime is thus inseparable from modern society. Our civilization is saturated with representations of criminality, a form of behavior, in sociological terms, that is in conflict with the moral codes and practices prescribed by society. Cinematic portrayals of crime have materially influenced the modern conceptions of criminality. People are simultaneously attracted to and repulsed by the criminal on screen. Watching crime has become a staple of our cultural diet, and this immersion in crime both supports and contradicts the dominant social perceptions of criminality. It is through genre codes and representational techniques of narrative and stereotypes that society manufactures notions of criminality.
Crime films have had an enduring presence since the beginning of filmmaking. Genres are fictional worlds but they do not remain within the bounds of fiction; instead their conventions crossover into critical and cultural discourse and can be seen as an alternative public sphere (Gates, 7). While the crime film genre has evolved over time, many of its thematic conventions have persisted (Todd, 2000). Allen et al (1998) define crime films as having the central focus of the narrative the commission and/or the investigation of a crime, with the protagonist either an offender or a professional working in the criminal justice system. A distinctive archetype of the crime or gangster film is the normalcy of criminal behavior and violence. Criminality is ...
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... onscreen. These conceptions are derived from popularized cinematic technique that is subconsciously digested by the masses. While media coverage, crime shows and other forms of virtual criminality provide entertainment, escape, and even learning opportunities, it also plays an enormous role in behavior and attitudes towards crime. Public knowledge and consumption of criminality influences what society fixates on – which in this case is fear, punitive measures and judicial efficacy. The relationship between what is viewed onscreen, how it is portrayed, and ultimately how the audience processes the images affects the conversations in which we engage and our perception of both criminality and the justice system. Therefore, it is imperative to engage critically with our consumption of not only media, but also with the ways in which the stories of criminality are told.
Like most things captured on film for the purpose of being marketed, the richness of gangster life, with sex, money, and power in surplus, is glorified, and thus embraced by the audience. And as a rule, if something works Hollywood repeats it, ala a genre. What Scarface and Little Caesar did was ultimately create a genre assigning powerful qualities to criminals. Such sensationalism started with the newspapers who maybe added a little more color here and there to sell a few more copies, which is portrayed in Scarface’s two newspaper office scenes. Leo Braudy denounces genres as offending “our most common definition of artistic excellence” by simply following a predetermined equation of repetition of character and plot. However, Thomas Schatz argues that many variations of plot can exist within the “arena” that the rules of the genre provide.
Released in 1989, Crimes and Misdemeanors outlines the lives of two men; Cliff Stern and Judah Rosenthal. Cliff Stern, a small time film-maker, struggles to succeed in both his career and marriage. While Judah Rosenthal, a wealthy ophthalmologist, faces moral dilemmas after having an affair with a young mistress. Judah's mistress expects him to leave his wife and when he doesn't she threatens to expose the secret relationship. Unsure Judah contemplates whether or not killing the mistress, to protect his comfortable lifestyle, is morally comprehensible. Ultimately, Judah decides to pay for the murder and gets away with it. Surrounding Judah's decision and Cliff's struggles, minor characters emerge within the plot embodying specific philosophical viewpoints. One of these characters is a professor and philosopher named Louis Levy who voices the importance of love. Shortly before committing suicide Levy says something rather ambiguous about love; "it is only we, with our capacity to love, that give meaning to an indifferent universe; and yet, most human beings seem to have the ability to...
A society that presumes a norm of violence and celebrates aggression, whether in the subway, on the football field, or in the conduct of its business, cannot help making celebrities of the people who would destroy it. Unfortunately, such acts of rampage have become a prevalent factor in the Canadian culture. As a result of endless media coverage, Canadians now are constantly bombarded with numerous images of violence. Many of which often portray a victim avenging their opponent by means of force. Thus, indoctrinating a nation of individuals to believe that it is only through aggression that problems can be resolved. Rather than being punished for acts of violence, those who commit such offenses are often praised for their “heroism”. In addition, the success of films like The Godfather, Gladiator, and Troy further aid in reinstating the fact that we live in a society that praises violence. Furthermore, this ideology allows for individuals to partake in violent acts with little or no backlash from ones community. However, when an individual strays away from the “norm”, they are likely to then be viewed as a deviant. Such cases of rejection within a society, are often seen in the portrayal of serial killers. Although our society tends to condone violence when it is directed towards a specific individual(s), it does not allow the killing of innocent bystanders. Instead, crimes that are targeted against a number of people over a long period of time, entail the harshest forms punishments under the law. Sadly, in executing the law for said crimes, those in charge often face much public scrutiny. Such occurrences were apparent in the faulty murder investigations of Canada's most notorious serial killer Robert Pickton. This is due to the ...
Robert Wonser and David Boyn’s article “The Caped Crusader: What Batman Films tell Us About Crime and Deviance,” explore the “sociology of deviance” within the Batman trilogy (Wonser, p. 1). Throughout discussing the relevancy of deviance and crime in fiction films within modern society, particularly centring on the Batman series over the last decade. Current motion pictures consistently explore criminology in the many forms it presumes in, thus presenting cultural relevant themes of deviance. Wonser and Boyn’s work analyzes the Batman films while discussing the application of sociological concepts, focusing on Batman as one who obeys and breaks social laws (Wonser, p. 2). Fantasy films stimulate the sociological imagination
When one thinks of a gangster they may think of speakeasies and classy cars or maybe drive-bys, but they will always imagine a man who is not afraid to get his hands dirty to grasp for a higher place on the social ladder. They will think of a man portrayed in a genre of cinema more American than any other, the gangster film. This genre began in the early thirties and has been re-adapted each decade to fit a new time. Although gangster films may mold themselves to fit into a certain cultural era, they still stay deeply tied to the foundations of the genre and its historical relevance to the american dream. This is apparent when comparing the differences and similarities between The Public Enemy and American Gangster. To better understand this comparison one needs to understand the origination of some of the classic conventions of the gangster film genre.
Nasheri, Hedieh. Crime and Justice in the Age of Court TV. New York, NY, USA: LFB Scholarly Publishing LLC, 2002. Ebrary. http://site.ebrary.com/lib/scc/Doc?id=10044275&ppg=98. Web. 28 Nov. 2011.
Winfree, T., & Abadinsky, H. (2nd Ed.). (2003). Understanding Crime: Theory and Practice. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth publishers.
Generally, crime and law enforcement television programs have been tremendously popular, with constantly elevated ratings over time. More than a quarter of all prime time shows from the 1960s to the 1990s have centred on subjects of crime or criminal justice, which comprise the biggest single subject matter on television today, across all types of programming (Weigel and Jessor, 1999). Drawing on Carlson's (2001) review of the literature, we observe that these studies have characteristically enclosed five main interconnected areas: knowledge of and information on the system, compliance, rights, police images, and violence and victimization. Every substantive part listed above can offer guidance in expanding a complete research program centring on television imagery and public insights of the criminal justice system.
“Crime myths are powerful constructions of reality because they speak to our personal values and beliefs and are steeped in rich symbolism, which reinforces those values and belief.” (Kappeler & Potter, 2004) Crime myths are created when a series of fictional events that are later altered so that they become social and political problems. The media plays a major role in the creation of crime myths they broadcast images and videos to go along with the crime myths, they also use social context that play on humans thought on the community seeing it as unsafe. Myths also contain some measure of economic conditions that then cause reactions by politicians to create new laws to prevent these myths from becoming major problems in the criminal justice system. (K&P, 2004) In order for a statement to be characterized as a crime myth, if the crimes instill fear and threaten the vast majority of society. (K&P,2004) Crime myths are made up of components that targets and identify of a distinct deviant population, they involve innocent and helpless victims, the emergence of brave and virtuous hearos ,comes as a threat to peoples established norms, values, or traditional lifestyles.
In Howard Hawks’ Scarface (1932), there is a disconnect between the violence playing out on screen and the audience’s perception of it. With the introduction of the Hayes Production Code in 1930 the depiction of violence on screen became regulated. Historically, the Gangster genre was a perfect platform to reflect the American experience and explore some of the central issues at the heart of the American audience. For Scarface (1932), this is no different. A paradox exists in Howard Hawks’ Scarface.
...it is the advent of television media that have sparked debate over the integrity of reliable news making. Print media was factual, although sometimes sensational, while electronic media made use of the technologies, such as videotapes and live footage to enhance and exaggerate the drama of the event even further. Many research studies have been conducted to show the effects of the media coverage on crime and how it influences the publics of fear of crime. Mass media has perpetuated a notion that crime is on the increase by portraying events and tragedies in the headlines that are sensational. The public buys into that idea, despite statistical accounts that reflect stable or low crime rates. The more stories people read and watch about crime, the more likely they are to think that crime is out of control. Politicians may then enact legal reforms to sooth the public’s outcry for crime control and prevention. As easy as it may be to hold the media accountable for barraging us with images and ideas that affect our views and beliefs, it important that the public take responsibility for the information that we consume. After all, there is always the “off” button on the remote control.
Throughout society there are both individuals and groups of people with a wide range of perceptions about crime and justice. These perceptions are influenced by the media and what the media presents. Media presents crime stories in ways that selectively distort and manipulate public perception, thus creating a false picture of crime. Therefore the media provides us with perceptions and social constructions about our world. Firstly I will be discussing the role of the media in constructing knowledge about crime. I will begin by explaining why the media is important, and go further to explain that media representations construct knowledge of crime and since knowledge about crime is constructed it does not necessarily capture reality in fact crime stories are often sensationalised. I will then link this to my central argument that the media shapes people’s perceptions of crime and how this is important as it can lead to changes in the law. I will then explain what it is that the public or society needs to be aware of when reading and watching media reports about crime. We need to be aware of bias and moral panics that are created by the media and how the media shapes or influence’s public perception through this, it is important for us to be aware of misleading or false crime stories so that we are not swayed by the media in believing what they want us to believe.
Deviancy and criminality is present within any society (Walsh, 2011). Depending on the crime itself, society then equates a certain punishment that is deserving of the act. The media is frequently portraying certain individuals and groups in a way that define them and often distinguishes them from another group (Walsh, 2011). In terms of contemporary crime, the various social constructs have been dissected by social scientists in order to analyse how society perceives crime and perceives criminals. Three core identifying factors, including class, gender, and race illustrate an often differing statistical representation when compared and contrasted with each other.
Television has seen plenty of producers, writers and viewers attracted to crime and deviance. The crime drama series is not an unchanging structure but develops in an intricate relationship with audiences, media institutions, social contexts and other genres. Crime drama series’ structure often begins with some strains to the social order by criminal forces. Historically police officers or “cops” are good and the criminals are bad. However today we can notice “bent” cops and sometimes sympathetic villains.
...igna. "Does Movie Violence Increase Violent Crime?" The Quarterly Journal of Economics. Vol. 677. 2009. Rpt. in Media Violence. Ed. Noah Berlatsky. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 15 May 2014.