A Movie As A Crime Prompt

If I could use a board game as a crime prompt, why not a movie? An early disclaimer though: as I've said before, I'm not that well-versed in film, so this is a post from a guy who simply enjoyed this crime film and wants to share what he thinks about it.

I caught The Untouchables on cable not an hour ago. It stars a young Sean Connery, a young Robert de Niro, a young Charles Martin Smith, a younger Kevin Costner, and an even younger Andy Garcia.

The movie was released in 1987. It's a period-piece, set back in the 1930's before America's Great Depression (aside: some business newscasters are calling the current financial turmoil in the world economy the worst thing since the Great Depression; I wasn't alive during the Great Depression ;-P, but joking aside, things certainly look bleak, and I think it's going to get worse before it gets better). The story the movie tells is set during Prohibition, at a time when the crime lord Al Capone (played by de Niro) ruled Chicago with a violent, iron hand, and made a fortune in bootleg liquor. Eliot Ness (played by Costner) is the federal agent tasked with bringing Capone to justice, and Connery, Smith, and Garcia play three members of Ness' team. Ness' task is compounded by the fact that the city's police force, judiciary, and governing bodies are all in Capone's pocket. Add to this the manner in which the Ness character is written--an idealistic federal agent at odds with himself because he is torn between arresting Capone only within the bounds of what is allowed by the law, while coming to the slow realization that the only way to get his man is to break that law--and you've got a set-up for a crime story based on real life.

This could've been turned into a simple action movie and nothing more, but the director, Brian de Palma, and the writer, David Mamet, didn't allow this. It does have elements of a simple action movie, but the care with which each scene was shot and composed is evident (no wanton shooting, blood, gore, and explosions here). I felt that many parts of the film could've been turned into wonderful still shots by themselves. Even if it is a period piece, this treatment did not make the film feel dated in its approach in any way (other than the film's setting showing the USA in the 1930's, of course). The writing presented each character's motivations so well, even the supporting ones, so when you put such well-thought and fleshed out characters together in its tense setting, the volatile mix allows for great interaction. The flow of scenes and action was perfect for the story, feeling neither rushed nor forced, building up well to its climax and conclusion. I guess in this simple viewer's mind, if I don't ask myself, "Why did this happen? What is going on now? Why this? Why that?" or other similar questions that jolt me out, then I'm fine. More than fine. Even with the overdramatization of the train scene (the one with the baby carriage falling down the stairs in slow-mo), it still worked, and I just accepted it and accepted it because it was done so well. Another disclaimer: I think the movie score is also terrific, but I'm a fan of Ennio Morricone, so I'm biased, and I'd better stop here. It all worked well for me, even the way these real-life characters were turned into their fiction archetypes (the wise man is Sean Connery, for example, and Costner playes the conflicted hero); wonderful storytelling in movie form.

I highly recommend this movie to anyone. If you've seen it, I hope you liked it as much as I did. If you haven't, please do. In case those of you who are younger than the movie itself haven't seen it yet, do, do find the time to watch The Untouchables. It won't be time wasted, in my humble opinion. If I may suggest one positive that you can take from this movie if you do wish to use it as a crime prompt, or even just as a simple prompt for whatever story you are writing, remember characterization. It goes a long way toward making a good story.

I want to grow up to be Jim Malone. :)