The film follows Pileggi’s source material loosely, telling the tale of a young man (Ray Liotta) making his way through the ranks of the mob and slowly spiraling into addiction, drugs, and violence. The final result was a critical darling and box office success, snagging six Academy Award nominations and earning a reputation as one of the highest points of Martin Scorcese’s career. According to legend, when Scorcese finished the book and called Pileggi, he declared “I’ve been waiting for this book my entire life” to which Pileggi responded “I’ve been waiting for this phone call my entire life.” The two collaborated on the screenplay together, creating over twelve drafts before they were satisfied with the project.

Undaunted? Read on for our picks for the top best mafia movies of all time.Īnother Scorcese film, Goodfellas was created after the famous filmmaker happened upon an investigative mob life novel written by crime reporter Nicholas Pileggi. And while they may not be everyone's cup of tea, you can't deny that mafia movies have launched the careers of some of the most iconic men of American cinema, like Robert Di Niro, Martin Scorcese, and Al Pacino. The best mafia movies are at their best when the grit is shown in the most careful of ways.īut if you're a lover of action and cinematic history, it’s also a genre that’s resplendent with films to choose from: sprawling epics like the Godfather trilogy, old classics like On the Waterfront, and modern staples like T he Irishman. Even in their earliest incarnations, mafia movies were infamous for their realistic depictions of violence, street crime, and gang antics it’s a genre marked by controversy and brutality, one that refuses to shy away from the gritty elements of the crime world. To the squeamish, the particular, the easily nauseated, be forewarned: gangster and mafia movies aren't for you.

Fame watch jamaican mafia