Another favourite of mine, incredibly moving. Expertly weaves themes of Christianity and brotherhood into the gangster narrative. The set-ups lead to satisfying and surprising pay-offs, and James Cagney and Pat O’ Brian give genre defining performances. Truly a masterpiece of the genre. Although some think Scorsese’s gangster films “ran quicker” that these films did, they wouldn’t exist without Cagney’s gangster masterpieces.

The Roaring Twenties is a masterpiece, truly moving and complex performance by Cagney, and Walsh’s direction is gritty and intuitively documentarian. The screenplay is compelling and moves with a snappy momentum, and Raoul makes excellent use of montage in his historical interludes.

watching these old films plagiarise each other is funny to me, like bro nothings been made yet the worlds ur clam

me when i am drink a beer