A Study Of The Hollywood Film In The Classic Period Of Hollywood

Hollywood gangster film of classical period is especially relating to gangster films during the 1930-1933, from the emergence of sound film to strictly enforcement of the Hays Code, just in few years when they created a perfect original formula for gangster film. This thesis contains three main parts. The first part is about the history of gangster film in classical period, especially about the special historical background, and how did it affect the emergence and the decline of the classical period of gangster film. The second part is about the narrative form of the gangster film of classical period, including functional character, the generic pattern of narrative, iconography, and the expression of violence in gangster film of classical period. The third part of my study is the cultural significance of the classic gangster film, which relates to the psychology of audience, the influence between the classic gangster film and the American culture, and also the cultural links and difference between the classic gangster film and the greatest gangster film “The Godfather”.