Crime genre history

Crime genre history
Crime films have been a popular genre across the world for several decades now. They have become a successful genre as they allow audiences to indulge in a world that is frown against in modern society. The main reason some people enjoy crime films is there secret ambition to enter a criminal world to live a life of secrecy and mystery. Where they can indulge in criminal activities that provide them with an adrenaline rush and excitement that surrounds the world of crime. Whether they focus on criminals, convicts, detectives, police officers, or victims. Crime films depend on a nearly universal fear of crime and an equally strong attraction to the criminal world. Crime films from every nation help establish that nation's identity even as criminals seem to be trying their hardest to undermine it.

The crime film is by far the most popular of all film genres, or it would be if it were widely acknowledged as a genre. Many crime films fall in to other genres and most films show aspects of crime. Even children films such Toy Story 2 (1999) could be classed as a crime film as the main character Woody is kidnapped.

Criminal/gangster films date back to the early days of film during the silent era. One of the first of the gangster/crime genre was D. W. Griffith's The Musketeers of Pig Alley (1912). It wasn't the first gangster movie ever made, but it was the first significant gangster film that has survived. After these first few films the crime genre repeatedly appeared on screen. Crime films developed into different genres of crime and it has expanded vastly. The genre can be divided further into sub genres such as thriller crime, action crime or film noir.
It was until the 1930’s when sound became readily available in films. It was from then when gangster films truly became an entertaining, popular way to attract viewers to the cinemas. Events such as the St. Valentine's Day Massacre of 1929, the existence of real-life gangsters (e.g. Al Capone) and the rise of contemporary organized crime and escalation of urban violence helped to encourage this genre. Many of the extreme plots of the early gangster films were taken from the day's newspaper headlines which were adjusted to seem more entertaining. Audiences during that time vicariously participated in the gangster's rise to power and wealth - on the big screen. They vicariously experienced the gangster's satisfaction with flaunting the system and feeling the thrill of violence.

The talkies era accounted for the rise of crime films, because these films couldn't come to life without sound (machine gun fire, screeching brakes or squealing car tires). The perfection of sound technology and mobile cameras also aided their spread. The first full dialogue film was The Lights of New York (1928). It enhanced the urban crime dramas of the time with dialogue and exciting sound effects of squealing getaway car tires and gunshots.