Stereotypes of Crime Films

Tough guys

In crime films there is usually at least one gang, who are the tough scary villains. They are the ones who operate outside the law and often the audience don’t indentify with them. Usually the gang is a minority group who is involved in crime. Sometimes there is the added thrill of violence to the plot.

The gang leaders in crime films are nearly always feared by everyone. This is a cliché which adds something that the audience can be scared of and who they don’t want to do well.

The good guy amongst the villains

The good guy amongst the villains is a person the audience has sympathy with. It causes the audience to anxiously follow the activities of the criminals in the hope that all will be well for the good guy. It also means that the audience can relate to one of the villains. The audience then can have an interest in both the law abiding and criminal aspects of the film and it is hoped that ‘the good guy’ will change his allegiance in the end.

Corrupt cop

The corrupt cop in crime films is a cliché as the policeman is often being turned or bribed by one of the gang members to help them. This is the opposite scenario to the good guy amongst the villains. However because the audience tends to relate more to the law abiding side it does not have the same effect of making them take an interest in everybody. Quite often one of the policemen doesn’t play by the rules or is undercover. This may make the audience more anxious about the people they identify with and more worried that they are going to be betrayed. This heightens the tension in the film.

Gang rivalry

Quite often in crime films there is one group who is against the other group: this causes gang rivalry. There is quite often a fight or disagreement between these two gangs which means the police become involved. This is exciting for the audience as the conflict between these two gangs is thrilling and exciting.

Good cop/ Bad cop interrogation

The good cop, bad cop interrogation scene became very popular as soon as the genre crime began. This highlights the different personalities of the two policemen and shows the different views the audience may feel. It also demonstrates how the character who is being interrogated reacts and how he is putting up a front about his situation.

Code of honour (not explicit)

In crime films there is always an amorphous code of behaviour amongst the criminals or their family members which must not be broken. Although the code is vaguely mentioned throughout the film it cannot be dishonoured. This is what usually starts the film’s plot line. This sometimes intrigues the audience and makes them think about what it could be. The neighbourhood is often very similar in crime films, set in large, crowded cities, to give the element of secrets of the criminals which means that the society that the criminals live in is very similar. This could be the reason for the code of honour.

Violence

Violence is a prominent factor in crime films as the gangs are usually aggressive and forceful towards some of the other main characters in the film. The body in the car boot is a cliché as it is very common in the crime genre. This is because the gangs are brutal and may feel that it is necessary to kill someone. This gives excitement to the plot and means the audience feels interested.