The genre of gangster or mafia films has fascinated audiences for almost a hundred years, ever since the silent film era. Introduced through films such as The Musketeers of Pig Alley (1912) and Underworld (1927), the genre has become increasingly complex in its development, highlighted by the sophisticated narratives and advanced cinematic techniques of more recent films such as Road to Perdition (2002). and The Deceased (2006). This article will serve to analyze just two of these brilliant works, and will do so through a compare and contrast format. Howard Hawks' Scarface: The Shame of the Nation (1932) focuses on gang warfare and police intervention during a power struggle over Prohibition. Chicago era. This pre-Hays Code gangster film also contains a cry for political and social change regarding the way the federal government handles crime. The first to be compared, this film employs all the hallmarks of the classic Hollywood style, as well as laying the foundation for subsequent films of this type. Melodramatic in nature, gangster films use conventional characters such as heroes, heroines, and villains, often placed in narratives that include predictable plot elements such as unlikely reversals of fortune, accidents, and last-minute rescues. These characteristics can be identified in both Scarface and Martin Scorsese's The Departed. After completing the critical analysis of both of these films, it can be recognized that Scorsese employs the use of allusions to previous works known in art, and in particular, The Departed can be seen as an homage to Scarface: The Shame of the Nation. .While Scarface shows the beginnings of the gangster film genre, The Departed takes advantage of previous works and puts a twist......middle of paper......l Higher Education, 2009. Print.2. Bergan, Ronald. Movies. New York: DK Pub., 2006. Print.3. The deceased. Directed by Martin Scorsese. Perf. Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson. Warner Bros., 2006. DVD.4. Derschowitz, Jessica. "'The Departed' has ties to James 'Whitey' Bulger - Celebrity Circuit - CBS News." Breaking News Headlines: Business, Entertainment & World News - CBS News. Network. 17 July 2011. .5. Durks, Tim. “Gangster and Crime Movies.” The best films: the best films in the history of cinema. Classics of American cinema. Network. 10 July 2011. .6. Scarface. Directors Howard Hawks and Richard Rosson. Perf. Paolo Muni. Universal, 1932. DVD.7. Sikov, ed. Study guide to accompany American cinema and American culture. McGraw-Hill Humanities Social, 2009. Print.