Bandidos romanticos

Greetings, friends. I’m new here, and this is my first article on the StopGame blogs. I dedicate it to such a controversial but extremely necessary phenomenon as the romanticization of criminals.

First, let’s understand the terminology. To romanticize means to imagine or portray someone or something in some idealized light. Moreover, the object itself will be very far from romantic ideas.

To put it simply, we have before us a clearly negative character (radish), who does not evoke negative emotions. A striking example is Robin Hood. A legendary man who was essentially a road robber, but was also adored by the people because he loved to share.

But we still have a gaming blog here, so we’ll talk about games. I decided to take 3 projects and, using their example, consider what the romanticization of criminals looks like and compare it with the harsh reality.

Love your enemy

For starters, I chose Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven. The choice fell on her not by chance. First of all, I like it and I’ve completed it 5 times. Secondly, it clearly shows what it is and why this romanticization is needed.

The main character, Tommy Angelo, is a member of the Italian mafia in the USA. He is a murderer, extortionist and thief, but the player does not test or judge the protagonist during the playthrough. And in some places he even sympathizes.

This effect was achieved in a few steps. To begin with, Tommy was brought closer to the people (just like politicians before the elections). From the first frames we see a taxi driver who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. On pain of death, he had to help the bandits, and then pay for the same help. Representatives of competitors (the Morello family) attacked Angelo and almost killed him. Everything would have ended sadly if it weren’t for Salieri’s guys, who were previously rescued by Tom.

After such passions, the protagonist is fired so as not to attract the attention of the powers that be, and thus is literally left with no choice but to join the “family”. The foundation has been laid. In the early stages of the game, Angelo was shown to be a victim of circumstances.

After this, Tommy is engaged in various assignments and, if he interacts, it is only with punks or members of another family. Compared to all these scum, our protagonist looks qualitatively better. Another trick of romanticization. Even if the hero is a bandit, show a worse bandit, and ours will seem not so bad.

"The Family" of Don Salieri

"The Family" of Don Salieri

The next important moment comes when Angelo refuses to kill the prostitute, and then the consigliere, Frank. Again, the “decency” of a gangster is demonstrated, who does not shed blood for no reason.

And another important stage in Tommy’s life, when he learns about the “leftists” of his boss. Thus, all subsequent actions (bank robberies) are justified, because our hero remained faithful, but he was deceived.

Against the backdrop of all these situations, the fact that Tommy is a bandit simply fades into the background. This is exactly what romanticization was used for. The creators of the game needed to show a person who went down a “dark” path, but even on it tried to remain human. They needed to create a special connection between the player and the protagonist, and this could only be achieved through sympathy and empathy. Agree, it’s hard to sympathize with a hardened bandit.

That’s why when Angelo "knocked" on his own, everything seemed right. In the epilogue, the drama reached its climax, and Tommy’s death was a real blow to the audience. In Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven, the technique of romanticization is performed masterfully. It is not so striking and enhances the impression of the plot, but..

…as it really was?

The Italian mafia in the USA has its roots in the island of Sicily. It was there that the first gangs began to form in the 19th century. They had a clear hierarchy and 10 commandments. Problems were often settled by making deals, but if something happened, his hot temper made itself felt. They killed people in Sicily regularly.

The gangs grew stronger, and who knows what everything would have been like if the fascists had not come to power in Italy. The government has declared a real war on the mafiosi. The army was brought into the island and banditry was practically eliminated. The remnants of Cosa Nostra had to flee to the USA, where there was already organized crime (East Coast), but with the influx of “fresh” blood, it reached a completely different level. This was especially pronounced against the backdrop of Prohibition.

Al Capone can be considered one of the most notable representatives of the Italian mafia in the USA. American of Italian descent. Alfonso began his career in New York in the Collosimo family, but due to suspicions of murder, he eventually moved to Chicago.

After the assassination attempt on the head of the family and his subsequent resignation, Al Capone quickly moved up the career ladder. Having become the leader, Alfonso did not stand on ceremony. He constantly waged street wars for power over territories, for example, with the Irish diaspora. Unfortunately, ordinary passers-by often suffered during explosions and shootings.

The main income was bootlegging, underground games and control over trade unions. Also in Capone’s territories, a “tax” was introduced for private entrepreneurs. Everyone was obliged to pay Alfonso “for protection”. Dissenters were killed. The total number of victims is difficult to calculate, but according to various sources it varies from 100 to 500 people.

Unfortunately, the image of Tommy Angelo has nothing in common with unscrupulous gangsters who were only interested in profit and their own well-being. The common man did not expect justice or compassion from the mafia. And noble and romantic Italian criminals could only be found in pulp fiction or on the screen.

Burst into the 2000s

During the 2000s, Mafia was not unique in terms of flirting with the criminal world. No one was particularly shy about putting bad guys at the center of the plot anymore. Such games include Kane & Lycnh, Saints Row or GTA Vice Сity. In those same years, by the way, a bald head with a barcode appeared on monitors for the first time. But these games are absolutely not suitable for us, because the characters in them do not pretend to be good guys. There is no smell of romance there.

Looking for a suitable example, I turned my attention to the East and yes… the next game to analyze is Yakuza. SEGA was able to surprise, because every time we talk about Japan, we see samurai. But in Yakuza we were shown modernity from the perspective of a representative of the eastern mafia.

Just like in Mafia, they used several techniques to make us like the main character. And although at the very beginning we are engaged in knocking out money (a typical yakuza activity), quite quickly Kazuma Kiryu becomes a victim of circumstances, accepting the blame for a crime that he did not commit.

Further – more. In the process of analyzing the main character, what the hell is going on around him (and we have a missing girlfriend and a missing lot of money), he is suddenly thrust into a little girl as a companion. The writers are being mean by using Haruka (that same girl). She not only plays a key role in the plot, but also “blurs” the player’s eyes, pulling the blanket over herself and forcing her to take a break from Kazuma’s past.

Well, to enhance the “good guy” effect, we are given additional activities: rescuing/feeding a puppy, helping out girls, and so on. Later in the game we learn that Yumi (childhood friend) and Mizuki (her sister) are involved in the disappearance of money from the Tojo clan, and Haruka (Mizuki’s daughter) is the key to the solution. The plot begins to take us into the wilds and turns from crime to detective. We are increasingly beginning to engage in investigations and searches for money.

There is no point https://ukcryptocasinos.co.uk/review/magic-win/ in retelling the entire plot to the end, since approximately from the middle of the game the romanticization slowly disappears.

Why was it needed then and what role did it fulfill?? Romanticizing the protagonist was necessary for a smooth transition from a member of a gangster group to a man who is trying to save a little girl and finds himself drawn into a showdown that he doesn’t need. Without romanticization, we would have a severe dissonance, but closer to the end you already forget about Kiryu’s criminal past.

How it really was?

The roots of the Yakuza go back to the card scammers of Feudal Japan. Such cheaters were called "bakuto", and over time they took on another name – "yakuza". This term is collective – “ya-ku-dza”, which translated meant the weakest combination of cards in the popular game of that time. The scammers decided that the name of the worst variation of numbers can be identified with their poor lifestyle and position in society. Over time, "yakuza" became associated with any criminal elements in Japan.

Also, the lion’s share of the foundation for the future Japanese mafia was made up of “tekiya” (street vendors) “tekiya (travelling merchants) and ronin, of which there were a large number in those years. Ronin was the name given to samurai who, for various reasons, lost the protection of their master

The career of the Yakuza, already as a group, began with the organization of card houses. It’s not hard to guess who won in the end. Many fell into debt, while improving the financial situation of the gangs.

And for easier organization of business in groups, it was decided to adopt the traditions of Japanese culture. This meant that in each “family” there was a clear hierarchy with unquestioning subordination to the father-boss-head (Kazuma’s behavior seems a little incomprehensible from here when his superiors forbade him to interfere and save Yumi).

In parallel with this, ronins cultivated Bushido (the code of the warrior) in gangs. They trained their "brothers" and created yakuza combat units that knew no fear. It is in the fearlessness and discipline of Japanese criminals that the handwriting of the samurai can be traced. in gangs.

This was the beginning of the world-famous Japanese mafia. But for convenience, I propose to skip the time period and go to relative modern times to compare the Yakuza in the game and the Yakuza in reality.

So, by the “2000s” the Eastern mafia had become quite firmly entrenched in the life of the country. In Japan, members of such groups do not hide and you can often find corresponding signs at the entrance to the building where the gangs are based. The yakuza themselves also do not hide their status and often display their tattoos.

The field of activity has also not changed much since its origins. The Yakuza still controls the entertainment sector: gambling houses, “massage parlors” and much more. But do not shun extortion and blackmail, and any money received from the local population is perceived as a regular tax.

But raising ronins with their honor still left its mark. Therefore, the Yakuza often considers it their duty to help their “wards”. There is a known case when the port of Kobe was damaged after an earthquake and it was the Yakuza who were the first to mobilize and began to eliminate the result of the disaster. Also, quite often the government asks the mafia to pacify the unrest in the area, although the methods there… t

It is these contradictions that the game demonstrates to us. First, we collect debts and punish those who disagree, and then the main character stands as a defender, a man of his word and honor.

It seems that everything is smooth and plausible, but do not forget that in reality the yakuza were primarily interested only in a continuous flow of money. If someone delays payment or tries to deceive the organization, then one outcome awaits this poor fellow.

The romanticized hero Kazuma Kiryu is only partially modern. Without proper “polishing” of his character and actions, he would have remained a scumbag, and the series could have gone down in history as a second-rate GTA clone.

Not sake alone

And finally, the last striking example of the romanticization of the underworld is the Red Dead Redemption series. Unfortunately, I missed the first part, so I will talk about the second, which is in my collection. This is where the romanticization is done amazingly, no. Brilliant! Yes, there were some mistakes when the writers went a little too far, but overall the character of the protagonist turned out great.

The story of Red Dead Redemption 2 tells us about the period (or rather its end) of the Wild West and about the Dutch gang. The narration is told on behalf of his “comrade-in-arms” Arthur Morgan.

From the very beginning, the scriptwriters begin to squeeze pity out of us with a sharp jump. The gang is being pursued, it’s cold and they’re suffering losses. As if that wasn’t enough, they add women and a boy (again using little assholes to melt our hearts). It seems to me that trying to get into our souls right away was a mistake, but in subsequent development everything was much more careful.

The Dutchman’s philosophy plays a key role in the development of Arthur’s story and personal drama. His goal is utopia. A place where he can retire with his family and never be online again. But it’s easier said than done. The path to your dream is simply strewn with corpses.

Here, more than anywhere else, romanticization is needed to remove corners. For every crime there is a reason or a price that the gang pays for committing it. For example, collecting debts simply disgusts Morgan, but he does it for the sake of survival. The result is a fatal disease. They are trying to save money to leave the country and rob a bank. The result is the death of Hosea. And so all the time. Crime fades into the background amid drama.

During the game you can see how Arthur repents and tries to correct what he did. This is especially noticeable against the backdrop of the Dutchman’s fickleness and disappointing diagnosis. Actions and “life behind the scenes” enhance the impression. The fishing moment shows that Arthur could have been a great father if not for his sad past. And the situation where the loan shark had to leave the gang shows that Morgan can no longer stay the course that his “family” is going.

All this and much more tells us that Arthur has come to realize. Yes, he did a lot of bad things, but also a lot of good things. Albeit in the end, he realized where he had taken a wrong turn and tried to change what he could (for example, give money to a widow whose husband died from Arthur’s beatings).

Unfortunately, the ending of the game is inevitable. A criminal cannot expect a pension and a sandy beach. But what a bandit can change is his own end. For Arthur Morgan, it was dawn, as a symbol of the onset of harmony within his soul and the fact that the night (read between the lines) was over.

And although the character and image of Arthur could fit, for example, a story about some Texas Ranger, in general the plot, as in Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven, does not stand out from the overall picture, but..

…as it really was?

The Wild West was a territory that included the entire West (surprise) and partly the center of modern USA. Initially, these lands were inhabited by Indians and… all. All around is pure virgin nature. Hence the name.

At that time, life was in full swing on the East Coast. The space there became less and less and little by little the Americans began to develop the Great Plains. These were mainly rich cattle breeders who no longer had enough space at their place of residence or planters looking for land where to expand. And since moving at that time was a troublesome business, each owner hired security so that the evil natives would not make their own adjustments. All these brethren made up the bulk of the first settlers.

Well, the Gold Rush also caught up with people there, but that’s another story. The point is that people who were ready to leave their homes are by nature adventurers. Not everyone was ready to cross a thousand kilometers in search of who knows what.

The Wild West began to acquire settlements and the contingent in them was appropriate. People almost grabbed their revolvers and issues were resolved, albeit radically, but effectively. Even justice was "savage" by modern standards. Murder in itself was not considered a crime, but the motives were a completely different matter.

Let’s say you had an argument with your friend and decided to sort things out in a shootout. You kill him and, by chance, two other observers (and this happened), well… it happens. You have a chance to get out. But if the murder was committed for the purpose of robbery or rape, then this is completely different. One verdict – hanging.

Considering the compote of characters that was brewed in the Wild West, it is not surprising that many daredevils joined gangs and looked for ways to make easy money. For example, the “Wild Bunch”, whose members were the famous Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

The group successfully robbed trains and banks for several years. During attacks they relied on intimidation, but if threatened they did not hesitate to use violence. The "Wild Bunch" used revolvers without a twinge of conscience at the slightest threat. They have “accounted for” the murder of several sheriffs, which already guaranteed the gallows, but the dashing guys were not very frightened by this situation. They remained true to their way of life until their death.

If we draw an analogy with Red Dead Redemption 2, then O’Driscoll’s guys are more in line with reality. The Dutchman’s gang with a child and "moths" is far from those groups that operated in history. But all this is done for the sake of the plot and drama, so you shouldn’t pay attention to such details.

Conclusion

It turned out to be a little more text than I expected at the beginning =) But the romanticization of criminals deserves such attention. This is a very important element in any crime drama and I was personally impressed by how, at times, the writers can make even a complete criminal look good.

Unfortunately, romanticization also plays a cruel joke. After reading, some girls begin to believe in the images created by someone and get into trouble. The same goes for guys who think it’s so romantic to “steal” a bottle of vodka from under the counter. And instead of adoration and an aura of mystery, they get fucked.

Therefore, let the noble bandits with their crimes continue to remain on the pages of books and screens, and we, mere mortals, will grab the mouse (or gamepad), imagining that we are holding a rifle in our hands and going to work.

Best comments

Yes, I wasn’t the best editor =) Next time I’ll be more careful. As for my nationality, I hope no prejudices will arise. I wanted to change the display name, but for some reason the site doesn’t allow it.

As for my nationality, I hope no prejudices will arise.

Of course no prejudices. Even the staff of this site consists of Ukrainians, Russians, at least one Belarusian, and at least one Estonian and they do well together and separately. It’s okay, if you sir make a slight mistake in language terms, people will tell you.

As far as I know, at the moment you cannot change your “name” on the site. Write more blogs if you have anything to write about.

Ready for any criticism) Well, those who praise will receive a plus in their karma. Amen

Most interesting blog, you sir Pavlo Veklyuk got off to a good start here. But since everyone is lazy, I criticize this article a little.

I’ll start with small typos:

and then Frank’s consigliere.

– unfinished word.

– a period in place of a comma or a capital letter is missing.

A small semantic flaw (in my understanding):

Al Capone. American of Italian descent. Alfonso began his career

– I would clarify that Al Capone and Alfonso are the same person. (Yes, yes, I know it’s already clear to the reader, but still).

By the title “Introduction” (and by your nickname) you can guess that you are from Ukraine, there is nothing wrong with that, but if you decide to express your thoughts in Russian, please correct it to “Introduction”.

Regarding the meaning, it is clear that in order to show the hero more positive, you need to show more negative ones. This has worked and continues to work in cinema, especially noticeable in the genres of “Noir” and “Western”. Speaking of the latter, I haven’t played through the second Red Dead Redemption yet, but in the “Wild West” genre there are a lot of ambiguous heroes. And it’s clear why. In reality, a person in need can be helped by someone who knows how to do something. That is, the contender for “Miss Universe” is unlikely to refresh her cormorant, rush into battle with a sword to protect others, etc.d. And the one who knows how to do this has seen a lot of bad things and most likely has become callous (the meme with the owl from the game about “Harry Potter” suggests itself). Well, or you can remember Joel from “The Last of Us”. In general, Wyatt Earp, one of the real American heroes, was also not a very law-abiding person, although for some time he played the role of sheriff.

Regarding the example of the first “Mafia”, I don’t really agree. Here, in my opinion, the second part would be more suitable. There, the hero, too, seemed to be under the yoke of circumstances, but he made the decision to go into crime because he did not want to work for pennies and because of a beautiful life (which he later became disillusioned with, by the way). Tommy Angelo was really in trouble when his thoughts were like, “Maybe it’s time to get out.”?"he met his future wife.

And he “Knocked” because he understood from “Mafia” there were two ways out: either feet first, or make friends with the police.

Although I could be wrong about “Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven”, because I only completed it once, plus I watched “The History of the Series” twice. And about the same Al Capone, I once watched some American program, and there was an opinion that this dude is not definitely bad. For example, for “money laundering” he opened very cheap laundries, which were much more profitable for ordinary people in terms of prices than their other analogues.

Here’s the conclusion – I really liked it. Pavlo Veklyuk, I hope you don’t take my complaints to heart, they are not aimed at insulting you, but rather at improving your skills and blogs in general. Thanks for the interesting article.

Comments

comments