The Policeman in the American gangster-film, 1931-1953. Portrait of a Cop

For this study of the screen-policeman over two momentous decades, the connotative oppositions between the terms "policeman" and "cop" serve as guidelines. The gangster-film genre being a close reflector of reality, the image of the cop is analysed from the simultaneous standpoin...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Etudes anglaises 2001-10, Vol.54 (4), p.465
Main Author: O'Neill, Eithne
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Connotation
Etymology
Mental depression
Motion picture criticism
Police
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:For this study of the screen-policeman over two momentous decades, the connotative oppositions between the terms "policeman" and "cop" serve as guidelines. The gangster-film genre being a close reflector of reality, the image of the cop is analysed from the simultaneous standpoints of the historical backdrop and of the salient features of the law-enforcer as seen in twenty-five classics. Prohibition, the Depression and the New Deal provide the impetus for changing representations of the police. With the entry into the Second World War, and the advent of film noir, the private eye moves centre-stage, his functions persist into the semi-documentary. The traditionally unhappy lot of the cop is seen on closer inspection to be enriched by the switching of roles between wrong-doer and law-enforcer which goes beyond iconographic interest, deepens our perception of his function and attains a mythical resonance. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]
ISSN:0014-195X
1965-0159