LIVE BY NIGHT
US, 2016, 129 minutes, Colour.
Ben Affleck, Elle Fanning, Remo Girone, Brendan Gleeson, Robert Glenister, Matthew Maher, Chris Messina, Sienna Miller, Zoe Saldana, Chris Cooper, Titus Welliver, Max Casella.
Directed by Ben Affleck.
There has been a long tradition of gangster films, beginning in the late 1920s and early 1930s when the action of this film takes place. Most of these films were set in cities like Chicago and in the midwest, the Al Capone tradition, Texas outlaws and the robbing of banks in the West like Bonnie and Clyde. This film is of particular interest because it is about gangsters in Boston, Florida and the East Coast.
Something to commend it at once is that it is based on a novel by Dennis Lehane. There have been film versions of his novels, Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone, Shutter Island. This one has been adapted by Ben Affleck who serves as writer, director, producer and the main star. Affleck has proven his directing skills with Gone Baby Gone, The Town and Argo.
This is a more thoughtful gangster film, giving the audience time to experience the situations and background, get to know the characters and try to understand them, time for a bit of reflection – which might mean that those who prefer chases and shootouts (and, in fact, there are some) feeling a bit impatient.
Ben Affleck plays Joe, the narrator, who in the prologue, explains that he went to fight in France in World War I and came back determined not to take orders in life any more. When we see his father, a police Commissioner played strongly by Brendan Gleeson, we understand that family and the war experience have had a strong influence on Joe. Small robberies are the order of the day. It comes to the attention of the Boston Irish Mafia as well as the Boston Italian Mafia, complicating things by an affair with the girlfriend of the Irish boss, Sienna Miller.
In one of the robberies and chases, policemen are killed so Joe goes to jail, responding to an offer he finds he cannot refuse from the Italians – which leads him to Tampa, Florida, quite a contrast in sunlight and heat from the chill of Boston. He goes with his friend and ally, Dion (Chris Messina) and, they make more of a go of it given the clients, the bootlegging, the money coming in and sent to Massachusetts, and the prospect of building a casino. Tampa is something of a backwater compared with Miami but it is Joe’s kingdom. He falls in love with a local Hispanic girl, Graciela, Zoe Saldana.
One of the consequences of Joe’s success has a touch of revenge in damaging the interests of the Irish Mafia in Miami.
One of the interesting sub- plots concerns the police chief of Tampa, Chris Cooper, his young daughter being invited to Hollywood for a screen test, Elle Fanning, and her disastrous experience there, coming back and becoming an evangelist against corruption, always dressed in white, a tent preacher with big congregations, and her denunciation of gambling and casinos.
Which, of course, leads to difficulties for Joe, the building of the local casino and investment from local bankers, the powers that be in Boston not taking at all lightly. And there are further complications with the local Ku Klux Klan, with crosses of fire planted outside the bars, negotiations and betrayals with the Klan leaders, and a build up to violence all round – and Joe using his wits but having to make decisions for his future.
The film is quite long but always interesting, though not the kind of Scorsese gangster portrait that tends to set the screen alight. But, this dramatising of US East Coast gangsters makes its mark.
1. The movie tradition of gangster films? The Chicago tradition, the Texas tradition? This film about East Coast gangsters? Similarities and differences?
2. Ben Affleck, his career as an actor, producer, screenwriter, director? All with this film?
3. The title, the gangster tone? Dark?
4. The Boston background, World War I, the 10 years following? City locations, homes, clubs, officers, police precincts, banks and robberies, car chases through the streets, the bridge crashes? The contrast with Tampa, the atmosphere of Florida, the beginnings of these towns in the 1930s, Hispanic background, the presence of the Irish, the Ku Klux Klan, the police, religious revivals, the building of the casinos? The cemetery in Cuba? The finale, the cinema, the beginning of the 1940s, Hitler and the outbreak of the war?
5. The prologue, Joe and his voice-over, his going to war, his war experiences, fighting, deaths? The effect on him, coming home and not obeying orders anymore?
6. In the hospital, the comment about Emma and her inside connection? The flashbacks? The robberies, his two partners, stealing, the banks, the getaway? Robbing the card players and Emma’s behaviour? Albert White and the Irish gangsters? Domination of Boston? Emma, her relationship with White, her love for Joe? The robbery and the mishandling of the car, the chase, the police, shooting, police deaths? Joe and his time with Emma, their love, White confronting him, her betrayal and leading him to White, the bashing, hospital?
7. Joe’s father, policeman of so many years, his coming to the restaurant, his comments on Emma, on Joe? Knowing his son was a crook? Yet protective? His hold over the official, the sex rendezvous? Getting Joe sentenced to 3 years? Joe meant to be a bond between him and his wife, his wife’s death, Joe acknowledging the distance between his parents? His father’s death, funeral? Joe being free?
8. Joe, his time in prison, the Italians in Boston, going to see Pescatore, wanting revenge against White? Pescatore’s conditions? Joe’s decision, his position, management, to get Tampa? To edge out White in Florida?
9. Florida, isolated from the other states, the presence of the Italians and the bootlegging business? The Hispanic nature of the town? The anti-Catholics, anti-papists? The presence of the Klan, prohibition, the money going north, the issues of gambling and clubs, buildings, prospering?
10. Joe and Dion, as partners, Dion having no scruples? The contacts, locals, the deals? The encounter with Graciela and her brother? The bond, the relationship with Graciela? Visiting the banks, wanting investments, the clubs, the importation of rum, the cash going north, the phone calls to Boston?
11. The Klan, the bigotry? The attack on the club, the verbal denunciations of immoral behaviour? The burning cross? Joe going to the Wizard, his nonchalance, Joe shooting him? The encounter with Pruitt, his squeaky voice, his bigotry, the bargaining about the deal and percentages, his coming with Dion to the club, the shootings? Joe confronting him, his haughty behaviour, Joe shooting Pruitt, his men prepared and ambushing?
12. The Casino, the plans, the building, prospering, the banks, Pescatore Jr coming to Tampa, his arrogant attitude?
13. The local chief of police, discussions and deals? Loretta, young, looking forward to going to Hollywood, the talent scout? Joe with the Chief and the negotiations about the Klan? The photos of Loretta, Joe threatening the Chief? The deaths, Joe giving the information to her father? Her return? The effect of the exploitation in California, her beginning to wear white, the tent and the revival sessions, the people present, the fervor and support, her morality, God talk, against gambling? At home, her father whipping her? Her preaching to stop the casino? Dion wanting her dead, Joe not willing to kill her? Meeting her in the restaurant, her statement that heaven was here in Tampa? Her pride in her achievement in stopping the casino? Her comments on her father, his going around the house saying: Repent? Her death, the photo in the newspaper, the article?
14. The coming of Roosevelt, prohibition ending? The attitude in Boston, Joe not answering the phone? Pescatore arriving, the threats, Joe and Dion going to meet him in the hotel, the confrontation, Joe being offered the lower job, White and his appearance? The guns? Joe and Graciela’s brother giving him the photo, Emma in the photo? His confronting White? Shooting White?
15. The shootout, Joe’s men using the tunnels under Tampa? The deaths, White, the confrontation with Pescatore, his death, his son’s death? Joe meeting the gunmen in the hall, his walking away?
16. Graciela, her character, love for Joe, his urging her to be out of town because of the shootouts? His telling her the story about Emma?
17. Joe and Emma, the photos, going to meet her, her surprise, her explanation of her escape, her making a new life for herself, Joe walking away?
18. The post-gangster period, the birth of their son, Joe and Graciela helping the locals?
19. The chief, talking repentance, mad at home, the guns and the attack on Joe, his being killed? Graciela caught in the crossfire?
20. Cuba, the cemetery, with his son?
21. Going to the movies, 1941, an ordinary life, in the cinema, the Western with the good sheriff – and the revelation that the screenplay was written by Joe’s brother?
22. The ending, that peace was possible, the son asking about heaven – and heaven where they were?
