Review of Little Caesar (1931) by Nate W — 05 Aug 2009

This talkie from the early sound era may not be the greatest gangster film ever made, but it obviously laid the foundation of the genre (along with its more brutal contemporary "The Public Enemy").

Anchored by a charismatic turn from Edward G. Robinson, it chronicles the rise and fall of Rico, a ruthless criminal whose one glimmer of humanity brings about his downfall. On a more subversive level, Rico is almost symbolic of Wallstreet, having recently collapsed under the weight of its own ambition and greed, thus beginning the Great Depression.