Honor. What is honor? How is it defined? The measure
is boundless. The conduct determines the man. All our lives, we build.
Legacy is an interesting thing. “One man’s terrorist is another man’s
freedom fighter.” The ifs are devastating. Application sours the milk.
How, what, why, beneath the guesses sits the truth. The chisel is
posterity. Who’s to say what will fall. Saddam, Hitler, Vito Corleone,
they were loved and then came the wind. Drama is reared from such irony.
The Golden Boy turned bad is Hollywood gold. Good intentions drift
away. As does youth and love. What is a gangster?
Cagney, Bogart, Raft, the lifestyle proves larger than life. The
mystique not unlike chemistry entices you in. A wisecrack, a chin, the
Tommy Gun, Warners eked out a living with cops and robbers. The
grapefruit, “Look ma!”, “the end of Rico”, the old wives’ tale cropped
up. The glee became a mask. You couldn’t go a year without one. The 30’s
lit the fuse. Paul Muni, Lee Marvin, the mobster meant money. In the
end, justice was served. The Production Code demanded it. Crime begat
crime and luck cleared the ledger.
Cars, women, an attractive life, Elvis Presley exploded. The swiveling
hips gyrated everywhere. The feeling infected the globe. Long hair,
James Dean, “I reminiscence about the days of old.” The golly gee of a
simpler time smacked headlong into the open. Combs, moose, a whisper of
cool, the fake and fabulous held sway. Brando’s shirt, the allure of the
in-crowd, the only thing missing is “Father Knows Best.” Society was on
the cusp. Godzilla eat your heart out. The cities were stuffed with
teens. Dobie Gillis ruled the world.
Settling on the hero worship of one man, the story fixates on Jod
(Krisada Sukosol Clapp). A straight unhesitating force, Gangster sands
away the rough exterior. Killings, Red Lobster, The Wild Bunch, Jod is
the real deal. Teamed with Daeng (Somchai Kemglad), their bond feeds the
film. A quilt of double takes and half-remembered truths, the sweep
shuttles judgment. The generations collide. The Star Search needs no
audience. Recruits are already standing by. Fanboys, treachery, you
never know who to trust. The new replaces the old. Any hood is Ed
McMahon.
The Magnolia presentation is spotless. The video is strong in every
respect. Interiors, group scenes, this swims in detail. Sweat and hair
tear at the screen. The audio provides a thundering Thai 5.1 DTS-HD
Master Audio track with the option of an English 5.1 DTS-HD dubbed
alternative. Each muscles the soundfield and evokes everything you would
want from surround sound. The extras include a making of documentary, a
minute of behind the scenes footage, the international trailer, and a
sampling of trailers from other Magnolia titles. The disc is faultless.
I’m dumbfounded. Any fans of gangster or crime film should buy this
immediately. The Gangster is a modern classic and I don’t say that
lightly.
4.5 out of 5 scalpels!
- B.L. Matthews
Director: Kongkiat Khomsiri Lead Actor/Actress: Krisada Sukosol Clapp Genre: Gangster/Crime Blu-ray Release Year: 2013 Theatrical Release
Year: 2012 Time Length: 115 minutes Rating: R Region Code: A Release
Company: Magnolia Pictures Website: http://www.magpictures.com/
Honor. What is honor? How is it defined? The measure
is boundless. The conduct determines the man. All our lives, we build.
Legacy is an interesting thing. “One man’s terrorist is another man’s
freedom fighter.” The ifs are devastating. Application sours the milk.
How, what, why, beneath the guesses sits the truth. The chisel is
posterity. Who’s to say what will fall. Saddam, Hitler, Vito Corleone,
they were loved and then came the wind. Drama is reared from such irony.
The Golden Boy turned bad is Hollywood gold. Good intentions drift
away. As does youth and love. What is a gangster? 
