Crime Films of the 1970s

Contemporary Perspectives

David A. Mackey, Eric S. See, Sarah A. See

• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
• Year: 2026
• Edition: 1
• eBook ISBN:
  9798881806637
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Film & Video
• Index: Social Sciences

The 1970s was a pivotal era for crime and criminal justice films in the United States. Many films produced during this period provocatively captured the tumultuous spirit of the era, while also shaping cinematic representations in the decades that followed. This edited volume offers a captivating exploration of the intricate connections between these films and the administration and social perceptions and attitudes toward justice, marginalized individuals, and the complexities of the criminal justice system.

Each chapter delves into the intricate connections between these films and the administration of justice, the social construction of justice, as well as the social constructions of marginalized individuals and groups based on race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality. The contents of this collection provide insightful perspectives on the relationships between past representations and present social and cultural conditions.

By examining these crime-based films through a critical lens, this book sheds light on how they have shaped societal perceptions and attitudes towards justice, marginalization, the complexities of the criminal justice system, and the views towards the larger political establishment. This thought-provoking analysis expands our understanding of the enduring influence of these cinematic representations on our collective cultural consciousness.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Halftitle Page
• Dedication Page
• Title Page
• Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Preface
• Introduction
• 1 A Clockwork Orange and Our Parallel Societies
• 2 Feeling Lucky, Punk? Reflections on the Social and Cultural Significance of Dirty Harry
• 3 Popeye’s Quest for the Frog Social and Legal Analysis of The French Connection
• 4 An Offer They Should Have Refused The Godfather, Family, Respect, Crime
• 5 Serpico and the Future of the Blue Code of Silence
• 6 Cotton Comes to Harlem Across 110th Street, Trick Baby Race, Identity, and Power in 1970s American Crime Drama
• 7 Death Wish The Social Construction of Crime, Justice, and Self-Help
• 8 Control, Urban Ecology, and Sexual Commerce in 1970s Cinema
• 9 Hauntological Horrors Bridging Together Postwar Americas in The Town That Dreaded Sundown
• 10 “For the Money, for the Glory, and for the Fun” Reassessing Smokey and the Bandit and the “Trucker Films” of the 1970s
• 11 Systematic Suspicion Offender Control and Reformation as Portrayed in Escape from Alcatraz and Straight Time
• 12 Dog Day Afternoon Every Dog Eventually Has His Day . . . or Does He?
• 13 The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) and Reducing the Opportunities for New York City Subway Crime
• 14 Shaft “An African American Hero or a Pawn in the Machine”
• 15 The Charm of the Con
• Index
• About the Contributors
• Imprint