Biographical Context and Sub-Context

Context

Gangster Squad - Focuses on the crime legend Micky Cohen, and his control over LA in the 1940s and 1950s. Most of the films events, characters and the film plot itself is mostly fictionalised, although there was a 'Gangster Squad' created by Clemence B. Horrall the LAPD's Chief of Police at the time. Throughout the tim themes of violence and also corruption amongst the police, meaning they cannot defeat him legally. This links to the context of the era, showing how the corrupt and violent are running the big cities with fear, and the honest are bottom of society.  This is similar to other Gangsters in the era such as Al Copone, who could not be taken down legally.


Legend - Legend focuses on a similar aspect of the Mafia film style by using aspects of corruption and historical fact. However, Legend (using the book The Profession of Violence: The Rise and Fall of the Kray Twins by John Pearson) focuses on the family and personal lives of Ronald and Reggie Kray, and their characters in particular are the protagonists, not the antagonists like in Gangster Squad. It focuses on the twin's downfall and later imprisonment, showing another side to the fear that most experienced. Again this film focuses on the fear and corruption that the Twins were involved in throughout the film and the 1960s in general in London. It reflects the real life events (to an extent) that occurred in the time period. 

Black Mass - The film is based on the 2001 book Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob by Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill. The film follows James "Whitey" Bulger, leader of the Irish-American Winter Hill Gang, who control almost all of the organised crime in Boston. However, the gangs authority is challenged by opposing gang the New England Mafia. This therefore, is similar to the ideas of the other two films, as they focus on Mafias that control large cities, however authorities can do little to challenge their power. Bulger is also under investigation from authorities throughout the film. The film conveys historical fact (some fictionalised), using a similar style to the previous two films. 

Conclusion 

All three films focus on, or are based on, real life events. They are all set in large cities and follow the control of them by Mafias. They focus on how they affect either the mafia members lives or innocent civilians lives, and the fear that they create amongst communities. Most focus on the family and personal lives of families and how important they are to the characters. This works well as the personal lives contrasted with the fear of death and violence makes the characters, and therefore the films, more emotional overall.