NOTE: Free essay sample provided on this page should be used for references or sample purposes only. The sample essay is available to anyone, so any direct quoting without mentioning the source will be considered plagiarism by schools, colleges and universities that use plagiarism detection software. To get a completely brand-new, plagiarism-free essay, please use our essay writing service.
One click instant price quote
The film The Untouchables explores the mob and its police involvement and corruption in 1920 s Chicago. The film shows the effect of organized crime upon American society, both by focusing upon their role in society and upon their involvement with law enforcement. The two extremes between good and evil in this move are mob boss Al Capone and justice-seeking investigator Elliot Ness. Through the film The Untouchables it is shown that organized crime serves the function of providing a service to society. Organized crime units simply look for something that is not available to the society legally and offer it to them for their own financial gain.
In this particular film, Capone's mob was offering liquor during prohibition to a society who desired it. The mob simply found their own niche market and jumped into it. The mob ensures that they do not have any competition or business losses through instilling an element of fear within everyone that they deal with. By portraying, and leading, a violent and ruthless way of doing business, the mob is both able to eliminate competition and trouble from other criminals.
Additionally, fear, intimidation, and bribery can be used in the mob in order to control law enforcement and other public officials. Initially, law enforcement agencies were inefficient in dealing with organized crime in The Untouchables because so much of the police force was in the mobs pocket. Through bribery, Capone's mob was able to create an environment where there would be virtually no trouble from law enforcement officers. Additionally, when and if there was any trouble with law enforcement officers, the organized crime units would also pay off public official, such as judges, in order to remain above the law. All of this changed when one law enforcement officer attacked the case that he was assigned to (prohibition) and never backed down.
He refused to take any bribes and did not stop in spite of the fear that the mob had generated toward him through threats to his family as well as the violent deaths of several other members of his police force. This detective, Elliot Ness, was able to get around the corruption throughout his workplace by forming his own group of only people that he knew he could trust, becoming much like his foe in the movie, Capone. The personalities of Capone and Elliot Ness are inherently quite similar. Both are very instinctual individuals and are continually following their impulse.
Ness appears to be the complete opposite of Capone because he is a law enforcement officer out for good and out to stop Capone. However, as the film progresses, Ness begins to show many of the same personality characteristics of Capone, including forming a tight-knit group of individuals. His fellow officers do, in fact, use fear and intimidation as a bargaining tool. However, it is also obvious throughout the movie that Ness is not nearly as violent or ruthless a man as Capone. It should also be noted that both have relatively personable personalities, meaning that they have the ability to get along with people well. Even Capone, it seems, was able to mislead an entire city and have them look up to him as being as important as the mayor.
Organized crime is best explained by the cultural transmission theory of crime. The reason for this is that organized crime is an environment. Oftentimes, particularly in mafia situations, the organized crime unit is a family. Basically, organized crime is a family business. It would be easy to correlate the relationship of organized crime and family to someone inheriting a legitimate family business. And the people involved in this environment see what goes on every day.
To them, this is not something wrong, it is just a part of life. People involved in organized crime, for the most part, are products of their environment. The Untouchables strongly portrayed the effect that organized crime has on society as well as on authority. The film showed the power that organized crime units can obtain through politics and law, primarily through bribes and intimidation factors. The film also contrasted good and evil with Can and Ness, showing that the two people at the complete opposite ends of the spectrum always have the most in common because they are the most passionate about what they are doing.
Free research essays on topics related to: law enforcement officers, organized crime, complete opposite, police force, good and evil
Research essay sample on Law Enforcement Officers Good And Evil
