Gangster films are a polarizing form of artistic expression – for some, they’re predictable forms of entertainment that don’t offer much outside of the bare minimum, while for others, they’re the epitome of enjoyment, fascinating glimpses into the machinations of the criminal mind. In the years before film noir was at its peak, there was a run of gangster films in the 1930s that took advantage of the pre-Code era, and managed to tell some scathing stories without the confines of censorship telling them what they were allowed to portray on screen. In the succeeding years, there were many attempts to pay tribute to these kinds of films, with one of the most significant being Raoul Walsh’s The Roaring Twenties, a decades-spanning crime odyssey that has all the charms of a great gangster film, but also the heartfelt humour of a screwball comedy, the elegant intellect of a powerful, character-driven drama, and the excitement of any of the innovative action films that would come about in the following decades. It’s a film that has sadly been clouded into semi-obscurity, being more of a relic of a particular time in cinema where these stories were vogue, but the experience of discovering this film for the first time, and watching how Walsh and his artistic cohorts (including two of the era’s most incredibly iconic actors, doing some of their most fascinating and complex work) were able to evoke something quite powerful and forward-thinking as far back as the 1930s, is quite remarkable and instantly establishes The Roaring Twenties as one of the essential entries into the gangster genre, in a time when it was at its absolute peak, and which has gone on to inspire many pale imitations that barely come close to the unhinged brilliance of this fascinating work of subversive fiction.

It’s always admirable when a filmmaker attempts to tell a story that spans a considerable amount of time, which is normally applied to the familiar trope of the “rags to riches” story, of which The Roaring Twenties is certainly one of the most compelling. Beginning in the final days of the First World War, and ending at the back-end of the Great Depression, the film tells the story of Eddie  Bartlett, whose post-war efforts see him go from the hard-working cab driver, to notorious bootlegger and career criminal who inspires as much fear in his enemies as he does his allies – and throughout these fifteen years, he certainly acquires a decent amount of both. It’s a narrative pattern that is incredibly popular, not only because it is tried and tested, with audiences responding quite positively whenever such stories are told, but also because they afford an artist the opportunity to try many different forms of expression, whether it be the filmmaker’s attempts to convey a particular tone, the screenwriter’s experimentation with looking at various socio-cultural events through the backdrop of a single character’s story, or the actors, who play the same characters at different stages of their life, thus giving them the opportunity to develop the role and give nuance to the part, in a way that a film with a more simple focus may have neglected. The Roaring Twenties works because everyone involved seemed to understand exactly what was required, each one tailoring their work to fit in the confines of what we being portrayed on screen – and while it certainly isn’t the definitive text on the rise and fall of a gangster, but rather a heartfelt homage to films like Little Caesar, the film has an abundance of heart, and a wickedly subversive sense of humour that makes it quite an experience.

Without any doubt, this film is going to mostly appeal to either devotees to this era of gangster films, or adherents to the careers of James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart (although there is an enormous amount of crossover appeal between them – you simply can’t have one without the other, which is a great testament to how definitive Bogart and, most particularly Cagney, were to the evolution of the genre as a legitimate art form) – and The Roaring Twenties certainly delivers everything could hope for in this regard. Both actors are playing slightly against type, without abandoning the qualities that made them such terrific stars in the first place. Cagney is at his most charming and endearing, and despite playing a ruthless gangster, he is oddly lovable, which is a slight departure from his tendency to play sinister characters who we still are compelled by, but not to the point where we are actively enamoured with him. Bogart, on the other hand, has never been more despicable – the character of George is one that goes from a street-smart ally to the main villain of the film without much effort, gradually revealing himself to be a malicious, abominable sycophant without any real redeeming qualities about him. Yet, even at his most dreadful, Bogart is still terrific, and makes a formidable foe for Cagney, especially in the latter part of the film. The actors had terrific chemistry, and while this may have been the film that brought an end to their short but incredibly influential run of collaborations, it was still a wonderful opportunity to see their untouchable chemistry, which has certainly remained utterly captivating for nearly a century.

The Roaring Twenties is an incredibly unique film for both the story it tells, and the form it takes. Walsh was a profoundly gifted filmmaker, and his experiences, both in the industry and fighting as an officer in the First World War, gave him insights into the behaviour of those in difficult situations. Taking his cue from a short story entitled “The World Moves On” by Mark Hellinger (who provided a brief prologue to the film, in the form of mentioning his real-world inspirations for writing the story), Walsh made a very timely film that functions as an elegy for a specific period in time, when America was going through some of its most daunting challenges. There aren’t many films that can honestly attest to weaving in elements of the First World War, the Prohibition era, the Wall Street crash and the height of the Great Depression, and have it still come across as a fast-paced, compelling crime thriller that never relies too heavily on the historical context, but rather uses it as a framework for some fascinating conversations. The Roaring Twenties is one of the finest films about the American Dream, and while it’s easy to just consider it a minor entry into the gangster genre, since it may not have the complexity of some of the more notable ones during this era, it does provide a meaningful glimpse into over a decade of the nation’s history, which is incredibly invaluable when we consider how it is coming from a group of individuals that had all experienced this era in their own way, making The Roaring Twenties a film that doesn’t just propose to be a powerful ode to a specific time in history, but one that can complement it with the experience of having gone through it all in one way or another. It’s an abstract way of looking at a film, but the nuance brought it to by those involved truly make it something worthwhile – and considering the nation was about to enter into yet another war, and the aftermath that came about because of it, makes this an even more stark and harrowing work.

The Roaring Twenties is a film that offers a lot to prospective viewers, especially when it comes to those seeking out something very traditional, but still somewhat innovative. Walsh was an oddly experimental director at times, and this film represents some of his finest work, with the filmmaker traversing across many genres, basing the film on the gangster films that came about earlier in the decade, and weaving in some elements of comedy (particularly in the earlier parts, where the film plays as something of a comedy-of-errors, with the main character trying to work his way through the absurdism of the post-war society he returned to), romance and melodrama, all of which are put together with incredible conviction, to the point where it’s quite surprising that this film has managed to remain so underseen. It has some of Cagney’s most likeable work, a tremendously entertaining Bogart, and a story that serves these two legends perfectly, giving them a decent amount to work with, allowing them to rely on their gifts, but still push their talents to the point where they’re giving unforgettable performances. This is a captivating film that travels through three different decades, and gives us insights into the changing world – and through its irreverent sense of humour, bold approach to the traditional crime epic, and a generally likeable disposition that helps soften the blow of the more difficult subject matter, The Roaring Twenties is an absolute triumph.