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Gangster Squad

Name: Gangster Squad
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Released: 2013
Duration: 113 min

Representation Score

1.6/10

Minimal

2013

Director

Ruben Fleischer

Runtime

113 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Gangster Squad follows traditional crime thriller conventions, emphasizing genre clichés over diverse representation. The narrative centers on a homogeneous group of male characters, focusing on brotherhood and combat. While the film delves into themes of institutional corruption, it addresses these issues through the lens of classic vigilantism, highlighting individual heroes bypassing broken systems rather than deconstructing systemic power dynamics or promoting progressive social values. Overall, the film adheres to the conventions of the noir genre, reinforcing traditional gender and racial structures without challenging them.

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Category Breakdown

Does Gangster Squad have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or non-straight relationships. There are no underlying challenges to traditional sexual orientations.

How does Gangster Squad portray gender?

Limited

The story centers around male characters who drive the plot, focusing on brotherhood and combat. Female characters play minor roles, often serving as romantic interests or social ornaments.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Gangster Squad?

Limited

The main cast is predominantly white and Anglo-Saxon. Despite the diverse setting of 1949 Los Angeles, the narrative focuses on a homogeneous group.

How does Gangster Squad represent religion and culture?

Fair

The story highlights systemic corruption within the LAPD and political structures. However, it frames justice through individual heroism rather than critiquing Western ideology.

Does Gangster Squad include disability representation?

Minimal

There are no notable depictions of characters with visible or invisible disabilities. No characters with disabilities are used as central narrative devices.

Present on Screen

The film offers a gritty look at systemic corruption within 1949 Los Angeles law enforcement and political institutions.

Limited or Absent

Female characters have limited roles and rarely drive the plot.
The central cast is overwhelmingly white and fails to represent the city's diversity.
There is no representation of LGBTQ+ characters or non-straight relationships.
The film does not depict any characters with visible or invisible disabilities.

Official Synopsis

Los Angeles, 1949. Ruthless, Brooklyn-born mob king Mickey Cohen runs the show in this town, reaping the ill-gotten gains from the drugs, the guns, the prostitutes and — if he has his way — every wire bet placed west of Chicago. And he does it all with the protection of not only his own paid goons, but also the police and the politicians who are under his control. It’s enough to intimidate even the bravest, street-hardened cop… except, perhaps, for the small, secret crew of LAPD outsiders led by Sgt. John O’Mara and Jerry Wooters who come together to try to tear Cohen’s world apart.

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