The Family Curse: Mafia Identity as Inheritance in Abel Ferrara's The Funeral

Abstract

This article examines the presentation of Mafia identity in The Funeral as it reflects or contradicts genre conventions and cultural mythologies of the Italian American Mafia in cinema. The film is a compelling display of the destructive force of excessive ideals in masculine behavior.

Keywords:

• gangster
• genre
• masculinity
• mythology
• violence

Notes

1. Robert Warshow (1946) was the first to suggest that the gangster's demise occurred as a result of a “tragic flaw” in his character.

2. It is important to note that the concept of the displaced heterosexual hero discussed here is similar to that discussed in relation to film noir, see for instance, Krutnik.