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The Underground City

Underground City is an American gangster film set in 1960s Chicago. It was directed and produced by Martin Scorsese and stars Robert de Niro, Joe Pesci, Al Pacino, Julianne Moore, and Danny Glover. The film features gritty storytelling and elements of film noir.

The film follows Alessandro Ricci (Robert de Niro), who grew up in a poverty-stricken neighborhood and had to turn to crime to make a living. Starting from petty crimes such as pickpocketing, Alessandro Ricci joined a gang under Pietro Caruso's (Al Pacino) ruling, where he began armed robberies alongside his associate Mario Gallo(Joe Pesci). However, Alessandro Ricci's reputation started rising due to his physical strength and marksmanship, allowing him to ruthlessly and efficiently take down his opposition.

As his ranks rose within the gang, Alessandro Ricci built his underground empire and formed affiliations with corrupt politicians and celebrities through charisma and violence. With his newfound empire and power through violence and murder, he created many enemies. With the 1960s election of John F. Kennedy, law enforcement started to crack down on organized crime, and a profound detective (Danny Glover) was hot on their every move, determined to expose the rampant corruption that ran under the city.

Plot

"Underground City" dives into Alessandro Ricco's poverty-stricken life and rise to power, building a merciless underground empire. Alessandro Ricci, a son of two Italian immigrant parents and an older brother to two younger siblings, grew up in the slums of Chicago. His neighborhood had rampant crimes and gang activities; his whole childhood was filled with hardship and bad influences, as his dad was often violent, and as Alessandro got older, his dad was out of the picture. The film opens with Alessandro in his early teens, which was around the 1950s, pickpocketing an older man's pocket; Alessandro dashes off to meet back with his friends, and they all look at guns in a nearby store.  

Alessandro felt a special feeling when he looked at the gun as if it were calling for him. However, he saved the money he had pickpocketed and went home to give it to his mother. The image of the gun lingered in his head. As he grew up, organized crime was at its peak. Every newsletter mentioned the rise of crimes and gangs as the underworld became more prevalent and powerful.

In his twenties, Alessandro was fed up with his mundane life and wanted change. He wanted power, fame, and wealth not only for him but to support his family as the oldest brother. He wanted to make it in life, to be something.

A pivotal moment in Alessandro's life came when an old friend introduced him to a gang. This connection led him to Pietro Caruso, the gang leader, and Mario Gallo, a seasoned criminal. As Alessandro became more involved, he honed his shooting skills and started with small-time robberies. This was just the beginning of his ascent into the high-stakes world of armed robberies, with Mario by his side.

Amid high-stakes armed robberies, nearby police catch wind of the theft, leading to a chase; with Mario as the get-a-way driver, Alessandro swiftly turned around and fired two bullets. With the sole police killed, the robbery left minimal witnesses.

Alessandro started getting recognition for his marksmanship and was invited to a social gathering event. There, he made connections with corrupt government officials and notable celebrities. Alessandro catches Maria Wilson's (Julianne Moore) eyes at the event. Maria came from an affluent background and had power and wealth due to her father. Maria becomes infatuated with Alessandro as he exudes charisma. Maria and Alessandro's relationship starts, giving Alessandro more influence and power as Maria would do anything for him.

As his rank rose, he built his underground empire with corrupt local officials. They were creating a city under Chicago with secret rooms and passageways where they conducted their meetings.

Alessandro felt untouchable as any opposition in his way got killed ruthlessly, and the police had little evidence connecting Alessandro to these crimes. Until the 1960s election of John F. Kennedy, which began Alessandro's fall, the film's turning point. John F. Kennedy was adamant about cracking down on organized crimes and adding more resources to police and detective departments.

Donald Smith is a profound detective famous for his excellent observational and clue-collecting skills. He was assigned to crack down on the ongoing organized crime rampant in the city of Chicago. Donald Smith and his team snuck an infiltrator into the gang, leaking their secret hideout, and led a massive attack with both the gang and the police on a full-out gun down.

However, Alessandro made it out alive due to his skills and devised a plan to avenge his gang's downfall. Creating an attack on the police and government, taking down Donald Smiths, but dies along the way.

Reception

Upon its release on May 31, 2023, Underground City made a significant impact, grossing an impressive $45,250,000 on its opening weekend. The high ticket demand is a testament to the film's appeal and anticipation among viewers. Underground City was also nominated for several Academy Award winners.

After the release, the movie received a 93% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 9/10 on IMDb from the audience and critics. Many news magazines praised the film's sound and visual effects, as it used a de-aging effect on Robert de Niro, Joe Pesci, Al Pacino, Julianne Moore, and Danny Glover, so they appeared younger. The de-aging effect at first sparked controversy when news came out that the movie was using advancing effects but shimmered down once the film was released, where the editing and seamless effect blew away many critics and audiences.

Analysis section

"Underground City" falls into the gangster film genre, adopting many traditional themes and stylistic features while showing the grueling reality of a gangster's life in the 1960s, which is filled with violence and corruption. Through Alessandro's life, from poverty rising to power and his downfall, the film explores classic gangster film themes such as the American dream as Alessandro was born from immigrant parents, corruption, and power as Alessandro ruthlessly kills and uses anyone to obtain that power. Alessandro's character depicts the classic antiheroes as his morals are often in the grey area, and his actions are driven by greed, with frequent internal conflicts.

One of the apparent themes in Underground City is the American dream, which is why Alessandro had to turn to a life of crime. This was out of necessity, as he grew up in poverty, having to provide for his family as the oldest brother. This portrayal of morality and crime blurs the line between what is considered "good" and "bad," as Alessandro's circumstances make him sympathetic to the viewers. The story further explores the expectations and pressure of achieving the American dream lifestyle and how the system makes it impossible unless you walk a path of corruption and crime. Alessandro's internal conflict with his actions and morality shows his character complexity and how the life of crime often has its downfall, as Alessandro slowly loses himself throughout the film.  

Stylistically, Underground City uses film noir style to narrate the film; as the movie is set in Chicago, an urban city filled with corruption, the lighting casting heavy shadows adds a sense of danger and uneasiness.

Underground City adopts many core elements of the gangster film genre. Still, it introduces many new changes, such as complex characters with internal conflicts of being a gangster and the eldest son. Alessandro's greed stems from wanting to provide for his family and achieve the American dream, in which he loses himself in becoming corrupt. Alessandro's complexity often makes the audience empathetic toward the character, but his character also makes it apparent why following the path of crime is a regrettable path. The film also integrates historical context and the systemic corruption that plagued the city, pushing boundaries and thought-provoking, making the audience reflect on what's "good" and "bad."

Production detail

The movie Underground City was pitched in 2014 but only started filming in 2020 due to financial issues. However, the financial problem was solved when Netflix bought the film rights in 2020, financing the movie. Its $200 million budget allowed the film to make technological advancements, primarily in visual and sound effects.

Both visual and sound effects were handled by Walter Murch, who won an Oscar for his sound mixing and visual editing. Walter Murch seamlessly integrated the visual and sound effect and his cinematography captured the film noir aesthetic using light and shadows, effectively illustrating the gritty element of 1960s Chicago. Due to technological advances, the film used a de-aging effect on the actors so they appear at different ages.

However, the de-aging effect sparked controversy, as many thought the actors were too old and that the film should have emphasized upcoming actors rather than using the de-aging effect. The controversy died down quickly after the film was released, and in contrast, it was praised due to the seamless editing and use of impact.

Costume designer Patricia Norris effortlessly captured the 1960s Chicago fashion style, adding a sense of authenticity as if it were recorded at that time.

Casting

Robert de Niro as Alessandro Ricci

Al Pacino as Pietro Caruso's

Joe Pesci as Mario Gallo

Julianne Moore as Maria Wilson

Danny Glover as a detective Donald Smith

Martin Scorsese as director and producer

Gordon Willis as the cinematographer

Walter Murch as a film editor and sound designer

Patricia Norris as a costume designer