Review of City Streets

City Streets is a well-crafted and great example of early gangster movies. However, while the movie is well made, the very reason the movie is noteworthy (an early and well-made example of movies at the time) also contributes to why the movie loses some of its appeal overtime. The plot of the movie is similar to that of most gangster movies, so there are really no surprises to the modern viewer and the suspense is somewhat lacking. This of course would not have been the case back when the movie was first made, because gang activity was actually a common concern and the genre was just starting out. So, the predictability wasn't there, while the verisimilitude of the movie was. City Streets also suffers from the over dramatic acting of the time. While film buffs and people interested in cinema history may enjoy this as a part of history, the average person who is just looking for a good and enjoyable story to get lost in, may have trouble doing so with this movie.