A Most Violent Year or: The Quintessential Anti-Scorsese Gangster Film (Film Analysis)

A Most Violent Year is the quintessential anti-Scorsese gangster film.

Here is a story about a powerful businessman trying to keep the moral high ground and be a good person in a very corrupt profession during a very violent year with all sides pushing him to do the opposite—from the law, to competitive businessmen, to his own partners and wife.  Yet there is very little violence in A Most Violent Year, and it subverts expectations on all angles—utilizing common themes associated with the gangster genre such as violence, murder, masculinity and what it means to be a male, female subservience and position, and moral corruption in an unfamiliar and highly refreshing manner.

The film takes place in 1980s New York City, during one of the highest years of violence with the previous year having more murders and rapes in the city than ever before.  The film conveys this with an oil truck getting hijacked around the two-minute mark, its driver Julian (Elyes Gabel) being held at gunpoint and beaten to get out of the car as it’s taken.  The owner of said truck is Abel Morales (Oscar Isaac), a hard-working and ambitious company leader moving up fast in the oil rigging business.  At the moment, Abel is trying to buy an oil terminal on the East River from a Hasidim group.  Ownership of the terminal will grant Abel access to the river so he can import without a middle man as well as have storage capacity for over ten million gallons—as he puts it; “So I can buy in the summers, when the price is low, and sell to my customers, and more importantly, my competitors when the price is high".

The move is quite risky, however, with Abel having to put down an initial six-hundred thousand dollars as payment, with a remaining one and a half million to be paid within thirty days or else the Hasidim group keeps the six-hundred thousand and sell the terminal to his competitors who have been desiring it as much as Abel.  Abel wins the Hasidim over with his resounding charisma and brilliant salesmanship.  There’s a scene where Abel trains new interns about selling oil and impressively displays his skill to the craft:

Abel: Then, after sitting in silence way longer than feels comfortable, you turn, and you say “I would love to run a few numbers for you. Is there somewhere more comfortable we could sit?” Now, they’re almost always gonna take you to the dining room table, and they’re gonna offer you something.  Whatever it is, always take the fancy option.

Intern: Why?

Abel: Because… we’re never gonna be the cheapest option, so we have to be the best. And they want… No. They need to feel that you want the best, too…Now, after you’ve done the math, and you’ve shown them how much they can save over the long haul through proper maintenance, you need to get them to sign. But the problem is, by hiring you, they need to fire someone else. And that’s never easy. So… after you show them the number, you look up at them, and stare. Stare longer than you should.

Abel begins intensely staring at the interns, one of them chuckles at the discomfort

Abel: This is not a joke. You will only keep this job if you close, and that’s not funny to you. I’m only interested in this company growing, and when it isn’t, it’s not very funny to me at all. These people work very hard for their money, and these other guys are ripping them off, treating them poorly, because they don’t know.  So when you look them in the eye, you have to believe that we are better, and we are. But you will never do anything as hard as staring someone straight in the eye and telling the truth.

His attorney Andrew (Albert Brooks) had been against buying the terminal for over two years, yet from Abel's persistence and the bank’s willingness to loan the one and a half million, he has come around to agreeing with the idea.

The first part of the deal ends in success, with Abel walking around his newly bought terminal to examine the wintery landscape.  The scene is a calm loveliness as the soundtrack has trumpets softly playing with New York City visible in the distance—having a very classic crime genre vibe that makes the film feel right out of its time period.  The film then cuts to Julian in a hospital—beaten, bruised, and with a possible broken jaw.  Waiting with Julian is Abel's wife Anna (Jessica Chastain), who fills Able in on the situation.  What’s most notable about this sequence is the care and concern both Anna and Abel show for this worker.  There's an initial apprehension that this could all merely be an act, yet their actions speak more towards true genuineness with Anna taking time out of her day to comfort Julian in the hospital and Abel ensuring that he will pick Julian up when he's ready to leave.  Abel further proceeds to applaud Julian’s bravery, calling the men who attacked him cowards and giving the worker a hug.

Business is still on Abel and Anna's minds, however, though in a naturally understanding way.  The two politely leave Julian’s room to discuss the successful business deal and it becomes immediately apparent that Anna is far more involved with the company than what is usual for wives in the crime genre.  She's keenly aware of everything going on and bluntly states to Abel that they are at war—the hijacking not being the first time a truck of theirs has been stolen.  When she offers to get her brother and father involved in stopping the thievery, Abel quickly asks her not to.  His statement comes across more as a request than a demand, something emphasized when Anna states with just a hint of foreboding that the stealing and violence towards their workers cannot continue.

Abel’s solution to their issue is going to the D.A. for assistance, an idea that has Anna practically rolling her eyes—telling her husband that the D.A. has no interest in helping them.  And right Anna is shown when Abel meets with Assistant District Attorney Lawrence (David Oyelowo):

Abel: My people are at risk just driving around in this city, just trying to do their jobs, and...I've done everything that you've asked of me. It's been two years since you started investigating my company. And since then, I've spent thousands of dollars hiring lawyers to provide you with every piece of information that your office has requested. And I expect that you've been asking the same of my competitors. So, with all this information that you've gained, we're just asking do you have any idea who's been doing this to us?

Lawrence: I don't. As you know, we've been investigating industry-wide corruption in your business, that seems to have been going on for years. So, you're right. That means you're all stealing from each other, which, as far as I can tell, is just a refreshing new take on what you've been doing to your customers and fellow taxpayers for the last fifteen years.

Abel: First, please know that we respect the work that you're doing to try to help our business. But also know that I have never taken anything from anyone...We're on the same side here.

The manner Abel speaks here once again comes across as genuine, and his review of past actions make it clear that he is trying to run a clean business.  It's this sincere, respectful attitude that moves Lawrence to reveal that the D.A. has been investigating his company and are going to bring a case against them—believing they have broken the law and have evidence to prove it.  Abel stands firm that they have done nothing wrong and will take every advantage and opportunity to prove it.  He heads home to Anna who is revealed to be in charge of all the company’s paperwork and finances.  Abel explains the situation and asks where they are exposed, with Anna beating-around-the-bush—claiming they are following all standard industry practice on every front.  Abel does not buy it:

Abel: What does that mean?

Anna: You know what it means.

Abel: I know.

Anna: …I need to know what they're saying we did.

Everything is said from their expressions here and Abel becomes rightfully worried by Anna that the company’s behind-the-scenes isn't as clean-cut as he has been thinking.

While at the barbershop, Abel has a conversation with one of his not-so-fellow competitors Arnold (Glenn Fleshler), a man whose jealousy is as noticeable as his balding head.  Arnold smugly remarks on Abel’s recent hijacking, practically dropping mocking hints that he's the one who’s been stealing the oil.  Later that night, Abel's alerted by his dog barking and goes to check on the disturbance.  It’s a tense sequence that's amplified by the film's eerily silent, yet beautifully rich ambiance.  The film gets an unexpected, yet effective jump out of me when Abel discovers an intruder whom he chases after—cutting his bare foot on the gravel.  Abel goes back in after unsuccessfully capturing the man as Anna mends to his wound.  The couple’s unique dynamic is further showcased when Abel tries to dismiss the outdoor intruder as just some punk wanting to rob them, causing Anna to shove his foot painfully onto the ground, not buying his excuse for one second.

The mere casting of Jessica Chastain is already a good tip-off that Anna will not be your traditional crime-genre female.  Anna plays the role of a traditional housewife when things are going well, but as soon as things are looking south she immediately takes control of the situation and displays immense assertiveness and dominance—such as when she discovers a gun that the so-called punk robber left behind after one of their daughters picks it up and comes very close to shooting herself.  Anna immediately goes to Abel's office and, without saying the word, brandishes the gun in a beautifully timed reveal that Chastain pulls off perfectly and adds immense flavor to her character’s personality.  Anna tells Abel that he has to take care of the situation, almost like how a villainous boss character talks to their minion:

 Abel: Let me deal with it.

Anna: Oh, you better. You're not gonna like what'll happen once I get involved.

This is clear-cut disrespect to Abel’s traditional male role of provider and protector—a complete challenge to Abel's masculinity, who reacts initially as one may expect from a male of the early 80s by getting right up into Anna's face.  When I first saw the film, I expected a slap to be coming, and it almost seems like it is when Abel’s hand suddenly moves toward her face.  Yet against my expectations of the genre, Abel merely cups his hands around her face and—showing restraint and humility—pleads for her to not do anything reckless.

Abel finds himself being increasingly pressured on all sides.  The D.A. is charging them with a fourteen-count indictment on various wrongdoings—such as rigging scales and underreporting income—three of which Andrew considers serious.  The indictment goes all the way back to when Abel bought the business from Anna's father, and this single line clues the audience in on all the missing pieces involving Anna, her family, and the D.A.’s doubtfulness without need for further exposition.  A beautiful aspect regarding A Most Violent Year is its use of subtle storytelling.  Backstories are not explained, they are hinted at through dialogue that still paints a pretty picture.  It's never explained who Anna's family are—the father and brother are never seen on screen—but going by how the D.A. knows all about Anna's father, Abel calling Anna a "Brooklyn corner-store gangster's daughter", her own behavior and actions, and the morally high Abel being so against getting their help makes it apparent that they are corrupt and dangerous.  The union leader tells Abel how; "It's not like when we was driving."  This is about all the audience get involving Abel’s backstory, but when combined with his personality, a rags-to-riches story can be inferred of a man who began as a truck driver and built his way up—eventually marrying the boss's daughter, buying the company, and growing it into his own successful enterprise.

Another truck ends up getting hijacked and the drivers’s union leader implores Abel to allow his men to carry guns as protection—claiming times are tough enough for it.  Abel, however, refuses to take such corruptible route, striving to keep the morally high reputation he views himself as.  It gets to the point where Andrew has to have a serious conversation with him:

Andrew: Why don't you take a walk with me?

Abel: Come on. Are you serious with this? This is what it's come to? We have to walk around outside like we're f***ing gangsters?

Andrew: I am. And it is.

This film and Drive really make apparent how wonderfully unique and unorthodox Albert Brooks is playing less-than-pure characters.  His everyman demeanor does not fit the typical mold of a character involved in crime and/or unsavory business practices—and it's this strange juxtapose that makes him stand out so vibrantly.  Andrew's appearance and disposition come across as a stern, experienced, yet warm father figure—in this specific instance teaching his less experienced, more naive son about the realities of life and how one can succeed.  It makes him come across as very likable and approachable to the audience, making it easy to overlook his more devious traits.  Andrew insists that they must arm their drivers or else the union is going to walk and they'll be out of a business without any workforce to transport and distribute.  Abel reasonably counters that if they arm the workers and one of them shoots someone in an inappropriate or illegal manner, that it'll be on him and the D.A. will bring him down for it.

Abel does not want to take the path of violence on his ambitious road to success.  He does not believe it to be the right path to take, despite Anna, and Andrew, and the entire world insisting otherwise.  Abel believes that this violence will go away—that if they continue standing their ground in a non-violent manner it will blow over and they will come out victorious (just call Abel the New York Gandhi).  This is directly stated when Julian returns after healing and shows an understandable fear of going out driving again.  Julian flat-out expresses to Abel that he's feeling vulnerable—something men of this genre rarely do, particularly to their boss of all things—a testament to just how afraid Julian is to go out and drive.  Abel returns Julian's open admittance with his own, noting how they're all feeling vulnerable before giving an inspirational speech like a general would to a soldier just before a battle—only this general is inspiring his soldier to take the pacifist route.  Yet Julian isn't a soldier, he's an employee—an immigrant employee with limited options just trying to make a paycheck.  Abel's ambitions do not correspond to Julian the same way they do to the boss—a fatal weakness to Abel's salesmanship pitch.

Abel's nonviolent approach to harassment is, in itself, a very challenge to the traditional concept of masculinity that encourages courage and strength but also the use of force to protect one’s own.  Anna is Abel's biggest critic; when the couple accidentally hit a deer while driving and Abel hesitates to kill it, Anna promptly pulls out a gun and put the deer out of its misery.  Interesting note, A MOST VIOLENT Year is forty-five minutes in and this is the first death to occur…and it's a deer…and it's a mercy kill.  The two end up having a fierce argument over the gun, with Anna directly calling out Abel's supposed lack of masculinity; "I told you. I wasn't gonna continue to stand around and let these people come and get me and my children...unlike you, who seems to be completely comfortable just standing around like some f***ing p***y."  Abel angrily barks back at her careless disregard for how the law can take them down (Anna having not bought a permit for the gun); "You're walking us right into a trap... and you can't even see it."  Abel's words end up getting a little too heated, and Anna slaps him as a result.  Once again, Abel seems to be on the brink of hitting her yet restrains and calms himself back down two a more rational level.

Anna's emasculating belittling to Abel is cruel yet not without understanding.  Their company is losing thousands of dollars’s worth of oil by the week (back then, the dollar was over double the worth it is today), their workers are being beaten and humiliated, their children and house are being threatened, the law has no desire to help and is looking to bring them down, and everything Abel has accomplished is on the brink of collapsing—yet Abel continues his pacifism with no signs of it succeeding.  While out on the job, Julian’s truck is once again threatened by armed men coming towards him during a traffic jam.  Having disregarded Abel's demand, the workers were armed with guns, with a freaked-out Julian pulling his out on the men.  The following scene is tense and thrilling, yet completely juxtaposed to what one would expect from such a standoff.  

The armed men seem almost insulted that Julian has pulled a gun on them, as if this is all part of some mundane job and Julian is the one crossing the line.  Scratch that, to these men, this is a mundane pick up and drop off job—with the guns not there for lethal force but as "added encouragement" for the driver to comply and everything to go smoothly.  The unhinged Julian pulling a gun out escalates the situation to life-threatening for not only all three of them but the citizens caught in the traffic jam, especially when he starts shooting at one—the other expressing shock and concern over such occurrence.  Make no mistake, the robbers are still to blame for initiating the confrontation (they are choosing to rob Julian and should be prepared for consequences) but from their perspective...yeah, Julian's actions are unreasonable (especially since he has no real stake in the matter—the truck not being his and fleeing after reporting being a reasonable response not warranting of firing).

When the cops end up showing up in the direction that the robbers parked, the two choose to accept the lesser threat and run past Julian, one humorously stating; "Aw, f***... I'm running."  Julian follows suit knowing that he'll be shish kabobbed by the cops without any permit. 

In a beautifully choreographed, engaging sequence, Julian ends up running up the turnpike as the cops chase behind, catching up to the robbers who end up helping him escape by telling him the best way to go:

Robber: There's a door down here, about four more flights. You come out under the bridge. It's a park.

Julian: F*** you!

Robber: You're welcome.

The event causes the bank to back out of Abel's deal, meaning he'll have to find the million-plus dollars left for the payoff in a few days or the deal will go sour.  Abel takes the bank backing out very personally, having done everything in his power to build a good reputation with them, such as previously paying off loans much quicker than they needed to be.  Where his biggest concern lays is not that the bank is backing out, but that the bank believes he was not involved in giving his workers armed weapons:

Banker: I get a report saying you had armed your entire fleet of drivers which led to a shootout on the 59th street bridge.

Abel: None of that is true.

Banker: That may be...

Abel: May?

Banker: It doesn't matter.

Abel: It does matter. It matters that you know we didn't do this.

Banker: I do. I do. But it doesn't matter. I can't do anything. I'm sorry.

Abel is trying so hard to be morally righteous in his ambitions but reality just simply does not want him to succeed.  Sucking up his pride, Abel goes and makes various deals with various groups—getting loans from his competitors and even having his younger college brother help out.

While driving around, Abel intercepts a radio call for help from one of his drivers, who's truck is being hijacked as he speaks.  Being in the area, Abel catches the tail end of the event as the stolen truck drives away.  He begins following the truck which turns into a thrilling chase sequence as the hijackers notice his pursuit.  I love how unorthodox the chase is with Abel pursuing such a large, clunky vehicle off-road into railroad tunnels, where the oil tanker tips over and kills the driver—the first human death in the film.  The remaining injured passenger begins fleeing the scene with Abel in hot pursuit after grabbing one of the goon’s gun—turning the thrilling car chase into a thrilling foot chase as they run through barren areas.  The robber ends up slipping into a passenger train, believing he’s lost Abel, yet Abel slipped in as well and begins stalking him within the crowd.  Waiting for just the right moment, Abel tackles the man out of the train just as its doors close.

All of Abel’s pent up rage comes out as he begins beating the man with the gun, demanding to know who hired him before pointing the weapon right into his eye.  It's an all-around intense moment, amplified by the calculated lack of intense action pieces in the film.  The man refuses to answer him and instead begs for his life.  Abel ultimately can't bring himself to kill and releases him as the music crescendos into an uplifting tune.  The robber returns Abel’s mercy by telling that while he wasn't hired by anyone specifically, he sold the last shipment to an area controlled by one of Abel’s competitors Arnold—the man who had previously taunted Abel over his misfortune.  This latter sequence was initially off-putting on my first viewing, coming across a bit too saccharine for the film’s established tone.  And I believe that is its purpose—to intentionally come across as overly wholesome.  The audience is being led astray that Abel’s lawfulness and moral high ground has won the war. 

Abel end up confronting Arnold, revealing that one of his oil tankers had been marked and that he could go to the FBI and have them search his facility for it.  Abel threatens to do so unless Arnold pays him back the stolen two-hundred and thirteen thousand in one day.  Arnold, who was unprepared for this confrontation and is now sweating bullets, pleads with Abel, yet the latter is all out of mercy from his last confrontation and displays an ambitious ruthlessness (albeit entirely within capitalistic law) that is equally as badass:

Arnold: Okay. But, I was just buying the stuff off these guys. I only bought a couple loads. I don't know who they are! I would never do that! This may ruin me.

Abel: My goal was to have you out of business by the end of next year. But if you're this f***ing desperate I imagine it won't even take that long.

Arnold: Abel! I wasn't the only person buying this s***!

Abel: Alright, well when you find out who else did it, you can have them pay the difference. But I need the whole lot by tomorrow morning, or you're gonna have the feds at your doorstep by noon.

Unfortunately, Abel still needs a remaining six-hundred thousand left to fulfill the loan, resorting to asking one of his mafia-affiliated acquaintances for such a loan, which the man agrees to on unfavorable circumstances.  Abel solemnly goes home to Anna and laments on the situation; "I spent my whole life trying not to become a gangster...And now, on the biggest deal of my career, they're gonna own me."  Yet to Abel's surprise, Anna reveals a secret bank account that she's had with enough money to pay off the loan.  Abel immediately queries upon how she obtained such a massive amount of money, to which Anna reveals she's been skimping from the company since the beginning in case such a situation was to happen.  

Abel is furious and rejects the money, not wanting to cheat now after all the honest hard work he's done to get to this point.  Anna breaks down Abel's entire viewpoint in one very harsh yet truthful statement; "You've been walking around your whole life, like all this happened 'cos of your hard work, your good luck, your charm. Mr. f***ing American dream. It wasn't your good luck helping you out all these years, it was me! Doing the things you didn't want to know about!"  Anna, and shortly after revealed Andrew, has always been ensuring Abel's success from behind the scenes, doing the dirty work as Abel walks like Mr. Smith—either oblivious and/or choosing to ignore what was right under his nose the whole time.  Abel ends up accepting Anna’s stolen money and using it to pay for the remaining loan.  Despite all his best efforts to succeed cleanly, all along he has been running a corrupt business.

The film has a brief fake-out here, seemingly concluding with Abel, Anna, and Andrew going to look at their now fully owned terminal, only for the upbeat conclusion to be interrupted by the return of Julian—angry and wielding a gun.  Julian laments about how Abel is getting his happy ending while he, the poor man, is on the run left with nothing and unable to help his family.  Despite Julian’s unstable attitude, Abel remains calm and composed even with a gun pointed at him—telling Julian it wasn't meant to be and to stop looking backward as the future is the only thing that Julian can control.  Julian asks Abel to take care of his family, which Abel agrees, before shooting himself in the head—the second human death in the film, the first by a gun, and the only intentional kill...and it's suicide.

The suicide shocks Anna, yet Abel calmly walks over and plugs a leak in one of the oil tanks where the bullet settled.  Oscar Isaac delivers a great performance as Abel, but this single moment really elevates it to fantastic.  Abel is completely calm on the surface, but the subtle facial expressions say there's so much more going on underneath than what's being conveyed at the moment.  The film's running theme of choices and consequences is squarely laid out here.  While outside forces will always influence our lives, we will always be solely responsible for the choices we make, as well as the consequences said choices bring.  Both Julian and Abel have been unfairly pushed around throughout the film, yet how they ultimately choose to act (suicide, corruption) remains theirs alone.

The D.A. arrives on the scene with Lawrence offering his condolence for Julian's death and congratulations on Abel’s official ownership of the oil terminal.   Abel once again reaffirms that he is not a felon and states that the two have to come to some sort of conclusion as it's bad for business.  Lawrence notes how the terminal can make Abel a very powerful man, and very influential politically speaking.  He notes that sometimes people need help to reach their ambitions, a less than subtle hint towards what Lawrence is suggesting.  Earlier in the film, Abel tells Lawrence that they are all on the same side, which Lawrence replies with “Well, yes and no”.  This unassuming sentence then has a more foreboding undertone as the two strike an unspoken agreement.  One has to wonder how much of Lawrence going after Abel had to do with his competitors bribing the D.A. to do so.  Yet Abel still stands by his righteous cause, saying he's always taken the path that is most right:

Abel: The result is never in question for me. Just what path do you take to get there. And there is always one that is most right. And that is what this is.

Lawrence: I hope so.

The statement puts a twist on Abel's righteousness.  Instead of always doing the right thing, Abel states he always chooses the “most right” path.  Abel prides himself on being a morally upstanding individual—an inspirational rags-to-riches story where honest hard work, skill, and determination paid off.  Even when he finally succumbs to corruption, Abel still refuses to give up this honorable persona.  So, he bends his code, making excuses as to why he must perform certain acts for the greater good.  It’s a dangerous sense of disillusionment that may lead him further down a path of no return, one where he becomes as crooked if not worse than the gangsters he’s sought to be better than.

A Most Violent Year is far more effective for those familiar with the classic storytelling tactics of traditional gangster/crime films, particularly those of Martin Scorsese.  The film sets its audience up for certain expectations only to throw a multitude of surprise curveballs.  There is no first-degree murder (to a human) in A Most Violent Year, with it rarely indulging in violence.  Traditional gender roles for the genre are routinely challenged and flipped on their heads.  Characters, major to minor, act like human beings over stereotypes—acting and speaking uncommon to what one might expect to see in fiction.  These wonderfully refreshing, subversive elements are the icing on a richly baked cake of a captivating protagonist striving to avoid corruption against all odds—and initially looks to have succeeded—yet has ultimately been utilizing it since the beginning.  Combined with some fantastic lead performances, beautiful cinematography, ingenious sound design, and subtle, yet gripping storytelling, A Most Violent Year is a most brilliant film and one of the 2010s’ best.