Today’s quick review: The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. In 1929, mob boss Al Capone (Jason Robards) has one rival for control over Chicago’s criminal underworld: Bugs Moran (Ralph Meeker), a bold upstart from the North Side. Their uneasy truce erupts in violence when Moran makes a move on Capone’s territory. In retaliation, Capone instructs Jack McGurn (Clint Ritchie) to orchestrate a counterattack that will take out Moran for good.
The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre is a historical crime drama based on a true story. The movie chronicles the escalating conflict between Al Capone and Bugs Moran in the weeks preceding the infamous bloodbath. The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre offers an inside look at one of the most tumultuous periods for Prohibition-era Chicago. Dramatic subject matter and a factual storytelling style make the movie a fine pick for the right viewer.
The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre gets most of its appeal from the back-and-forth between Moran and Capone. In a series of audacious moves, the two men try to cripple each other’s organizations, using clever ploys and brute force to take out important targets. The movie does a good job of laying out the cast of criminals involved, and the preparations for the attacks give the movie plenty of material to work with.
However, The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre is not as compelling as other crime dramas. The movie is a historical chronicle first and a story second, and the detached presentation style makes it hard to connect to any of the characters. Only Capone and Moran stand out as important, and even then, the movie never gets too personal with them. The result is a story that works well mechanically but doesn’t have a heavy human element.
How much you get out of The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre will depend on what you’re looking for in a crime drama. Fans of Prohibition-era gang warfare with an emphasis on plot over emotion will find the movie to be a solid choice, with good fundamentals and a fair amount of violence. Viewers who prefer more scripted stories with more of an emotional arc may want to look elsewhere.
For a more dramatically potent take on Al Capone, try The Untouchables. For a historical crime drama in the same vein, try Bugsy. For another Prohibition-era biography, try Public Enemies or Dillinger. For a modern take on Prohibition-era gang violence, try Miller’s Crossing or The Road to Perdition.
[6.7 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062301/). I give it a 6.5 for rich subject matter and decent execution.