THE PHENOMENON OF CRIME AS PRESENTED IN “AMERICAN GANGSTER” MOVIE BY RIDLEY SCOTT A Thesis Submitted to Faculty of Adab and Humanities In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for The Bachelor Degree (S1) Arranged By IRMA WAHYUNI 105026000938 ENGLISH LETTER DEPARTMENT FACULTY OF ADAB AND HUMANITIES STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY “SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH” JAKARTA 2010 i APPROVEMENT THE PHENOMENON OF CRIME AS PRESENTED IN “AMERICAN GANGSTER” MOVIE BY RIDLEY SCOTT A Thesis Submitted to Faculty of Adab and Humanities in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for The Bachelor Degree (S1) Arranged By IRMA WAHYUNI 105026000938 Approved By Advisor Drs. H. Abdul Hamid, M.Ed Nip: 150 181 922 ENGLISH LETTER DEPARTMENT FACULTY OF ADAB AND HUMANITIES STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY “SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH” JAKARTA 2010 ii LEGALIZATION The thesis entitled “The Phenomenon of Crime as Presented in ‘American Gangster’ the Movie By Ridley Scott” has been defended before the Faculty of Letters and Humanities’ Examination Committee on April 1, 2010. The thesis has already been accepted as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of strata one. Jakarta, April 1, 2010 The Examination Committee Signature Date 1. Dr. H. Muhammad Farkhan, M.P.d (Chair Person) _________ _______ 19650919 00003 1 002 2. Drs. A.Saefuddin, M.P.d (Secretary) _________ _______ 19640710 199303 1 006 3. Drs. H. Abdul Hamid, M. Ed (Advisor) _________ _______ 150 181 922 4. Inayatul Chusna, M. Hum (Examiner I) _________ _______ 19780126 200312 2 002 5. Elve Oktafiyani, M. Hum (Examiner II) _________ _______ 19781003 200112 2 002 iii DECLARATION I hereby declare that this submission is my own original work and that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, it contains no material previously published or written by another person nor material which to a substantial extent has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma of the university or other institute of higher learning, except where do acknowledgement has been made in the text. Jakarta, February 2010 IRMA WAHYUNI iv ABSTRACT IRMA WAHYUNI, The Phenomenon of Crime as Presented in “American Gangster” Movie By Ridley Scott, (2007). Thesis, Jakarta: English Letter Department, Faculty of Adab and Humanities, State Islamic University “Syarif Hidayatullah” Jakarta, February 2010. The study concerned with the American Gangster Movie by Ridley Scott, released on November 2nd, 2007 inspired by the true story of America in 1971. The movie reflected the social phenomena in America, especially the crime in Harlem who well-known as a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, also long known as a major African- American residential, cultural, and business center. This study was to find out the kind of crime that performed in American Gangster. The analysis is focused on the social issues of crime like the using of drug, heroin problem, sex offences, violence, corruption and murder. In this paper, the writer uses qualitative method and descriptive analysis as a technique of the study. The writer describes one by one the kind of crime that most often appeared in American Gangster. In analyzing this study, the writer uses the theory proposed by two American sociologists, Judith Montero and McDowells who have classified the Crime into 5 categories; Juvenile Delinquency, Victimless crime, White-collar crime, Organized crime and Violent crime. As it is showed in the film, the writer will only analyze 4 categories excluding juvenile delinquency. In her conclusion, the writer obtains the content of the American Gangster. It has really mentioned the phenomenon of crime with the high level in America. The movie American Gangster absolutely contains the performances of crime going on around them. They have mostly discussed about the social anomaly, especially related to kinds of crime through the scene and dialogue in the movie. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Praise and thanks to Allah SWT who has allowed the writer to finish this paper. He has given the writer spirit, guidance, patience and positive thoughts. There is no strength in the world, except him. Great and salutation be upon the Master of the Messenger, Prophet Muhammad SAW. He has made the breakthrough from the blackness of life toward the straightway and high Islamic civilization until the end of the world. In this very valuable occasion, the writer would like to thank her beloved parent M. Yunus Sadar and Siti Khodijah who have given their spiritual support, advice, love, and financial encouragement during the study. Then the writer would like to say many thanks to her advisor Drs. H. Abdul Hamid, M.Ed for his guidance and patience while the writer was writing this paper until it finished. The writer would like to say thanks to these following persons who have contributed their supports, namely: 1. Prof. Dr. Komaruddin Hidayat., the Rector of UIN Jakarta. Thanks for your policies related to the requirement of TOEFL and TOAFL test that became motivation especially for English Letter’s students to work harder and learn more although sometimes it became a boring and annoying thing. 2. Drs. H. Abdul Chair, M.A., The Dean of the Faculty of Adab and Humanities. 3. Dr. Muhammad Farkhan, M.Pd., the Head of English Letter Department, and the Department’s Secretary, Drs. A. Saefuddin, M.Pd. 4. All of Lecturers in English Letter Department. Thanks for teaching and guiding us during the study. vi 5. The writer’s beloved husband Ahmad Cholil, Thanks for always be there for me. I could not do this big project well without your love, pray and support. I hope it would not be last until the end of our time. I’ll always love you. 6. The writer’s beloved sister Dina Yustiana, and brother Muhammad Ilham Subagja for all of your pray and support. Also her brother Royfana Muhammad Caesar, thanks for your cute and funny smile. It makes the world cheerful. 7. Her lovely friends in English Letter Department, especially Jamilah, Ulfa, Asri, Narsih, Vio, Ratu, Isty, BeTe, Bejo, Iqbal, Billy, Irul, Muhaqqiq and other classmates that could not be mentioned one by one. Thanks for all of our colourful memories in English Letter Department. I hope we’ll be friend forever. 8. Her friends in BERITA UIN/ UIN-News, especially Drs. Nanang Syaikhu as the Head of UIN Press and Ms. Elve Oktaviani as the Editor. Thanks for advice, support and teach many things. 9. Her friends at MUJTAHID Period in Darunnajah Islamic Boarding School, especially Wanda Zulfian (Mr.Director) at IKJ. Thanks for your patience in helping and accompanying the writer while searching references in your campus. 10. The librarians of UIN Jakarta, University of Indonesia, Unika Atma Jaya and IKJ. Finally, the writer realizes that, this paper is away from being perfect. Therefore the constructive suggestions were hoped to make it better. With Love; Jakarta, February 2010 Irma Wahyuni vii TABLE OF CONTENTS APPROVEMENT …………………………………………………………………… i LEGALIZATION …………………………………………………………………… ii ABSTRACT …………………………………………………………………………. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ………………………………………………………….. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ……………………………………………………………. v CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Study ……………………………………………………… 1 B. Focus of the Study …………………………………………………………….. 4 C. The Research Question ………………………………………………………. 4 D. The Significance of Study ……………………………………………………. 4 E. Methodology of Research ……………………………………………………. 5 1. The Objective of the Research …………………………………………… 5 2. The Method of the Research …………………………………………….. 5 3. The Technique of Data Analysis …………………………………………. 5 F. The Unit of Analysis …………………………………………………………. 6 G. The Time and Place of the Research ………………………………………… 6 CHAPTER II. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK A. Understanding Film …………………………………………………………… 7 B. The Description of Crime as Social Problem ………………………………… 9 C. Definition of Crime ……………………………………………………………. 11 D. The Varieties of Crime …………………………………………………………. 13 viii E. Montero and McDowell’s Approach on ……………………………………….. 16 Understanding the Crime as the Social Problem 1. The Deviance Approach ……………………………………………………. 16 2. The Functionalist Approach ………………………………………………... 17 3. The Conflict Approach ……………………………………………………... 18 CHAPTER III. RESEARCH FINDINGS A. Data Description ………………………………………………………………. 20 B. Data Analysis; The Kinds of Crime Presented in American Gangster ………. 27 a. Victimless Crime ………………………………………………………….. 27 b. White-Collar Crime ……………………………………………………….. 29 c. Organized Crime …………………………………………………………... 32 d. Violent Crime ……………………………………………………………… 40 CHAPTER IV. CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION A. Conclusion …………………………………………………………………….. 46 B. Suggestion ……………………………………………………………………... 48 BIBLIOGRAPHY ……………………………………………………………………. 49 APPENDIXES ………………………………………………………………………… 50 ix CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION A. The Background of the study As the film develop in some various genre, until now film is still as an entertainment media that being a favorite entertainment beside music. Film is a creation art of fiction about the phenomenon in the world which is served in auditory visual form that reflected a condition by a setting of place with all systems inside it, be its social system, economy, culture, tradition etc with the theme that was performed inside of it.1 Related to film’s development, in the years of 2000, America produced more films described American’s social condition such Bad Boyz, American Pie, American Dream, American Crime, American Gangster, etc. They reflected all kinds of American’s trademark, character and social life. One of those films that attract the writer’s attention to make an analysis