The five movies that have inspired the ‘Grand Theft Auto’ series
There was a period of time when video games were so far removed from the world of cinema that you’d be laughed at for even suggesting that they were even a little bit alike. Yet, much has changed since the days of Tetris and Space Invaders. Nowadays, video games are almost indistinguishable from the latest Hollywood blockbusters, with graphics having reached a point of technical and artistic triumph.
Such is self-evident if you cast your eyes over the history of Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto franchise, one of the most popular series in video game history. Putting the player in control of a gun-wielding maniac with few morals, the series has built an incredible fanbase from the freedom it gives to its players, providing a sandbox world where cars can be stolen, helicopters can be exploded, and civilians can be slaughtered.
One other key feature of the series is its satirical take on the contemporary world, often using references to the wider world of cinema and television to poke fun at the absurdity of modern life. Indeed, each edition in Rockstar’s series, from 1997’s simply-titled Grand Theft Auto to 2013’s Grand Theft Auto V, has contained a wide array of movie references, taking direct inspiration from some of the greatest crime tales of modern cinema.
Many of these references are made directly through specific missions. Take the bank heist mission ‘Three Leaf Clover’ in GTA IV, a daring robbery that was almost a direct reference to the 1995 Michael Mann classic Heat, starring Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. Such is evident in the weapons used in both moments, as well as the outfits chosen for the key characters.
Elsewhere, the same game makes a direct reference to William Friedkin’s 1972 ‘Best Picture’ winner, The French Connection, in the mission ‘The Puerto Rican Connection’. A pretty clear homage to Friedkin’s classic, the mission follows protagonist Niko Bellic chasing down a train on the overground while he tries to catch up in his car, with the very same thing happening in an iconic scene in the film.
Perhaps one of the series’ most obvious references comes in the Vice City game from 2002, which borrows a considerable amount from Brian De Palma’s 1983 film Scarface. Whilst the tone and energy of the game and film are incredibly similar, the most obvious homage comes in the game’s final mission, ‘Keep Your Friends Close’, in which you kill your adversary from the top of a staircase in a direct reference to one of Scarfaces’ most iconic moments. The name of the aforementioned mission is also directly lifted from Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 Oscar-winner The Godfather.
Another classic 1980s crime flick that inspired the making of GTA was the 1985 Friedkin movie To Live and Die In L.A. Starring Willem Defoe, the film told the story of two cops trying to track down a vicious killer and was directly referred to in the mission ‘Just Business’ from 2004’s San Andreas, with the car chase in both examples being extremely similar.
Take a look at the full list of movies that inspired the Grand Theft Auto series below.
Movies that inspired Grand Theft Auto:
- The French Connection (William Friedkin, 1971)
- The Godfather (Francis Ford Coppola, 1972)
- Heat (Michael Mann, 1995)
- To Live and Die in L.A. (William Friedkin, 1985)
- Scarface (Brian De Palma, 1983)
