Gangster (Gangster No.1)

"I'm Superman! King f***ing Kong! I can pick you up and throw you a million miles. I'm number one. Number f***ing one."

- The Gangster

The Gangster is the protagonist, anti-hero and narrator of the 2000 British crime film Gangster No.1. Paul Bettany plays the Young Gangster, with the older gangster (credited as Gangster 55) played by Malcolm McDowell.

1960s
In 1968 the young gangster came to the attention of influential London gangster Freddie Mays, who recruited him into his gang as an enforcer. The Gangster is eager to please Mays and proves his loyalty through creative ways of murder. However overtime the Gangster becomes obsessed and envious of Mays' glamorous and successful lifestyle and also takes a dislike that he gets engaged.

When discovering Freddie's rival Lennie Taylor is planning to have him killed, The Gangster withholds the information and even kills another gangster in their gang with a hatchet to prevent him telling Freddie. The Gangster watches in sadistic glee when Freddie is shot and beaten by Lennie and his gang, and Freddie's fiancee's throat is slashed. The Gangster goes round to Lennie's flat later that night and breaks in and shoots Lennie in the knee, then brutally tortures him with numerous tools such as a hatchet.

Freddie is charged with the death of Lennie and sentenced to 30 years in prison and the Gangster takes over his empire.

Intervening Period - 1969-1999
Over the next 30 years the Gangster begins building up the empire, and carries out armed robberies, gets into gambling and drug dealing and by the 1990s has over 300 men in the crew.

Present Day - 1999
In present day - 1999 - an older gangster is out with friends when he discovers that Freddie is getting released from prison. The Gangster discovers Freddie's fiancee had survived her attack and that the pair are still getting married. The Gangster requested that Freddie visits him in which he did. The Gangster grew frustrated that Freddie had turned over a new leaf and wasn't interested in the wealth that the Gangster now had. The Gangster attempted to goad Freddie into killing him, however Freddie simply left.

Suffering an apparent breakdown, the Gangster ends up the roof declaring himself "number " before jumping to his presumed death.