What to write about GoodFellas that has not already been said or written? It is commonly mentioned along with Taxi Driver as the film that Scorsese should have won his best director Oscar for and along with The Godfather, one of the finest cinematic portrayals of gangster life. The film has ingrained itself into popular culture so much, that children can see its influence without realizing it in The Simpsons and adults can see it in The Sopranos. Even if you have not seen GoodFellas, you have seen its impact and heard the famous lines such as the quote which kicks off the film, "As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster"
When making the film Scorsese said how he wanted the film to be like a two and a half hour trailer and that is exactly what it is. There is an energy and a drive that pulsates through GoodFellas, it is two and a half hours long but seems to have the pacing and speed of a ninety minute film. The frequent use of montages and freeze frames make GoodFellas a visually alive film which uses all the camera wizardry in order to express and compliment the theme, story and characters. Scorsese makes the film visually dynamic, engaging and exciting in order to express the feelings of Henry early into his gangster career. One scene that everybody who sees GoodFellas remembers and admires is the steady cam shot entering the Copacabana.
When making the film Scorsese said how he wanted the film to be like a two and a half hour trailer and that is exactly what it is. There is an energy and a drive that pulsates through GoodFellas, it is two and a half hours long but seems to have the pacing and speed of a ninety minute film. The frequent use of montages and freeze frames make GoodFellas a visually alive film which uses all the camera wizardry in order to express and compliment the theme, story and characters. Scorsese makes the film visually dynamic, engaging and exciting in order to express the feelings of Henry early into his gangster career. One scene that everybody who sees GoodFellas remembers and admires is the steady cam shot entering the Copacabana.
This moment is among the, if not the height of Henry Hill's gangster lifestyle as well as visually portraying his journey in life up until that point. As the camera floats behind him as he walks through the back of the club, we see him in his element, handing out tips left right and centre, living the life he always wanted to live as a child. This whole scene is also topped off by a great punch line, where after she asks him what he does for a living he replies "I'm in construction"
The irony is of course, was that this shot was never planned and only came about due to the fact that they could not go through the front, meaning this was made up on the spot by Scorsese. It is now a scene that you cannot imagine seeing GoodFellas without and yet it was never originally intended to be shot, let alone in the film. It is through shots and sequences like this, where Scorsese perfectly captures the glamour and promise that the gangster lifestyle promises, at least initially.
Another sequence that stands out in the film, is among the final half an hour and referred to as "The Last Day as a Wiseguy" it is in this sequence where the drugs and the lifestyle completely collapses in front of Henry's eyes. It is a sequence that does not stop for a breath as he has to go get guns, take them to Jimmy, pick up his brother, cook the dinner, do this, do that all while he has this feeling that a helicopter is following him.
The irony is of course, was that this shot was never planned and only came about due to the fact that they could not go through the front, meaning this was made up on the spot by Scorsese. It is now a scene that you cannot imagine seeing GoodFellas without and yet it was never originally intended to be shot, let alone in the film. It is through shots and sequences like this, where Scorsese perfectly captures the glamour and promise that the gangster lifestyle promises, at least initially.
Another sequence that stands out in the film, is among the final half an hour and referred to as "The Last Day as a Wiseguy" it is in this sequence where the drugs and the lifestyle completely collapses in front of Henry's eyes. It is a sequence that does not stop for a breath as he has to go get guns, take them to Jimmy, pick up his brother, cook the dinner, do this, do that all while he has this feeling that a helicopter is following him.
This is again a sequence where Scorsese uses his fast and dynamic visuals to emphasize character and story rather than just being flashy for the sake of being flashy. As Henry's order and life starts to crumble around him, Scorsese keeps the sequence moving at the same pace as his drugged up, paranoid mind, placing the audience right into his mindset. Up until this point the film has been jumping through the years going from the 50's to the 80's but now the film slows down in its own fast way to show one day, Henry's last day as a Wiseguy. In fact the two scenes above perfectly contrast each other, one is Henry Hill at the height of his gangster lifestyle and the next scene is that lifestyle falling apart in front of his eyes. Both have a distinct and unique visual style and both stick long in the memory.
Another thing that Scorsese does better than other filmmakers, is the marriage of music to film. GoodFellas has one of the best film soundtracks of all time in my opinion. Each song choice perfectly fits the scene and you do not distinguish them as a piece of film and a piece of music but rather just one piece. If there is one scene in GoodFellas that everybody remembers regarding this marriage of music to film, then it is the Layla sequence, where Scorsese fits the scene to the music so well it is almost as if the song was written with this scene in mind, just like the film was shot with this song in mind.
Another thing that Scorsese does better than other filmmakers, is the marriage of music to film. GoodFellas has one of the best film soundtracks of all time in my opinion. Each song choice perfectly fits the scene and you do not distinguish them as a piece of film and a piece of music but rather just one piece. If there is one scene in GoodFellas that everybody remembers regarding this marriage of music to film, then it is the Layla sequence, where Scorsese fits the scene to the music so well it is almost as if the song was written with this scene in mind, just like the film was shot with this song in mind.
Filmmakers today such as Tarantino also possess this talent but it is Scorsese who was the original master of it. The sequence above is another scene that sticks in the memory, not only are the images of the dead bodies shocking but the distinct music choice and the way the camera moves throughout that sequence make it something that shows how well you can marriage horror with beauty, music with film and visuals with story, all under four minutes.
While Scorsese delivers a master class in directing, providing us with the three superbly done sequences above (All three better and more memorable than any scene in The Departed, the film Scorsese did win his Oscar for) the acting in GoodFellas is also of an impeccable standard. Robert De Niro perhaps gives one of his most underrated performances as Jimmy Conway, yes it is not a Taxi Driver or Raging Bull level performance but it is a performance that perfectly demonstrates the sheer prescene of De Niro and how much he can say without doing anything, something that may have been forgotten while watching Meet the Little Fockers. Ray Liotta is also brilliant in the lead role of Henry Hill, making you repulsed yet interested by him in equal measure. Lorraine Bracco also gives a performance that is not spoken about as much as the others and in fact is the only other actor in the film to get moments of narration other than Henry Hill.
The performance however that walked away with an Oscar and provided the film with one of its most memorable and loved scenes, is Joe Pesci as Tommy. His whole performance and the brilliance of it can be perfectly shown in the scene below. What is even more impressive, is that like the Copacabana sequence, it was not originally in the script and was an original improvised creation by Pesci.
While Scorsese delivers a master class in directing, providing us with the three superbly done sequences above (All three better and more memorable than any scene in The Departed, the film Scorsese did win his Oscar for) the acting in GoodFellas is also of an impeccable standard. Robert De Niro perhaps gives one of his most underrated performances as Jimmy Conway, yes it is not a Taxi Driver or Raging Bull level performance but it is a performance that perfectly demonstrates the sheer prescene of De Niro and how much he can say without doing anything, something that may have been forgotten while watching Meet the Little Fockers. Ray Liotta is also brilliant in the lead role of Henry Hill, making you repulsed yet interested by him in equal measure. Lorraine Bracco also gives a performance that is not spoken about as much as the others and in fact is the only other actor in the film to get moments of narration other than Henry Hill.
The performance however that walked away with an Oscar and provided the film with one of its most memorable and loved scenes, is Joe Pesci as Tommy. His whole performance and the brilliance of it can be perfectly shown in the scene below. What is even more impressive, is that like the Copacabana sequence, it was not originally in the script and was an original improvised creation by Pesci.
Probably along with the first line, the most famous line in the film "Funny, how?" it is also one of the few scenes in GoodFellas that can be called genuinely funny. It is also like the Copacabana scene, a scene which shows the sheer power these men had. As Henry Hill says in the film "We were like movie stars with muscle"
As a film enthusiast, it is impossible not to appreciate and admire GoodFellas and the scenes shown above are just a selection. There is the fantastic opening sequence which details Henry's initial entrance into the gangster lifestyle, the brutal spider murder, the Billy Batts scene, THE look from Jimmy Conway and the ending. Many debate which is the ultimate mob movie, The Godfather or GoodFellas. Ultimately The Godfather is the denser and deeper film, classical music to the rock concert that is GoodFellas. GoodFellas is the faster and rawer film yet ultimately they are two sides of the same coin. GoodFellas ends with a rocked up cover version of My Way and there is the distinction, if My Way were to be played in The Godfather it would be the original Sinatra version, yet in GoodFellas it is a rockier cover version.
Beyond the memorable images and sequences, the great direction by Scorsese, the moments of shocking violence and the superb performances, the reason why GoodFellas works so well and has gone down in film history is its simplicity. Crime doesn't pay, its a simple and age old message yet one that is expressed in GoodFellas in the most elaborate, stylish, brutal and memorable manner. All great films have a simple message at the heart of it and it is the strength of these simple messages that make it relatable and real.
What do you think of GoodFellas? What is your favourite scene? Who gave your favourite performance? How do you think it compares to The Godfather? Should Scorsese have won the Oscar for this instead of The Departed? Let us know in the comments below or give us your own review/analysis in the Your Say section.
By Movie Parliament Prime Minister
Michael Dalton
As a film enthusiast, it is impossible not to appreciate and admire GoodFellas and the scenes shown above are just a selection. There is the fantastic opening sequence which details Henry's initial entrance into the gangster lifestyle, the brutal spider murder, the Billy Batts scene, THE look from Jimmy Conway and the ending. Many debate which is the ultimate mob movie, The Godfather or GoodFellas. Ultimately The Godfather is the denser and deeper film, classical music to the rock concert that is GoodFellas. GoodFellas is the faster and rawer film yet ultimately they are two sides of the same coin. GoodFellas ends with a rocked up cover version of My Way and there is the distinction, if My Way were to be played in The Godfather it would be the original Sinatra version, yet in GoodFellas it is a rockier cover version.
Beyond the memorable images and sequences, the great direction by Scorsese, the moments of shocking violence and the superb performances, the reason why GoodFellas works so well and has gone down in film history is its simplicity. Crime doesn't pay, its a simple and age old message yet one that is expressed in GoodFellas in the most elaborate, stylish, brutal and memorable manner. All great films have a simple message at the heart of it and it is the strength of these simple messages that make it relatable and real.
What do you think of GoodFellas? What is your favourite scene? Who gave your favourite performance? How do you think it compares to The Godfather? Should Scorsese have won the Oscar for this instead of The Departed? Let us know in the comments below or give us your own review/analysis in the Your Say section.
By Movie Parliament Prime Minister
Michael Dalton
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