Goodfellas has to be one of the very best gangster films ever made. Based on the true story of self-styled wiseguy Henry Hill, the film transfers the epic trials and tribulations of The Godfather to the suburban metropolis of New York.
The Last Temptation of Christ
Scorsese was still reeling from the controversy that had greeted his religious epoch The Last Temptation of Christ when Goodfellas came out. If anything was going to add fuel to the fire, the expletive-ridden, violence soaked mobster flick Goodfellas was bound to do it. But for Scorsese, after all the difficulties of Last Temptation, Goodfellas must have seemed like a walk in the park. It was, after all, a homecoming of sorts for the Italian/American director. Goodfellas took him back to his roots, to do what he does best; namely astutely observed films about modern day gangsters. For Scorsese, Goodfellas picks up where Mean Streets left off.
Nick Pileggi - Author of Wiseguy
Former crime reporter Nick Pileggi wrote the book Wiseguy, on which Goodfellas is based. He'd spent four years interviewing the real Henry Hill before he collaborated with Scorsese on the screenplay. This time and effort clearly paid off in creating a frighteningly convincing picture of daily life for a wiseguy. The film is a snapshot of a certain time and place. A veritable who's who of the Italian/American Mafia in the sixties and seventies.
Violence, Beauty and the Preparation of Food in Goodfellas
With Goodfellas, what Pileggi and Scorsese managed to capture was not just the big picture but the subtle, minute details. The meticulous preparation of food, which continues even when the gang are behind bars, and the day long sessions for wives and girlfriends at the beauty salons. The preparation of pasta in Goodfellas has even led to its inclusion on several lists of all time greatest foodie films. But whilst there is an undeniable feel-good aspect to certain parts of Goodfellas, the over-riding state that presides over Henry Hill's life is one of constant fear. Goodfellas basks in the highs and lows of Mafia life. The pinnacle of what it is to be a made man, and the brutal reality of the violence that gets you there. The seductive side of the Mafia runs parallel to acts of gruesome and sickening assault.
De Niro as Jimmy, Liotta as Henry and Pesci as Tommy
Goodfellas is a character driven film, which provides its actors with roles they can really get their teeth into. Longstanding Scorsese collaborator Robert De Niro's character Jimmy has the best introduction as the kind of person who "roots for the bad guys in the movies". Ray Liotta, as Henry, is the films narrator and window into the world of Goodfellas for the audience. And then there is Joe Pesci; a complete revelation as startlingly brutal psychopath Tommy. The story of these main three characters follows a pseudo-tragic structure, as lies and betrayal of Shakespearean proportions slowly reveals the characters as nothing but shallow and self serving.
Music and Camerawork in Goodfellas
Scorsese emphasises the realism of Goodfellas by using documentary style camerawork and past-tense voice-overs from Henry Hill and his wife Karen (Lorraine Bracco). He also sets the tone of scenes by using popular music from the era. In fact, the Goodfellas soundtrack, featuring songs by Muddy Waters, Dean Martin, The Shangri-Las and Scorsese favourites The Rolling Stones, is well worth acquiring on its own. The most famous and beautifully choreographed scene of all is Henry and Karen's entrance to the Copacabana club. The camera pursues them relentlessly as they weave their way through the busy kitchen to a table on the front row. This scene is so full of movement, energy and excitement, and Henry is so full of charisma, it's immediately apparent why Karen allows herself to be drawn into the role of gangster's moll.
With Goodfellas, Scorsese produced an intelligent, hugely gripping drama about gangsters. A film both entertaining and eye-poppingly brutal at the same time. It may not have delivered Scorsese his first Oscar – he had to wait for The Departed to achieve that honour – but it is arguably still his best film to date. An undisputed modern classic.
- Goodfellas
- Directed by Martin Scorsese
- Written by Nicholas Pileggi
- Starring: Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco
- Year of release: 1990
- Running time: 146 minutes
Further reading: Readers may be interested in this article about Infernal Affairs, the film Martin Scorsese re-made as the Oscar winning The Departed.
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