Goodfellas: The Ultimate Gangster Film

The Real Deal: How Goodfellas Tore Up the Gangster Movie Rulebook

Martin Scorsese’s crime masterpiece, Goodfellas, completely redefined the mobster movie category. More than three decades have passed since its explosive premiere. The film’s director, along with its principal actors, once sat down to discuss the production’s secrets, revealing the meticulous process that cemented the film as a cinematic institution. Its influence continues to permeate popular culture, from television series like The Sopranos to contemporary gangster films, demonstrating a legacy that has far outlived its initial, turbulent reception. The movie’s raw energy and unflinching examination of the lives of career criminals provided a blueprint for storytelling that values authenticity above all else, forever altering audience expectations.

A Controversial Arrival

A palpable sense of unease surrounded the debut of Goodfellas when it was shown at the Venice International Film Festival. The date was 9 September 1990. This anxiety was directly linked to the intense backlash Scorsese’s preceding movie, The Last Temptation of Christ, had provoked just two years earlier at that festival. That film incited considerable public outcry, resulting in protests and even violence. A cinema in Paris screening the film was subjected to an arson attack, and Scorsese personally endured death threats, highlighting the volatile cultural climate into which his next major work would be born. The controversy cast a long shadow, creating a charged atmosphere for the premiere of his new gangster epic.

Unpromising Previews     

Early indications for Goodfellas were not especially encouraging. Preview screenings arranged by Warner Bros. had generated unfavourable results, with numerous accounts of audience members departing in the movie's violent opening. This introduction depicts actor Joe Pesci, portraying a savage and erratic character, who uses a kitchen tool to repeatedly assault a wounded mobster. The visceral nature of the violence proved too much for some viewers, raising concerns within the studio about the film's commercial prospects. These initial reactions suggested the film might struggle to find an audience, creating significant doubt before its official release. The studio feared a repeat of past controversies and a potential box office failure.

A Triumphant Reception

However, Scorsese's concerns proved groundless. Goodfellas debuted to extensive critical praise, and he accepted the festival's Silver Lion award for his direction. The movie would later secure nominations for six Academy Awards, a testament to its powerful impact on the industry. Joe Pesci's chilling portrayal of Tommy DeVito, a character inspired by actual mobster Thomas DeSimone, secured him an Oscar in the Best Supporting Actor category. This victory was a defining moment, validating the film's uncompromising approach. Goodfellas now enjoys broad recognition as a masterpiece of cinema, a staple of film studies and a fan favourite. Its journey from controversial project to beloved classic is a remarkable story of artistic vision triumphing over initial apprehension.

A Cultural Landmark

Barely a decade following its release, the film was selected for safeguarding by the US Library of Congress for the National Film Registry. This prestigious honour is reserved for works deemed to possess significant cultural, historical, or aesthetic value. Its inclusion confirmed the film's status not just as a great piece of entertainment, but as an essential artefact of American culture. The selection underscored the movie's lasting importance and its profound influence on filmmaking. The cinematic techniques, narrative structure, and realistic depiction of the criminal subculture have been studied and emulated by countless filmmakers, cementing its place in the annals of cinema history.

The Source Material         

The motion picture draws from the top-selling 1985 book Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi and features a magnetic central role played by Ray Liotta. The book provided a detailed, first-hand account of the inner workings of the mob, offering a level of authenticity rarely seen before. Pileggi's journalism became the foundation for the film's gritty realism. It documents the true story of Henry Hill, a man of Irish-Italian descent, and his ascent and subsequent downfall within the organised crime syndicate. The narrative arc, from eager associate to disillusioned informant, provided the perfect dramatic structure for Scorsese's cinematic exploration of loyalty, betrayal, and the corrosive nature of life inside the mob.

A Criminal Apprenticeship

Henry Hill's story begins with him as an eager youth carrying out tasks for neighbourhood criminals in the Brownsville and East New York sections of Brooklyn. He progressively climbs the illegal hierarchy with support from Jimmy Conway, his mentor, played by Robert De Niro in a character drawn from the actual James "Jimmy the Gent" Burke. His other key associate is the unpredictable Tommy DeVito, played by Joe Pesci. Hill's early days are depicted as a seductive entry into a world of power and respect, where gangsters were local celebrities. The film masterfully captures the allure of this life for a youth from a working-class background, showing why someone would choose such a dangerous path.

Escalation of Crime

Hill's activities quickly escalate from peddling contraband cigarettes and engaging in arson to orchestrating hijackings and participating in savage killings. His criminal life peaked with the audacious 1978 robbery at JFK Airport, known as the Lufthansa heist. This event, one of the largest in American history at the time, yielded an estimated $5.875 million of currency and precious stones, equivalent to over $24 million today. Following this high point, Hill spiralled into drug trafficking and cocaine-induced paranoia. This descent marked the beginning of the conclusion of his high-flying criminal life, as the pressures and dangers of his lifestyle began to overwhelm him, leading to erratic and self-destructive behaviour.

The Inevitable Fall

To escape a long prison sentence or, more likely, being murdered by his own crew, Hill ultimately chose to cooperate with the FBI as an informant. He gave evidence against his one-time criminal associates, breaking the sacred code of omertà. In return, he and his family joined the government's program for protecting witnesses. This dramatic turn from insider to outcast provided the story with its powerful conclusion. The latter portion of Hill's saga also served as the basis for the 1990 comedic film My Blue Heaven, penned by Nora Ephron, Pileggi's wife. This separate project offered a lighter, more satirical take on the mobster-in-suburbia theme.

Revisiting the Streets

Scorsese had established his reputation with Mean Streets in 1973, a vivid representation of the underworld he observed during his youth in New York's Little Italy. He initially felt some hesitation about returning to the subject of mob life, fearing he might repeat himself. The director considered Mean Streets a uniquely personal project, deeply rooted in his own experiences and the lives of his childhood friends. He worried that another film in the same vein might not capture the same raw energy or personal connection. However, the unique perspective offered by Pileggi's book ultimately convinced him a fresh, powerful narrative awaited him.

The Power of Honesty

What drew Scorsese back was the remarkable sense of truthfulness in Hill's narrative, as assembled by Nick Pileggi from extensive tape recordings. The director found that Hill's recollections possessed a wonderful, unvarnished honesty. This wasn't the mythologised world of The Godfather; it was a ground-level view of the daily grind and brutal reality of an existence built on illegal acts. It was this authenticity that appealed to Scorsese's sensibilities as a filmmaker. He saw an opportunity to strip away the romanticism often associated with the gangster genre and present a more human, and therefore more disturbing, depiction of the individuals involved.

Depicting the Lifestyle

Scorsese found Pileggi's book offered a genuinely precise insight into the lifestyle's spirit. He was captivated by the details: their manner of dressing, their eating habits, and the ceremony of meals. These everyday rituals were crucial, as they contributed to a cinematic approach that represents the figures as multifaceted people rather than one-dimensional villains. This attention to the everyday details on the domestic side of their lives made their violent actions all the more shocking. It allowed the audience to see them not as monsters, but as people who had made terrible choices, blurring the line between fascination and repulsion in a way few films had before.

Striving for Realism

Scorsese was determined for the movie to feel completely genuine. His commitment to authenticity extended to the casting process. He even hired Edward McDonald, the real-life former U.S. Attorney who handled Hill's case, to appear as himself on screen. In a key scene, McDonald is shown reenacting the conversation he originally conducted with the real Henry Hill about entering witness protection. This blending of fact and fiction was a bold move that enhanced the film's documentary-like feel. This desire to imbue the project with authenticity was shared by the entire cast, who felt a collective responsibility to do justice to the factual narrative they were bringing to life.

The Seductive Allure

The enticing elements of the underworld—the wealth, influence, and preferential treatment that captivated Hill—are showcased prominently in the film's early sections. This is most evident during a spectacular three-minute continuous camera shot, now one of the most famous sequences in cinema history. The shot trails Hill from the sidewalk, accompanied by Karen, his future wife, played by Lorraine Bracco. They move through the bustling kitchen area of the Copacabana, eventually arriving at a table specially set up for them right beside the stage. This bravura sequence wordlessly communicates the power and privilege Hill enjoys. It glamorises a lifestyle built on defiance of established power.

An Actor's Research

To make his portrayal faithful to how actual mobsters carried themselves, Robert De Niro spoke frequently by phone with the real Henry Hill, who remained in hiding. Hill would contact him from various undisclosed locations, even reaching the actor in his trailer on set. De Niro found these conversations immensely beneficial. He would use them to review the screenplay and pose specific questions about his character, Jimmy Burke. This direct line to the source material provided invaluable insights that informed his performance, adding layers of authenticity that might have otherwise been missed. The dedication to research was a hallmark of the production.

Unflinching Violence

While Goodfellas displays the superficial appeal of life within the Mafia, it unflinchingly reveals its brutal and erratic violence. The movie expertly alternates between being darkly humorous and utterly terrifying, often within the same scene. In one memorable sequence midway through, Tommy DeVito borrows a large knife from the kitchen from his doting mother while she prepares a late-night supper for him and his companions. The casual domesticity of the scene makes the underlying violence—the knife was just used in a murder—all the more jarring. This juxtaposition of the mundane and the monstrous is a key element of the film’s disturbing power.

A Famous Scene's Origin

The film's iconic scene known as "Funny how?", where the atmosphere shifts from lightheartedness to palpable fear and back again, was not in Pileggi's book. The tense exchange, in which Tommy appears to take extreme offence at a casual comment from Henry, was added to the screenplay following a personal story from Joe Pesci. The account came from Pesci's youth, when he was employed as a waiter and made an ill-judged remark to a mobster, who reacted menacingly. Scorsese immediately recognised the dramatic potential of the incident. The sequence expertly conveys the volatile and unpredictable nature of the characters, where danger lurks beneath even the friendliest interactions.

Exhilarating Momentum  

Goodfellas moves forward with a breathless, exhilarating momentum. The film's cinematography is fluid and often dizzying, using many techniques, including quick zooms and unsteady camera work, to keep up with the frenetic pace of the story. Scorsese had meticulously planned his filming approach for every sequence. His goal was to evoke a feeling of thrilling excitement while also demonstrating how quickly situations could unravel quickly. The camera often glides along with the characters during their conversations, immersing the viewers into their environment. This dynamic visual style was revolutionary and became a signature element of Scorsese's later work, influencing a generation of filmmakers.

Meticulous Planning

The director's careful planning extended to the camera's trajectory, which was often determined before filming locations were even secured. Scorsese explained that for a sequence such as the holiday party, he knew exactly how the camera would follow Henry from the doorway to the bar and into an adjoining room. He had planned the camera movements and then matched them to the filming sites. On occasions where a chosen site prevented him from achieving the shot he had envisioned, the production would find a new place to film rather than compromise the visual plan. This dedication to a specific cinematic language gives the film its remarkable coherence and propulsive energy.

The Editor's Cut

The film's tension is amplified by the masterful editing of Thelma Schoonmaker, Scorsese’s frequent and celebrated collaborator. She employs techniques like the use of still images to emphasize critical junctures in Henry Hill's narrative, effectively stopping time to let a key moment sink in. As the movie hurtles toward its finale, the editing becomes progressively more abrupt and frenetic. These swift, jarring cuts effectively mirror Hill's disordered mental condition. His state of being, deteriorating from increased drug use and a frantic paranoia about being watched by a police helicopter, is translated directly into the film's rhythm, creating a uniquely immersive and unsettling viewing experience.

A Paranoid State    

Schoonmaker noted that as they worked on the film's frantic final act, they discovered they could increase the editing speed more and more to reflect the character's cocaine-fuelled state. They began using jump cuts to create a fragmented, jagged sensation that mirrored the chaotic activity inside Hill’s brain. While there was little improvisation on set due to Scorsese's meticulous planning of camera angles and movements, his precise vision was key to conveying this feeling of paranoia. He held precise ideas for how to visually and rhythmically translate Hill's internal turmoil onto the screen, and Schoonmaker’s editing was the final, crucial piece of that puzzle.

A Soundtrack in Time

The music chosen by Scorsese was vital to the film's success. He established a strict guideline for himself: the songs featured in any scene had to be from the period in which the events occurred. This rule served to anchor the viewers in a specific era, making the historical setting feel immediate and authentic. The soundtrack becomes a character in itself, guiding the audience through the decades of the story. From doo-wop to classic rock, the music is not just background noise; it is an essential component of the storytelling, evoking the mood and tone of each distinct period in Henry Hill's life.

Music as a Blueprint

Scorsese had specific songs in mind that he was certain he would use before filming even began. He had choreographed camera movements in his mind to match specific songs. It was common for him to play the selected soundtrack on set, allowing him to time a scene's action perfectly with the music's rhythm. For instance, during the montage where De Niro's character eliminates all participants in the Lufthansa robbery, Scorsese shot the scenes with the piano exit from "Layla" by Derek and the Dominos played aloud on set. This allowed him to align the camera’s movements precisely with the intended musical measures.

Reflecting the Mind

The songs frequently act as a mirror to a character's emotional state within a scene. As Hill starts his narration, Tony Bennett's "Rags to Riches" is heard, perfectly capturing the theme of his rise. "Then He Kissed Me" by The Crystals accompanies the extended tracking shot at the Copacabana, underscoring the youthful romance of his evening out with Karen. Later, "Gimme Shelter" by The Rolling Stones accompanies Hill's frantic cocaine consumption, its dark, apocalyptic tone mirroring his desperation. This careful curation of music adds another layer of psychological depth to the film, enhancing the storytelling immeasurably.

An Unrepentant End

As the movie concludes, with Hill bemoaning his monotonous suburban existence under witness protection, the choice of music offers a final, cynical commentary. The sound of Sid Vicious’s snarling punk rendition of Frank Sinatra’s classic "My Way" suggests that Hill feels little genuine remorse for his violent criminal past. He misses the power and excitement, not the morality he abandoned. This final musical cue reinforces the film's bleak message. The real Henry Hill would indeed find it hard to adapt to a normal life. He was ultimately removed from the government's witness program in the early part of the 1990s following an arrest related to drug charges, proving his old life was not so easily left behind.

A Different Kind of Mob

Where the Godfather films by Francis Ford Coppola during the 1970s examine the individuals at the peak of the Mafia’s hierarchy with a majestic, almost operatic solemnity, Goodfellas offers a frantic, ground-level perspective. It focuses on the soldiers and hustlers operating lower on the criminal ladder, exposing the utter ruthlessness required to survive. The film serves as a powerful counterpoint to the more romanticised portrayals of the mob, showing a world that is less about honour and family and more about greed and self-preservation. It is a world where loyalty is temporary and betrayal is always just around the corner.

The Illusory Glamour

As the story unfolds, the initial allure of the criminal lifestyle is methodically dismantled, revealing itself to be deceptive. The violence, initially shocking but distant, becomes chillingly authentic and personal. By the conclusion, the overwhelming majority of the characters have ended up dead, incarcerated, or deeply dissatisfied with their circumstances. The film makes it clear that the glamour is an illusion, a temporary high that inevitably leads to a devastating fall. There is no honour among these thieves, only a desperate scramble to stay on top, and the film's brutal final act leaves no doubt about the ultimate price of such a life.

A Destructive Existence

Scorsese himself described the life pursued by these characters as ultimately a hollow one. He viewed it as a shockingly vacuous existence, characterized solely by destruction rather than any form of creation or positive contribution. This perspective is woven throughout the film. The characters build nothing of lasting value; they only take, consume, and destroy, including themselves and each other. Goodfellas is not a celebration of the gangster lifestyle but a damning indictment of it. It is a cautionary tale about the corrosive effect of greed and violence, and a masterpiece of modern cinema that continues to fascinate and horrify audiences in equal measure.