The Myth of "The Greatest Film of All Time" Brought to Glorious Life

Rating: 10/10 (13 July 2003)

If you hate mob movies, or hate Scorsese, then you probably won't be able to sit through this. But for the rest of us out there, this is arguably one of the best films of the 1990's, possibly one of the best of all time, and without a doubt one of the most influential films of the past twenty years. Every mob movie/underworld saga/generational tale/crime thriller from "Pulp Fiction" to "Boogie Nights" to "Blow" (which played like the TV movie version of a great Scorsese flick) to TV's "The Sopranos" owes a debt to this film. Scorsese was at the top of his game here, and what makes this film stand tall above all other movies of this ilk (including Scorsese's own "Casino"--a great film in its own right) is that there is an overwhelming visceral charge to the film that makes it all seem so enjoyable despite the onslaught of blood, foul language, and unsavory activities. You are made to believe that these gangsters were having the time of their lives. So too were Scorsese and pals in making the film. And lastly, so too are we the audience in watching it all. Everything came together in this film so perfectly the viewer is left feeling oddly giddy amongst all the true life bloodshed. This sense of "fun" is the one thing that his recent "Gangs of New York" was missing, and may be what keeps that film from being ranked as one of the all time greats.
As for the acting, Pesci is all at once hilarious and scary. De Niro is at his best. And Liotta gives a career defining performance (only in the recent "Narc" has he been able to recapture some of this magic).
As for some of the finer details, I dare you to find a movie that makes better use of popular music or Steady-cam shots. The cinematography, editing, set designs and costumes (that traverse the varied stylings of the 1950's , 60's, 70's and early 80's) are all pitch perfect. Is there a better scene than when Liotta takes Lorraine Braco to the Copacabana for the first time and introduces her to the perks of gangster life while "And Then he Kissed Me" plays on the soundtrack? Will you ever be able to listen to "Layla" without thinking about mob hits and a frozen body in a meat truck?
All these things, a communion with the audience (here we share Scorsese's joy both in making a film and in our watching it), top-notch production values, great performances, and a lasting influence on later films are the earmarks of a great movie, the pinnacle of a great director's career, and one of the greatest films of all time. "Goodfellas" may never reach the mythical status "The Godfather" saga did, but as great films like this are becoming few and far in between, it makes you believe in the myth of the "greatest film of all time." Maybe it is, most likely it isn't, but we the audience for a brief moment, maybe for just one scene, are pretty much convinced THIS IS IT.