Modern Classic

Rating: 10/10 (22 January 2014)

"It was a glorious time." Glorious doesn't begin to describe this 1990 gangster flick by Martin Scorsese, starring Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci and the inevitable Robert De Niro. It quickly became a cult classic and therefore it was no coincidence that legendary film critic Roger Ebert called it the greatest mob film of all time.
Goodfellas deals with the rise and downfall of half-Irish, half- Italian mobster Henry Hill. Born in an Italian-American neighborhood in Brooklyn, Henry Hill is soon intrigued by the lifestyle of the local mafia family. Henry becomes a part of the crime organization, which includes Jimmy Conway (Robert De Niro) and Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci). Henry enjoys the luxuries of being with the mafia for several years and finds a wife in Karen (Lorraine Bracco). He earns his living by robbing, racketeering and other criminal activities. However, eventually, the gangster life becomes too much for him and in order to avoid being imprisoned, he goes into the Witness Protection Program. He incriminates all of his former friends and is forced to give up the exciting gangster lifestyle to live the rest of his life "like a schnook".
There are several reasons why Goodfellas can be considered a great film and a must-see . Firstly, Scorsese's movies are known for their adept use of music, and Goodfellas isn't any different. Nobody wanted to be in Morrie's (Chuck Low) shoes after Robert De Niro stared at him for 60 seconds, Cream's Sunshine of Your Love rendering the situation exceedingly frightening. Every scene is accompanied by music appropriate to the scene, as well as captivating the setting in which Goodfellas is set.
Secondly, the acting performances in Goodfellas are memorable to say the least. De Niro is practically born to play a mafioso, but the most remarkable performance is perhaps that of Joe Pesci, in his portrayal of Tommy DeVito, an Italian-American gangster with a short fuse. Pesci sucks all the attention towards him in every scene, which results in a great mixture of hilarious and shocking moments. Strangely, even though he has a (psychopathic) tendency towards violence, you empathize with Tommy, which is all Pesci's credit for making him a 'family man'. The Academy thankfully rewarded him for his troubles with an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
Goodfellas deals with important themes such as love, marriage, family and crime. Therefore, what makes this gangster film so enduring and interesting is the sympathetic and likable characters which the actors bring to the screen. Often, gangster movies are associated with stereotypical characters, "tough guys" who love to 'lean on a guy' or push the proverbial 'button'. However, Marty shows us the human side of these gangsters. Therefore, this duality in the characters intensifies the shock you endure when for example Tommy suddenly violently erupts.
For all the above reasons, I consider Goodfellas a must-see and modern classic like no other. Goodfellas is full of quotable and funny dialogues (funny how?) and excellent acting, making it one of the greatest movies of all time.