The Mobster Film Blueprint

Rating: 8/10 (31 March 2019)

The success of The Godfather Trilogy, Scarface, and The Untouchables has made it clear that America loves a good gangster film. One the most recognizable and high performing gangster films of the 20th century is Martin Scorsese's 1990 work Goodfellas. Featuring mobster staples Robert De Niro as Jimmy and Joe Pesci as Tommy, Goodfellas tells the life tale of mobster turned informant Henry Hill (Ray Liotta). Starting humbly as a cabbie in New York, Henry becomes a well respected mobster by age 21. However, after a stint in jail with other members of the crew, Henry turns to the drug game even though his boss, Pauly, orders him not to. After a successful FBI sting, Henry is faced with two options: get whacked by his paranoid cronies or sell them out for a seat in witness protection.
Goodfellas features the full Scorsese palette: engaging montage, Irish-American identity, dirty New York, and narrative voice over. Ray Liotta captivates the audience with his performance, often appearing like a victim more than a criminal. Joe Pesci is despicable as a violent and ill-tempered Italian mobster. Even though the film spans over 30 years, every scene feels authentic. Cars, clothing, and word choice are accurate to their respective era.
The only problems with the film are a plethora of continuity errors. This seems like a trivial complaint, but the coming and going of objects within the same instance at different camera angles is extremely distracting.
With a run time of 2 hours and 26 minutes, Goodfellas is full of narrative delight and character growth. It engenders a warm sense of unity within the Italian-American mob. Each viewer is jealous of the love and opulence shared by its members. But all of that is stripped away in the final act as the true motivators behind the mob's actions (lust, greed, and violence) tear it apart. Brother turns on brother and Made Men become funny guys... funny dead guys.