The Truth About The Mob Particularly Its Decline

Rating: 10/10 (7 September 2017)

Robert De Niro,Ray Liotta and Joe Pesci together with Lorraine Bracco and Paul Sorvino star in this arguably greatest film about the mob - with respects to The Godfather saga particularly the first part - in this Martin Scorsese film based on the book written by Nicholas Pillegi's bestselling book "Wise Guy" known as "Goodfellas".
It details the story of mob informant Henry Hill,portrayed by Liotta, about his twenty-five year life in the mob from 1955 when he was 12 years old until 1980 when he cooperated with the FBI that put his fellow mobsters into jail particularly Jimmy "The Gent" Conway,portrayed by De Niro; and mob underboss Paul Cicero,portrayed by Sorvino.It details into Hill's criminal life that he is involved in like extortion,robbery,hijacking and murder. It also provides the viewer the benefits that entails being part of the mob like the amount of money they are able to earn and the ability to be given special treatment particularly not going in line at Copacabana as well as the respect they achieve from the people in the neighborhood.
Many film viewers in the past have accused of The Godfather of glamorizing mobsters particularly the mafia Dons like Don Vito Corleone and his successor Michael Corleone particularly the first part.While I certainly do not agree with the critics considering that the movie has shown how mob life can destroy one's family as shown in the movie,Scorsese made it a point for viewers to see clearly in this film how disastrous mob life is all about. It really has shown the crimes that they are involved with as well as the fear and anxiety these people constantly feel considering their way of life wherein crimes and murdering people are a parts of their daily life. It has also shown how much it lost its appeal particularly during its decline in the 1980's when the FBI intensified its commitment of putting people involved in organized crime behind bars.We get to see how the main characters ended up getting murdered like Tommy DeVito,portrayed by Pesci in his Oscar winning performance or how they spent the rest of their life in jail just like Cicero and Conway; and how fellow members of the mob made deals with the FBI like Hill in order to corroborate against their fellow mobsters or friends in the crimes that they are involved in and enter a Witness Protection Program to protect them from the mob.
After watching this film since its release 27 years ago while this review is written,I must say that it really could be considered the best film about the mob as it is based on a true story and a true account of mob life particularly the so-called foot soldiers a.k.a wise guys or better yet goodfellas who does hits for the mob instead of a fictional account about Dons or leaders of organized crime families in The Godfather saga.It also provides us how truly unappealing this way of life is especially now that the mob no longer provides that much impact in society and the advancement of technology that have benefited the FBI in terms of investigation of mobsters and the deals or programs that mobsters get into whenever they help the FBI in bringing down organized crimes.This film makes it clear in that regard unlike The Godfather saga considering that the mob are still in their glory years during the settings of the three part movies during the 50's,60's and 70's unlike this movie when it was released in 1990.
Overall,Goodfellas shows that truth about the mob,its way of life, and its decline from the time it was released until the present time.