A Mob-Epic!

Rating: 10/10 (13 March 2005)

There is a fascination with the underworld that exists in everyone. We find ourselves drawn to the headlines of gang wars and those caught in the middle. After all, Al Copone was a crook, but also a celebrity. It is this fascination that has captivated audiences with gangster pictures from the 1930s with James Cagney in "The Public Enemy" to the more recent "Goodfellas" from director Martin Scorsese. The latter picture, with its sense of realism, like "The Public Enemy" stands the test of time. Its characters are every bit as terrifying, especially Tommy De Vito played by Joe Pesci as was Cagney's portrayal of Tom Powers. And of course with Robert De Niro and Ray Liotta, one can only expect explosive portrayals.
"Goodfellas" tells the story of Henry Hill (Liotta), who from childhood had aspirations of being a gangster. He starts out small, parking Cadillacs for wise guys and eventually works his way up to top of the food chain. By the time he is 21, he has more money than anyone else does his age, a sexy girlfriend, and the respect of the mob. Henry soon teams up with Tommy De Vito (Pesci) and the two work the streets with Jimmy Conway (De Niro) for Paul Cicero (Paul Sorvino). What begins, as robbery becomes another crime: murder, extortion, booze, etc. But after Henry gets married and finds himself rooted deeper into the mob, he begins to take on more than he can handle. Director Scorsese grew up on the streets of New York and witnessed the rough life that people could have. He incorporates his own history into the characters of the film. This is a common practice in most of his films from "Raging Bull," "Taxi Driver," and "Mean Streets," as he has a fascination and love for the Big Apple. But the most obvious aspect of that life is the violence. It is portrayed in "Goodfellas" from a realistic point of view. Scorsese does not hide the blood. He does not hide way people die or where they may end up. He simply shows the gut-wrenching reality of the mob world as is. The most affective example of that realistic violence is Pesci's performance, which garnered him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 1990. Tommy's character is a homicidal maniac, and a reminder of Cagney's performance in "White Heat." Pesci is horrifying to watch in action. From the opening scene where he stabs a body that is not quite dead, to his shooting of a young man named Spider who is slow to serve him a drink, the man is simply on fire. Pesci had a similar affect in "Raging Bull." As such, "Goodfellas" is Pesci's "Raging Bull." A scene in "Raging Bull" shows Pesci throwing a drink in a guy's face, then after a merciless beating, drags the guy out onto the street and repeatedly thrashes the man with a car door as the man's body lays half in the car and half outside it. The scene is horrific, but also enthralling. What is even more affective is Scorsese's use of music throughout the film. The time frame ranges from the 1960s to the late 1980s and the film's soundtrack plays like a time warp. The best use of music is Eric Clapton's "Layla," in which Scorsese plays the song's last four minutesa piano and guitar duo that masterfully captures the feeling for the events in the film. Ultimately, "Goodfellas" is the equivalent of a mob-epic. Like the gangster pictures of the 1930s, there is also social commentaryit is the government that tries to crack down on these criminals, however, it is the police and other public sectors that are hand-in-hand with the moband little is ever done to change the situation. ****