Great gangster film

Rating: 9/10 (17 March 2015)

Goodfellas is definitely one of the best gangster movies I have ever seen. Martin Scorsese directed this film perfectly with a pistol whipping cast. This film is based on a true story about Henry Hill, and how he strives from a kid to an adult to be a gangster in the life of the Italian mafia. The film is set between 1955 and the late 1970's in East New York, Brooklyn.
The cast is filled with some of the biggest stars of the early nineties. Including Ray Liotta, who played the main character Henry Hill. Along with Robert De Niro as Jimmy Conway, also known as Jimmy "the gem", and Joe Pesci who played Tommy DeVito. These actors do an outstanding job on screen of portraying the classic gangster theme. I could not be distracted throughout watching this film. It literally sucked me into the story.
Martin Scorsese did an outstanding job with the cast, production, music, and the story of the gangster life in New York. Henry Hill wanted to be a gangster since he was a kid. Watching the gangsters around the neighborhood, he desired more and more to be like them. He was intrigued from the start and wanted a life of no limits. Henry, Jimmy, and Tommy were a great trio of hardcore gangsters who demanded respect and didn't take crap from anyone.
The film is full of countless gangsters with a great script and superb music and sound. The soundtrack really pulled me into the era of the 60's and 70's. The costumes and clothes were done very well. The costume and makeup design mirrored the era very well. The film also had a great amount of gangster crime and violence that kept my attention the whole time.
The lighting in the film was mostly dark. Some of these scenes were in a club and bars so it matched perfectly for a gangster setting. Scorsese also did well during a scene where the trio was digging up an old friend and the lighting was dark and foggy. The lighting in this scene also had a red tint to it. Another great scene was a classic slow motion up close shooting by tommy DeVito. You can see each empty shell fly out of the pistol in slow motion. The communication of the brutal violence of the mafia was well received.
Overall, the film had every element of the gangster life. The film told the story very well and kept me entertained as much as when I was watching The Godfather. Both are classic gangster films that will never be forgotten for years to come.