Godfather vs. Goodfellas

Rating: 10/10 (17 April 2006)

When speaking of gangster films, the argument will always come down to the relative supremacy of the two best offerings of the genre, Godfather and Goodfellas. The interesting parallel between these two films is realism. After the release of Godfather, writer Mario Puzo was approached by several Mafioso who assumed (incorrectly) that he was involved with the mob due to the level of perceived realism. Meanwhile, one of the biggest complaints against Goodfellas is that the violence is over-the-top and unnecessary. However, unlike Godfather, Goodfellas is based on a true story and the real Henry Hill has stated the film is 99% true. In fact, the real Tommy actually yelled "Shine these f**king shoes!" as he stomped Billy Batts. Disturbing scenes like this draw a lot of criticism for the film, however this is all an accurate depiction of mob life, so if you don't like that, then why are you watching mob films?
The story of Henry Hill is a familiar one; a young boy growing up in a tough neighborhood becomes seduced by the flashiness, respect, and perceived success of the mob. What makes Goodfellas a classic, and better than the countless others, is the stylish and effective camera-work of director Martin Scorsese. As we trace Henry's New Jersey childhood, the camera continually centers on a star struck young boy watching his heroes with admiration and wonder. This is continued throughout the film even as Henry moves into adulthood, he still looks up to Paulie like a little kid. Then there is the narration. In lesser films narration would be used to cover plot holes and force the film along. In Goodfellas, the narration is probably unnecessary, as the film would flow fine without it, but Scorsese uses it the way it is supposed to be used, to provide added insight into the characters and why Henry participates in amoral activities with such zeal. It also helps that Ray Liotta's delivery is just about perfect.
The usual theme of gangster movies is otherwise good people getting seduced into a bad lifestyle of doing horrible things for money. The interesting thing about Goodfellas is that under Scorsese's expert direction, we are the ones being seduced. An excellent example of this is the famous Copacabana date scene. In this three-minute long steadicam shot, it is almost as if we were on a date with Henry as we follow he and Karen wind their way through the back door of the famous nightclub, eventually coming out on top, as it were, into a choice spot right in front of the stage. Throughout the film, we are confronted with extremely intimate camera-work that brings us into their inner circle as they lean together conspiratorially to plan their Air France heist and others.
However, no discussion of Goodfellas would be complete without addressing the violence. Yes, it is horrible. Yes, it is graphic. Yes, it is disturbing. One thing it is not, is glorifying. The opening scene foreshadows the brutality of the last half of the film as we see a man, in a trunk, get shot multiple times, then stabbed with a kitchen knife. But once the opening credits rush across the screen, and the narration starts we can push that out of our minds and get lulled into a false sense of security by Henry's adoring praise of the wiseguy father figures who populate his childhood and the darkly humorous way the violence is handled in the first act. This all changes, however in one instant as Henry pistol-whips Karen's neighbor with the wandering hands. We are definitely made to feel as though this attack is justified, but it marks a turning point in the mood of the film. We can draw a line right at this point to divide the movie into two halves. Where as before we see the mob life through rose-colored glasses, we now begin to see the downfall of the characters that before were invincible. From here we see brutality after brutality as their situation gets more desperate and they try harder and harder to keep things together. The difference between the mood of the two halves can also be seen in the first two times Henry finds himself in court. When, as a child, Henry keeps his mouth shut and takes the fall, he is praised and congratulated by Paulie and the others. The event is seen as a rite of passage. The second time, however, no one is laughing, foreshadowing the final scenes of the film.
Goodfellas is everything Godfather is not. Where Godfather focuses on kings of the underworld, Goodfellas shows us the lives of the low level soldiers under them. When Godfather is grandiose and operatic, Goodfellas is gritty and intimate. Even though they actually have similar running times, Godfather comes off as hard to sit through, while Goodfellas is accessible, almost to a fault, as in the nearly heavy-handed technique of freezing the frame to make sure we pay attention to the particularly important moments. By drawing us into the life of one of the most mysterious and fabled aspects of American society, the mob, Martin Scorsese earns his title as the greatest living American director, and Goodfellas earns its place as the best gangster movie ever.