Goodfellas
Martin Scorsese ’s gangster epicGoodfellasis renowned as one of the greatest movies ever made . It ’s also one of the most influential films of the past three decades . Goodfellashas been acclaimed for many aspects , from its tight - pace redaction to its soundtrack needle - free fall to the incredible public presentation by actors like Robert De Niro , Joe Pesci , and the recent , great Ray Liotta .
Like most of Scorsese ’s films , it also has arresting cinematography . Shot by Michael Ballhaus , one of Scorsese ’s go - to cameraman , Goodfellashas some of the most iconic shot ever put on plastic film , like the diner dolly zoom and the Copacabana tracking stroke .
“As Far Back As I Can Remember…”
Goodfellasopens in spiritualist res as Jimmy , Henry , and Tommy drive out to the woods in the midriff of the dark to bury the body of a made valet de chambre they killed , only to find that he ’s not quite idle yet . Tommy stabs Billy Batts a few times , then Jimmy riddles him with bullets . On the tree trunk slamming shut , Tony Bennett ’s “ Rags to Riches ” kicks in on the soundtrack and the camera swoop in on Henry ’s face , illuminated by the violent radiance of the car ’s taillights .
Henry ’s iconic , ironic voiceover narration tell the audience , “ As far back as I can remember , I always wanted to be a gangster . ” This compounding of range , euphony , and dialogue manages to sum up the thesis of the pic in the opening night scene : Henry daydream of the garishness and glamor of Maffia life , but he was n’t prepared to do the dirty workplace of a mid - level mobster .
Young Henry Shows Off His Snazzy Suit
The first deed ofGoodfellasdetails Henry ’s childhood . He vamoose shoal to do odd jobs for the mob and start out skim in a ton of cash . Henry ’s mother opens the door to see her Word dressed to the nines in a snazzy new suit .
The television camera follow her incredulous gaze as she seem him up and down and says , “ My God … you look like a mobster ! ” This shot is so memorable that it was repair inThe Simpsonswhen Bart started play for Fat Tony .
Frozen Corpses
After Jimmy orders a string of macabre mob hit , there ’s a muscular montage of corpses being discovered around the metropolis in scrap cable car and garbage trucks .
The second one-half ofDerek and the Dominos ’ “ Layla ” playson the soundtrack during this collage . In perhaps the most distressful consequence in this chronological succession , some quick-frozen bodies are found in an industrial deep freezer .
Henry Pistol-Whips Karen’s Neighbor
This might not be the movie ’s most iconic tracking scene , but it ’s still an unforgettable instant . Karen calls Henry after being sexually assaulted by her neighbor Bruce . An enraged Henry marches across the street , uses a handgun to pulsate Bruce to a pulp in front of his panic-stricken friend , then get back across the street and gives the blood - soaked accelerator pedal to Karen to veil .
This shot is a verbatim reference to John Wayne ’s net face-off with Montgomery Clift in Howard Hawks ’ 1948 westernRed River . In both case , the hero ’s act of violence is motivated by love .
Tommy Gets Whacked
When Tommy mean he ’s getting made , he gets dressed up and take a ride to the ceremony . The horrifying rug - pull that awaits him is burn together absolutely . Tommy walks into a house with two sinister strong-armer near behind him .
As shortly as he take in that the house is empty , he realizes he ’s been fob – but it ’s too recent to do anything about it . He ’s shot in the back of the capitulum . An overhead dart captures Tommy ’s corpse decline down onto the floor , pouring blood all over the carpet , as his individual leave his body .
Jimmy Decides To Kill Morrie
When Jimmy at long last reaches the last stalk with Morrie , he determine to just stamp out him . Cream ’s “ Sunshine of Your Love ” blaring onto the soundtrack as the photographic camera pushes in on Jimmy smoking a cigarette at the bar , coming to this realization .
Conveyed wholly throughthe act in Robert De Niro ’s eyes , Jimmy gain at this moment that he could just encounter off everybody else involved in the Lufthansa heist and keep the whole gelt for himself .
The Diner Dolly Zoom
When the law is closing in on them , Jimmy cope with Henry at a dining car . Dolly zooms are often used to conduct rising tension . These are commonly quick zoom on a close - up , likeChief Brody witnessing a shark attackat a crowded beach inJaws .
But inGoodfellas ’ diner panorama , Scorsese utilise a slow dolly soar on a two - shot . This is n’t a jump panic attack , but it ’s still used to build up tenseness . Jimmy and Henry are running out of option , and Henry might not be able to trust Jimmy .
Henry Wakes Up To Karen Pointing A Gun At Him
After being leave out and cheated on and left alone to look after the small fry for months , Karen finally get through her breaking point and holds a gun to Henry ’s head while he ’s asleep .
He wakes up looking down the barrel of a loaded pistol held by his pooh-pooh mate . A point - of - view scene puts the audience in Henry ’s terrifying situation , bolstered with a shot - turnabout shot on Henry ’s bewildered reaction .
Tommy Shoots At The Camera
At the end of the pic , as Henry settles into his terrestrial suburban world as a Union witness , he stare out of his front threshold . Scorsese abruptly cuts to Tommy provoke a pistol at the tv camera ina nod to Edwin S. Porter ’s seminal silent westernThe Great Train Robbery .
This shot resolves the moving-picture show ’s cautionary fib about a life of offence . Henry will have to keep looking over his shoulder . Now that he ’s gotten into organized crime , he ’ll unavoidably meet the same fate as his friend .
The Copacabana Tracking Shot
well the most iconic shot inGoodfellasis the meticulously choreographed Copacabana tracking shot . This might be the most memorable oner in motion-picture show history .
On top of the impressive technological achievement , this shot does a with child job of show how Karen is seduced by the criminal life-style . Henry does n’t have to await in line ; he just enters the clubhouse through the kitchen . He does n’t have to reserve a tabular array ; the staff will bring one out for him .
NEXT:10 Scorsese Trademarks In Goodfellas
