Goodfelas Movie Critique

“Goodfellas” is considered by some to be the best movie of all time.  It has numerous elements that contribute to its wonderfully entertaining nature.  I would put Goodfellas in the crime/mobster genre.  In ways, it is similar to “The Godfather” as there is a lot of violence and blood, but it also has a lot of comedic elements in there so I would consider it a crime/mobster movie with a hint of comedy. 

The excessive violence such as when they shove the mailman’s head in the pizza oven because he is delivering letters of the Henry’s absence in school, or when they shoot the guy seven times, then proceed to stab him another ten times to assure he is dead.  This excessive violence is all representative of this genre.  Another representative element of the crime genre of movies is the dark lighting used throughout the movie.  Although it is not present throughout every scene, it can be seen in some, such as when they kill the guy in the back of the trunk. 

This film has an abundance of creative elements that make it simply spectacular.  I believe this film is one of the best ever at pairing music with what is going on in the movie.  There will be a violent scene on the screen, but your ears will be hearing a soft waltz, or an old Sinatra song.  Another creative element is the humor present.  Joe Pescci does a fantastic job of making the audience laugh “Do I look funny to you?”  The interaction between characters is also extremely well done.  There is a wide array of characters in the movie that adds a tremendous entertainment factor to the movie.

A wonderful thing about this movie is that it makes you feel like a gangster.  Most of us will never know the thrill of boosting a tractor trailer truck, being put on trial, committing one of the biggest heists in U.S. history, or selling stolen cigarettes off the back of a car.  This movie allows the audience to pretend, even if its for a couple of hours that they are a gangster.  It allows people such as myself, to live out a fantasy of what being in the mob would be like. 

Scorcsese does a wonderful job of bringing comedy to a fairly violent film.  There are numerous quotes that I will always remember and that still make me laugh to this day.  Whenever I order a steak at a resteraunt I think of “How do you like your steak”  “Medium rare”  “Medium rare, ehhh an aristocrat”.  The narraration of Henry Hill is very effective in providing a framework for the audience to follow and it adds a lot to the plot of the movie.

            Some critics would say that “Goodfellas” is too violent or that there are too many expletives in the movie.  Some would say that it promotes violence in youth and is bad for society.  All of the critics that have half a brain (which is surprisingly only a few because I don’t agree with half of the crap critics say) would argue that “Goodfellas” is a masterpiece that understands no boundaries of time or culture.  This is the single handed most viewed movie by me personally and it will be the first movie I show my kids.  Well maybe not the first movie but when they are old enough to understand the beauty of it I will definitely show it to them.