17. Goodfellas

This was a surprisingly enjoyable film about a group of Italian-American US mobsters. If you are not into mob movies, but are interested in dabbling in the genre then I recommend Goodfellas (1990). Goodfellas is based on a true story and book. In this film we follow the life of Henry Hill and learn what his experiences in the mob were like and how they impacted his relationship with Karen Hill and fellow mobsters Jimmy Conway and Tommy DeVito. Goodfellas educates us on the dynamics of crime syndicates and the impact this has on the lives of the participants.

Goodfellas is directed by Martin Scorsese and is based on the 1985 book, ‘Wiseguy’ by Nicholas Pileggi who also assisted Scorsese with the screenplay. Ray Liotta stole the show as the lead Henry Hill and we see another Robert De Niro film scoring highly among the IMDb community, as he stars as gangster James Conway. Goodfellas is pioneering because of how it shifted the narrative towards the way each character chooses to live and express themselves and explores how each mobster relates to their peers. This film is not for the faint hearted because it is not violence shy, but it serves to demonstrate the lengths people are willing to go to in the name of materialism and money. The film can be credited for how realistic it appears to be in its portrayal of the lifestyles of the mobsters due to Scorsese’s attention to detail in filming coupled with Peliggi’s focus on themes within the story owed to his journalistic experienced.

This film scored a solid 65 for me because of its authenticity. The costume design was very effective in representing this version of mobsters. Smart attire is synonymous with gangsters and in this instance, giant collars are a criminal signifier. While they are a strange touch at first, they have become an integral part to identifying the film. Scenes from this film have been depicted in memes and the collars, for anyone in the know, will tell you that the picture is from Goodfellas! Watch this film for a taste of mob life.

Judging Criteria

SCRIPTURAL INTEGRATION - 20 points: 12

STORY/SCREENPLAY - 10 points: 6

DIRECTOR - 10 points:6

CINEMATOGRAPHY - 10 points:6

EDITOR - 10 points:6

PRODUCTION DESIGN - 10 points:6

ORIGINAL MUSIC SCORE or SCORE EFFECTIVENESS (if not original) - 10 points: 8

SOUND DESIGN - 10 points:7

ACTING - 10 points: 8

TOTAL SCORE 100 POINTS. : 65