Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas is one of the greatest cinematic rides ever made. It’s the Italian-American gangster mythos edited together with rapid-fire precision and the elegance of a ballroom dance. The film is currently celebrating its 25th anniversary, and there’s no doubt this iconic piece of American film deserves its night out on the town. Lucky for you, the limited engagement lasts longer than that. Goodfellas is playing at the Film Forum for an entire week (from June 19 through June 25). Here are 5 reasons you need to see it on the big screen.
5) It Features Dozens of Seminal Scenes
A legend in his own right, Michael Powell realized how cinematic this script could be if done properly. His vision was failing, and he got his wife (Scorsese’s late editor, Thelma Schoonmaker) to read it to him as he shut his eyes. Immediately after, he urged Scorsese to direct. “This is wonderful. You must do it. It’s funny and no one’s ever seen this way of life before.” He was right, and how lucky for us. This film contains more iconic scenes than another filmmaker’s entire filmography. Who can forget the Copacabana one-shot, or the introductory freeze-frame of a young Henry Hill running away from an exploding Cadillac. The Italian food at Paulie’s, the beautiful dinners cooked in prison and Paulie’s technique of chopping onions. The contact-paranoia and anxiety from Henry’s coked out helicopter dodging Sunday. This film doesn’t let up, and there’s always something interesting to focus on.
4) Robert De Niro
After the 1970s, Robert De Niro was a god. Every young actor strived for that level of professionalism and on-screen power. Goodfellas strongly reminds us how great he really was. His introduction as the infamous Jimmy Conway, for example, gives us a real sense of how impressive that character was to a young Henry Hill. De Niro’s rage at his partners in crime when he sees all the extravagant things they bought with the Lufthansa heist money is simultaneously hilarious and unnerving. “Give me the fucking money!” he roars into Morrie’s ears, whose embarrassingly cheap wig falls off as he’s getting choked with a telephone cable. Sending Karen down that dark, ominous alley, to possibly ‘get rid of her’, makes us realize how impressionable we are as an audience. Or the sad, lost puppy-dog we see once Pesci’s initiation doesn’t go as planned. These are wonderful character moments played with complete sincerity, that help tell this story. De Niro paints a full picture of this character through moments of aggression, power, and helplessness.
3) Scorsese’s Power and Control of the Big Screen
There are far too many films that don’t take full advantage of their medium. Scorsese has always utilized the frame as effectively as possible, and Goodfellas is a prime example of that. You may have seen this film dozens of times, at home on the couch, or on a friend’s TV and yet the big screen and the surrounding darkness "reveal" several moments for the first time. Henry and Karen’s wedding dance, for example, was somewhat of a transitional scene until now. This time around, I really got a sense of how in love the two really were, and that made later scenes far more effective. And who doesn’t want to see all of these pristine Martin Scorsese montages on the big screen?
2) Unknown Supporting Actors, Now Famous
Goodfellas has a very extensive cast. You’re introduced to so many people from the neighborhood, so rapidly, that it’s easy to forget a supporting character or two. People such as Kevin Corrigan playing Ray Liotta’s brother, Michael. Michael Imperioli - who’d later be cast in The Sopranos - as the unfortunate Spider. Or Michael’s doctor, who’s played by Isiah Whitlock, Jr. from The Wire. And, of course, our favorite getaway driver, Stacks, played by the oh so young Samuel L. Jackson.
1) It's the Greatest American Gangster Film of All Time
Goodfellas has resonated with audiences for decades, and is by far the most influential gangster film ever made. From Quentin Tarantino to Edgar Wright, Scorsese has affected the artistic sensibilities of an entire generation of artists. This film is so definitive, even the Italian Mafia approves of its authenticity. According to Scorsese, “When the Sicilian police finally broke up the Mafia in the early nineties, they arrested…the second in command - and an Italian reporter asked him if any movie about that world was accurate. And he said, ‘Well, Goodfellas, in the scene where the guy says, ‘Do you think I’m funny?’ Because that’s the life we lead. You could be smiling and laughing one second, and (snaps fingers) in a split second you’re in a situation where you could lose your life.”
Goodfellas will play a limited engagement at Film Forum from June 19-25. For tickets and more click here.
