How Goodfellas makes you forget that every person in it is fucking evil

Goodfellas is a timeless classic. While it mainly focuses on terrible people, who do awful things right and left, audiences cannot help but be captivated because the movie is so well crafted. It is a one-in-a-million movie that succeeds for many reasons, but primarily because it shows the dirty underbelly of the mafia, has Martin Scorsese at the helm, has unbelievably good performances from all of its main cast, and feels authentic to its real-life story. 

Unlike mafia films that came before it, Goodfellas shows both sides of the mafia lifestyle. Films like The Godfather glorify the mafia lifestyle without fully showing the damage. Goodfellas devotes its entire ending to emphasizing how detrimental the mob is to all that participate and those surrounding its environment. The film's main character, Henry Hill, is the primary example of this. While he does enjoy the spoils of his enterprise for some of the film, he ends up addicted to cocaine, extremely paranoid, and with his friend actively planning his murder. The film makes his downfall a huge part of the story. In addition to Henry Hill, all of the other characters also suffer immense consequences for their involvement. Tommy Devito is shot in the back of the head by his own mob family. Jimmy Conway and Paul Cicero are turned in to law enforcement by Henry. Karen has to raise the kids by herself when Henry goes to jail, gets caught up in cocaine herself, and is forced into witness protection along with Henry at the end. Most of the other notable mobsters are murdered by Jimmy when he becomes paranoid about the Lufthansa job. Even outsiders, such as the owner of the Bamboo Lounge, Spider, and Billy Batts all suffer fatal or life-altering consequences during the film. When the dust is settled, nobody comes out unscathed. This is part of what differentiates Goodfellas from other mobster films and makes the film feel closer to the real world.

This movie wouldn’t be half as good with any other person behind the camera. There are so many little choices that Scorsese makes, many of which can only be discovered after multiple rewatches, that makes the film so dense with great content. One of the most impressive things is that Scorsese, along with the actors of course, somehow find a way to make this movie funny. There is no world where this movie should be funny, but the dialogue is so witty and well handled by the cast that the audience can’t help but chuckle during scenes like “Funny how?” or when Tuddy scolds young Henry for using three (3!) whole towels to help a wounded man in his restaurant. Then, there's the craftsmanship of the filmmaking itself. The long take on Henry and Karens’ first date comes to mind initially, but this entire film is rich with beautiful shots, subtly brilliant lighting, and masterful angling. The part that may stand out the most, however, is the sound and music. There is an argument to be made that no film has ever used music better, and Scorsese is in full control of every moment. One example, out of dozens, is when “Layla” by Derek and the Dominos plays over Jimmys' victims. It is haunting, surreal, and claims that song forever. In a career full of home runs, this may be Scorseses best work. 

For all the credit that is due behind the camera, that is not what captives an audience as they watch. It is the actors that reel in the viewer, and bring them into the world that Scorsese builds. There are five primary actors in this film, and not one of them is subpar in any way. Five brilliant actors, five brilliant performances, and suddenly the mafia men (and Karen) don’t seem so hard to root for, or at least stomach. Ray Liotta as Henry Hill is irreplaceable. His subtle facial cues, his suave nature, his charming good looks, and a touch of innocence all make this character one of the most iconic in history. His partner in crime Lorianne Bracco, playing his wife Karen, fits like a glove. These two control the tone of the movie with their narration and scenes together. Their chemistry is amazing, and Bracco is so great at playing both sides, as she starts as a straight arrow and eventually bends to Henry's will, turning to the dark side a bit herself. Then, there’s the two devils. These two are some of the most insidious, horrifying characters ever put on the big screen, and that is Joe Pesci as Tommy and Robert De Niro as Jimmy. When it comes to capturing an audience, these two are what put the nail in the coffin, except they don’t use coffins. They just dump the bodies wherever they please. Joe Pesci won the Oscar for his performance for good reason, and he probably should’ve split it with De Niro. The “glue guy” keeping it all together is Paul Scorvino as Paul Cicero, whose understated performance matches the real-life mobster who would let his actions do the talking for him. Without such a treasure trove of deep, complex performances, Goodfellas may have fallen flat. Luckily, it is an impossible task to find a more well-acted film. 

This story works because it is rooted in the real world. While it is slightly embellished like any movie based on a true story, its roots are true and real. The story's authenticity works in its favor because it doesn’t feel like a fantasy. Many of the best quotes are directly from the people themselves. Many of the events are confirmed by history. The aspirations of these characters feel real, because they are.

Goodfellas whipped the mob genre forward like a bullet train. It is a fan favorite to this day, and it’s no surprise why. The all-star team put together to create this movie came through on bringing fans what they deserved: The best mafia film ever made, and one of the greatest films of all time.