Goodfellas

Goodfellas
source
Name	Goodfellas
Caption	Theatrical release poster
Director	Martin Scorsese
Producer	Irwin Winkler, Robert Chartoff
Based on	"Wiseguy" by Nicholas Pileggi
Starring	Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco, Paul Sorvino
Music	Various artists
Cinematography	Michael Ballhaus
Editing	Thelma Schoonmaker
Studio	Warner Bros. Pictures, Chas. F. Feldman Group
Distributor	Warner Bros. Pictures
Released	1990
Runtime	146 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$25 million
Gross	$46.8 million

Goodfellas

Goodfellas is a 1990 American crime film directed by Martin Scorsese adapted from the 1986 non-fiction book "Wiseguy" by Nicholas Pileggi, chronicling the rise and fall of mob associate Henry Hill. The film stars Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, and Joe Pesci and is noted for its kinetic cinematography, naturalistic dialogue, and depiction of organized crime in New York City. Widely acclaimed by critics and filmmakers, it has influenced subsequent films, television series, and cultural portrayals of the American Mafia.

Plot

The narrative follows Henry Hill, a middleman affiliated with the Lucchese crime family who aspires to be a made man during the postwar era through the 1970s and 1980s, narrated by Henry in voice-over. Early scenes depict Henry as a youth idolizing local mobsters such as Jimmy Conway and Tommy DeVito, engaging with figures linked to the Apalachin meeting era and the milieu of Hell's Kitchen, while participating in labor racketeering schemes involving the International Longshoremen's Association. The film depicts high-profile crimes including a Lufthansa heist mirroring the real Lufthansa heist and the escalating violence culminating in revenge killings tied to disputes with the Bonanno crime family and internal betrayals. As narcotics addiction, paranoia, and FBI investigations led by agents using RICO-era tactics close in, Henry's cooperation with law enforcement precipitates witness protection relocation and the dissolution of his underworld relationships.

Production

Scorsese read Pileggi's "Wiseguy" and collaborated with the author on the screenplay; pre-production involved research into associates of the Lucchese crime family and consultation with real-life figures. Principal photography used long takes and tracking shots planned with cinematographer Michael Ballhaus and editor Thelma Schoonmaker, with locations across Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan to evoke postwar New York. The production faced challenges including casting decisions influenced by prior Scorsese collaborations with Robert De Niro and the search for a lead reflecting the biographical Henry Hill; Ray Liotta was cast after roles in Field of Dreams and Something Wild. Score and soundtrack choices eschewed an original orchestral score in favor of licensed period songs spanning 1950s rock and roll to 1970s soul, cleared through labels such as Capitol Records and Atlantic Records. Producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff navigated studio budgets at Warner Bros., while set design recreated interiors reminiscent of nightclubs associated with figures in the film.

Cast and Characters

The ensemble cast blended established stars and character actors. Ray Liotta portrays Henry Hill, drawing on testimony from Pileggi and the real Hill; Robert De Niro plays Jimmy Conway, a role informed by career portrayals of mob figures such as in The Godfather Part II; Joe Pesci plays Tommy DeVito, an unpredictable killer whose performance earned industry attention. Supporting roles include Lorraine Bracco as Karen Hill, whose arc intersects with Atlantic City-style casino culture, and Paul Sorvino as Paulie Cicero, modeled on high-ranking bosses of the Five Families. Character actors such as Frank Vincent, Tony Darrow, and Chuck Low populate the world, embodying capos, hitmen, and associates tied to real events like the Lufthansa theft and debt collection rackets.

Themes and Style

The film explores loyalty, ambition, and the banality of criminal violence through techniques associated with Scorsese's oeuvre, including frenetic editing, voice-over narration, and telephoto compositions evoking films by Alfred Hitchcock and contemporaries like Francis Ford Coppola. Themes include the corrupting allure of wealth manifested through conspicuous consumption in scenes referencing Las Vegas gambling culture and the ethical compromises of immigrant communities in New York City. Stylistically, the use of long takes (notably a famed tracking shot through a nightclub) and a jukebox soundtrack creates counterpoint between upbeat popular music and brutal acts, echoing influences from directors such as Orson Welles and editors like Dede Allen. The depiction of organized crime engages with legal responses, including RICO prosecutions and witness protection outcomes, while interrogating masculinity, honor codes, and familial bonds.

Release and Reception

Released by Warner Bros. Pictures in 1990, the film premiered to critical acclaim at festivals and critics' screenings, garnering praise from publications aligned with critics like Roger Ebert and institutions such as the National Society of Film Critics. Box office performance was solid for a mature-rated crime drama, with subsequent home video and cable television airings expanding its audience. Retrospective assessments place the film among Scorsese's definitive works alongside Taxi Driver and Raging Bull; it appears on numerous critics' lists and in archives curated by organizations like the American Film Institute and the British Film Institute. Some commentators and community groups criticized the film for glamorizing criminal life, prompting scholarly debate in journals addressing film studies and cultural history.

Awards and Legacy

The film received multiple Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director for Martin Scorsese, and acting nominations for Joe Pesci (who won Best Supporting Actor), Lorraine Bracco, and Ray Liotta. It earned honors from the BAFTA Awards, Golden Globe Awards, and guilds such as the Directors Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild. Goodfellas has had enduring influence on filmmakers and television creators behind series like The Sopranos and films such as Casino, shaping portrayals of organized crime, heist narratives, and antihero protagonists. The film is preserved in national film registries and studied in academic curricula on cinema, narrative, and law enforcement history, continuing to inform popular culture references, parodies, and scholarly analyses.

Category:1990 films