Goodfellas Film Analysis

The film “Goodfellas,” directed by Martin Scorsese, is loosely based on the true story of mobster Henry Hill’s career with the mafia. The main characters in this movie are Henry Hill, played by Ray Liota, who was part of the mafia, James Conway who was a stickup/hit man, played by Robert De Niro, and Tommy DeVito, played by Joe Pesci, who was another gangster. At the beginning of the film a young Hill is seen admiring the gangsters who spend time across the street at one of their establishments. Hill can be heard talking about how much he admired gangsters, and that all he ever wanted to be was a gangster. Throughout the movie the audience gets a sense of what life as a gangster in the criminal underworld might have been like.

I believe that Hill learned most of what he knew about the criminal lifestyle at a very young age. When Hill was a teenager he began working at the cab stand which was owned by Italian gangsters. By working at the cab stand, Hill was able to associate with gangsters and learn the lifestyle of a gangster. This example allowed Hill to learn through communication through

small intimate personal groups. In the film Hill is arrested for selling stolen cigarettes; however, when Hill is in court he does not say anything to the judge and gets a relatively light sentence. Afterwards, when Hill exits the court all the gangsters are there to greet and congratulate him. Jimmy Conway says to Hill “Everybody gets pinched. But you did it right. You told ‘em nothing and they got nothing,” essentially telling Hill to never “rat” on his friends and confess their secrets and crimes to authorities.
It’s hard to say whether or not Hill was destined for a life of crime. At the beginning of the film he talks about the fact that all he ever wanted to be was a gangster. I believe Hill only grew up wanting to be a gangster because he was exposed to gangsters and the mafia life at a young age. If Hill lived in an area where organized crime did not have a strong presence than perhaps his life of crime could have been prevented. Throughout Hill’s criminal career he mostly turned to violence as a means to solve his problems. This is demonstrated in one scene where Hill’s girlfriend Karen, later to become his wife, was disrespected by a neighbor and Hill assaulted him with a pistol and threatened to kill him if he ever came around Karen again. After Hill was sent to prison his criminal career started to take a turn for the worse. While incarcerated Hill began selling narcotics and developing drug connections. After Hill was released from prison, he was instructed by Cicero, the mob boss at the time, to stop selling drugs. However, Hill, Conway, and DeVito continued making and selling drugs even with knowing it could possibly get them killed for disobeying Cicero’s orders. When Hill was arrested again for possession and distribution of narcotics he was facing a lengthy sentence. Hill broke the one rule gangsters just don’t do, he ratted on everyone in order to keep his freedom and avoid prison.
I believe Hill loved being a gangster.

I believe this to be true for two reasons. The first, after Hill was arrested and sent to jail for a few years he did not change his lifestyle or behavior, and after he was released went back to what he knew. The second reason is based on what Hill says in the last scene of the film; after being placed in witness protection Hill explains he has become just like everybody else, a nobody, and no longer gets any respect. This scene I feel expresses how Hill missed the life and all that came with it. I believe Scorsese accurately displays what the life of Italian gangsters in the 1970’s and 80’s might have been like. Goodfellas displays everything from murder, robberies, extortion, assault, and drug trafficking. I feel what makes Goodfellas unique is that the film is essentially entirely based off Henry Hill’s

life.