Good Fellas(1989)


To be very frank I was not aware of Martin Scrosese's way of film making till I watched Departed.May be that was the period when I started watching movie very vigorously.I had watched Casino,Gangs of Newyork,Aviator previously but I was unaware that it was Martin Scorsese works.
Good fellas is a regarded as one of the greatest movie of all time by Time and BBC.I wanted to poke my interest what made it as such.This is one of the greatest movie in means of story narration,Performance and Cinematagrophy.It was concluded in the 80's by directors that if you want to make a great movie make a mafia movie.It abides by the above rule but still needs some kind of different view to look at this movie.
The movie is not about the Don who makes things work ,its like our Sathya(Chakravarthy) in the movie Sathya ,Chandu(Vivek Oberoi) in Company a working Mafia.The movie is about Henry Hil(Ray Liatto) and his associated Mafia .He joins Paulie's (Local Cabs stand owner who communictes between the Mafia) Gang.The movie is seen narrated from the point of view of Henry , a child of Irish and Sicilian parents who joins the mob and starts a dizzying underworld career.
Movie begins by Henry saying " As far back as I can remember, I've always wanted to be a gangster." Henry joins the Gang of Paulie (Paul Sorvino) bunking school .Henry becomes one of the "wiseguys," including classy Jimmy Conway (Robert De Niro) and crazy Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci).
They work hard ,they whack,they carry out extortion.Money flows every where for them.
Its then the rise and fall of Mafia . "Wise guys " of Mafia are the bad guys of Cops .They lay the trap and Wise guys get in it. Henry lives as a normal guy after serving a term in Jail ,Jimmy and Paulie serve life sentence in Jail.I am being very short in the story because this movie's story is not a one liner.Martin Scorsese had crafted as sequence ,I was amused by the narration style also because some where in the middle of the movie Karen Hill(Lorraine Bracco) narrating the story.It was because both were the only people who are in parole in the Gang according to the movie.
You can see some stunning performance through out the movie right from Henry to his wife's mistress.There are different way to portray a Mafia man Calm and intense like Marlan in Godfather,or very notorious like AlPacino and there is one more kind like Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci) .He makes you laugh for his humour ,hate for his brutal murders,and admire for command over the screen.The Oscar winning performance of Joe Pesci is one among the top rated character portrayals in modern cinema. Tommy is undeniably alarming in this movie.Ray Liatto's eyes speaks most of the time. his eyes changes from bright to drug maniacal.He exhibits the transformation phase so beautifully,that you are left confused whether to like this character or what.He remains the neutral person of the movie till the end.
Robert De Niro inhabits his character so thoroughly and he is stunning as usual.I love Alpacino more than any actor.I learnt that Al Pacino was offered the roll of Jimmy which he turned it down.Now after reading it also I am not able to visualise any body other than Deniro.Martin brings out the best of Deniro in a character which is vividly brutal many times.
But above all Matin scorsese controls the screenplay with stunning artistry ,he even uses songs in many sequences to describe the mood.In spite of many stunning performances you can always say its the galaxy of Martins Scorsese.Such kind of legendary work had been exhibited in this movie.
It is beyond belief that Goodfellas is inspired from a true story.
Some time you leave beyond some traces of present when you are making a movie of the past.Filmed in 1989 this movie is stunning to show the development phase of America in a immaculate way from 1955 -1980 .You can realise how this movie was inspirational in many of our regional Mafia movies.
Read from one of the UK review This movie is not about Sympathy its about empathy.True on
its kind.As a commoner I would have given the Oscar to Martin Scorsese rather giving to Kevin Costner for Dances with the wolves even though I haven't watched it.


Comments

Joebi said…
In Mafia storyline movies, I somehow liked The Bronx Tale better than Good Fellas.
July 17, 2007 at 7:37 PM
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