Goodfellas

“As far back as I can remember, I've always wanted to be a gangster." Martin Scorsese Goodfellas is a film that stands the test of time. It shows the story of Ray Liotta's character, Henry Hill and his descent from the glorified world of gangsterhood. This film leaves you with the message crime doesn't pay and that is evident in the stories of all our main characters, whether it's one of the gangsters who got whacked, someone sold out by Henry, or even our main character stuck in witness protection for the rest of his life.

One aspect of the movie that I feel was really well done was how they aged up the characters. We felt like we were growing up with characters. For example, Henry is seen throughout many stages of his life, from 20-55. Though there is only one actor, he does not feel static. We see the effects of time whether it is the red in eyes, wrinkles in his face, his paranoia from being in the mafia all this time, or his eventual loneliness when he realizes there is no one left for him.

I think this method of longform deterioration of Henry's character was done to show how the Mafia looks appealing until it is not. This shows the full life of a gangster rather than one moment in time. By using this method of storytelling, they were able to truly show the whole story of someone's rise and inevitable fall in the mafia world.

While the story of rising and falling from power has been told numerous times, like in The Wolf of Fall Street or Scarface, Goodfellas' story telling is superior due to its ability to capture the pros and cons of the lifestyle.  

In the end, Goodfellas tries to tell its audience that crime doesn't pay, regardless of how appealing the perks might be along the way.