GOODFELLAS
MARTIN SCORSESE - 1990
REPRESENTATION:
The social group that is represented in the opening sequence of ‘Goodfellas’ are middle-aged, white males. Gangsters within a mafia are represented in this film as the 'Goodfellas'. Goodfellas showed how criminals and gangsters to be what they really are: violent, murderous guys who killed just at the drop of a hat, who shoot people in the legs just to make them dance for fun. The way they are represented is one of the most accurate gangster film as it is adapted from a biography, meaning most elements of the film are close to reality. It shows how the criminals adapted to the time era and how this eventually caught him out of his gangster life. The mafia are shown to be this way so that they are less romanticised than say in the Godfather franchise where they kill, but more for the honour of their family. Whereas in the Goodfellas their killings are more sporadic.
GENRE:
The film has a combination of genres: thriller, crime film, drama, detective fiction and biographical film. This is shown through the narration of the film as it is clear by the first person speaking that it is a real story. The creation of a gangster film through crime, thriller and drama is mainly shown through the clever narrative and story, which shows how the 'goodfellas' adapted with the era. But the use of intelligent filmmaking (camera shots and cinematography) really entice the viewers. However, this doesn't necessarily highlight the genre but it is an important factor as to why it is an effective film that shows the gangsters in a realistic way.
NARRATIVE:
The narrative is structured so that it does not run in linear sequence, at the start of the film we are already halfway through the story, when then flashback to the beginning of the story. We know it is a flashback because the voice over says ‘As far back as I can remember I always wanted to be a gangster.'
Goodfellas' narrative is driven by voice-overs from both Henry and Karen, giving the audience a comprehensive concept of what life in the mob is really like. Henry Hill narrates his own story—and is later joined by his wife, narrating hers— I think this is crucial to the movie's success as it is a biographical film, with the perspective of the writer. The audience, through this can be captivated and more likely to feel compassionate towards their decisions. Allowing Henry and Karen to tell their own story also allows them to explain themselves and their often-questionable, wrong behavior. Karen hiding Henry's gun left many screaming at your TV, for example. But then, she tells us directly, "I know there are women, like my best friends, who would have gotten out of there the minute their boyfriend gave them a gun to hide. But I didn't. I got to admit the truth. It turned me on." Karen fessing up that she knew it was a big red flag, but she just didn't care, makes it harder to be angry at her poor decisions.
AUDIENCE:
The target audience is for ‘Goodfellas’ is young adults in the age range of about 18-30. There is a lot of violence and other adult topics that younger children would not understand, and it is rated an 18 so anyone under that would not be able to view this film in a cinema or buy it. The characters are predominantly white, so the target audience is white males, so the audience can relate to it. Gangster films are typically a male film; they just tend to find all the violence, swearing and drug abuse more entertaining than women do. Therefore, in terms of engagement more men are likely to enjoy this gangster crime film due to the harsh reality of all the homicides and drugs within the mafia. I, as not a target audience member enjoyed this film, mainly due to the narrative because it worked for the genre of a biographical film, the iconic scenes in the film are those that enticed me to watch. The rest of the non-target audience may also really enjoy the final film, it just will definitely alternate. As a very successful film, it is obvious that more than the target audience have seen it at least once.
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