StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

The Shots of Goodfellas - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
This essay "The Shots of Goodfellas" deals with the specificity of the shots in the opening scene of Goodfellas perfectly modulated to reveal the irony of the Henry Hill’s opening narration. Notably, Scorsese chose to begin the film on the night of the downfall of these characters for a reason…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER98.5% of users find it useful
The Shots of Goodfellas
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "The Shots of Goodfellas"

1. Medium long shot, framed slightly below the axis showing main characters exiting car. 2. Short slow tracking shot from the characters' POV towardthe trunk of the car. 3. Short slow tracking shot away from the trunk of the card toward the characters, eventually framing into a two-shot of Jimmy and Tommy. 4. A pan to the right toward Henry who moves into frame and toward trunk. 5. A medium shot showing half of Henry in the frame as he opens the trunk to reveal the dying body inside. 6. A medium two-shot of Tommy and Henry as Tommy moves in holding knife to finish the murder.

This pans to the right along with Tommy to reveal the actual stabbing of the body. 7. A medium shot of Jimmy watching Tommy. 8. A medium shot of Tommy pulling the knife away and backing from the trunk as Jimmy moves into the frame and shoots the body with a gun. 9. A very quick shot of Henry reacting to the firing of Jimmy's gun. 10. A close-up of the bloody covering of the body inside the trunk. 11. A medium shot of Henry looking toward Jimmy and the back at the trunk before walking over to shut the lid of the trunk.

His face is momentarily hidden behind the upraised trunk as his hands reach to pull it shut. 12. A quick track into a medium close-up of Henry's face. 13. Henry's medium close up in freeze-frame as "Rags to Riches" begins playing. The specificity of the shots in the opening scene of Goodfellas are perfectly modulated to reveal the irony of the Henry Hill's opening narrative assertion: "As far back as I could remember I always wanted to be a gangster." Scorsese chose to begin the film on the night of the downfall of these characters for a reason; Goodfellas does not glorify the gangster lifestyle like The Godfather.

The framing of the short tracking shot (Number 3) from a three-shot to the two-shot is vital for the psychological state of mind of the audience that must be willing to accept the perhaps fictional assertion that the man through whose eyes the story will be told was not as bloodthirsty and violent as those around him. The movement away from directly including Henry in this show to bringing Tommy and Jimmy together is a distancing device that subtly creates a sense of audience participation with Henry's character.

At no point in the editing of the incredibly violent opening sequence of Goodfellas is Henry Hill ever included in the finishing off the murder of the man in the trunk. The audience has no way of knowing who this man is or what part he will play or why he was killed. For the audience can't possibly know he was a completely innocent witness to a crime rather than a wiseguy himself. Because this is the opening scene that essentially introduces the audience to the main characters it is imperative that Henry is not only never seen taking an active role in the murder, but is seen to react to Jimmy's nod of the head to open the trunk in the first place as Jimmy is his boss.

The reaction shots of Henry responding to the brutality before him rather than taking part also serves to further intensify audience participation in part because of the murderous glee with which Tommy kills and the quick sneer that appears on Jimmy's face before he shoots the corpse.

Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“The Shots of Goodfellas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words”, n.d.)
The Shots of Goodfellas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/visual-arts-film-studies/1516937-the-shots-of-goodfellas
(The Shots of Goodfellas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words)
The Shots of Goodfellas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words. https://studentshare.org/visual-arts-film-studies/1516937-the-shots-of-goodfellas.
“The Shots of Goodfellas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/visual-arts-film-studies/1516937-the-shots-of-goodfellas.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF The Shots of Goodfellas

Comparison on Pietro Germi's film Divorce, Italian Style and Martin Scorsese's film Goodfellas

In this new phase of transformation, Italian Comparison on Divorce Italian Style and goodfellas films It is a clearly well known fact that the Italian film industries went through major transformation in the 1960's.... Martin Scorsese's film goodfellas is wrought in sinister gangster activities.... To exhibit a high status which is measured by what one has, all manifests the masculinity of gangsters in goodfellas.... The lead character in goodfellas uses a voice-over element to give the audience the feeling of the sort of life he's living (Liehm 120)....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

Narrative Structure

In this discussion, Narrative Structure, text, the films City of God and goodfellas will be evaluated to highlight the core narrative elements, key opposition structures of the films and finally the similarities and differences as offered by these elements.... hellip; As the report declares a narrative structure is the informative network, which defines the way in which the film has been created....
8 Pages (2000 words) Essay

Goodfellas Short Paper

If one takes a close look at the significance of the society, one can not help noticing that it should be considered to be an irreplaceable element that contributes to the development of the human potential.... However, there might be activities which are performed within this… A good example of such activity is crime....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

The Movie Goodfellas by Martin Scorsese

From the paper "The Movie goodfellas by Martin Scorsese" it is clear that Tommy displays the symptoms of anti-social personality disorder (ADP).... he film 'goodfellas' is relevant to both the depiction of the past and the theme of mental (psychological) health....
8 Pages (2000 words) Essay

Henry Hill in Film of Goodfellas

This essay focuses on the protagonist in a film of goodfellas, Henry Hill is viewed as an individual that should succeed.... hellip; goodfellas was a 1990 film that depicted a difference in the way criminals are viewed in the movies.... he overall depiction shows and portrays his actions, some of which were heinous because they involved killing people that got in the way of their activities as a gang....
3 Pages (750 words) Essay

Scorseses Use of Narration and Sound in Goodfellas

The objective of this review is to investigate how Martin Scorsese used narration and soundtrack to create the mood in the movie "goodfellas".... In goodfellas, he presents the narrative of a man who had been inside the mob all his life, only coming out when he perceives he's about to be killed....
11 Pages (2750 words) Movie Review

Goodfellas: How Elements Transcend Enhancement

In the paper “goodfellas: How Elements Transcend Enhancement” the author discusses the popular 1990 film goodfellas.... The opening scene of the movie is brilliantly staged and timed to ensure the greatest number of viewers will stay in their seats throughout the rest of the film....
6 Pages (1500 words) Assignment

The Aetiological Factors Cited in the Literature for the Development of Hallux Rigidus

"Aetiological Factors Cited in the Literature for the Development of Hallux Rigidus" paper focuses on factors that are found to be associated with hallux rigidus include a flat or chevron shaped joint, hallux valgus interphalangeus and bilaterally in individuals who have a positive family history....
6 Pages (1500 words) Article
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us