Goodfellas Reaction Paper

For this portion of the exam, I chose to review Goodfellas because it embodies a vast amount of the terms from the text. It is also the film that I was most familiar with prior to start of this class, as well the film that I have revisited frequently, for both entertainment and educational purposes. The film begins with the camera following a Lincoln that seems to be traveling at high speed. The tail lights serve as the high-key diegetic lighting which slightly illuminates the silhouette of the rear portion of the vehicle and a line to the left of the car indicating the road lanes. Based on the framing of this shot, they appear to be driving on the wrong side of the road. The lightly used in this scene, along with the diegetic sound of the car’s engine (which indicates the
The following scene is a flashback to Henry’s teenage years. An extreme close-up is shown on Henry’s eyes, which do not appear to capable becoming wider. Based on the current context of the story, I assume that the wide-eyed teenager is watching the gangsters in his community; in awe of the power they possess, and the fear that they inspire. Henrys narration continues to develop his characterization as he explains why he wants to become like Paulie, a local gangster. He goes on the describe Paulie as a man who “may have moved slow, but that was because Paulie didn’t have to move for anybody.” As Henry gained employment, and became increasingly involved with gangsters he admired so much, he received mixed reactions from his parents. His Mother supported his aspirations, but his Father began beating him because his job led to truancy. While Henry’s father was beating him, a low-angle freeze frame is used showing Henry’s Father’s arm cocked back, belt-in-hand; as well as Henry’s inferiority in that