Film GoodFellas - Use of Sound - Essay Example

Running Head: FILM GOODFELLAS (1990) Film GoodFellas (1990) Name Institution Course Date Table of Content Running Head: FILM GOODFELLAS (1990) 1 Film GoodFellas (1990) 1 Name 1 Institution 1 Course 1 Date 1 Film GoodFellas (1990) 3 Introduction 3 Use of Sound 4 Conclusion 7 References 8 Film GoodFellas (1990) 2 Introduction 2 Use of Sound 4 Conclusion 7 References 8 Film GoodFellas (1990) Introduction Film GoodFellas (1990) was directed by Martin Scorsese to examine the criminal lifestyle in the American Continent. Scorsese presents the true story about Henry Hill and his associated cohorts superbly to involve in violent that made him to become person in the organized crime of New York. Among the gangster activities that Hill involved are the big cash robbery, caught dealing in cocaine trafficking and joined in the Federal Witness Defense Program. Scorsese makes use of the film techniques to the good advantage with the aim of shaping the film story in order to keep each element fresh. In his film, Scorsese builds the general impression of the activities involved in an organized crime and later shapes a distinctive film experience within the genre which has already been addressed through several occasions with various results by the previous film makers. Drugs are considered to be part of criminal lifestyle as presented within the film both as a commodity for distribution and the substance that is used by the criminals (Linfield, 1990). The Goodfellas movie is the dramatization of life among the Mafia of New York. The movie is based on the accounts of the real life ex-gangster known as Henry Hill who turned the state evidence. Hill tells his story since the time he engaged with the wiseguy while a teenager in 1950s tills the time he is placed in a Witness Protection program in the 1970s. Additionally, the movie represents the spirit of Mafia subculture, demonstrating their various cultural values, norms, deviant lifestyle as well as customs. This Mafia subculture comprise of the localized groups of the criminals purposely developed to protect individuals who may not be in a position to reach the police for their protection. Therefore, the Wiseguys or commonly known as local gangsters managed their protection through paying their local family leader, a payoff that was considered as a tribute paid to their boss (Thompson, 1989). In identifying the traditional American social as well as cultural values, the structure of a Mafia family has been approached in a number of ways. Goodfellas is basically from the bottom understanding that focuses on the Hill’s perspective and his rise in the midst of the Mafia leadership. From the outset of the film, Hill’s voiceover clearly creates his enchantment with the Mafia family. As a very young boy, Hill views the Mafia members with admiration and resolves to become somebody or part of the Mob. The accompanied period of the soundtrack in the film, majorly serves to heighten the enchantment feeling as well as the nostalgia for the times past. Similarly, during this early point in Goodfellas film, Hill voices the draw of nostalgia at the time he is found lamenting that his entire life is “no longer the same.” Use of Sound The film portrays the story of a particular criminal in order to comment on the entire criminal enterprise and on the aspects of the American society for the past decades. It is based on the book referred to as Wiseguy that presented by Nicholas Pileggi on a man known as Henry Hill who managed to live the real events recounted. Hill was gangster for a period of forty years who associated with the crime family of New York. This is because while he was still a young boy, Hill developed an interest to become a gangster within his neighborhood of the New York City in 1950s. Due to his strong inspiration to become one, he eventually decided to join the ranks. The structured pseudo-documentary element of Goodfellas film that carries its narrative creates the sense of mass details that are included in the film. In addition, the pseudo-documentary element enables the viewers to be very close to Henry Hill, the main narrator in the film (Friedman, 1997). Therefore, the narrative voice has been used to accomplish or present various issues, for instance, it indicates the problem scope of drug abuse as well as drug trafficking (Pileggi, 1985). This is reflected when Hill decided to go against existing mob views since drug trafficking is comparatively easy and very lucrative. Additionally, the film narration is non-intrusive and does not involve in the competition with the visual element within the film. However, the two elements commentary and complementary as presented by Scorsese on how proficient he can be both with the camera and editing. While the crunchy narration at times alternates with the broadly comical as well as sotto voce type of conspiratorial dialogue, Scorsese conjures with the camera in his film. For example, he introduces the stop-motion during the not obvious and crucial moments while his voice-over commentary continuously drives the point within the movie (Thompson, 1989). On contrary to the Pileggis book that basically describes the childhood of Henry Hill who lived on the cab stand street that was controlled the mob of gangsters, Goodfellas opens the midway through a story of an adult Henry Hill who is driving along the deserted road in the night and he is found to be accompanied by Tommy and Jimmy. While driving Hill hears a very strange and thumping sound that made him to speculate on what could be its cause “a flat? Did I hit something? Later they decided to pull over in order to investigate around. Jimmy, Tommy and Hill climb out as they circle the car backs, Hill opens a certain trunk that reveals the beaten as well as bloody cohort. Tommy lunges a head carry a very huge knife and cruelly stabs him that was followed by the four bullets from Jimmy. As Hill moves so close to the trunk, in his voice over he says “As far back in my days as I can recall, I constantly wanted to become a gangster (Brunette, 1998).” The film story later lashes back to the Hill’s formative years across the cab stand, starting with Hill’s youthful errands for a mob to his final meeting with both Jimmy and Tommy. The Goodfellas film moves on dazzlingly fast but at a perfectly controlled rate and its imagery is very much enhanced by the freeze-frames, continuous takes, on-screen date-and-place information, jump-cuts and voice-overs that entirely emphasizes on its biographical origins. Contrasting with the book that ends with Hill claiming to be happily entrenched within the Witness Protection Program, the Goodfellas movie ends up with a distressed Hill who is trapped in the suburbia. This is reflected when Hill picks up a morning paper found in a front porch on the row of the identical houses as he says in his voice over, “I am now an average nobody. I will get to live for the rest of my life as a schnook (Friedman, 1997).” Goodfellas film is mired within the minutiae of the daily life, it is set in the midst of lawns as well as shrubs of the suburbia and stripped of vulgar, spurious glamour and fleeting. The beatings and murder incidences are very brutal and the impact is to clearly expose a sickening realism of the American criminal lifestyle. In addition, it is aimed at revealing the criminal lifestyle in its entire violence, empty aspirations and dishonor (Linfield, 1990). Scorsese manages to effectively glorify and condemn all the organized crime. In the film, it becomes very clear to observe how the gangsters dominated and lived as though they were the American royalty. Conversely, Scorsese clearly portrays the obvious consequences of such acts as jail and death. The Goodfellas film makes it so obvious that the aspect of loyalty can only go far if in the entire movie, virtually each character is allowed to do whatever he or she seem to be in need of doing in order to screw to another person irrespective of who such people could be (Friedman, 1997). Goodfellas is a type film, which appears to be low-down and gritty experience, but still beautifully acknowledged by Scorsese as well as his crew. The movie desires no epic status, but yet capable of achieving such status through its dazzling focus on the family ideas and on how such a family unit sets in a crumble due to the deceit, violence and greed. Furthermore, the Goodfellas film follows a familiarized story structure of a young boy with a dream that desires prominence among the mob films. Hill becomes part of the powerful and highly recognized group where his success follows and the entire life seems to be well. All of a sudden, things begin to go very wrong on his side, Hill falls short of grace that results into his experience of pain and losses (Brunette, 1998). The film is mysterious in its capability to evoke the strong feelings the Wiseguy group dominated with violence and corruption. Although, such characters are not lovable and admirable, yet the film audiences are taken through with them in the movie. This implies that Scorsese, the director of the Goodfellas film has the ability to effectively intertwine the themes of the family with both violence and the immorality that pulse through the film. Conclusion Goodfellas film is built around very strong family structure. It is the dramatization of life among the Mafia of New York and is based on the accounts of the real life ex-gangster known as Henry Hill who turned the state evidence. The Goodfellas film follows a familiarized story structure of a young boy known as Henry Hill with a dream that desires prominence among the mob films. In addition, it concerns the story of a group of individuals who are interwoven with each other to become a family through their own human rights. Scorsese as the director of Goodfellas film tells the story that is very close to his own heart since he was raised up through the threats of mob violence. This has enabled him to clearly understand individuals who are associated with the mob violence both inside and out, making his productions not only just films, but also experiences that have to be embraced. Narrative voice has been used to accomplish or present various issues, for instance, it indicates the problem scope of drug abuse as well as drug trafficking. The beatings and murder incidences are very brutal and the impact is to clearly expose a sickening realism of the American criminal lifestyle. References Brunette, P., (1998). Martin Scorsese: Interviews (Interviews With Filmmakers Series). Jackson. University Press of Mississippi. Friedman, L. S., (1997). The Cinema of Martin Scorsese. New York. Continuum Publishing Group. Linfield, S., (1990). Goodfellas' Looks at the Banality of Mob Life. New York Times, sec. II, 19. Pileggi, N., (1985). Wiseguy: Life in a Mafia Family. New York, Pocket Books. Thompson, D. & Ian, C., (1989). Scorsese on Scorsese. London. Faber and Faber. Read More