Research - Goodfellas Opening Sequence

Goodfellas

Goodfellas is a 1990 American biographical crime film directed by Martin Scorsese. It is a film adaption of the 1986 non-fiction book Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi, who co-wrote the screenplay with Scorsese. The film narrates the rise and fall of Luchesse Crime Family associate Henry Hill and his friends over a period from 1955 to 1980.

In this opening sequence we are first introduced to the film distributor, Warners Bros. with a simple black background and white text on top. The text is shown with an effect used to emulate a speeding car.


Then we see that the producer is an individual, Irwin Winkler. Warner Bros. actually financed this film, however Winkler was the acting producer. He was essentially the person that put forward the idea to Warner Bros. for this film to be made. It can also be said that he has a good relationship with the director, Martin Scorsese because of his previous work with him (Raging Bull, New York New York, The Wolf of Wall Street). The amount of movies in Winkler's filmography suggests he often presents ideas to production companies in order to have them financed.


Following this we see the director's name, however this is not typically seen so early in opening sequences. Yet this is different when the film is directed by such a famous director, such as Scorsese. This is similar in Tarantino movies.

After this frame we then see the names of 5 of the top billed actors from this film. Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco and Paul Sorvino. These opening credits follow the generic order of titles in opening sequences.


The live-action opens with a lone car driving in the pitch-black night. This connotes the idea of secrecy and criminal activity in relation to the movie's genre of crime. The camera tracks the car from the side as it drives along the dark road.


This frame includes the time period and setting of the movie. New York is often a popular destination for movies; yet it is also used in many crime films. The Godfather to name one.


We then see a medium shot in a car showing the three protagonists. The contnent of their dialogue is based on the driver believing he has hit something witht he car. The three men are dressed in suits, suggesting their affiliation with 'mafia' crime.


After pulling over, the men find that the source of the noise was a bloody man in the trunk. The man in the trunk solidifies the protagonists positions in the movie as criminals. One of the men then proceeds to stab the man multiple times to essentailly 'finish the job'. Furhter suggesting that there is most definately a stroy behind this man's fate.


One of the members of the group then shoots the obviously dead man multiple times. Suggesting his attitude towards this criminal behaviour. The camera very quickly cuts to a mid shot of Ray Liotta, suggesting to the audience that he plays a primary role in this film and this crime is of much significance to him. In addition to this, the rear lights on the car create an ominous red tint on the three characters. Showing them as fairly demonic and relentless in realtion to their crime. The use of red with the blood and the lights connotes the idea of death.


The camera then zooms on to a close up of Ray Liotta, he then narrates non-diegetically 'As far back as I remember, I always wanted to be a gangster.' The red tint remains on his face, still connoting ideas of death and brutality.

We then see frames of the title and the important crew behind the film

The use of gangsters and criminals in my opening sequence was influenced by Goodfellas, to a degree. The difference in American and British cultures obviosuly meant I could not be fully influenced with these characters. The main character in Goodfellas states that all his life he wanted to be a gangster. This line partly influenced the fact that crime is somewhat glamorised in my opening sequence, as it is seen as a 'cool' route to take in life.