Drawing Close Comparison to Real Life and Ideas in Goodfellas' Directed by Scorsese

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Goodfellas
Over the years, there have been many great movies made by filmmakers from all over the world. However, one of the most celebrated and loved films is the 1990’s Goodfellas. In Goodfellas, a young man goes from being an innocent schoolboy to a gangster in the Italian Mafia. The movie provided some insight into the workings of organized crime. However, it became more relevant in popular culture. It is used as a reference for the crime world, the get rich quick mentality, and other ideas associated with life outside the ordinary. In literature, movies such as Goodfellas are studied for the ideas they depict. In this paper, the author examines some of these ideas drawing close comparison to real life.
Goodfellas is one of the greatest movies ever made. In it, Martin Scorsese takes another true story and uses it to create a compelling narrative. The main character, Henry Hill, starts off as an innocent kid who wants nothing else except to be a gangster (Hill and Russo 23). Obviously, this part of the story might be fabricated for dramatic purposes. However, it is easy for one to be fooled by any kind of living that appears dreamlike at such a young age. It is clear that from the beginning, the things that drew Hill to the gangster’s life were money, respect, brotherhood, and a sense of invisibility (Hill and Russo 23). Through these things, people in the mob were able to live lives that seemed like a fantasy. This is not to say that gangsters had it easy. As we can see towards the end of the film, they did not. Also, they had to commit many crimes, including murder, to sustain their way of living. Such activities are likely to traumatize someone for the rest of their lives. Nonetheless, Hill got into the crime world, not knowing what awaited him.
Every step of the way, one can see how Hill is uncomfortable with most of the things they have to do to maintain their reputation and way of life. Even in situations where he is not uncomfortable, he appears to be in disbelief when he witnesses some of the actions of his friends in the mob. Yet, through all this, Hill remains loyal to his “family.” At the end of the film, it is clear why Hill has retained his loyalty to the mob. He has become addicted to the kind of lifestyle he is living. Everyone accords him respect without question, he has endless amounts of cash, and he can commit crimes freely. To Hill, life as an ordinary citizen is imperceivable. He even manages to seduce Karen into his lifestyle. She is completely swept off her feet by Hill’s macho attitude. Despite knowing that Hill can only be a gangster, she marries him nonetheless. This swift and easy seduction shows how hard it is for people to say no to money and power.
Up until Hill becomes a family man, his life seems enviable. However, when he gets into extra-marital affairs, it is clear that his life is slowly spiraling out of control. It is clea...