"Good Guy" has had a huge and far-reaching influence on contemporary filmmakers. To this day, it is still one of the pinnacles of Hollywood genre film creation.
Author | Adrian Danks
Translator | cardamom
Originally published in The Conversation , this article has been edited
It is hard to imagine that Martin Scorsese's GoodFellas (1990) is 30 years old. As a pair, from Quentin Tarantino (Quentin Tarantino), Fernando Morales (Fernando Morales) to David O. Russell (David O. Russell) and Paul Thomas Anderson (Paul Thomas Anderson) Thomas Anderson's contemporary filmmakers have had a huge impact. To this day, "Good Guy" still symbolizes one of the pinnacles of Hollywood film creation.
From the story to the shooting, the attention to perfection in every detail embodied in the film has become a prominent symbol that defines "Good Guy"-the majestic subjective follow-up, overlapping and occasional improvisation lines, and powerful editing. , The rock soundtrack that makes people breathless, and the profound insight into the criminal life of the gang... "Good Guy" shows the ultimate in style and skill.
The film chronicles the 25-year career of a little brother on the fringe of a gang. Affected by films such as Truffaut's Jules et Jim (1962), the design and execution of Goodfellas are excellent, and bold in color, style and emotion. mash up.
For example, who can forget Henry (played by Ray Liotta), Jimmy (played by Robert De Niro), Tommy (played by Joe Pesci) and her mother (played by Catherine Scorsese, who directed her own mother The moving scene of playing)-the boys visit Tommy’s mother on the way to the murder, and they are going to kill the "mafia member" tied to the trunk of the car.
Although it is full of obvious tension (this movie is not suitable for audiences with any anxiety disorder), the same humor, affectionate, sense of communication, wonderful performance and slightly sweet tone in this scene are extremely impressive . Even when we heard Tommy mischievously asking his mother if he could borrow a long meat cleaver, the charm of this scene was not broken- we seemed to get in the same car with these characters and drive to At the end of the journey, share every moment with them.
A highly ritualized world
The choice of the film is often a flashy environment, which creates a strong feeling of material reality and fun, and helps us enter a largely masculine and chauvinistic world. The world is defined by perishable depravity, violent violence, moral ambiguity, and tyranny.
"Good Guy" creates a nuanced environment in which we both observe and are tricked into entering it. As in many of Scorsese's movies, we understand the story from the perspective of an outsider, who is gradually led into a highly ritual and symbolic world. Unlike many movies of other eras, this world seems to be real. As Scorsese pointed out, every frame is "full of action and detail."
In the process, an overwhelming sense of abundance came over. Although editors such as Thelma Schoonmaker (Thelma Schoonmaker) and photographer Michael Ballhaus (Michael Ballhaus) are often mentioned separately because of their contributions to the film, Kristi Qi The art design of Kristi Zea really makes this "isolated" world come alive.
For example, the tacky, expensive, but just right home interior design is full of rich hints and immersive. From the moment the story began in midfield-the dazzling red taillights illuminated Henry's face, he declared: "In my memory, I always wanted to be a mafia"-we were completely attracted by Up.
A perfect match between music and performance
Scorsese's films are often difficult to define and describe. They often begin to show advantages from a piece of music, an impromptu repetition of a particular song, or a rapid transition from one song to another. This use of music provides these films with an angular, sometimes slightly obtrusive, almost jazz-style rhythm and tone.
For example, in the last stage of the movie, Karen (Lonan Blake)’s unusual and drug-filled mania days and Michael’s moments of freedom are Harry Nilsson and Maddie ·Muddy Waters, the Rolling Stones and other musicians' works are composed of music. They are all wild and dazzling.
Although the use of soundtrack compilations has become an old trick, Scorsese's selection of specific repertoires and music fragments is still very fresh. After Jimmy’s frantic killing, Derek & the Dominos’ mournful and constantly accumulating "Layla" appeared with the elaborately choreographed corpse. This design still makes people breathe and hold their breath. .
In addition, thanks to the close connection between music and performance, it is difficult to imagine that a certain moment, gesture or action can be replaced by another piece of music.
Although it is a real gangster movie with far-reaching influence, it combines character, action and sound into one, and it can almost be called a musical work.
A disturbed love letter
"The Good Guy" is at the midpoint of Scorsese's career. It is an important point for him to return to his peak state after he created some works of very different styles in the 1980s. The film opened up an extraordinary period of high production for Scorsese in the first half of the 90s. The keywords of this period included " The Age of Innocence " ( 1993) and his documentary "Martin Scorsese". " A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies " ( A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies , 1995), as well as "The Devil Gemini" and "Casino" ( Casino , 1995) in "Good Guy" .
In many ways, "Good Guy" is an uneasy love letter to gangster movies , which is full of antipathies to the beloved and acclaimed genre of films such as " The Roaring Twenties " ( 1939). Quotations from early works that have had a profound impact.
Following the traditional narrative model, and based on the non-fiction work "Wise Guy" by screenwriter Nicholas Pileggi, "Good Guy" may be a symbol of Scorsese's career Sexual works. It also has a dangerous allure.
In "La Gambling", we see many of the same metaphors, with some familiar faces and actors, but its information is so rich that it is exhausting- there is not much fun left in the world of crime.
In "Goodfellas", when Tommy played by Pesci appeared in front of the camera for the last time, shooting directly like the camera, and Sid Vicious's version of "My Way" was used as the soundtrack When it sounds, you obviously know which movie world you want to be in.
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