Last weekend, I re-watched Goodfellas on Netflix for the first time since I saw it in the cinema, waaay back in 1990.
To be honest, not much had stuck with me about it over the years. I remembered thinking Ray Lolita was good in it, and for some reason I could recall the bit near the end when he felt the authorities finally closing in on him as he kept looking up and suspecting a helicopter was following his car. While nominally handsome, I always felt there was something about Lolita's face or gaze which made him look like he was not being sincere, and that you were dealing with a personality mask rather than a genuinely open person. Not sure why he always gave me that feeling, but it works a treat for a character like the one in this movie. (I get the same vibe about Eddie McGuire, as I have mentioned before. I need a supercomputer to analyse the faces of men I feel are inherently untrustable to tell me what it is that is causing this reaction.)
On re-watching it, I realised I had forgotten how much humour and nostalgic music was in it, given that it was about mob gangsters. My son said it might be accused of glamorising the criminal life somewhat, which is something I am often sensitive about in watching this genre. But when they start eating their own, I think it's hard to say that's the effect of the movie overall. (I still argue that glamorisation of the criminal underworld is a huge problem with Tarantino, however, despite his movies' body count.)
Speaking of violence, it shows how far normalised movie and television depictions of violence have become. Now whole effects studios seem to be engaged in adding blood sprays from bullet shots to the head in every show under the sun on Netflix; whereas just one graphic blood spray in 1990 was enough to get an R rating at the cinema. I long for the days when depictions of violence had more impact because it was genuinely considered shocking to show the graphic effect of violence for entertainment purposes.
Anyway, I certainly could understand the praise for the direction, and overall, I would say I had forgotten how good it was.
I don't think I could watch it again. Too many horrible people doing grubby things. When the married couple winds up in the car, thats about too much for me. If I watch another gangster movie it will be a classy gangster. Like some future movie about Putin. He's a gangster but he's a gangster with class. And for the most part, fairly well-meaning. But really no man should have that much power and he should be like Lee running a city state. But his power is good in a way because its all about neutralising the power of a lot of guys far less worthy than himself.
ReplyDeleteBut Goodfellas; they aren't exactly the elder Vito Corleone. They aren't Tom Reagan from Millers Crossing. These are just really grubby individuals.