5 Interesting Details in Goodfellas That Proves it’s a Timeless Classic

Goodfellas is one of the most iconic movies in the history of world cinema. The crime thriller was made by Martin Scorsese in 1990, and starring amazing actors, the film reveals the story of the rise and fall of a mobster, Henry Hill, who becomes an informant and later gives insights into mafia lives.

The movie was based on Nicholas Pileggi’s book titled Wiseguy, and the screenplay was done by both Pileggi and Scorsese. The film is a masterclass in narrative, direction, and acting, and some behind-the-scenes details and trivia reveal why it is considered a timeless classic.

Real Mobsters Were Cast Members

One of the most interesting aspects of Goodfellas is that many real-life mobsters were involved in the making of the movie. Scorsese needed it to be realistic, and he cast members and ex-members of the mafia in small roles. Pillegi revealed to Los Angeles Times that some of these real-life mobsters auditioned by telling incidents of their robberies.

One such actor was Tony Sirico, who played the role of Tony Stacks. His background in mob films and relationships with real-life organized crimes made him perfect, even for a small role.

Billy Batts’ Beating Was No Act

Frank Vincent’s character Billy Batts in the movie is remembered for one of the most famous brutal beating scenes in the movie. However, one thing that many viewers don’t know is the fact that those scenes were in fact a reality. 

Although Vincent was wearing a padded vest under his suit, the kicks from Robert De Niro’s character were delivering a huge blow. Vincent felt the hit, but he was okay with it as he realized that it would make the scene more authentic.

Scorsese’s Sneaky Direction

Martin Scorsese is one of the directors who always pushes his actors to give their best. Sometimes he uses some pretty sneaky tricks to do it. For example, the scene in Goodfellas where Sonny begs Paulie to take over the restaurant.

Scorsese instructed Tony Darrow, who played Sonny, to improvise in the scene. But he never bothered to let Paul Sorvino, who played Paulie, know about the change. So when Sorvino got confused and annoyed on camera, that was 100% real.

This little trick created quite a lot of tension in the scene. Of course, Scorsese knew what he was doing. He just wanted to get some desperate and sincere reactions that cannot be faked.

Freeze Frames That Tell a Story

Goodfellas‘ freeze frames are not only for style. On the face of it, they might appear as ways of drawing viewers’ attention to certain important events. But actually, they act as a foreshadowing tool for future violence or for any important events in the respective character’s life.

Even when Henry Hill is shown happy after getting praised by his mobster mentors, the freeze frame indicates that he is walking on a dangerous path. Again, there is a freeze frame during Henry and Karen’s wedding. It initially looks harmless, but it actually indicates that they are going to have a rough relationship.

F-Bombs 

There weren’t any restrictions on language in this movie. According to Collider, the F word is used over 300 times in the movie. That was actually a record for Scorsese at that time, though he went on to surpass this with The Wolf of Wall Street.

The foul words were not just for style or shock factor. They were also an important part of the character-building process. The director aimed at the characters’ credibility, and in the movie, it was expressed in brutal language.

All these behind-the-scenes facts and decisions make Goodfellas a masterclass of filmmaking. From casting real-life mobsters to freezing frames, every detail adds to a unique experience. It is no surprise that it is still considered great more than 30 years later.

Goodfellas is available to stream on Netflix.