Film Analysis (2001: A Space Odyssey | Goodfellas) [Part 5]

Goodfellas 

Goodfellas, stylised ‘GoodFellas’, also undergoes several variations of Todorov’s theory. The narrative is non-linear. The film begins in the middle of the story – in New York, June 11th, 1970 – when the protagonist, Henry Hill (Ray Liotta), buries the recently deceased, Billy Batts (Frank Vincent). The scene I have chosen to analyse is the following, equivalent to the first stage of Todorov’s theory (the state of equilibrium): in 1955, a 12-year-old Henry Hill starts working for the local Mafia capo – Paul “Paulie” Cicero (Paul Sorvino). 

The next scene is in the 1960s, where Henry meets his future wife, Karen (Lorraine Bracco) - whom he soon marries, at a nightclub. We then move forward again to the disruption, just before the beginning, June 11th 1970, when Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci) and Jimmy Conway (Robert De Niro) whack Billy (the ‘disruption’) with Henry present. Burying the body, after realising the effects of murdering the ‘disruption’, can thus be seen as an attempt to repair the disruption. Six months later, they dig up the body and relocate it due to immovable plans for the development of the former land. Four years later, Henry’s wife, Karen Hill, finds out about his mistress and threatens him at gunpoint: this marks the disruption of the equilibrium within their marriage. Later that year, in Florida, Henry whacks a debtor and several of the gang members are convicted: Jimmy and Henry receive ten years. 

Henry is let out on parole four years later and creates a drugs empire with Jimmy and Tommy. Jimmy, and a small crew, raid the Lufthansa vault at the John F. Kennedy International Airport (the largest cash robbery ever at the time) on December 11th, 1978. At Jimmy’s Christmas party, against Jimmy’s orders, several members buy extravagant Christmas presents for themselves and their partners: a disruption of the equilibrium (Jimmy’s plan), recognised by Jimmy and resolved through the majority of the crew being whacked. The getaway van is found by the police due to the incompetence of a weak link, Stacks Edwards (Samuel L. Jackson). Jimmy believed that, despite not being fully Italian, he would become a ‘made man’ or ‘wiseguy’ (untouchable by any other non-made Mafia member). In this, he was deceived: as he was murdered two years later. Before Henry is finally arrested again, he has a manic day trying to deliver the correct firearms to Jimmy, pick up his brother for dinner and collect some cocaine: all whilst watching the tomato sauce. When narcotics raid the house, Karen flushes their life savings – $60,000 worth of cocaine – down the toilet. Paulie, with the knowledge of Henry’s underhand drug dealing, gives him $3,200 in compensation. Jimmy tries to set Henry up, but Henry figures out his intentions and enrols in a witness protection programme: providing enough evidence to convict Paulie and Jimmy. The story ends with several title cards, explaining the remainder of Henry’s life.