GOODFELLAS ESSAY

Goodfella`s is a film about a drug dealer`s rise to fame and how he is powerful, intimatdating to others and popular. He has generated a lot of cash and is on a first date woth a lovely lady friend, trying to impress her with his charms. This is done through movement, editing, cinematography, sound and the mise en scene.

The movement of the camera follows the main charater and his partner through the back door. This immediately tell us that he is powerful walking through the back door as he doesnt have to wait in line like the others. This gives the audience a sense of following the couple to see what they are doing. This happens when they turn the corner and the camera pans from left to right. As the characters walk down the staors the cinematography of the camera was at a high angle shot. This interprets to the audience that we are still spying on the main character. The audience could tell the setting was in a nightclub beacuse the camera panned to the main presenter on a stage introducing the next act.

In the nightclub the dominant colour was red . Low key lighting was added to show the dominant colour which builds up tension, as the shadows fading in the background. The connations of the dominant colour which are danger,love,blood shows the audience that there is trouble ahead further on in the film, and all is not what it seems to be. We know this through him lying to his date when she asks him a question, what do you do? He replied construction which we know he is not in becasue of the drum roll straight after his answer. He is a well respected man because a gentlemen on the table next to him gave him compliments with a bottle of champagne. This isnt normal as people do not buy expensive bottles of champagne to give out.

The restaurant owner knew the main charater aswell complimenting him and offering his services, which shows the main actor is superior to others. He wore a blue suit standing out from the rest of the crowd of men who wore black. The women were in elegant dresses which is streotypical of what women and men would wear on nights out. We could assume from this that Goodfella`s is a typical 1970s film. The sound reflects this aswell as the introduction music was from that generation. The director used a sound bridge;only cutting the music when the presenter started speaking, showing the audience the two characters are going for a night out. We know this is a date between the two because as the lyrics from the song reflect this.(becasue he kiss me) signifying a first kiss.

Diagetic sounds were present in the nightclub with the crowd talking. This is to make the film look like it is real as there would be a lot of noise in a nightclub. This was present also in the kitchen with the sounds of knives chopping food. However you could argue the sound bridge was non diagetic as it is an added sound.

Editing of the film takes a lot of time and effort to cut what the director doesnt need. However in the films opening the director used one continuous shot following the couple through the backs doors till there seat. This gave the sense of travelling throw the back doors with a sense of anticipation created.