film opening analysis goodfellas

1. Film Opening Analysis: Goodfellas (1990)
The filmopenswithablackscreenas the openingcreditsare displayed,accompaniedbythe diegetic
and easily recognisable sound of cars driving past at speed.After the credits, white textis displayed
on screen stating that the film is based upon a true story, creating intrigue and also a sense of
trepidation for the rest of the film as the audience are aware that the inevitable violence and
corruptionare at leastpartiallytrue.The shot cuts to track a movingcar from behindatnight,so the
twinrear lightsare shown clearlyinthe frame,thenas the car changeslanesthe camera accelerates
past the car but pans, keeping it in the shot, implying its significance and the importance of the
characters within it. The shot fades again to black and ‘New York, 1970’ appears, then cuts to show
the interiorof the car,withthe male driverclosestandinfocusonthe rightside of the frame andtwo
male passengers in the frontand back seats, possibly implyingthat the driver is the main character.
The menare all dressedinsuits,stereotypicallycategorisingthemas‘gangsters’,andeventhoughthe
frontseat passengerissleeping,the expressionof the driverandthe lackof conversationcontributes
to the forebodingatmosphere attributedto‘gangsterfilms’. There isamysterioussoundfromthe car
and the menspeculate asto what it couldbe before the driverpullsovertocheck. The shot cuts to a
long shot of the rear half of the car shown from the side as the three men walkaround to the boot,
the ominousnessof whichisheightenedbythe onlysource of illuminationinthe darknessbeingthe
red brake light – red connoting violence and blood – which also unclearly shows the men holding
objectsorweaponsastheyapproachthe boot.Clearly,themenknow whatis inthe boot,howeveras
the audience don’t, the mystery of what could make the noise creates a sense of fear which is
exacerbated by the manner in which the men pause at the boot and wait instead of opening it
immediately.Furthermore,the nextshotisaclose upof the bootof the car,while the noise continues
inside,buildingupthe suspenseuntilthe driver unlocksthe bootandthe camera movesclosersothe
audience clearlysee the bloodstainedbodyof aman,coveredapartfromhisface.The graphicnature
of the splutteringvictimshocksthe audience,followedbyunhesitatingviolence fromone of the men
as he proceedstostabthe bleedingmanrepeatedlywithalarge knife.Thissetsthe themesof graphic
and explicit violence that are prevalent throughout the story, and typical of ‘gangster’ films. In this
opening I think the atmosphere of danger and tension is created very effectively.