This document provides instructions and discussion questions for analyzing key scenes from the film "Goodfellas." Students are asked to analyze several scenes in terms of their narrative elements, characters, and how they represent concepts like the "rise and fall" of the protagonist Henry Hill. Film language techniques like mise-en-scene, sound, and editing are to be considered in exploring how the scenes construct meanings and messages. Comparisons may also be drawn between representations in "Goodfellas" and those in "American Gangster." The goal is for students to understand and summarize the messages and values depicted across these analyzed scenes.

1. Entrance Activity
2 minutes
Rick Al_______ (19___) –
Genre is defined by S__________ Elements
(Iconography, Setting, Characters) and
S___________ Elements (Narrative,
themes & issues)
YOU MUST give an example of a SIMILAR
Syntactic Element (Narrative) that is
represented in BOTH Texts in a PECA Paragraph.
tman 84
EMANTIC
YNTACTIC

2. The “rise and fall” (Robert Warshow –
1946) of a ‘tragic hero’
YOU MUST state HOW this Syntactic Element
(Narrative) is represented in a PECA Paragraph.

3. Entrance Activity
2 minutes
In the Gangster genre, the
characters have an
“i_________e f_____m”
(Warshow – 19__)
rresponsibl reedo
54

4. Title:
‘Goodfellas’ –
Key Scenes Analysis – Screening (L1 of 3)
Monday 13th
April 2015
FM2 –
British and American Film (60%) of AS Level)
Section C –
US Cinema Comparative Study –
‘Goodfellas’ and ‘American Gangster’ -
(40 marks)

5. Why?
Aims & Objectives
• YOU WILL re-cap prior
learning.
• YOU WILL develop your
understanding of the key
messages & values represented
in some of the key scenes from
‘Goodfellas’
• YOU WILL be able to recognise
where theory/key ideas apply
to these key scenes.
• Review the learning.
AO1
Demonstrate knowledge and
understanding of film as an
audio-visual form of creative
expression together and
AO2
Apply knowledge and
understanding, including
some of the common critical
approaches that characterise
the subject, when exploring
and analysing films.

6. FM2 –
EXAM BOARD EXPECTATIONS
Mark Scheme
‘Goodfellas’ (1990 – Martin Scorsese) ‘American Gangster’ (2007 – Ridley Scott)

7. Robert Kolker (2000) stated the editing ‘provide a kind of
rhythm section for the shots’ as Henry’s drug fuelled life
comes crashing down.
YOU SHOULD compare the drug fuelled life of
Henry – the ‘tragic hero’ – to the addicts of
Harlem in the ‘Hold on, I’m coming scene’ OR
the Heroin House raid scene.

8. “story of enterprise and success ending in precipitate failure”
(Warshow – 1954)
Main Task 1) – 10 minutes
YOU MUST analyse the scene and establish what Film Language (Mise-en-scene, Sound –
Diegetic & Non-Diegetic, Cinematography) helps construct the representation of Henry’s
“precipitate failure” (Warshow – 1954)
YOU SHOULD also consider the role the editing plays in representing this downfall.

9. FEEDBACK

10. ‘Goodfellas’
(1990 – Martin Scorsese)
YOU MUST analyse the scene and answer the Questions on the next slide
YOU SHOULD support your analysis with Film Language examples from the scene – THEN
establish HOW they compare/contrast to a scene from ‘American Gangster’
Main Task 2) – 10 minutes
Henry got “pinched” scene
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBPly1aT8y0

11. 1) Henry saying “It’s ok” to the men who confront him – WHY?
2) “The people of the State of New York vs. Henry Hill” – Connotations?
- Does this provide an enigma clue (Barthes) to Henry’s eventual downfall?
3) John Locke (17th
Century) stated we are all born with a blank slate (inheriting nothing)
and are shaped by our experiences –
WHAT does Henry experience from being arrested? WHAT does Jimmy say to him?
4) “You broke your Cherry!” - WHAT does Henry learn from this?
Henry got “pinched” scene

12. ‘Goodfellas’
(1990 – Martin Scorsese)
“Funny How” scene
“men's weakness is their facade of strength” (Farrell - 1993)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_DwZfyXAXI

13. “Funny How” scene
1) “men's weakness is their facade of strength” (Farrell - 1993) –
HOW does Tommy’s defiant ‘face of strength’ impact the spectator?
WHAT character role does he conform to?
2) “I wonder about you sometimes Henry, you may fold under questioning”
–
WHAT is this an enigma clue (Barthes) of in terms of the ‘fall’ of Henry?
“irresponsible freedom” (Warshow – 1954)
3) Does Tommy conform to this? HOW?
4) Stella Bruzzi (1995) points out how the fusion of violence and wealth is a
‘fusion epitomised in the loud glamour of the mob’s clothes’ –
Is this represented in the scene?

14. YOU MUST summarise the messages and values represented in the 3 scenes we have
analysed from this text.
Extension – YOU COULD consider HOW they compare to other similar/different
representations in ‘American Gangster’ in terms Syntactic Elements (Altman – 1984)

15. “Both sexes had roles: women's role was [to] raise children; men's role was [to]
raise money."
(Warren Farrell - 1993)

16. “Both sexes had roles: women's role was [to] raise children; men's role was [to]
raise money."
(Warren Farrell - 1993)
YOU MUST analyse the scene and deconstruct the mise-en-scene and sound in order
to establish HOW the wedding scene confirms Henry’s status of taking over the throne
in the ‘Wedding’ (Propp’s Narrative functions)
YOU SHOULD analyse the Semantic Elements (Rick Altman – 1984) of the Gangster
Genre as well to establish the impact this has on the spectator.

17. What have you learnt?
TRUE or FALSE
‘Vicarious Learning’ (Bandura – 1977) =
How an individual learns by watching OTHERS being
rewarded or punished.
TRUE
Rick Altman (1986) – Genre is defined by SEMANTIC Elements (Iconography,
Setting, Characters) and SYNTACTIC Elements (Narrative, themes & issues)
FALSE - 1984

18. Homework
1) FINISH your L8 Key scene Analysis and watch the key
scenes again.
2) Continue to complete your FM2 – Section C Revision
Booklets
3) Continue with FM2 – Section A & B Revision
Due: Next Lesson – Tuesday 14th
April