Power Money & Power in Goodfellas a Film Student ENG
Running head: Power 1 Purpose: Use this modeled example of the Week 3 Written Assignment to explore the elements that make this an exemplary submission. Hover over the number or scroll to the end of the text to read about what the student has done well in this assignment. Money & Power in Goodfellas A Film Student ENG 225: Introduction to Film Professor Director Stardate 2259.55 Power 2 Money & Power in Goodfellas Martin Scorsese’s film Goodfellas (1990) is a gangster drama that shows the audience what it is like to be a part of the Mafia. This film is mainly told from the point of view of Henry Hill, played by Ray Liotta, who knew as a child that he wanted to be a part of the crime family. This film shows Henry Hill’s “thirst for and rise to power,” which is its major theme (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014, Ch. 4.2, para. 12). The movie Goodfellas shows the power that comes with money, the power of choice, and the power of persuasion, all of which are established through cinematography, acting, costuming, and design. With money comes power. This is shown in “The Long Take” scene in which Henry Hill and his date are walking into the Copacabana nightclub. Scorcese uses a continuous tracking shot to show Henry gladhanding the nightclub staff the resulting respect he is given, not only by the staff of the nightclub, but the other patrons inside. This cinematographic technique portrays Henry Hill as a man of importance. The camera stays low, making him look tall, and stays with him through the back entrance, a hallway, the kitchen, and into the dining room where he is given his own table in front of everyone else.
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