Inspiration Part 2

Goodfellas is also going to be an inspiration for our movie. Below, I will analyze the opening scene of Goodfellas.

Goodfellas-Opening Scene

The movie opens with a car, the only sounds heard are those on the road. The camera moves into the car where the audience is met with three characters. The rhythmic sound of something hitting the car begins as the characters begin to question why. They pull over and open the trunk. A body, covered in a bloody, white blanket begins to move. One character stabs the man and the other shoots the man. As what is interpreted as the main character closes the trunk, narration is heard.

When analyzing sound in this opening scene, I noticed the lack of a score or music. The only sounds heard are the wheels on pavement and the heart beat sounding struggle of the man in the trunk. This lack of score emphasizes the other sound effects such as the knife going through the man and the gunshots. It also emphasizes the musical sting that occurs when the main characters says, “As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster.”

The wardrobe of the three men are also important. All three are very well dressed, an image that is attributed to wealth and status. However, this expectation is subverted when the audience sees that the men have a dying man in their trunk which depicts their true profession.

The camera angles are also very important. The first shot opens with a car, from behind, in center frame. This immediately gives importance to the car, which is explained later in the film. The next shot shows our main characters, Jimmy, Tommy and Henry. The final shot is an up-angle of Henry Hill, showing his importance as the main character.