goodfellas

goes from the kitchen to the poker table to the door where James walks in. During this shot you see how organized the mob was, everyone played his or her part.

Long tracking shots are one of the more unique and difficult shots in filmmaking. Film enthusiast Alan Bacchus commented on the difficulty of long tracking shots, “The difficulty arises when the camera is forced to move which complicates the logistics. The things that could be effected are focus Changes, lighting changes, and hiding production equipment.”(P.1, 3) There are some iconic long tracking shots in film history. The opening scene of Orson Welles’s Touch of Evil, Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill Vol.1 and more recently in the HBO Drama True Detective. We cannot mention the famous long tracking shots of all time without mentioning this film. The long tracking shot comes when Henry brings Karen to the Copacabana through the back door while there are countless people waiting to get in. The camera follows Henry and Karen as they make their way downstairs, through the kitchen, and out to their table. This whole shot is taken without any interruption and is truly remarkable. In this scene, Karen is introduced to how well known and respected Henry is throughout the city, almost everyone sitting in the restaurant and even the kitchen staff acknowledges his presence. Robert Warshow, the late author and film critic, writes in his book, The Gangster as Tragic Hero, that the gangster character has to be a man of the city,

“The gangster is the man of the city, with the city’s language and knowledge, with its queer and dishonest skills and its terrible daring, carrying his life in his hands like a placard, like a club. For everyone else, there is at least the theoretical possibili...

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...ade its mark on hollywodd with its long tracking shot and is now named one of the top long tracking shots of all time in the opinion of some. So while in the 90’s I do think film was the best medium for Goodfellas, I do believe if it were to be made today it could be a TV show. AMC has even picked up a Goodfellas TV show that will be a prequel to the film.

Goodfellas is one of Martin Scorsese’s most popular and elaborate films. From the freeze-frames to the famous long take at the Copacabana. Everything done behind the camera seems to bring this film together as a whole. Even though the film can be dated back to the 90’s with the tacky costumes and décor, the story of the film is timeless. This is a movie that has already stood the test of time and will continue to do so for generations to come. Goodfellas is truly one of the most remarkable films of all time.