MEDP150
Martin Scorsese is one of the most original, and entertaining modern filmmakers, and one of my favorites. Scorsese films are known for innovative camera lighting and filming techniques. One of his best known films is Goodfellas.
One of the most famous scenes in Goodfellas is when Henry (Ray Liotta) and Karen (Lorraine Bracco) are going on their first date at The Copa Cabana. What’s really interesting and different about this scene is how it’s shot. Scorsese strapped a camera to the camera man and had him follow the characters to their table. The shot is continues and expertly executed. By following Henry and Karen at a fast pace through the basement entrance of the club, navigating the kitchen and down to the stage the viewer gains the sense that Henry is an important person. People stop to greet Henry and his date, we can see in front of the camera as waiters down the path from the camera are urgently setting a table for the VIP mobster.
Filming the shot this way conveys to viewers that Henry is an important guy, moving quickly as things fall into place for him. The shot is also exciting for viewers who don’t know what’s going to be around the next corner. Scorsese may have done the shot this way to communicate the way that Karen feels as she enters this new interesting place with someone who’s clearly important.
Another technical choice that stands out is the use of the color red in the scene where Henry and his friends murder a rival mobster in the trunk of a car.
Even later in the film when Henry is on cocaine and believes he’s being watched. Scorsese films everything very quickly so the viewer also feels like they’re on uppers. Choppy shots from the car window up to the sky convey paranoia to the viewer. On top of this Henry having to complete multiple tasks and run from place to place, task to task makes the viewer feel anxious, again conveying the feeling of being on coke.
Overall I loved Goodfellas, as much this time as the last 150 thousand times I’ve seen it. It’s a classic and always will be!
UPDATE: Here's a video of the scene http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCYwcObxl78
Martin Scorsese is one of the most original, and entertaining modern filmmakers, and one of my favorites. Scorsese films are known for innovative camera lighting and filming techniques. One of his best known films is Goodfellas.
One of the most famous scenes in Goodfellas is when Henry (Ray Liotta) and Karen (Lorraine Bracco) are going on their first date at The Copa Cabana. What’s really interesting and different about this scene is how it’s shot. Scorsese strapped a camera to the camera man and had him follow the characters to their table. The shot is continues and expertly executed. By following Henry and Karen at a fast pace through the basement entrance of the club, navigating the kitchen and down to the stage the viewer gains the sense that Henry is an important person. People stop to greet Henry and his date, we can see in front of the camera as waiters down the path from the camera are urgently setting a table for the VIP mobster.
Filming the shot this way conveys to viewers that Henry is an important guy, moving quickly as things fall into place for him. The shot is also exciting for viewers who don’t know what’s going to be around the next corner. Scorsese may have done the shot this way to communicate the way that Karen feels as she enters this new interesting place with someone who’s clearly important.
Another technical choice that stands out is the use of the color red in the scene where Henry and his friends murder a rival mobster in the trunk of a car.
Even later in the film when Henry is on cocaine and believes he’s being watched. Scorsese films everything very quickly so the viewer also feels like they’re on uppers. Choppy shots from the car window up to the sky convey paranoia to the viewer. On top of this Henry having to complete multiple tasks and run from place to place, task to task makes the viewer feel anxious, again conveying the feeling of being on coke.
Overall I loved Goodfellas, as much this time as the last 150 thousand times I’ve seen it. It’s a classic and always will be!
UPDATE: Here's a video of the scene http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCYwcObxl78
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