10 Gangster Movies You Must See Before You Die
1. Goodfellas
Scorsese’s masterpiece takes a dark and cynical look at the life of a low level mafioso and concludes that, taking aside all the brutality and murder, it would be a pretty sweet existence. Ray Liotta’s sneering summary caps off one of the snappiest, most jam packed films ever made.
The brilliance of Goodfellas comes in its unwillingness to moralise. Scorsese takes it as read that the audience understands gangsters are not good people. Here the characters experience the high life - fine suits, fast living, answering to no one - before the weight of their choices comes crashing down upon them.
This is a low level gangster story, free of the usual grandiosity. Indeed, two of the three main mobsters aren’t even eligible for mafia membership. Based on real events and expertly co-written by mob journalist Nicholas Pileggi, it feels more legit than the vast majority of criminal content.
An amazing soundtrack, faultless performances from Liotta, De Niro, Pesci, Bracco - Goodfellas is a true phenomenon, equal parts funny, dramatic, aspirational and off putting. Two and a bit hours have never flown past so quickly. Sort-of sequel Casino is also great, but its real spiritual successor is The Sopranos.