Martin Scorsese: Ranking His Movies From Worst To Best

3. Goodfellas

"As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster." One of the best opening lines in the history of cinema signalled the beginning of Martin Scorsese's gangster magnum opus, Goodfellas. Working with writer Nicholas Pillegi for the first time, the film follows the rise and fall of Henry Hill and his association with the Lucchese crime family, spanning several decades of their activities. Frequently bloody and violent, Scorsese's depiction of the gangster lifestyle has never been so comprehensively explored as in Goodfellas. Robert De Niro and Ray Liotta deliver performances at the top of their game, but it is perhaps Joe Pesci as the unhinged, psychopathic Tommy DeVito who really steals the show. Seen by many as the high point of his career, Goodfellas is a virtually flawless movie in which its grand ambitions never get in the way of its clarity and focus. It's also astounding to look at - few other Martin Scorsese movies quite demonstrate his knack for visual flourishes.