How 'Goodfellas' and the Gangster Class of 1990 Reshaped Hollywood and Television

As Hollywood stood on the brink of a new decade, the release of Goodfellas by director Martin Scorsese and writersUTESCO and Massimiliano Pileggi in 1990 heralded a seismic shift in both cinema and television. This article explores how Goodfellas and the Gangster Class of 1990 series fundamentally transformed the landscape of American storytelling.

The Rise of 'Goodfellas'

Goodfellas not only captured the audience’s imagination but also became a cultural touchstone, profoundly influencing the direction of both film and television. While The Godfather paved the way for mob films, it was 'Goodfellas' that solidified the gangster genre in Hollywood and popular culture (keyword: Mafia Movies). Movies and TV series prior to its release lacked the gritty realism and unflinching portrayal of mob life that 'Goodfellas' epitomized.

Renowned for its authenticity, Goodfellas offered a raw and unvarnished look at the Italian-American mafia, presenting a stark reality free of Hollywood glamorization. As Michael Franzese, a former caporegime of the Colombo family, stated, 'The Godfather' portrays mob life as gangsters would like it to be, while 'Goodfellas' exposes the harsh truths and brutal realities (keyword: Mafia Movies).

Impact on Scorsese's Career and Other Filmmakers

The success of 'Goodfellas' was nothing short of revolutionary for Martin Scorsese's career. The film not only bolstered Scorsese's reputation but also set the stage for a new era in American cinema characterized by innovative storytelling and unapologetic realism. Following the release of 'Goodfellas', Scorsese's works such as Casino, The Departed, and The Wolf of Wall Street became benchmarks in the industry.

For other filmmakers, 'Goodfellas' opened doors previously unattainable. Pulp Fiction, for example, marked a pivotal shift in Hollywood, its success bringing Scorsese's methodologies into the mainstream. As Jim Hemphill wrote in Filmmaker Magazine, 'Goodfellas' had an immediate and impactful effect on the landscape, influencing directors and writers across the industry.

Steven Soderbergh's Out of Sight and Barry Sonnenfeld's Get Shorty showcased the influence of 'Goodfellas' on storytelling, employ unconventional narrative structures, and explore morally ambiguous characters with depth. These films broke new ground, utilizing innovative techniques that were once considered risky in mainstream cinema.

The Television Golden Age

The impact of 'Goodfellas' extended far beyond film and transformed television as well, ushering in a new era of complex narratives and realistic portrayals. David Chase's groundbreaking series The Sopranos, a direct offspring of 'Goodfellas', exemplifies this transformation.

In the words of Hemphill, 'Goodfellas' is a 'virtual template' for many television shows, serving as a blueprint for storytelling and character development. The show's influence can be seen in the emergence of intricate, morally complex characters and stories, paving the way for series like Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Six Feet Under, and Homeland.

The Sopranos introduced a new prototypical antihero in Tony Soprano, a character so flawed and morally ambiguous that he would have been at home in Scorsese's world. The show's deep dive into the contradictions of its central figure - a brutal racist and misogynist often steeped in loyalty and family values - mirrored the prescient insight of 'Goodfellas' into the decline of the American Dream.

Without 'Goodfellas' and its central character Henry Hill, television as we know it today would be vastly different. The moral ambiguity at the heart of 'Goodfellas' fostered a new era of television, where characters and stories grappled with the complexities of life in a post-modern world.

Conclusion

From cinema to television, 'Goodfellas' and the Gangster Class of 1990 have left indelible marks on American storytelling. They reshaped how narratives were told, characters were portrayed, and cultural perceptions were challenged. The legacy of 'Goodfellas' and its impact on the industry underscore a turning point in the flow of storytelling, revealing the dark undercurrents of the American Dream and the power of unflinching truth in art.