Essays on De Niro

GoodFellas, the 1990 gangster film directed by Martin Scorsese, has achieved legendary status as one of the best mobster movies of all time. A classic example of Scorsese’s signature energetic style and deep, abiding sense of mood, GoodFellas examines the life and times of gangster Henry Hill, played by Ray Liotta, and his friends Jimmy the Gent and Tommy DeVito, played by Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, and their rise and fall through the world of organized crime. What is most fascinating is the use of point of view and perspective through editing to tell the story ...

Some actions, despite their initial good intentions, are hampered by its oftentimes poor executions. Although Victor Frankenstein expressed that his initial reason to cheat the cycle of life and death is to create a better world, his past and state of mind is actually mired with selfish intentions. Curiosity is something inherent in every human being, but there is a line that must never be crossed even by the most insatiable thirst for knowledge. There is a fine line that separates science and knowledge from madness and insanity, regardless of the age and reason. Victor’s desire for knowledge ...

“I’m an average nobody. I get to live the rest of my life like a schnook.” These are the last words of Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) in the 1995 film GoodFellas, directed by Martin Scorcese; in the film, Henry is a gangster who has risen through the ranks to develop himself as a crime boss, only to run afoul of his associates (Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci). In order to protect his family and save his own life, he turns state’s witness, enrolling in the Witness Protection Program and forever turning away from his life of crime.

Henry Hill, in a ...