Simone Scott

FVIA 1st Year

MDA1916: Communicating in Film

Close analysis assignment

Employing techniques demonstrated in your lecture classes, write a close stylistic analysis of a 3 to 5-

minute segment of a narrative feature film of your choice.

You may focus on the mise-en-scène, editing, cinematography or sound, or a combination of these

cinematic elements. Do not describe the film; assume that your reader is already familiar with it. Instead,

show how the cinematic devices contribute to the meaning and impact of the sequence.

Introduction

My understanding of this essay title is to provide a detailed analysis of mise en scene, editing,

cinematography or sound from a short clip of a film of my choice. With this understanding I have chosen

to discuss the details of mise en scene in a scene from Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas (1990). The scene I

have chosen involves the main protagonist, Henry Hill, paying his girlfriend Karen’s neighbour, Bruce, a

visit after she complains he has touched her inappropriately and pushed her out of the car. The scene is

uncomfortably violent. I will identify the mise en scene techniques Scorsese has used to reinforce the

contrast between Henry and this environment, intensify the violence and create meaning. I will begin with

the setting of the scene; I will then move on to lighting, costume and finish with behaviour/performance.

As there is very little editing in this scene I will not be discussing editing or cinematography but would

like to quote the films cinematographer Michael Ballhaus; ‘This is, in my opinion, the most violent scene

I’ve ever shot. There were no cuts in it and no tricks, nothing. You just felt the violence right there’.

It is important to emphasize Henry’s position as an outsider as a running theme throughout the film.

Although he is an integral and excepted part of the mob he can never be a ‘made man’ due to his paternal

Irish heritage. He is, essentially, a foot soldier. Scorsese makes this abundantly clear throughout the film.

For example; the lack of help Henry and his family receive when he goes to jail for a second time. Henry

is powerless to do anything when Tommy is ‘whacked’ and it is inevitably Henry who ‘rats on his

1
 Simone Scott
FVIA 1st Year

friends’ and cements the gangs fall from grace. Henry’s detachment is further reinforced by his voice

over. He is telling the story from his own point of view as though he has now separated himself from the

mob, which of course, he has.

The setting for this scene takes place in a middle class suburban neighbourhood. The lawns and hedges

are nicely manicured, the street is clean and the homes are tidy and respectable. There are gardeners

working in the background of the opening shot and the sound of bird song can be heard throughout the

scene. This all gives the viewer the impression of an idealic, peaceful, but more importantly, safe

environment. This setting of American suburbia is ‘obviously meant to convey settings representative of

the ordinary, good and happy life in America’ (Lefebvre 2006: xix).

Bruce and his two friends are working on a car across the street in Bruce’s driveway. Their car is a

flamboyant, gleaming, red sports car. Henry’s car, although a nice car, is much more subtle and pale

yellow. This illustrates the contrast in the characters psychological, social and emotional make up.

Bruce’s car is overstated suggesting that he has something to prove to the rest of the world. He wants

people to have a certain perception of him. He wants to be seen as wealthy, sexy and important. He wants

to impress Karen and compete with Henry. Contrastingly, Henry’s car is understated suggesting he does

not need to prove anything to anyone. He is secure with who he is. He knows he is wealthy, sexy and

important. He does not need to do anything to impress Karen. She is impressed already. He is also

sensible enough to know that a flamboyant car would draw unwanted attention to him and his criminal

activities and invite ridicule from his associates. Cars are ‘symbolic signs, defining the priorities of their

owners and to a certain extent their owners’ identities’ (Orr 1993: 127)

Scorsese again uses lighting to help set a scene of contrast. He wants to show us that Henry does not

belong in this idealic setting. The scene illustrates how far removed Henry is from the ‘real world’ and

provides us, the viewer, with the moment Karen crosses from one world to the other. Scorsese has shot

2
 Simone Scott
FVIA 1st Year

the scene on a warm spring day. This is done to reinforce the sense of idealism and security of the

neighbourhood. Together with the natural light from the sun I suspect three point lighting has been used

as this is the most usual technique in film. Although artificial, three point lighting looks natural and can

be used to adapt natural light like the sun to create or remove shadows, adjust brightness and stabilize

lighting in changing weather conditions, i.e. cloud movement.

Costume is used to great effect in this scene to convey the different worlds that Henry, Bruce and Karen

come from. Bruce is dressed in a yellow pastel coloured sports jacket with a light coloured shirt and khaki

chinos. This gives him a casual almost ‘frat boy’ look which suggests he conforms to the traditions of the

masses by affiliating himself with college convention of the time. Karen is dressed conservatively. She

wears sensible pants, blouse, cardigan and shoes suggesting she is a nice girl from a respectable home.

Henry, on the other hand, is dressed from head to toe in dark colours. He is wearing dark brown trousers

with a brass belt buckle, black shoes, black shirt and a brown leather jacket. He clothes are stylish and

look expensive. In Western culture, black is considered stylish, sexy and powerful. Henry exhibits all

these qualities. Henry is also shown wearing a gold ring on his ‘pinky’ finger. This symbolises his

affiliation with the mob.

Again, we as the viewer, see the contrast created by Scorsese. Henry looks more unconventional than the

other characters. His clothes say something about him. They allow Henry to communicate non – verbally.

His clothes communicate a belonging to another lifestyle and an unconventional group of people. He is

once again, an outsider.

Henry’s behaviour in this scene demonstrates, more than any other element of mise en scene, the contrast

between himself and his surroundings. As they pull up into Karen’s driveway Henry tells Karen to go

inside the house as he reaches for a gun and puts it in the belt of his trousers. This tells us Henry has no

qualms about using the gun, if need be, even though to the viewer this may be an overreaction. Henry

turns and walks across the street with confidence and conviction. His body language tells us he is not

3
 Simone Scott
FVIA 1st Year

scared even though he is out numbered. There is a look of unflinching determination in his eyes as he

crosses the street and walks up Bruce’s driveway. Bruce walks towards him and utters the words ‘you

want some fucko’. Before Bruce can finish his sentence Henry has started to hit him in the face

repeatedly with the butt of his gun. As Bruce falls to the ground Henry is still hitting him. This tells the

viewer that Henry does not play by the rules as most people would stop at this point. Once again we are

told visually that Henry is unconventional, an outsider. After 10 vicious blows to the face Henry swears

on his Mother’s life that if Bruce touches Karen again he will kill him. He stands up and points the gun at

one of Bruce’s friends almost expecting them to come to Bruce’s aid as would be standard practice in

Henrys world among his friends and associates. As he walks back to Karen’s house his facial expression

shows us that he is angry and pumped with adrenalin. His eyes are wide and volatile as though he actually

enjoyed what he just did. This is a key moment in the film when Henry hands the gun to Karen and asks

her to hide it. This is her transition from her world to his. Scorsese conveys this using slow motion and a

voice over from Karen.

It is important to understand the philosophical aesthetics of violence in film. The aestheticization of

violence in film is the method of making violence seem attractive, glamorous and even sexy. Although

Scorsese wanted to depict the film's violence realistically, "cold, unfeeling and horrible"(R. Goodwin) he

clearly understands this. However, Scorsese states “It seems to me that any sensible person must see that

violence does not change the world and if it does, then only temporarily”.

Scorsese has used the mise en scene techniques discussed in this essay to create great contrast in the

scene. In doing so he has reinforced the violence and emphasized the psychological, social and emotion

differences between Henry and the real world. Scorsese also uses this scene as a transition for Karen to

move from one world to the next and confirms Henrys position as an outsider.

Clip link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgD--h93364

4
 Simone Scott
FVIA 1st Year

Bibliography

J.Orr. (1993). Commodified demons II: The automobile, in Cinema and Modernity. Oxford: Polity Press.

Lefebvre, M. (2006). Landscape and Film. New York: Routledge.

Quart, L. (1991). Goodfellas reveiw. Sight and Sound , Vol 18 Issue 2 page 43.

Scorsese, M. (Director). (1990). Goodfellas (Special Edition) Disc 2 'Getting Made' [Motion Picture].

Warner Bros.

Thompson, D. B. (2008). Film Art, an Introduction. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Goodwin, R. (?). The Making of Goodfellas. Hotdog Magazine Via and cited by Wikipedia