Exercise: Setting the scene – Goodfellas (1990, Dir Martin Scorsese)

This exercise asks us to view the above scene from Goodfellas and analyse what in the film world is called the mise-en-scene.

The scene is where the main protagonist of the film Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) takes his future wife, Karen (Lorraine Bracco) on a first date to an extremely popular Copacabana Club in early 1960’s Manhattan.

Both our protagonist and his date are both working class people, or so Karen believes, however, the Copacabana Club then was a very high-end venue and the scene is littered with clues to the fact that Henry is far from the ordinary working class person Karen believes him to be.

He is on first name terms with a seemingly unofficial “valet parking attendant”.
They are able to skip the line and enter through that back door
Again first name terms with many of the backroom staff at the club
Henry tips everyone he comes across in the club – very generously
Without asking another table is set for them in front of the stage
There is a general air of respect given to Henry from staff and customers alike – drinks arrive bought by another table almost immediately

These clues show that Henry is a big deal; however, alongside this, the scene is cleverly accompanied by the song, “Then he kissed me” by The Crystals”, which if you listen to the lyrics is a girl describing her experience on a first date – something this scene also depicts. This gives another context to the clues above, Henry is a “big fish” out to make a good first impression.

The lighting and general colouring of the scene, whilst in context with a 60’s night club, also add to romantic setting reds, and dim light and the final reveal of walking into the club from the kitchen is very much reminiscent of a fairy-tale scene of a prince and princess entering a ballroom.

Finally, as the music quietens Karen as asks Henry “What do you do?”, Henry tries to avoid the question by pretending he can’t hear, but Karen presses, slightly uncomfortably he says “I’m in construction”, after being pressed that he that he doesn’t have the hands of a construction worker, he replies he’s a union rep. Again this is a clue that he’s not a construction union rep, but something in the criminal world but he is trying to keep that from his date to keep up the good first impression.

I have to admit I have been an admirer of this scene since a first saw it at the pictures back in 1990. In three minutes, Scorsese perfectly summarises Henry: A worldly, dynamic, resolute and determined man. Who will take shortcuts and spend some money to achieve his goal and get ahead of someone else. Someone who believes he can buy anything. Although, how he enters the club is not glamorous, the result is. This entrance is a metaphor of his career, entering through the side entrance to arrive at the top.