Goodfellas - Shot types

Whilst watching the film, I couldn’t help but be fascinated by the different types of shots Scorsese uses for varying purposes. For example when Henry is introducing us to all of the members of the mob, the camera tracks and pans smoothly across the club to show us who is who. This type of shot really gives the viewer an understanding of the setting; and creates the feeling of us being there, physically moving from one character to the next as if we are being introduced ourselves.


Another great technique is the use of the tracking steadicam when Henry first takes Karen to the Copacabana club. This sequence is all one take, following the two of them from the car to their table. It is a fantastic choice of shot as it lingers with the audience, slowing down the pace of the action, showing us the kind of treatment Henry gets as an infamous mafia member.


Scorsese loves to use freeze-frames in his films, and Goodfellas is no exception. There are several scenes in which a freeze-frame is used to cut up the action and delay the suspense for the audience. Again, I think this method is very successfully used by Scorsese, as it seems to put the viewer in control, stopping and starting the story at key moments. The use of this technique can be seen in the clip below, at 2:05.