Forget ‘The Godfather,’ This Crime Thriller’s Opening Scene Still Has the Genre’s Greatest Quote
Martin Scorsese’s *Goodfellas* opens with Henry Hill’s declaration, “As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster.” The article argues that the line captures the film’s central idea: Henry’s romantic image of Mafia life clashes with the brutality and self-interest behind it.
The opening scene shows Henry, Jimmy Conway and Tommy DeVito stopping their car after hearing a noise from the boot, where they find the badly wounded Billy Batts. Tommy stabs Batts and Jimmy shoots him, before the film shifts back to Henry’s childhood in New York. Set from the 1950s to the 1980s, the story follows Henry’s rise and fall, with money, power and respect drawing him towards organised crime.
- *Goodfellas* begins with Henry Hill’s famous gangster ambition.
- The opening scene quickly exposes the violence behind that ambition.
- The film traces Henry’s rise and fall in the Mafia world.
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Goodfellas is a crime film directed by Martin Scorsese, based on the life of Henry Hill, a New Yorker who became involved with the Mafia. It follows him from childhood through the decades when he was drawn into organised crime by the promise of money, influence and respect.
Henry’s story also features fellow criminals Jimmy Conway and Tommy DeVito, whose violence and self-interest shape life around them. The film contrasts Henry’s idealised view of being a gangster with the danger and brutality of the world he joins.