LEWM: "GOODFELLAS" ESL LESSON

ARCENAL STUDIOS presents LEARNING ENGLISH WITH MOVIES: "GOODFELLAS" - a video lesson for ESL students who would like to improve their English skills by using MOVIES as the main topic.

 

GOODFELLAS

 

GOODFELLAS is a 1990 crime-drama directed by acclaimed director Martin Scorsese.

 

Martin Scorsese is an Italian-American film director who has been named one of the best Directors of all time and has directed some of the best movies in history.

 

GOODFELLAS is based on the true story of mobster Henry Hill, whose life of crime became the basis for the book titled “Wiseguy” by Nicholas Pileggi.

 

A WISE GUY means a smart or clever person.  Sometimes it is used in a negative way.

 

However, used in another context, it could also mean GANGSTER.

 

A MOBSTER refers to a gangster or criminal who is part of organized crime, (also referred as THE MOB.

 

Director Martin Scorsese reunited with actors Robert DeNiro and Joe Pesci, who had previously collaborated with him on the film RAGING BULL.

 

They would also reteam for the successful crime drama CASINO and most recently on the film THE IRISHMAN.

 

Ray Liotta also joined the cast as Henry Hill and Lorraine Bracco as his wife.

 

Originally, the film was supposed to be titled WISE GUY, however, Scorsese decided to change the name to “GOODFELLAS”.

 

The term GOODFELLA is an informal word for a gangster or mobster.

 

A FELLA (from the word FELLOW) can also be used to mean friend or buddy.

However, nowadays the term is no longer used very often.

 

Scorsese and writer Nicholas Pileggi rewrote the screenplay several times until they were able to capture the spirit of the book and also stay true to the real life of mobsters.

 

The film centers on the life of Henry Hill, a young man in Brooklyn who grew up fascinated by the MOBSTERS who lived in his neighborhood.

 

This fascination with organized crime eventually leads him to a life of petty crime, robbery and even murder.

 

PETTY CRIME refers to minor crimes such as theft, trespassing, shoplifting, etc.

 

He begins working for Paul "Paulie" Cicero and his associates: James "Jimmy" Conway played by Robert DeNiro and Tommy DeVito played by Joe Pesci.

 

As part of this group of criminals, Henry slowly moves up in the ranks and as a result, becomes prey to the trappings and lifestyle of a gangster.

 

TRAPPINGS refer to the possessions that are typical of a situation or symbols of a position.

 

In this case, the expensive cars, elegant clothes, upscale restaurants, etc.

 

During this time, he would meet and fall in love with Karen Friedman. They eventually get married, despite her Jewish family’s objections.

 

Jimmy and his crew pull off one of their biggest heists, but despite managing to steal millions of dollars, many of their associates are either captured or murdered.

 

A HEIST is a crime in which valuable things are taken illegally and often violently from a place or person.

 

Tommy murders a MADE MAN after an angry outburst in a bar, and as a result he is also murdered.

 

A MADE MAN is a man who has been formally inducted as a full member of the Mafia.

 

Years later, Henry decides to make money in a drug deal which goes terribly wrong and he is eventually captured by the police.

 

Fearing for his life and that of his family, he agrees to work as an informant for the FBI in order to catch his associates.

 

In the film, even though they tell Henry to never to RAT on his friends, that is exactly what he does to save his life.

 

TO RAT, in this context means to betray or snitch on his friends.

 

After successfully arresting many known criminal mobsters, Henry is taken to the Witness Protection Program, where he was able to live his life with a certain level of safety and anonymity.

 

Goodfellas premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 1990, where Scorsese won the Silver Lion award for best director.

 

The film was a critical and financial success and it is considered the best Gangster film of all time by critics worldwide.

 

It was nominated for several film awards including the Academy Award, where Joe Pesci won best Actor.