Goodfellas

Goodfellas (Martin Scorsese,1990) is narrated by his protagonist, Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) who grews up in a very similar environment that the boy of A Bronx Tale (Robert De Niro, 1993) did and finds being part of the mafia as the best thing he could have.

This narration show a very personal point of view. With the freeze-frames, we realize the narration is taking place time later, and the narrator and protagonist is thinking and reflecting about his story. Later in the film it is Karen Hill (Lorraine Bracco) who narrates her new life. She also does it through photo-montages, we are almost sitting in her living room, having a look at her albums.

In this video you can see some Scorsese's editing techniques with some examples of Goodfellas. 


I really liked the film, I found it interesting and very similar in some ways to A Bronx's tale: the narrator, the protagonist story told since he was a child,or Scarface (Brian De Palma, 1983) : drugs, the fall. And, in both of them, the figure of the divine woman who once got, is not so interesting as it was.

The Departed

The Departed (Martin Scorsese, 2006) is a crime film that shows both sides of the law. The "goods" and the "bads". I'd recommed its soundtrack. I am sure you have heard it before.

  

Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a cop who is assigned to infiltrate the mob syndicate run by Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) is a member of the forementioned mob infiltrated in the state police as an informer. This is a film about the opposites side of the same fight.

I think that the film itries to make the viewer identify himself with both of them. 

Personally, I identify myself with Billy Costigan. I do not prefer him just because Leonardo DiCaprio, but also because I can understand his reasons, why he does what he does. This does not happens with Colin Sullivan.

Madolin (Vera Farmiga) knows Colin and Billy. Even more, she feels attracted by both of them. This is a film about both sides of an only conflict, but it also shows how similar both sides may be.

Frank Costello gives a grotesque and extravagant vision to the film.