Analysis of Title Sequence: Goodfellas

I will be analysing the title sequence of Goodfellas, directed by Martin Scorsese.  The title credits were designed by Saul Bass.

The first few titles are introduced to the audience. Initially they pan from right to
left in a faded / grey tone before being presented in a large, bold white text accompanied by
the sound effect of a car speeding by, suggesting a fast-paced film.

Next we see a shot of a car, driving down a dark road at night. The lack of light in this shot creates a dark, atmosphere.
The camera then tracks to the front of the car before cutting to the next title shot.

The next title shot establishes to the audience the setting and timeframe that the movie takes place in.

The audience are then greeted with the film's 3 protagonists - straight away the personalities of the characters are established. De Niro and Pesci are shown to be relaxed and laid back, contrasting with Liotta who is shown to be somewhat tense and stressed. 

The next shot is a long shot, showing the 3 characters standing side by side looking at the boot of the car.  The most significant aspect of the shot to me is how the characters are lit by the car's lights, showing them in a red light. Immediately this creates connotations of blood and danger. 

The film then shows a shot of the car, slowly zooming in on it.  Because of the slow zoom, it creates a sense of anticipation and suspense.

This shot is also significant in establishing the character's personalities and relationships.  Pesci and De Niro are shown to be close together, symbolising their relationships whilst Liotta is distanced from them.  The camera then zooms in on De Niro, suggesting that he is the most dominant figure in the film. As well as this, the characters are again shown in red light, suggesting danger. This is in addition to the fact that Pesci and De Niro are both grasping weapons. 

The next shot is of a mysterious person who the audience doesn't yet know, wrapped in sheets and covered in blood, gasping for air. This graphic violence makes the audience uncomfortable, setting the violent mood of the film.

We then see Pesci violently stab the injured person, unfazed by his psychopathic behaviour. Again, this helps to highlight the aggressive, violent personality of Joe Pesci's character

Finally, De Niro finishes off the attack by shooting the person.  Again, like pesci, he shows no remorse at ending the person's life.  

During the shooting, the camera quickly cuts to Liotta's character - showing him flinching at the gunshots.  I felt that this portrays Liotta's character as being quite a passive character who isn't in as much control or as powerful as De Niro and Pesci's characters. 

After the shooting has finished, the camera slightly adjusts focus, focusing on the still corpse. This is accompanied by an eerie silence, creating a chilling atmosphere.



Liotta then closes the car boot and the camera zooms in on him before freezing, showing Liotta looking into the distance.  This is accompanied with a narration with Liotta reflecting back on past-experiences.

After cutting to black, 'GOODFELLAS' then appears on the screen, similar to the first few title credits, showing the title of the film.

All in all, the Goodfellas title sequence suceeds in gripping the audience from the beginning of the film, whilst establishing the tone and atmosphere of the film.