Goodfellas vs The Wolf of Wall Street

Goodfellas

Henry Hill's narration opens with 'As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster'. For the entire first half of the film, Scorsese makes that desire infectious. The narration is proud, funny and energetic. You're meant to share in it before it gets stripped away.

The Wolf of Wall Street

Jordan Belfort's voiceover is a sales pitch aimed at you. He explains his schemes with the enthusiasm of a man who loves his work, and Scorsese makes him convincing. That is the film's ethical challenge. By the time you dislike Jordan, you have already enjoyed everything he did.

Goodfellas

Scorsese uses rock and pop songs throughout to mark each era and to comment on the action. 'Gimme Shelter' plays as Henry cuts cocaine. 'Sunshine of Your Love' plays as Jimmy weighs killing members of his own crew. 'Jump into the Fire' plays during Henry's cocaine-fueled day of paranoia. Each choice is a moral statement.

The Wolf of Wall Street

Scorsese's soundtrack does the moral commenting that the film's point of view can't do. You hear Matthew McConaughey's chest-beating hum, the Rolling Stones and the hip-hop that plays over the excess. The song choice is almost always ironic. Songs that celebrated freedom or pleasure play over scenes that show what both of them cost.

Goodfellas

The Copacabana tracking shot follows Henry and Karen through the club's back entrance, the kitchen and the underground passages to a ringside table, all in a single unbroken take. The camera moves with the same ease Henry does. He owns this world and, for a moment, so do you.

The Wolf of Wall Street

Scorsese's camera glides across the Stratton Oakmont trading floor and through the parties. Its constant motion matches Belfort's own restless energy. These tracking shots do more than follow him. They make his world look beautiful. The camera's excitement about that world shows you how seductive wealth is.