Sub Plots:
The relationship between Karen and Henry – even though their relationship starts of strong, after their marriage, we observe an abrupt deterioration in the level of trust and love within the relationship. This shows the impact that Henry’s career had on their marriage, and how he concealed the truth of his job from her. His associations with other women also acted as a factor for this plot to develop and despite Karen knowing this fact she could not give up on Henry due to the intensity of her love. This evidently shows the role of women, and how they where perceived to be objects rather than people, which is an ideology that was seen within the time sequence when the film was shot.
Tommy being “made” – this proves how Jimmy’s training made his messenger boy into a “wise guy” emphasising a moment of pride. Also highlights how neither he nor Henry could become a wise guy due to their Irish roots – illustrating to the audience the importance of Sicilian blood is as it is the origin of the mafia.
Henry’s drug dealing trade – this shows how extreme his character had turn to go against his mentor.
Relationship between Paulie and Henry – Paulie acts as a father figure to Henry telling him and training him to become a wise guy. This relationship helps us to understand and emphasise with the pain that Paulie feels when Henry betrays him with his drugs deals in Pittsburgh as well as in the Courtroom.
Turning Points:
He gets caught selling stolen cigars by police. However he goes to court and tells them nothing allowing Paulie and Jimmy to trust him, and showing a compulsory quality for becoming a goodfella. This gains him respect
Tommy kills “Bates”, the untouchable Cuban gang leader, due to a silly argument, which shows Henry how irrational his colleagues can be. This is where he realises that some of the actions that his group take a wrong and immoral. Climatic point of plot.
Henry contemplates leaving Karen for his “bitch” Janice – Paulie and Jimmy talk to him and persuade him to stay with her for the sake of his crew
Jimmy and Henry go to Tampa Bay to get someone from a client. However, Clients sister is a typist for the FBI who dobs the two into to the police. As a punishment both get 10 years imprisonment even though overall they and up doing 4 years. Within this time, to raise money for himself and his family, Henry goes into the drugs trade behind Paulie’s back.
After his imprisonment he continues to deal drugs despite Paulie’s ultimatum of not doing it, with Jimmy and Tommy
He makes everyone get into the business with him. Jimmy also accomplishes a 6 million robbery that is his finest achievement. To make sure that no one traces him back to the police he kills all his associates (including killing someone in a meat compound so that he is frozen to death) showing his power and anticipation to make sure no one tracks him down.
Tommy gets shot by “Bates” crew – showing what goes round comes round and that you can’t hide anything. This is traditional example of “exchanging messages” which was inherited from the godfather films.
Henry gets caught by the police for his drugs deals – realises that his gangster days are over and that he has no one.
Climax:
Climax for Henry’s character is when he finds out that gangsters may complete some murders for revenge or power, but they also do it for stupid reasons – which shows his the irrationality of his job (resolution for the fact that what he does is wrong). However towards the end of the film, when he dobs Paulie and Jimmy to the police and becomes a part of the Witness protection Act, shows how he knows that his job is wrong and that he needs to do the morally correct thing by stopping their dealings (resolution to both society and his conscious). He also highlights the fact that he needs Karen in his life along with his kids – which is when he realises how much she means to him, which is another turning point of their relationship.
Code of Character:
Three main characters:
Even though Henry des not hold the typical conations of the hero, he acts as the central leader within the film that establishes when he is wrong and undermines a change in the plot of the film to make things better. From the start it is evident that Henry does hold a soft side (“the problem with you is that your too goddamn soft, we’re gonna have to toughen him up” – establishing this fact). Throughout the film though he leads the typical conations of a gangster – smart suits, expensive cars, smokes cigars, large house. But he completes the dirty work for Jimmy by threatening or warning clients to pay their bills. He has the American/Italian deep accent, which again is another icon of gangsters. He also acts as a player, sleeping behind his wife back and setting up his girlfriend with a house near his own so its easier to access, which is another notorious attribute to his character but is a ritual that is completed by all the people within their crew. He is the one that the audience builds intimacy with due to the fact that we gain insight into his mind through him narrating the plot to us as well as the story revolving around his actions.
Robert De Niro who is already a cliché in gangster films plays Jimmy who is a suave and sophisticated character. He has a cooler persona within his character due to the fact that he instructs Henry as well as works with him. He has a fiery temperament, which scares people, which is how he gets respect, which leads into power over other people. We also observe that he is a generous character within his crew, providing money and tips to everyone he meets showing how he enjoys flaunting his money to portray himself as being a “big shot”.
Tommy grows up and learns alongside Henry. However he is more temperamental then Henry and takes things to heart. He also takes things to the extreme and if he does not like something the only way to resolve things is to kill. For example he shot a waiter in the foot for not giving him his drink showing the irrationality of his character. He though is the joker of the three, frequently making jokes with his other colleagues and is the only one that holds the potential of being made into a wise guy. We also see his relationship with his mother, and observe how he only uses her when he needs something and rarely listens to what she says. His shows how he has more respect for his crew as opposed to his family highlighting the fact that his crew are the most important thing in his life.
