The Gangsters

 All about family, all about the trust, all about the money

The Godfather

While researching gangster film openings I of course went back to watch one of my all-time favorites The Godfather. One of my favorite films of all time. The Godfather (1972 dir. by Francis Ford Coppola) opens on a black screen; the eerie strains of Nino Rota's score dissolve into a close-up of Amerigo Bonasera. Instantly, the now-famous opening line, "I believe in America," gives way to those power, justice, and betrayal themes. He is an undertaker, begging Don Vito Corleone for justice; this sets at once the Mafia as another, parallel power structure to the American legal system. This slow zoom-out shot reveals the commanding, yet silent, dark-lit room in which Don Corleone sits; opposite the desperate Bonasera, this scene is ripe with loyalty, family, and the Godfather's moral code in preparation for a film demonstrating the circle of power and legacy. 

It sets up the overall grim, operatic tone of the film's silent, brooding atmosphere in which the audience is situated with the repressed power. Immediately, it sets several big themes within the film: loyalty, justice, and those grey areas between honor and criminality. By the desperate plea of Amerigo Bonasera, the audience is brought to the Corleone family as another system of justice founded upon personal loyalty and allegiance rather than legality. Vito Corleone sits in the dark, quiet-voiced man of the greatest influence. He is quiet at the core, his strength measured speech, and that power of complete control. This effect is elaborated in the cinematography by low-key light with deep shadows, mysterious and fateful. Up until this point, he maintains Don Corleone is more of a mythical character. Further accompanied by slow, considered camera movement and uninflamed performances to give the movie its sense of glory and theatre. All these, taken together, underline the fact that this is not, per se, a mafia movie, but rather about something deeper: namely, power, legacies, and the weight of tradition in the world of the mafia.

Goodfellas

Another amazing and all-time favorite is Goodfellas. Both movies are ones I watched in my film classes at school so they bring back memories. Goodfellas (1990 dir. by Martin Scorsese) opens with a violent moment: Henry Hill, Jimmy Conway, and Tommy DeVito driving a car when they hear noises from the trunk. They stop and pry it open, revealing a bloody but still-breathing man whom Tommy brutally stabs before Jimmy shoots him. This shockingly brutal act of violence immediately plunges the audience into the violence-ridden world of the mafia. The scene then dissolves into Henry Hill's famous voiceover: "As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster. The quick cut to Henry's childhood introduces the film's non-linear structure, emphasizing how Henry idolized gangsters and was drawn into the lifestyle.

This is a quick, energetic opening, just plopping the viewer right into the world of organized crime. The sudden violence of the scene in which Henry Hill, Jimmy Conway, and Tommy DeVito kill a man in the trunk introduces the brutal realism of their world. Scorsese makes 'Goodfellas' immersive and personal with freeze-frames, voiceover narration, and classic rock music. Henry's voiceover, "As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster," introduces his fascination with crime very fast. The moment gives full force to the thrill of being a gangster but also points out the dangers that will lead to Henry's eventual downfall.

Scarface

A classic film that is of course also one of my favorites. It was also one of the main films I watched with my dad, which we both loved and shared a strong interest in. Scarface (1983 dir. by Brian De Palma) starts out with grainy, pseudo-documentary footage of Fidel Castro's infamous 1980 Mariel Boatlift, whereby thousands of Cuban refugees - with many criminals - poured onto American shores. A real political context such as this places the movie in history and makes Tony Montana's story at least a bit more plausible. This is an important introduction to Tony, which happens in the detention center, in Miami, during his immigration interview. His arrogant attitude, refusal to show fear, and aversion to weakness reveal his ambitious, ruthless nature from the very beginning. Unlike The Godfather and Goodfellas, Scarface depicts the rise of an immigrant from the very bottom, showing more of the American Dream and corruption themes.

This introduction shows the thirst of Tony Montana for power and his refusal to be led, alluding that whatever it will take, he will do regarding his success. At Immigration, Tony revealed a hubris attitude during his interview that vividly contrasted with other refugees who emitted the smell of toughness. This is real footage of the 1980 Mariel Boatlift, used in a documentary-style opening for the film, grounding Tony's story in a sense of realism. The darker and more grounded this beginning is, the further it will be from the eventual wealth and chaos that will define his life, and the more drama there will be in Tony's rise and fall. The movie 'Scarface' itself introduces Tony's struggles and character, an immigrant interrelating his trek for the American Dream and as a caution against greed and ambition. 

The Greats Together

Indeed, all three films introduce their central characters and themes in specific ways in their opening scenes: setting the tone for crime, power, and ambition. 'The Godfather' opens with a slow, dialogically heavy scene in which a man begs Don Vito Corleone for justice, setting at once the mafia as an alternative power structure and touching on themes of loyalty, respect, and control. The dark lighting and deliberate pacing make for a sense of authority and tradition, placing crime as a structured, almost noble institution. By contrast, 'Goodfellas' opens with a shockingly violent moment Henry Hill, Jimmy Conway, and Tommy DeVito killing a man in the trunk of a car then moves into Henry's energetic voiceover narration. This sudden rush of violence combined with the freeze-frames and rock music, courtesy of Scorsese indeed gives the movie a frenetic, immersive texture that captures gangster life with its dangerous brilliance.

 'Scarface', though is less fantastical because it opens on a documentary opening of the Mariel Boatlift in 1980, presenting Tony Montana while he was awaiting an immigration hearing. The opening provides a political and historical context for Tony's rise to power, framing the story both as an immigrant's pursuit of the American Dream and as a ruthlessly aggressive rise to power. Unlike the quiet authority of  'The Godfather' or the kinetic energy of  'Goodfellas', crime in 'Scarface' is portrayed rather as a form of survival and social mobility. It is based on raw ambition and defiance that emanates from Tony. While all three films concern themselves with power and the cost of crime, their openings reflect their unique tones: The Godfather is grand and operatic, Goodfellas is chaotic and immersive, and Scarface is grimy and driven by personal ambition.