Making Murderers Likable

This posting initiates my road to producing the film opening. Before I get into making it, I must conduct research in the gangster/true crime genre. In this posting we'll be analyzing two specific films that are regarded by many as two of the best gangster movies to date. Looking at these films in depth will give me a proper idea of what direction I need to take with my film opening. I'll be focusing mainly on c Lets jump right in!

1. Goodfellas

     The first film we'll be looking at is Goodfellas, directed by Martin Scorsese. This film, based on a true story, covers the life of Henry Hill, a mob boss. In the beginning, he is an ambitious young boy that desires, most of all, to be more than average and to have power. As the film progresses, one sees the extent of those ambitions manifest through the atrocious crimes Henry commits to maintain power and stature. As I've been researching, one thing that I find interesting is that the filmmakers always find a way to make the main character likable, despite the inhumanities they commit. In the beginning of Goodfellas, Henry is driving a car with a near-dead person tied up in the trunk. Further along in the movie he's seen beating his wife and even cheating on her. 

     When looking at it objectively, one can safely say that Henry Hill is a despicable human being; however, because of how his character is positioned and portrayed by the film, he seems to be among the most moral of characters, giving the audience a sense of sanity or morality to hold to; as crazy as that sounds. The film achieves this by making the audience feel connected with him, as the movie takes place mostly in his perspective, and we get to hear multiple monologues where a personal connection is built with the character. Another motif seen in these films is heavy character development. In Goodfellas, we see Henry go from just an ambitious young boy, to a ruthless mob boss, and all the decisions/circumstances that lead him there.

     As I think on what I'm going to do with my film opening, I must remember that although my main character is involved in crime, they must remain likable and have relatable attributes that my audience can connect to; something that Goodfellas achieves spectaculary.  

2. The Godfather

     The second film we'll be delving into is pretty much the standard when it comes to gangster/true crime movies: The Godfather. This film is iconic not only in its genre, but in the entire film industry. Its about the life of a Mob family, the Corleones. Through the film, we see Michael Corleone, the son of Vito Corleone (current mob boss), go from wanting nothing to do with his father's 'business,' to shooting two men in the head at point blank range on a mission with the Corleones. Similarly to Goodfellas, despite this, Michael is viewed as one of the more reasonable and moral characters in the movie, and is very likable. It strikes wonder in me how the manipulation of the character's depiction can make the audience's perspective of the person opposite to their actions.  Like in Goodfellas, this film builds its character development throughout the movie, and connects the audience to him, making them seemingly overlook Michael's faults.

     As I find these striking motifs in the gangster/crime genre, I try to brainstorm how this applies to my project. As of now, my goal is to depict the life of a man that leads two lives: one of a kind, soft-spoken family man, and that of a mob boss. I have to find a way, through character costume design, set design, camera angles, and other techniques, to make this message clear. Further along in my blog I'll explore exactly how I can use these techniques to get this done, and whether this route is even the best route to take.