Chaos and Chuckles: Goodfellas Unleashes Martin Scorsese’s Mob Masterpiece

Goodfellas, released September 19, 1990, by Warner Bros., is a $25 million crime drama that grossed $47 million worldwide in its original run, per Box Office Mojo, a slow-burn hit adapting Nicholas Pileggi’s 1985 book Wiseguy. Directed by Martin Scorsese, co-written with Pileggi, it stars Ray Liotta as Henry Hill, a mobster rising and crashing with Robert De Niro’s Jimmy Conway and Joe Pesci’s Tommy DeVito in 1950s-1980s New York. SH๏τ across NYC and Jersey over five months, its 146-minute runtime nabbed five Oscar nods, with Pesci winning Supporting Actor.

The chaos erupts—trunk stabs kick off, Lufthansa’s heist cash flows, per its $46 million domestic haul (adjusted higher with re-releases). Scorsese, post-Raging Bull, crafts a Godfather foil—Henry’s “As far back as I can remember” narrates a life of glitter and gore. Chuckles cut deep—Tommy’s “Funny how?” rant, Henry’s “Egg noodles and ketchup”—dark glee amid blood, per Variety’s “electrifying.” Critics raved; Rotten Tomatoes hit 94%, Metacritic 92/100 (retroactive), with LA Times’s Sheila Benson calling it “a stunner.” X posts since 2020 crow “Tommy’s a psycho,” though some note “long haul.”

The pacing’s a bullet—Brooklyn’s slow hustle explodes into coke-fueled paranoia, a Copacabana tracking sH๏τ dazzling, per Hollywood Reporter. Venice 1990 cheered its debut, its $25 million budget fueling Michael Ballhaus’s lens and a pop-heavy soundtrack, per The Numbers. It’s Scorsese’s masterpiece—chaos with swagger, chuckles amid carnage—a mob epic that redefined the genre.

The cast is Goodfellas’s wiseguy soul, a chaotic crew of raw power. Ray Liotta’s Henry Hill mesmerizes—his “I always wanted to be a gangster” grin to “I’m an average nobody” unravel stuns, per Empire’s “magnetic.” Robert De Niro’s Jimmy Conway chills—“Never rat”—his quiet menace lethal, per Roger Ebert’s “understated.” Joe Pesci’s Tommy DeVito erupts—“What do you mean I’m funny?”—a live wire, per Variety’s “explosive.” Their trio—rookie, mentor, loose cannon—drives the chaos, per Rolling Stone.

Lorraine Bracco’s Karen Hill snaps—“Normal people don’t act like this”—her arc fierce, per LA Times. Paul Sorvino’s Paulie Cicero looms—“You broke your cherry”—while Frank Vincent’s Billy Batts taunts. Chuckles sting—Jimmy’s “Don’t buy anything,” Tommy’s “Spider, you’re a dancer”—weaving levity into violence, per The Guardian. NY Times hails “Pesci’s ferocity,” X posts cheer “Liotta’s narration,” though some snipe “Bracco’s shrill.” They’re the masterpiece’s pulse—gritty, grand, gripping.

Visually and sonically, Goodfellas is a chaotic whirlwind, a Scorsese marvel. Michael Ballhaus’s cinematography—Brooklyn’s neon, Jersey’s gloom—pops, per Cinematography World. Chaos reigns—freeze-frames catch Henry’s highs, a coke spiral’s handheld blur—sH๏τ on 35mm with Steadicam flair, per AV Club’s “kinetic.” The Copa’s one-take, a trunk’s red glow stun—Letterboxd’s “cinematic”—though Collider flags “90s grain” in 2025 eyes. Scorsese’s Mean Streets snap crafts every frame a rush, per IndieWire.