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The dinner scene is set in a prison cell, which is where the men spend most of their time. Within the first scene, you can see a close-up of Pauly who finely slices garlic with a razor blade is. Frierson (2018: 5) states that “Following the Cartesian coordinate system of x-axis for the horizontal dimension, y-axis for the vertical dimension and z-axis for the line extending from the camera to the horizon. With this three-dimensional spatial framework established.” This then cuts to using the x-axis by moving up from the plate of food that is being prepped by Vinnie to then going across slightly using the y-axis to see Vinnie placing food into a pot.
The camera follows every moment that Vinnie is doing which allows us to feel like we are in the room with him. This then cuts back to a close-up of Pauly when he says to Vinnie “Don’t put too much onions in the sauce.” The shot for this clip is ‘the shot/reverse shot.’
This is when the 180-degree rule is used.
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Bordwell (2006) defines the film technique “wherein one character is shown looking (often off-screen) at another character, and then the other character is shown looking 'back' at the first character. Since the characters are shown facing in opposite directions, the viewer unconsciously assumes that they are looking at each other.” Once again cutting back to Jonny who is cooking steaks. From the point of view of the audience, we are looking over Jonny’s shoulder as if you are standing over him while he cooks, this is a graphic vector.
It then starts to slowly pan up to see Johnny’s face as he asks a question then back down at the steak he is cooking for the room. This type of scene gives us the viewer a homely feel as if the characters are just back in their own homes.
With the next cut, we then see someone from the prison bring in a box. Once the box is set down a Zoom/Push along the x-axis towards a close-up of the box which allows the viewer to read the writing on top and see what is being lifted out of it. We cut back into the kitchen where we see each of the men being busy doing each of the jobs for cooking their dinner. An x-axis tracking shot allows the viewer to see each of the men and to see more of the prison cell that they are in. By using this tracking shot its’s like we are in the room with the men while they cook as the camera acts like our eyes looking about. Another person comes in through the door creating a graphic vector as the camera moves backward following his footstep. As the man is emptying out his bag you see the camera placed over the items for a spilt second to see what all he has got for the group. The camera then follows the man to the table where the rest of them all go to sit. The camera is set up in the corner of the room to allow the viewer to see the rest of the room while the men eat.
Throughout the scene, it has been edited in a way to give us the viewer a look at the cosy atmosphere of the room they are in. Each shot isn’t very long, each shot is between 5-15. Some shots which are five seconds is when the characters are chatting to each other, this is when the camera changes from each character’s face. The longer lengths in clips are when we see more of the room or when they are sat at the table together and the camera moves out. This matches the tempo as the cuts aren’t dramatic which shows the comfortable atmosphere, they are in. Within each shot a cut is such, this variation in shot length acts as a form of Einstein’s metric montage.
This is when shots are cut based on the length of the shot that is being used. The tempo of the shot can also be different depending on what effect the director wants. By editing this way, it allows us to see the men as just normal men, you wouldn’t know they were in prison till the camera pans the room and shows bars on the windows. Pudovkins Leit Motiff is used within this scene, the sound of the scene contributes to the atmosphere with the Frank Sinatra's ''Somewhere beyond the Sea'' which is associated with a homely atmosphere. This is played along with the voiceover of Henry who tells us the story of all three of the main characters. Using Henry as our voice over it acts like he is talking directly to us as if we were in the same room as Henry as he is showing us about the prison cell.
Metric Montage - Metric montage alludes to the length of scenes that are identified with one another. Despite their substance, limiting scenes shortens the time it takes for viewers to absorb the information contained in each shot. The fastest cut within Goodfellas’ (1990) dinner scene is when you see someone from the prison come in with a box filled with lobsters. This then cuts to a quick shot of the lobster being placed into a similar box. Rhythmic Montage – Rhythmic montage alludes to continuity emerging from the visual example inside the shots. Continuity is dependent on matching action and screen direction; these are instances of rhythmic montage. Goodfellas’ (1990) has one sound being played in the background throughout the dinner scene, that being Frank Sinatra's ''Somewhere beyond the Sea''. The whole scenes pace is kept to the same pace as the sound playing in the background making it a relaxing atmosphere.
Tonal Montage – Tonal montage refers to altering choices made to build up the emotions of a character within a scene, which may change throughout the scene. Tone or the mood can be utilised as a rule for deciphering apparent montage, and although the hypothesis starts to sound intellectual. Graphical tonal montage is used throughout. This is shown by how all the men are connected by being trapped in their prison cell. Overtonal Montage - Overtonal montage is the transaction of metric, rhythmic, and tonal montages. That exchange blends movement, thoughts, and feelings to actuate the ideal impact from the viewer. Not much overtonal is used within the short scene.
The atmosphere within the whole scene is calm, relaxed and upbeat. This is shown with the pace of each character as they are calm while making their dinner but also having a fun time while doing so. Intellectual Montage - Intellectual montage alludes to the presentation of thoughts into a profoundly charged and emotionalised sequence. When you see at the start Pauly slicing the garlic you would think he is at his own house which makes you feel happy. The camera then cuts to the next character in the scene which allows you to see more of the room, which shows you the bars on the windows. This shows a prison cell, our emotions then change to feeling surprised as we didn’t see it coming looking at the first seen or garlic being sliced.
Continuity editing is also known as three-dimensional continuity Murch(1995: page no 17) It’s the editor’s job to get these pictures and to then tell the story by hanging these shots into one persistent piece, that’s why it’s called continuity. Continuity editing isn’t a style or method. Keeping up continuity in editing requires understanding a few things, most of which are planning to arrange the viewer, but some of the time can be used to divert the viewer so they don’t take note a mistake in continuity: Eye Line - The eye line is to do with the On-screen characters who are looking and must direct the audience’s eyes so they know either what the Actor is looking at or to make it look like the actors are looking at each other.
Within the dinner scene, the camera is the audience’s eyes. You see close-ups of garlic being chopped, steaks being cooked, how the sauce is made. This is done in a way as if we are in the room and we are moving about to see different areas of the prison cell and the activity inside it. Eye Trace – Murch (1995: page no 18) states It acknowledges what you might call eye-trace, the concern with the location and movement of the audience’s focus of interest within the frame. At 1 minute 30, you see the camera pan to the right allowing us the audience to see the men and it allows us to see more of the room. Our eyes are always focused on something that is happening within the prison cell.
Matching Action – is a cut that interfaces two distinctive views of the same activity at the same time within the movement. By carefully coordinating the movement over the two shots, producers make it appear that the movement proceeds uninterrupted. When looking at this editing skill, there is a moment when you see one of the prison staff bring in a box full of lobsters, you then see a slight cut were you lobster is being placed into another box hidden away. Continuity of Objects - An editor must pay consideration to the objects in a scene. If in one shot somebody is drinking from a glass that's full, but within the following shot the glass is almost empty, the audience might take note and might be taken out of the minute.
The only shot I feel realties to this is when you see at the beginning Pauly is slicing the garlic slowly in careful cuts, a minute in you then see the garlic sliced ad ready to use for either the sauce or the steaks. 180 Degree Rule - The 180 Rule is what makes a difference for the viewer. The Actors are within the two-dimensional space of the screen. It makes a difference where the Actors are with connection to each other. Although the Editor must pay a lot of consideration to this, it must be shot this way. You see the line of action when the camera is moving from Jonny to Vinny. You see their eyelines meeting allows us to know they’re talking to each other. By keeping on this line, it allows us to tell they’re speaking to each other were as if it was slightly off the lie it would look off to the eye line and wouldn’t look right.
To summaries, the techniques utilised by Scorsese in his Goodfellas ' (1990) in the film are impeccably picked so the viewer can get a handle on the primary message of the story and enjoy the work itself. The assessment of points of view, compositions, lighting, frames, angels, and so forth assists with underlining the fundamental parts of the film and characterise set by the director. Looking more closely at the dinner scene you start to see more of Einstein’s Metric Montage used throughout. Einstein’s methods have changed the film industry in many ways allowing us to enjoy films even more. In Goodfella’s (1990) dinner scene, a blend of ideas and a technique’s that reveals in each shot something new to look at within the prison cell.
The idea of the scene is appeared to show a hierarchy treatment of the characters and we aren't zeroing in on the reality they are criminals yet that they can make great steaks and walk about in these fancy dressing gowns. The scene figures out how to pass on the privilege and comfortable atmosphere and cause us to feel like we are there getting ready to sit down with the characters and their steaks. The reason I picked this scene is due to its fascinating subject and portrayal of how the life in prison is for the mobsters with their associations and how they concede to making their dinner in prison where you would think from seeing other prison movies you get your meals brought to you and it never steak so this scene puts a new twist to being in prison.
Goodfellas (Dinner Scene): Filming Techniques. (2024, Feb 11). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/goodfellas-dinner-scene-filming-techniques-essay
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