No, the dialogue does include many profanities but not as many as Goodfellas, Casino, or The Wolf of Wall Street. But now the curses are so commonplace you don't notice anyway. Should I watch Goodfellas before I watch The Irishman? They're not connected so it's not necessary.
If you've been imagining Martin Scorsese's upcoming Robert De Niro film The Irishman as a quasi-sequel to Goodfellas then his longtime collaborator has some news for you: it really, really isn't.
Both of these movies are very accomplished and excellent, with The Godfather being a good jumping off point for Goodfellas. However, if you want a movie that is fast-paced, action packed, tragic, comedic, romantic, and life-changing, then you should watch Goodfellas.
While “Goodfellas” is a classic and worth seeing repeatedly, “The Irishman” reaches into the viewer's being a little deeper and grabs hold. De Niro, Pesci, and Pacino are stellar, alone and together. Frank Sheerhan's (De Niro) descent into corruption and betrayal and his final grasp at redemption is fascinating.
Despite Goodfellas' sainted reputation, many viewers believe that Casino is actually the better film. From the more nuanced performances to the unique representation of Las Vegas' history, there's enough in Casino to set it apart from its predecessor and in many ways make it the superior movie.
If Seinfeld was the perfect sitcom, a show about nothing, Martin Scorsese's Casino can be said to be a nearly perfect film, and just as episodic. It also was Scorsese's attempt to bridge the themes in Goodfellas, a subtle, unofficial sequel of sorts.
One reason for Scorsese's success is he works with great actors. In this case, the stars are Robert De Niro as Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran, Joe Pesci as Mafia boss Russell Bufalino and Al Pacino as Teamsters Union leader Jimmy Hoffa. A few other fine actors have small roles, but these three dominate the screen.
That rise is depicted with none of the glamour of Ray Liotta's gangster apotheosis in Goodfellas. Though the two films rhyme in many moments—that long opening shot, or a late scene involving a shared prison meal—The Irishman isn't a bildungsroman but an elegy.
In many ways, The Irishman is the Godfather sequel Scorsese never got to make. Scorsese occasionally even musically alludes to the Godfather soundtrack's signature violin dirge.
Goodfellas, directed by Martin Scorsese, is an iconic crime film that has captivated audiences since its release in 1990. Based on the true story of Henry Hill, a former mobster turned informant, this cinematic masterpiece delves deep into the gritty world of organized crime.
Goodfellas was itself a more self-reflexive version of the genre, showing how Henry Hill is lured in by the mystique of gangsters. As such, there are many links between The Sopranos and Goodfellas, including Lorraine Bracco, Michael Imperioli, and several other actors appearing in both.
David Chase has credited Goodfellas as a major inspiration for The Sopranos, though frankly the lineage would be hard to miss even if he hadn't—27 actors from Scorsese's film ended up working for Chase on the HBO series, including major Sopranos characters like Dr.
We can see some connections between “The Irishman” and other movies, including, from Scorsese's oeuvre, “Goodfellas” (1990) and “Casino” (1995). But the main connection is, without a doubt, 1972's The Godfather.
Both films, in one way or another, depict the aftermath of being a gangster. Goodfellas is scoped through the eyes of Henry Hill (Ray Liotta), a young Irish-American who was taken in, raised, and morphed by his neighborhood mob.
One of the greatest actors of all time, Robert De Niro was born on August 17, 1943 in Manhattan, New York City, to artists Virginia (Admiral) and Robert De Niro Sr. His paternal grandfather was of Italian descent, and his other ancestry is Irish, English, Dutch, German, and French.
The role in question was that of Irish-American gangster Jimmy Conway in Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas. As per a Goodfellas deep-dive by ShortList, Pacino was offered the role but turned it down for fear of typecasting. It's ironic that he went on to play gangsters in Dick Tracy and Donnie Brasco.
In the movie, Bufalino ordered Sheeran to kill Hoffa. That's because Hoffa wanted to reclaim his former position as national Teamsters president after serving time in jail for jury tampering and bribery. Hoffa running the Teamsters again would no longer be good for the mob, so Hoffa had to go.
Do I need to watch anything before watching The Irishman?
Especially if they want to better understand Martin Scorsese and his connection with Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci. But what you should watch, before or after, is "Once Upon a Time in America" by Sergio Leone. There is a strong connection with the character called "Jimmy", the Union's Leader.
Even though [The Irishman is] extremely long, the way in which it depicts the themes of brotherhood and loyalty is superb. We're watching characters decay over five decades (though many don't live long enough to have that option) in just under three and a half hours, and I don't know who wouldn't be moved by that.
It is Scorsese's second time with ten nominations for a film which did not win any Oscars behind his previous 2002 film, Gangs of New York. As other distinction it shares with 2010's True Grit and 2013's American Hustle, after the 11 for 1977's The Turning Point and 1985's The Color Purple.
The Godfather just barely sits on top of Goodfellas as a result of its critical reception and award recognition. Even if the female characters are better in Goodfellas, that's not quite enough to catapult it above its predecessor.
Both movies were released by Warner Bros in 1990. “My Blue Heaven” was released on Aug 17 and “Goodfellas” was released just 5 weeks later on Sept 21. That's why “Goodfellas” is a prequel. In fact, it's one of the first movies in the current prequel craze.
Robert De Niro stars alongside Joe Pesci and Al Pacino as the actors in Casino, and the action is directed by Martin Scorsese. Although the film is long, it's definitely worth a watch.
