Movies - TV
Steven Spielberg Sees Goodfellas As Essential Viewing For Any Filmmaker
By SHAE SENNETT
Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese are two of the most famous working directors of the last several decades and are not only peers but friends who admire each other's work. Spielberg is particularly fond of Scorsese's 1990 mob movie, the critically acclaimed and modern classic, “Goodfellas,” and thinks the film is necessary viewing for would-be filmmakers.
Spielberg told Variety that the craftsmanship in “Goodfellas” is uniquely instructive for storytelling and filmmaking. He explained, “[It’s an] epic cinematic masterpiece, which includes a brilliant screenplay [...] [It’s] a master class for any aspiring filmmaker who wants to see a breathtaking balancing act of multiple storylines, timelines, shocking violence and violent humor.”
“Goodfellas” had “the greatest needle-drop score since 'American Graffiti,'” Spielberg said, "and the best spoken narrative since Billy Wilder's 'Double Indemnity.'" The movie is also tied for Spielberg’s favorite Scorsese film, as he added, “Everyone has a favorite Scorsese picture, and this is the one for me [...] in a photo finish with my other favorite picture of his, 'Raging Bull.'”