Whereas Casino's narrative takes its time and the drama plateaus now and again, Goodfellas is bursting with this self-perpetuating sense of momentum and at every turn it charges forth, moving with urgency and a clear, consistent purpose: to pummel the viewer in the face. But still, Goodfellas (alongside The Godfather parts I & II) is the definitive gangster picture of the 20th century and it is, I think, one of the most unrelenting gang pictures ever made. I've watched it like 20 times over the course of my life and will happily watch it another 20 or more times before I grow old and die, and in fact I like it better every time I see it-which is a common theme in Mr. Casino is a very good movie, you could argue that it is a great movie, but-in my mind, and I think many other people feel similarly-the story just isn't as tight, urgent and fast-paced as Goodfellas, nor is it as intimate, passionate or personal. It is a two-and a half hour long epic that moves at breakneck speed and every frame gushes with urgency.
Goodfellas, its narrative spanning three decades, never slows down-not at all.
Goodfellas came first, that's why, and in my opinion it is Martin Scorsese's magnum opus.
