Interactive Storytelling and Goodfellas

In the book Interactive Storytelling, Andrew Glassner states that, "A story follows an interesting protagonist seeking a clear goal by addressing an ever-escalating set of difficulties"(36).

The character of Henry Hill, from Martin Scorsese's film Goodfellas, is an example of Glassner's unpleasant yet fascinating protagonist "anti-hero" (76). Scorsese's portrayal of Hill's life onscreen is like a scary, gut wrenching amusement park ride. Hill's life is filled with the sights, sounds, and the collision of chaotic violence that permeates wiseguy life.

Scorsese uses character voice over narration to provide the audience with insight into what Hill thinks and feels. As the director and storyteller, Scorsese clues us in from the beginning when Hill says in voice over narration, "All I've ever wanted to be is a gangster." As the audience, we know that Hill's goal to be a gangster will lead him to a life a chaos, crime and violence.

Hill's life is also filled with intense conflict and complications that Scorsese develops through the three-act form. The three-act plot structure includes complication, development, and resolution (53). The conflicts and complications Hill faces begin immediately.

The film opens with a memorable inciting incident that sets the plot conflict and complication in motion. Glassner writes, "Whatever structure the plot follows, certain elements are always present. There is an inciting incident that starts the events off. The hero must then take action to restore the balance of forces, passing through a series of struggles, each one more difficult and with higher risks than the one before" (66).

Scorsese wastes no time in putting us right in the midst of the inciting incident and plot chaos. As white title credits zoom across the screen like speeding cars, we hear the sounds of traffic. Horns beep and tires screech. The sounds of the cars grows louder and louder and then suddenly, without warning, Scorsese places us in a moving car with Hill behind the wheel. A thud is heard off screen. We are not sure if Henry has hit a deer or something else with the car. As the car rolls to a stop along the highway, Hill emerges with his fellow gangsters Jimmie and Tommy, and we learn that there is actually someone in the trunk. Within this opening scene, the inciting incident has been established. The plot of Goodfellas will spring from this one incident: the killing of rival mobster Billy Batts.

As the plot of Goodfellas continues to unfold, Henry encounters a series of conflicts and complications. Hill has conflicts with his parents over his desire to be a wiseguy. He has conflicts with his wife Karen over money, other women, sex and drugs. Hill's life develops even more complications when he is sent to prison. It is while in prison that Hill begins to deal drugs. Hill's involvement in dealing drugs will lead to his biggest complication: a major conflict with Paulie.

Each of these conflicts and confrontations help build on Hill's character flaws. The character of Henry Hill is an example of what Glassner refers to as a "Man Versus Self" conflict. Glassner writes, "In this form of conflict, the hero's biggest problem is himself. The main barrier that prevents him from achieving his heart's desire lies within his own heart" (74). It is Hill's conflict within himself and his involvement with drugs that will lead to his final downfall and to Paulie's (his father figure) final rejection of him.

As Hill gets deeper and deeper into drug dealing, Scorsese blitzes us with the full blown drug- induced paranoia of Hill. Scorsese's camera follows Hill at a dizzying pace as he rushes around the kitchen and makes a meat gravy sauce. Scorsese continues the dizzying speed of the scene with a series of jump cuts as Hill heads to the hospital to get his brother, travels across town to unload guns, runs back to the house to check on his sauce and finally, heads to his girlfriend's house to pick up the package of cocaine. As Scorsese builds the frenzied pacing, it is evident that our protagonist and "anti-hero" Hill is about to fall.

All of his life, Hill has been taught to never, ever rat on his friends. It is within betrayal of this code of honor that Hill will face his resolution. Each conflict that Hill has encountered has helped to build toward the conflict resolution he will ultimately face. Hill's resolution to his conflicts and complications will be his decision to turn state's evidence against Paulie and Jimmie, to leave his gangster lifestyle and to join the Witness Protection Program.
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