There’s a very strong case to be made that Goodfellas might be their best work together. This 1990 crime epic charts the rise and fall of main character Henry Hill (Ray Liotta), who is seduced by the mafia lifestyle until the good things inevitably crumble. From Scorsese’s slick direction to the fantastic performances, including Joe Pesci’s Oscar-winning turn as psychotic gangster Tommy, it’s a near-flawless movie. Some critics felt Goodfellas easily deserved the Best Picture and Best Director Academy Awards too, which instead went to Dances With Wolves and its helmer Kevin Costner.
Following 1995’s Casino there was a long stretch between collaborations for De Niro and Scorsese. Instead, Martin Scorsese found a new creative muse in Leonardo DiCaprio, starting with 2002’s messy epic Gangs Of New York, followed by the acclaimed The Departed in 2006, Shutter Island and The Wolf Of Wall Street. The duo is set to reunite with the upcoming thriller Killers Of The Flower Moon, described by the director as his first Western.
Robert De Niro finally reunited with Scorsese for 2019’s The Irishman for Netflix. The movie also featured Al Pacino, Harvey Keitel, and Joe Pesci and was an enthralling, three-hour saga that feels like the culmination of Scorsese’s previous gangster movies. The movie was greeted with acclaim but despite receiving 10 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, it failed to nab any. Like Goodfellas, The Irishman is certain to be regarded as a masterpiece in the years ahead.
Next: The Irishman Ending Explained (In Detail)
