The Irishman (2019)
Usually, when a movie spans three hours and a half, I get bored. This was not the case for The Irishman. The Irishman takes place in the 1950s and centers on truck driver Frank Sheeran (De Niro), who gets involved with Russell Bufalino (Pesci) and his Pennsylvania crime family. As Sheeran climbs the ranks to become a top hitman, he also goes to work for Jimmy Hoffa (Pacino) -- a powerful Teamster tied to organized crime. It follows Frank's entire life from his early twenties to his late eighties.
This was Scorsese's goodbye to the gangster genre, a genre in which he helped to mold and create with movies such as Goodfellas, Mean Streets, and The Departed. Yet The Irishman feels so different from the aforementioned movies for a multitude of reasons.
Let's start with the performances. The Irishman boasts a magnificent cast where Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Harvey Keitel, and Al Pacino all play key roles. For one, Pacino is amazing. Compared to the dire faces of the mob, Hoffa is a joy to watch; he's energetic and animated, not afraid of anyone. Pacino plays him brilliantly, and unlike some of his other movies, he's not shouty for the sake of it. Instead, Pacino plays Hoffa as a prideful yet passionate man dripping with charisma. Pesci is also phenomenal, playing a subtle character who strives in manipulation and uses respect to get what he wants. Like Pacino, Pesci plays a character very different from his past roles. Unlike in Goodfellas or Ragin Bull, Pesci is subtle, quiet and unassuming. His manipulation of Frank is discreet yet apparent as the movie continues. Speaking of Frank, De Niro is fantastic. His character very rarely voices his thoughts on the actions he takes. Yet De Niro's talents emerge through his facial expressions and body language. My favorite shots are the ones where De Niro almost looks into the camera, his face filled with remorse and anguish.
Scorsese's Goodfellas second half is filled with paranoia and extremely frantic energy. Henry Hill (Liotta) becomes addicted to cocaine, his brain's turned to near rot and in the end, he's isolated from society. Goodfellas shows the rise and fall of Henry as he climbs the ranks of the mob. The acts of violence made by Pesci's character and by Hill are brutal yet badass. Goodfellas ends on a confident, near arrogant, tone of defiance. Hill yearns to go back to his former way of life as a wiseguy. The Irishman, on the other hand, ends with Sheeren alone and filled with regret. He has given up his family to become a thug. A thug who throughout the entire film stays nothing more than a tool, he doesn't become a mob boss but rather stays as a henchman. At the end of his life, all of the mob is dead. His loyalty is to no one and means nothing. Without love, loyalty is purposeless.
Unlike Goodfellas, violence in The Irishman is quick and brutal, lacking any form of coolness. When Hoffa is shot, there is nothing cool being said, rather a trigger being pulled and a man walking away quickly. The camera resides on the body as if it too is filled with a sense of remorse. One of the best scenes I've seen this entire year is the moments prior to Hoffa's death. Hoffa trusts Frank like a brother and they embrace one last time before entering the house. Hoffa senses a trap and looks to make sure that Frank is okay. Hoffa turns to leave before Frank shoots him twice in the head. The residing hour of the film is darker, lacking the energy that Hoffa brought to the table.
Cinematography wise, The Irishman is subtle. There are very few brilliant shots yet there are several that stand out. One that is absolutely brilliant is the final shot of Frank as the camera leaves him in an elderly home with the door slightly ajar. This is brilliant for a multitude of reasons. Earlier in the movie, when Frank first works with Hoffa, Hoffa leaves the door slightly open before going to bed. The camera cuts to Frank as he stares at the door. The final shot serves as a reminder of the imprint that Hoffa left on Frank. Hoffa left the door open as a way to escape yet the viewer can also interpret the final shot as Frank leaving his door open as an invitation. Frank yearns for someone to tell his story to. The door represents his yearning to reconcile with his daughters. The tragedy in The Irishman is that no one is going to come. Frank is left as a stain in history, the consequences of his choices and actions.
The Irishman sits as the perfect ode to the gangster genre, diving deeper into the genre and underscoring the pointlessness and despair that comes with organized crime. This movie is truly a masterpiece and certainly worth all three and a half hours of its viewing time.
Scorsese's Goodfellas second half is filled with paranoia and extremely frantic energy. Henry Hill (Liotta) becomes addicted to cocaine, his brain's turned to near rot and in the end, he's isolated from society. Goodfellas shows the rise and fall of Henry as he climbs the ranks of the mob. The acts of violence made by Pesci's character and by Hill are brutal yet badass. Goodfellas ends on a confident, near arrogant, tone of defiance. Hill yearns to go back to his former way of life as a wiseguy. The Irishman, on the other hand, ends with Sheeren alone and filled with regret. He has given up his family to become a thug. A thug who throughout the entire film stays nothing more than a tool, he doesn't become a mob boss but rather stays as a henchman. At the end of his life, all of the mob is dead. His loyalty is to no one and means nothing. Without love, loyalty is purposeless.
Unlike Goodfellas, violence in The Irishman is quick and brutal, lacking any form of coolness. When Hoffa is shot, there is nothing cool being said, rather a trigger being pulled and a man walking away quickly. The camera resides on the body as if it too is filled with a sense of remorse. One of the best scenes I've seen this entire year is the moments prior to Hoffa's death. Hoffa trusts Frank like a brother and they embrace one last time before entering the house. Hoffa senses a trap and looks to make sure that Frank is okay. Hoffa turns to leave before Frank shoots him twice in the head. The residing hour of the film is darker, lacking the energy that Hoffa brought to the table.
Cinematography wise, The Irishman is subtle. There are very few brilliant shots yet there are several that stand out. One that is absolutely brilliant is the final shot of Frank as the camera leaves him in an elderly home with the door slightly ajar. This is brilliant for a multitude of reasons. Earlier in the movie, when Frank first works with Hoffa, Hoffa leaves the door slightly open before going to bed. The camera cuts to Frank as he stares at the door. The final shot serves as a reminder of the imprint that Hoffa left on Frank. Hoffa left the door open as a way to escape yet the viewer can also interpret the final shot as Frank leaving his door open as an invitation. Frank yearns for someone to tell his story to. The door represents his yearning to reconcile with his daughters. The tragedy in The Irishman is that no one is going to come. Frank is left as a stain in history, the consequences of his choices and actions.
The Irishman sits as the perfect ode to the gangster genre, diving deeper into the genre and underscoring the pointlessness and despair that comes with organized crime. This movie is truly a masterpiece and certainly worth all three and a half hours of its viewing time.
- GL
10 / 10
(Above) My favorite shot:
(Below) The aforementioned final shot and runners-up:
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