The Godfather vs Goodfellas: Which Film is More Authentic?

Which Mob Movie is more Authentic - The Godfather or Goodfellas? This video analyzes how the films portray organized crime, from The Godfather's stylized & noble view to Goodfellas' gritty depiction based on real gangsters. But how much fiction is involved? Watch to see the contrasts between these iconic films and realities of the criminal underworld.

[@Clonetrooper1139]

Someone made a statment once. "The Godfather showed the mafia the way they WANTED to be seen. Goodfellas showed the mob the way they REALLY were."

[@PauloHernandezXD]

And even then, Goodfellas is still romanticized. It’s literally being told from Henry’s perspective. But the Godfather is more like a biased propaganda, being told as like a story of good versus evil. Godfather Part II is more realistic, with Vito’s humble rise from poverty, to Michaels corruption to stay on top.

[@Lilniggatwekeken]

@@PauloHernandezXD How was the first movie biased

[@PauloHernandezXD]

@@Lilniggatwekeken “like” biased propaganda. It’s like 300. The Persians are portrayed as grotesque monsters because that’s how the Spartans depicted them in the retelling of the story. When someone tells a story they usually make themselves look like the best while any opposition is portrayed as foul or evil. If you **still** don’t understand what I’m saying, then I’m not going to elaborate any further, you’ll just have to figure it out on your own.

[@Clonetrooper1139]

@@Lilniggatwekeken Probably because it attempts to give the Corleone family a sense of nobility. Make them the "good guys", which they are not. You do not become the most powerful mob entity in the country by being good.

[@Lilniggatwekeken]

@@PauloHernandezXD Understandable

[@kevins8071]

Fun fact. My Blue Heaven starring Steve Martin and Rick Moranis was loosely a humorous spin on Henry Hill’s story. Great comedy.

[@danny200mph5]

Both movies have some authenticity to their time period. The mob changed once the Omerta or code of silence was broken, and people started ratting. The older days of the mob the bosses and families did have structure and probably lived private and glamorous lives to avoid attention. The 70s and especially 80s mafia under Gatti were a disaster as everyone did whatever they wanted and everyone wanted to be a celebrity...which of course brought their downfall

[@rodrigosantoscienceros]

Nah the mob was always filled with trashy people. What caused their downfall was the RICO act along with more sophisticated law enforcement.

[@darbyheavey406]

My Dad was a union printer in Philly …our home in suburban Philadelphia was nicer than the home of the head of the Testa crime family. Plus my Dad lived to 86 and was not blown up by a pipe bomb.

[@danny200mph5]

@darbyheavey406 you do realize that many organized crime bosses live in modest homes in regular neighborhoods. Because when your income is "off the books," how do you justify to the IRS you living in a multi-million dollar mansion?

[@jharris3267]

Mob was always disgusting. There were no redeeming qualities. They got big during prohibition and were always violent.

[@94462]

You should have done this analysis with the movies Casino and Goodfellas, as they are based on true events as opposed to Godfather

[@39Hundred]

I think Goodfellas is more realistic. It showed how cold blooded, backstabbing, selfish and psychotic the characters were. I forgot if it was Michael Franzese, Dominick Montiglio or Joseph Pistone etc. that said it but someone once said that when Godfather came out in theaters, it “romanticized” the Italian Mafia. It almost made them look like philosophers. It’s like a Mafia film written by Shakespeare.

[@aaronrowell6943]

It does crack me up though that even though it's not historically accurate or real, it is funny to me that the godfather had such an impact on American culture that even the mob started to change their ways to be more like it and they were the ones who really wanted to prevent it from being made. Lol made.

[@Mellow999]

I don’t think you can compare these. One is the view from a street level of an associate, and his story, not even particularly about the mafia. The godfather is a look of the higher ups, and from the view of a family.

[@_unforgiven]

You can watch the most detailed analysis of the Godfather on my channel!

[@mrScififan2]

Definitely “Goodfellas” is more real

[@merkury06]

The Godfather portrayed organized crime two or three levels above Goodfellas. Only Clemenza or Tessio would have had contact with someone like Paulie Cicero, who himself kept his distance from the street. Frankie Pentangeli said it himself -- its a "street thing", which was his business.

[@chefmagneto]

The Godfather is about family…Goodfellas is abut the mob.

[@benderbendingrofriguez3300]

You forgot to mention Donnie Brasco and Gomorrah.

[@joescott5322]

Gomorrah the tv series is the best for me….. all the characters are all truly awful.

[@39Hundred]

I loved Donnie Brasco. It didn’t show the “glamorous” side like Casino where high level monsters sit around basically collecting money from casinos. It showed the gritty, street life. It showed how low level guys like Lefty were struggling to make money to pass on to their captains. Lefty was even trying to break into a parking meter.

[@benderbendingrofriguez3300]

@@joescott5322 I haven't seen the show,but they talk a lot about it. Although I was referring to the 2008 movie.

[@joescott5322]

@@benderbendingrofriguez3300 show is amazing mate…. It’s a more lineal and structured that the movie, it a bit more polished that the film but still as brutal and gritty.

[@CarlJohnson-bm4xx]

Goodfellas is based on true story

[@arturoalmazan5262]

Goodfellas was based on a true story. henry hill lived almost of his life with the mob. Godfather is really a great novel turned into a great movie but i guess Goodfellas stays more true to real life

[@spankrocketgaming294]

Sonny Being shot million times by Tommy guns only to be finished off being kicked in the head.. yeah very realistic 😂

[@mihaudovc864]

Easily top 10 of all time for godfather???!! Its objective that the godfather is the best movies of all time.

[@AlexJEdits]

They both show something realistic but yes it’s safe in saying goodfellas has an edge or at least showed the evolution. Godfather showed a certain family that had principles to the point of not even wanting to get involved with drugs. Eventually they do and when Michael comes to power he becomes ruthless and says his father’s way of doings things are finished. It’s the criminal underworld and it just gets worse and more violent over the years so a man like Vito Corleone can’t exist anymore.

[@_unforgiven]

Watch the detailed analysis of the Godfather on my channel!