Analysis of sound; Goodfellas (1990)

Identify as many examples of non diegetic and diegetc sounds as you can.

The diegetic sounds in Goodfellas include the cars driving at the beginning, the banging in the boot and the characters conversing. Non-digetic sounds include the soundtrack which was contrapuntal to the scene. There was also a voice over of the main characters thoughts. Lastly, we have ambient sound effects, such as, crickets, footsteps and rain which all creates realism adding to the overall atmosphere of the film.

From the dialogue what do we learn about the narrative?

The audience learns that the film is set in 1970s america with the main character aspiring to be a gangster. We also learn that his parents disagree and that he gets involved with crimes and illegal activities. The dialogue also indicates that the film is quite violent and not for the faint hearted.

How important is the sound of music?

The music is important because it runs parallel with the scene and helps the viewer to understand what is going on, the music also provides tone and emotional attitude towards the characters and narrative. It also sets the scene effectivly.