Goodfellas: The Real Meaning Behind The Copacabana One Shot

Goodfellas has been praised for its performances, story, and for Martin Scorsese’s direction, and there are a lot of memorable scenes in it. Among those is the famous “Copacabana one-shot”, which has a deeper meaning than it seems. Martin Scorsese is one of the most respected filmmakers in the industry, and while he has explored different genres throughout his career, he’s still best known for his gangster films – and the one often regarded as his best is Goodfellas.

Based on the book Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi, Goodfellas was released in 1990 and chronicles the life of mob associate Henry Hill (Ray Liotta), from his days as a teenager fascinated by the mafia presence in his Italian-American neighborhood in Brooklyn, to his involvement with the crime family of Paul Cicero (Paul Sorvino) and his decision to become an FBI informant. Goodfellas also addressed part of Henry’s personal life, as was how he met his wife, Karen (Lorraine Bracco), and it’s during that part of the story where the famous “Copacabana one-shot” can be found.

The scene is widely known thanks to it being one continuous shot that follows Henry and Karen from the moment he leaves his car across the street from the Copacabana nightclub and all the way to their table right in front of the stage. Henry and Karen enter from the back of the club as to avoid the line at the front, walk through the kitchen, and finally make it to the front of the stage, all while Henry greets those he comes across with and also slips some cash to those in charge around the club. Scorsese decided to film the sequence in one long, continuous shot not just because it looked good (and it really does) but also to symbolize that Henry’s life was ahead of him, as he was still somewhat new in the mob and his relationship with Karen was also in its early stages. Scorsese explained that the scene was “his seduction of Karen”, but also how the gangster lifestyle was seducing him.

However, the scene wasn’t always written like that and had to be changed due to a practical problem. As it turns out, the production crew couldn’t get permission to go in the short way – as in, through the front door – which forced them to go round the back. It was then that Scorsese decided to make it a long, unbroken shot to better symbolize that transition in Henry’s life. Of course, shooting a scene like that, with that length and going through all those turns (and with all those people around) wasn’t easy, and it was filmed eight times. The Copacabana nightclub was a real place and it was associated with the mob, as it’s official owner’s partner was mob boss Frank Costello. Mobster Joe Gallo operated the venue until 1972, and after that, it closed and re-opened various times before closing for good in May 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, though there are plans to reopen in 2021 but at a different location.

The Copacabana night club has a lot of history, but it will continue to be widely known thanks to that unforgettable sequence in Goodfellas. Although it’s an undeniably stunning sequence, it’s also proof of Martin Scorsese’s attention to detail, as he gave it an actual meaning so it wouldn’t just be a very well executed continuous shot – and it also helped put the audience in Karen’s place as she entered Henry’s world.

About The Author

Adrienne Tyler
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Adrienne Tyler is a features writer for Screen Rant. She is an Audiovisual Communication graduate who wanted to be a filmmaker, but life had other plans (and it turned out great). Prior to Screen Rant, she wrote for Pop Wrapped, 4 Your Excitement (4YE), and D20Crit, where she was also a regular guest at Netfreaks podcast. She was also a contributor for FanSided’s BamSmackPow and 1428 Elm. Adrienne is very into films and she enjoys a bit of everything: from superhero films to heartbreaking dramas, to low-budget horror films. Every time she manages to commit to a TV show without getting bored, an angel gets its wings.

When she’s not writing, you can find her trying to learn a new language, watching hockey (go Avs!), or wondering what life would have been like had Pushing Daisies, Firefly, and Limitless not been cancelled. Breakfast food is life and coffee is what makes the world go round.

Guillermo del Toro said “hi” to her once. It was great.

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