Henry’s Narration Is Him Talking To The FBI: Goodfellas Theory Explained

A fan theory suggests that Henry Hill’s narration throughout Goodfellas is actually him talking to the FBI. Martin Scorsese is one of the most respected filmmakers in the industry, and while he has explored a variety of genres throughout his career as a filmmaker – from black comedy with After Hours to psychological thriller with Taxi Driver, among many others – he continues to be best-known for his gangster movies, mostly due to how he has approached those stories, exploring the Italian-American identity and themes like guilt and redemption.

Although he has made various gangster movies, the one that is often regarded as his best is the 1990 movie Goodfellas, based on the book Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi. It tells the life of Henry Hill (Ray Liotta), from his days as a teenager running errands for Paul Cicero (Paul Sorvino) and his crew to his full involvement with the Lucchese crime family. Henry became very close to some big names in the mafia, as were Jimmy “The Gent” Conway (Robert De Niro) and Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci), but his good relationship with them and many others came to an end once he became an FBI informant, and thanks to his testimonies, Paulie and Jimmy were sent to prison.

Throughout Goodfellas, viewers are led by Henry himself as he provides voice-over narration. Thanks to it, the audience gets better acquainted with the main characters and learns some of the rules and terms used in the mob, such as what being a “goodfella” is and what becoming a “made man” means. Henry’s narration becomes part of the scene right at the end of Goodfellas, where he breaks the fourth-wall while testifying against Paulie and Jimmy and explains to the audience everything he just lost by becoming an informant and sending his former colleagues to jail. Henry breaks the fourth-wall one final time in the final scene of the movie, where picks up the newspaper outside his new house, takes a look at the camera, and goes back to his house. Now, some viewers have interpreted Henry’s narration as something more than just a guide for the audience, suggesting it was part of his conversation with the feds.

The theory, shared on Reddit, explains that Henry’s narration throughout Goodfellas is actually him telling his whole story to the FBI – from the moment he became fascinated with the mafia presence in his neighborhood, to the moment he decided to cooperate with them and enter, along with his family, the witness protection program. The author writes that this would explain why Henry shares the meaning behind some of the mob’s terms and what they all did to survive, among other things, and the theory is further supported by how in some parts of the movie it’s actually his wife, Karen Hill (Lorraine Bracco), who does the narration, as she’s also sharing her story and point of view of the events with the FBI. Another Reddit user shared their point of view on the theory, suggesting that instead of Henry’s narration being his conversation with the feds, it’s actually his testimony during the courtroom scene, which explains why it continues once he breaks the fourth wall.

This point of view would also explain why Henry is shown in a more sympathetic light than the rest of the gangsters, and why he distanced himself (most of the time, at least) from most of the violence that happens in Goodfellas. Ultimately, this is open to the interpretation of each viewer, who will decide if Henry’s narration is his confession to the FBI, his conversation in the courtroom scene, or just another narrator in a movie added to guide the audience through the story.

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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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