Forget 'The Godfather,' This Crime Thriller's Opening Scene Still Has the Genre's Greatest Quote

While many directors have embraced the gangster genre as a means to tell stories of excess, danger, and criminality, few have managed to capture the allure and brutality of organized crime quite like Martin Scorsese. From early movies like Mean Streetsto later works likeThe Departed and The Irishman, no one has examined the world of the Mafia and gangsters quite like him. He has spent decades exploring the criminal underworld, all while creating some of the most compelling characters, both real and fictional, in cinematic history. For all his success in the genre, it is perhaps his magnum opus, Goodfellas, that has had the most staying power, along with the crime genre's greatest opening scene. More than three decades since it premiered, Goodfellas remains one of the best movies ever made, thanks in no small part to its incredible performances, unforgettable soundtrack, and Scorsese's direction.