Goodfellas: Why do Henry and Karen go through kitchen in the Copa?

[Freudian_Slit]

Clearly, Henry’s a big deal who doesn’t have to wait in line. But why don’t they just let him in first. It’s not as if he’s sneaking in, either, because as soon as they get in, they’re given a table right in front. Is it just because it made for a cool shot?

[Zeldar]

@Freudian_Slit

Clearly, Henry’s a big deal who doesn’t have to wait in line. But why don’t they just let him in first. It’s not as if he’s sneaking in, either, because as soon as they get in, they’re given a table right in front. Is it just because it made for a cool shot?

You nailed it both counts:

1. Scorsese wanted a steadycam tracking shot to outdo all others.

2. We and Karen learn firsthand how much clout Henry has and how money gets you past the hurdles we all have to go through in such situations.

The choreography of that shot is amazing. Notice how split-second the timing is all the way through it.

Try to think of a more effective tracking shot. Hitchcock. Altman. Scorsese won!

[palacheck]

According to Wikipedia:

The long tracking shot through the Copacabana nightclub came about because of a practical problem: the filmmakers could not get permission to go in the short way and this forced them to go round the back.[1] Scorsese decided to do it in one shot in order to symbolize Henry’s whole life is ahead of him and according to the director. “It’s his seduction of her [Karen] and it’s also the lifestyle seducing him”.[1] This sequence was shot eight times.

Is Goodfellas your favorite movie, Freudian Slit? Scorsese has an incredible gift for capturing the atmosphere of a time and place.

[crowmanyclouds]

@Zeldar

… clout … and … money …

In that order too.
It also showed the difference between just being a VIP and being an insider. VIPs don’t wait in line, insiders know the secret way in.

The bouncer would have let Henry in no matter what, 'cause he knew that Henry was part of Pauly’s crew. The cash was just Henry throwing his money around, being a goodfella.
But the private table almost certainly wouldn’t have appeared if he hadn’t paid off the Copa captain. Any other night he would have just gotten a chair at the tables with the rest of the guys. A VIP gets a nice table, an insider knows who’s palm to grease to make a table appear up front.

CMC fnord!

[Covered_In_Bees]

Weren’t you even watching the movie? Karen narrates that she’d never met a guy so young with so many connections and money and that it turned her on.

[Freudian_Slit]

@Covered_In_Bees

Weren’t you even watching the movie? Karen narrates that she’d never met a guy so young with so many connections and money and that it turned her on.

Yeah, I was watching the movie, which I’ve seen several times, but I just figured if he was such a big shot he could go to the head of the line and be let in, rather than having to go through the kitchen.

But if it was mostly for the shot that makes the most sense.

[fiddlesticks]

Feature on the shot here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBMKyNJvNV8

In the book by Hill & Nick Peleggi, they mention that the Copa doorman let Henry through the kitchen when the line at the door was too long…so I guess it was just how the Copa was arranged that it was easier to sneak up to the front via the kitchen.