I flushed out Callaghan (see comment in last post) with my statement that The Spirit was more interesting to me than Goodfellas. My assertion makes sense if you understand my reasons for engaging in creative activity. For me, creativity is a form of research, a way of trying to figure something out. So I'm most attracted to art products in which I see understanding coming-into-being. When I see a film like Goodfellas, I see Scorsese telling me what he already knows. The film is a statement, where research typically asks questions. Granted, The Spirit is not great research but it exhibits some of the exuberance and fearlessness of research. It's like the first stage of research before reflection.
When art stems from research it has a certain kind of life. Goodfellas is certainly a lively film with lively performances. But it lacks the awkwardness of life, the meaningful disjoints that occur when you're not exactly sure of what you're doing. It's not that kind of film. I like films that are more like abstract expressionist painting in which you see the missteps and mid-course corrections. In a way Goodfellas is more like Shakespeare's work in which the poetry unfolds perfectly within structure.
Also, in response to David: I would be more impressed with the tonal changes in Goodfellas if Scorsese added some slapstick.
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