Goodfellas Main Characters Ranked By Intelligence

Goodfellas: Main Characters Ranked By Intelligence

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Goodfellas is full of boisterous personalities. The way they handle conflict makes characters like Paulie Cicero smarter than others.

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Goodfellas Main Characters Ranked By Intelligence

Goodfellas is one of director Martin Scorsese’s highest-rated films. It follows the story of Henry Hill and his journey through the world of organized crime, facing major challenges along the way. Some of the gangsters Hill interacts with are smarter than others.

The characters in Goodfellas show their smarts in the actions they take. Hill and his associates like Tommy Devito and Jimmy Conway have to juggle several moving parts in order to pull off their crimes efficiently. Furthermore, they’re tasked with keeping their activities off the radar of law enforcement. To do so, they need to use their wits.

Frankie Carbone

Goodfellas Main Characters Ranked By Intelligence

Frankie is less developed than other characters like Henry or Tommy. However, he shows his intelligence in the few scenes in which he appears. When Tommy kills Stacks Edwards, who would be “late to [his] own funeral,” he tells Frankie to take the coffee pot to go. He lacks the reasoning to see Tommy is joking.

Frankie shows his unintelligence most clearly after the Lufthansa heist. Frankie is told to keep a low profile and not spend his money on flashy things and bring suspicion from the police. He shows up to a Christmas party in a brand new car with his wife wearing a gaudy fur coat. He lacks the critical thinking to understand his actions put him in danger of prosecution.

Sonny Bunz

Goodfellas Main Characters Ranked By Intelligence

Sonny is a lesser-known character in Goodfellas. He isn’t as bright as his peers and shows his lack of wits several times throughout the film. He borrows money from Paulie Cicero despite knowing his shady dealing will end up hurting him. As a result, his restaurant is burned down for insurance money.

Sonny’s foolishness is presented most clearly when he talks to Paulie about Tommy. He pleads with Paulie to help clear up the bad blood between Tommy and himself after he is attacked. He foolishly implies that Paulie should kill Tommy, despite Paulie’s closeness with him. Paulie reacts with disdain, and viewers know Sonny’s air-headedness almost costs him his life.

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Tommy DeVito

Goodfellas Main Characters Ranked By Intelligence

Tommy is a loose cannon. He lashes out at others in what appears to be a natural reflex. After Spider insults him, Tommy kills him in a knee-jerk reaction in one of Goodfella’s most iconic scenes. Perhaps Tommy’s most foolish kill comes when he murders made man Billy Batts, kicking off a domino effect that leads to his demise.

RELATED: 10 Best Tommy DeVito Quotes In Goodfellas

Tommy’s short temper clouds his judgment. Instead of thinking things through, he acts without reasoning. His ill-conceived behavior leads to his death when he becomes a liability to his mob associates. Tommy’s lack of critical thinking follows him to his end when he is killed at a meeting disguised as one meant to make him a made man.

Paulie Cicero

Goodfellas Main Characters Ranked By Intelligence

Paulie is one of the smarter gangsters in Goodfellas. He is Henry and Tommy’s superior and he operates in a calm and collected manner. Paulie’s controlled demeanor contrasts Tommy’s “cowboy” behavior and underscores his emotional intelligence. Paulie shows his smarts in the way he handles his criminal enterprise.

He is often the voice of reason, telling Henry to move back in with his wife Karen after he leaves her for his mistress. Furthermore, Paulie condemns Jimmy’s drug operation because he thinks ahead in how it will affect their business and secrecy. Paulie’s foresight seems to be endless. However, he doesn’t prepare for Henry entering witness protection.

Jimmy Conway

Goodfellas Main Characters Ranked By Intelligence

Jimmy, Henry, and Tommy branch out during their criminal run, and develop a drug business. The move goes against the orders of their superiors, but Jimmy knows as a result, they can keep all the profit. This action is just one way Jimmy’s wits are presented in Goodfellas.

After the Lufthansa heist, Jimmy uses critical thinking to understand he and his associates can’t draw attention to themselves by overspending. When he scolds Frankie for doing so, Jimmy gives Goodfellas one of his best quotes. Furthermore, Jimmy realizes he Henry and Tommy need to move the body of Billy Batts when the spot where they bury him is excavated. Jimmy seems to be ahead of the curve but shows he’s not as bright as his associates when he fails to conceal his crimes effectively.

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Karen Hill

Goodfellas Main Characters Ranked By Intelligence

Karen is the most prominently featured non-gangster in Goodfellas. She is Henry’s wife and tries to distance herself from his crimes as much as she can until it takes over their lives. Karen isn’t the smartest main character, and she shows her lack of judgment when she harasses Henry’s mistress Janice. The ill-conceived action gives Karen one of her most memorable quotes in Goodfellas. However, Karen shows critical thinking several times throughout the film.

She flushes Henry’s drugs during an FBI drug raid. The action shows smarts and may have saved Henry and Karen from being caught earlier than they are. The action leaves them broke, but only because Karen is left in the dark about it being the only source of income for her and Henry. Karen shows she is quick-witted when Tommy tries to lure her into a dark alley. Her sharp thinking leaves her alive at the end of the film.

Henry Hill

If the criminals in Goodfellas are playing a game of chess against each other and law enforcement, Henry would be seen as the winner. While nearly all of Henry’s associates are dead or in jail by the end of the film, Henry is alive and free in the witness protection program. He shows his smarts before he is caught, like when he instructs calls be made by an outside phone line.

However, the end of his arc highlights his intelligence most brightly. Henry laments his position as a “schnook” at the finale of the film. However, his smart choices save him his life. His critical thinking makes him realize Jimmy is going to kill him when he’s asked to do an unusual job in Florida. Henry’s wits leave him breathing and out of jail when his criminal enterprise falls apart.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/goodfellas-main-characters-intelligence-ranked/

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