Goodfellas' 14-Word Opening Is The Best In Gangster History, But Everyone Gets It Wrong

Published Nov 8, 2026, 12:05 PM EST

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When thinking about the greatest opening lines in movie history, it doesn't take long before getting to Goodfellas. Alongside the likes of classics such as "Rosebud" from Citizen Kane or more modern greats like Fight Club's "People are always asking me if I know Tyler Durden," the 14 words that begin Martin Scorsese's crime masterpiece are right up there in that conversation: "As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster."

That's particularly the case when considering the gangster movie genre, where Goodfellas only really has one rival: "This is America," which begins The Godfather. There's a thematic richness to that, a sense of weight to it that is carried through the rest of the epic and underlines the entire movie, but the Goodfellas opening line is even better. It's such a perfect, immediate hook, like a shock of adrenaline that kicks everything into top gear and brilliantly sets up Henry Hill's story.

It's about as great as an opening line can get, being memorable in its own right and fitting everything that follows. The only problem, which is usually forgotten, is that it's technically not the opening line at all.

Why Everyone Forgets What Goodfellas' Opening Dialogue Really Is

Image: WB

The story of Goodfellas starts in media res: Scorsese instantly plunges us into the tale of Billy Batts' murder, and so we begin with Henry, Jimmy Conway, and Tommy DeVito in the car, driving quietly in the dark before Henry starts hearing thuds coming from the trunk. At that point, they realize that Batts is actually still alive, and then have to carry out the task of murdering him a second time.

Because of that, the actual opening line of Goodfellas is Henry asking, "What the f**k is that?" There's then a brief, confused conversation, before they pull over, open the trunk, and properly take care of Batts - including a "Die, motherf**ker" line from Tommy. It's good in its own right, but nowhere near as memorable or iconic as Henry's "As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster" line, which arrives, complete with a classic Scorsese freeze-frame, around two minutes into the movie.

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It's a simple, brilliant mission statement for the movie ahead, and it's easy to see why it's so often heralded as such a great opening line. It's the start of the movie proper, and the real beginning of Henry's story.

Goodfellas' "Gangster" Line Is Even Better Because Of What Comes Before It

Image: WB

That the iconic Goodfellas quote isn't actually its opening line does, in a way, enhance it. It's brilliant in its own right anyway, of course, but what's so good is that we get a sentence that glamorizes the lifestyle of being a gangster, with Henry having viewed it as something aspirational, even complete with the song "Rags to Riches" kicking in, immediately after we get the grim, brutal reality of what that life is really like.

That makes the beginning of Goodfellas crucial. Scorsese walks a fine line, because he has to show the seductive side of the mafia, with its easy money, sharp suits, and fast cars. There's supposed to be something inherently cool about it, which makes it easy to see why someone like Henry would be drawn in. But by having the Billy Batts murder open things, it means it's always underpinned by that reality, and it delivers a perfect juxtaposition with the "always wanted to be a gangster" line.

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  Henry Hill

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  James Conway

GoodFellas chronicles the life of Henry Hill, a young Brooklynite with half-Irish, half-Sicilian heritage, as he rises through the ranks of a Mafia family. As he navigates the criminal underworld, he is mentored by seasoned gangster Jimmy Conway amidst the backdrop of organized crime in New York.