Goodfellas

While Henry gets to park Cadillac's other kids his age are learning about geography. These types of things are very appealing to a poor kid growing up in a neighborhood controlled by "wise guys."" One can imply that the movie is attempting to glamorize the life of a gangster, because it is presented in such an appealing way. It also implies a sort of acceptance of the illegal action that Henry commits. This can be understood overtly when the viewer is shown how Henry's father works hard all day but does not have much to show for it. All the scenes shown in the beginning of the film imply that it is a logically desirable decision for Henry to choose this kind life style.
             Then just when one might think that there is nothing that can stop Henry from clear bliss he gets caught selling stolen cigarettes at the end of the teenage sequence. Henry goes to court for the crime committed and one might think that this would imply that a life involved in crime will eventually land a person in jail. However when Henry goes to court the viewer sees Henry's attorney smile at the judge. The judge discreetly smirks back and asks the attorneys to approach the bench. The scene cuts and then the viewer are shown Henry getting released with a crowd of "goodfellas- to praise him outside of the courtroom. After glamorizing all the benefits that the protagonist had growing up with, the teenage sequence explicitly shows that not even the judicial system can stop the benefits of being involved with organized crime. The mafia pays off the police; attorneys and judges making them seem untouchable. At the same time however, the movie is also implying that in the end, these types of people must at one time or another be subjected to criminal prosecution. As the film goes on the viewer finds that there connections cannot always keep them out of jail. .
             After Henry is set free from the courthouse the movie show him as a grown man in his early twenties.