Throbbing beneath the surface of GoodFellas, providing the magnet that pulls the plot along, are the great emotions in Hill’s makeup: a lust for recognition, a fear of powerlessness, and guilt. He loves it when the headwaiters know his name, but he doesn’t really have the stuff to be a great villain—he isn’t brave or heartless enough—and so when he does bad things, he feels bad afterward. He begins to hate himself. And yet, he cannot hate the things he covets. He wants the prizes, but he doesn’t want to pay for the tickets.
