In a move that has sparked outrage among fans of classic cinema, AMC has added a trigger warning to the iconic mob film “Goodfellas.” The warning, which cautions viewers about “cultural stereotypes” and language that “may offend some viewers,” has been labeled as an insult by actor Frank Sivero, who portrayed Frankie Carbone in the 1990 film.
AMC’s trigger warning reads, “This film includes language and/or cultural stereotypes that are inconsistent with today’s standards of inclusion and tolerance and may offend some viewers.” This preemptive caution has not sat well with Sivero, who voiced his displeasure in a recent interview with TMZ. “I’m kind of a little bit perturbed in a way, that AMC even cuts the movie completely, you don’t hear the language, they delete the language, so why are they so upset?” Sivero questioned.
Sivero highlighted the unique approach director Martin Scorsese took in creating “Goodfellas,” emphasizing the organic development of characters through improvisation rather than a rigid script. “Thank God I was able to do my job by improvisation, by bringing some dark humor into these people’s lives and not make them just make a violent scene, like a horror movie,” Sivero explained. “To me, it’s an insult because I created my own character.”
The actor elaborated on how his contributions helped balance the film’s darker moments. “I created that, I made those moments real, to take the tension away from those gruesome moments,” he said. Sivero praised Scorsese’s genius, noting that the director’s films are known for their authenticity. “All his movies have authenticity. That’s the kind of movies that he makes,” Sivero added.
Former NYPD officer Bo Ditel, who also appeared in “Goodfellas,” criticized the trigger warning as an example of excessive political correctness. Ditel argued that such warnings attempt to “cleanse history.” He told the New York Post, “The f—king political correctness has f—king taken everything away. This is how life was back then. It was not a clean beautiful thing. You can’t cleanse history. If you want to tell true history, you gotta tell it the way it is.”
AMC defended its decision, stating, “In 2020, we began adding advisories in front of certain films that include racial or cultural references that some viewers might find offensive.” This explanation, however, has done little to quell the backlash from fans and actors who see the warning as an unnecessary alteration of a cinematic classic.
The controversy over the “Goodfellas” trigger warning is part of a larger debate surrounding the use of content warnings in the entertainment industry. Critics argue that such measures sanitize art and prevent audiences from experiencing historical and cultural contexts as they were intended. Supporters, on the other hand, believe that content warnings provide necessary context and sensitivity to modern viewers.
As the discussion continues, it remains clear that attempts to retroactively apply contemporary standards to historical works of art will always be met with resistance. For fans of “Goodfellas” and its cast, the film’s raw and unfiltered portrayal of mob life is an essential part of its authenticity and enduring legacy. The backlash against AMC’s trigger warning underscores the importance of preserving artistic integrity, even in the face of changing societal norms.
