The Irishman: Easter eggs, references and inside jokes from the film

The Irishman, directed by the legendary Martin Scorsese, is set during the 50 and 60s America where President Kennedy gets shot and depicts how the lives of criminals were affected by the incident. The movie is now streaming on Netflix. Crtitics say that his take on Jimmy Hoffa and his disappearance once again proves his potential of telling a realistic story like Goodfellas. 

The Story of The Irishman

The Irishman received high praise from both critics and the audience. The audience is claiming that this is one of his best and is a perfect mixture of Goodfellas and the Mean Streets with a melancholic climax. Robert De Niro is known for his portrayals of gangsters and fans of the actor were excited to see him in a gangster role again. Al Pacino portrays the character of Jimmy Hoffa and plays a pivotal role in the film.

The movie’s story revolves around Frank Sheeran in the 1950s where he is a truck driver and gets involved with Russell Bufalino and his Pennsylvania crime family. As Sheeran climbs the ranks to become a top hitman, he also goes to work for Jimmy Hoffa. Jimmy is a powerful tycoon tied to organised crime.

Easter Eggs and references

Throughout the movie, there are various Easter eggs from Martin Scorsese’s previous gangster dramas and themes regarding brotherhood, loyalty, and betrayal. Scorsese reunited with the Goodfellas gang once again for this film. A lot of that is inspired by the book I Heard You Paint Houses.

There is a scene where Joe Pesci refers to a ‘fairy named ferrie’. This is where he refers to David Ferrie, the character he played in Oliver Stone’s JFK. There are also a lot of elements from Goodfellas like the opening shot and the overall cinematography. Also, in another sequence, there is a picture in Frank Sheeran's office, showing him with a kangaroo. The real-life Frank Sheeran once fought with a kangaroo for money and won $100. These are among the fine-drawn details in the film which are masked and blended well with the narrative. According to the critics and the audience worldswide, these two ruled the cinema during their prime and have once again proven how powerful they are as actors.