Scorsese cuts to a boring subdivision: Henry Hill exits his boring house in a bathrobe, stoops to get the newspaper "just like anybody" else, and for a moment remembers that he used to be a gangster. Scorsese cuts to a clip of the violent thug Jimmy (played by Joe Pesci) firing rounds point blank at the audience, and then cuts back to Henry who is either smiling or grimacing at the memory of Jimmy's "tough guise."

Of course, there are moments when Henry Hill himself becomes just as violent as the world he inhabits. The ferocious pistol-whipping is one such scene, referenced in Jackson Katz's "Tough Guise" as a perfect illustration of the kind of brute strength admired by men. Scorsese's use of the freeze frame earlier in the film allows the audience to reflect on the horrific scenes of violence as they unfold: whether one admires the "tough guise"...
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