The Godfather - Research Paper Example

Film The Godfather The films produced in Hollywood possess an important role in the growth and development of cinema as a visual medium. Within this context, the film The Godfather (say, by Francis Ford Coppola), released in the year 1972, is generally considered as an epic crime film, consisting of the vivid portrayal of criminal instinct/violence/antisocial elements inherent in human minds. Leitch (2002) states that, “The crime film therefore represents an enormously promising, but hitherto neglected, focus for a genre approach to cultural studies” (p.2). The authorship of the script is effectively shared between Mario Puzo and Coppola. On the other side, music composition is the work of Nino Rota. The main characters in this film include: Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando), Michael Corleone (Al Pacino), Kay Adams-Corleone (Diane Keaton), Constanzia “Connie” Corleone (Talia Shire), Carlo Rizzi (Gianni Russo), Emilio Barzini(Richard Conte), Philip Tattaglia (Victor Rendina) and Don Zaluchi (Louis Guss). Thesis statement: In the film The Godfather, Francis Ford Coppola makes use of the main characters to prove that violence cannot solve the problems in human life as a whole. Plot summary In the film, the director portrays the relationship between illegal drug trafficking and organized crime. Besides, illegal trafficking and supply of harmful drugs is considered as a profitable business, controlled by crime families. DiMare (2011) makes clear that, “The Godfather mixed the warm rituals of Italian life with the cold brutality of illegal business” (p.963). The film provides ample importance to the brutal incidents happened in a decade around half-way through the 20th century (say, between 1945 and 1955), in Corleone family in New York. The film’s plot consists in the Michael Corleone’s (protagonist) gradual development from a normal individual to a merciless Don. On the other side, the film’s plot provides ample importance to the hardships faced by the Corleone family as a whole. So, one can see that the film’s plot is simple, i.e. the aftereffects of illegal drug trafficking/supply in New York , its relationship with organized crime and its effect on Corleone family. Analysis: A. The film’s theme The film consists of a number of themes that can be developed into a number of films. For instance, the film can be evaluated as a gangster film which portrays the war among the mafia groups in New York. On the other side, this film can be evaluated as the after effect of the disagreement among mafia families in New York. At the same time, this film represents the growth of some immigrant families into mafia families. From a different angle, this film represents the dilemma faced by protagonist and his rapid development to a mafia leader. In short, the film does is not confined to the context of a gangster film, but extends to the contexts of personal/family problems and violence. B. The development of the characters: believable, developed appropriately/effectively The main characters are believable because most of them resemble the members of the mafia families and their relatives in real life. Bower (2004) states that, “When director Francis Ford Coppola began shooting The Godfather, he tried to think of some way to assemble the very diverse members of his cast in order to build some cohesion before rehearsals started” (p.210). One can see that most of the male members of the mafia families are generally attracted to criminal activities related to illegal drug trafficking and crime. Besides, the eldest member of a mafia family is generally considered as the Don, or the leader of the group. Within this context, the scenes in film, in which the director portrays Vito Corleone’s life, are helpful for the effective development of the character of Vito Corleone as a Don. On the other side, some male members of mafia families consciously turn away from crime and violence. Within the context of Corleone family, reluctance shown by Michael Corleone towards crime and violence is effectively portrayed by the director. In short, most of the characters in the film The Godfather are believable and the effective development of the characters is one of the factors behind the success of the film. C. Casting and performance: appropriate or non-appropriate, effective or non-effective Within the context of casting of the actors, the most effective is Marlon Brando. Brandt (2003) makes clear that, “Marlon’s most memorable hissy fit came during the 1972 Academy Awards broadcast, when he won Best Actor for his signature role as the Mafia kingpin Don Corleone in The Godfather”(p.27). One can see that the film’s success as a gangster film is deeply indebted to Marlon Brando’s acting as the father/patriarchal figure. On the other side, the dilemma faced by Michael Corleone and his rapid development is beautifully portrayed by Al Pacino. Besides, the casting of James Caan is appropriate because his performance as the heir to the business empire of Corleone family proves the same. Gianni Russo’s performance as Carlo Rizzi proves to be appropriate and effective because the character’s betrayal is a turning point in the film. On the other side, the performance of Emilio Barzini and Philip Tattaglia (Richard Conte and Victor Rendina) as the main antagonists proves that the decision taken by the director on their casting was a success. In short, appropriate casting of actors and their effective performance can be considered as one of the factors behind the success of the film. D. Symbolism: purpose, effectiveness and contribution to the film The film is symbolic of organized crime, violence and bloodshed related to illegal trafficking and supply of harmful drugs. Besides, the film sheds light on the underworld, which controls the evil minds in the society. The film acts as an eye-opener, which aims to create awareness among the public on the grass root level reason behind organized crime. The symbolism in the film contributes to the film because it helps the viewers to realize the end result of crime, i.e. mental turmoil and death. E. Morale/message In the film, the director makes use of the main characters to convey his message to the viewers. To be specific, the morale/message of the film is that violence cannot solve all the problems related to human existence. Besides, violence and bloodshed are totally against the growth and development of humanity. Truby (2007) opines that, “Similarly, The Godfather not only portrays the world of the Mafia in 1940s America but also lays out a moral system based on modern business and modern warfare” (p.137). One needs to realize the fact that violence in public circle eventually leads to a number of problems in one’s private circle. In the film, the director portrays the events in the Corleone family to prove the negative effect of violence. Reflection and discussion: Pros and cons The most important advantage of the film is the importance given to the message against violence and bloodshed. As pointed out, the director makes use of the main characters to convey his message to the viewers. Within this context, the director makes use of the film as a medium to create awareness among the mass on end result of drug trafficking and related violence. On the other hand, the most important disadvantage of the film is that it deals with violence and bloodshed as an integral part of the underworld. This may create bias against the underdogs in the society. So, one can see that the film is with a number of pros and cons. In my opinion, the film The Godfather is to be considered as a film with a moral message. Besides, the director makes use of his film to portray the gradual development of the protagonist from a normal individual to a pitiless and powerful Don. The international success of the film as an epic crime film proves the effectiveness of casting done by the director and performance of the main actors. The symbolism/message in the film is important because illegal drug trafficking and supply is curbing the development of human beings, especially the growth and development of the youngsters in the society. In short, the director’s aim to make use of his characters as his mouthpiece to convey his message against the anti-social elements in the society proves to be successful to an extent. References Bower, A. (2004). Reel Food: Essays on Food and Film. New York, NY: Routledge. Brandt, L. (2003). Celebrity Tantrums!: The Official Dirt. Ontario, Canada: ECW Press. DiMare, P.C. (2011). Movies in American History: An Encyclopedia. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. Leitch, T.M. (2002). Crime Films. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Truby, J. (2007). The Anatomy of Story: 22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller. New York, NY: Macmillan. Read More