The captivating characters. The seemingly simple settings. And the fantastic food (of course, some might have a different opinion of the food and they are thus OK with being wrong.).
Given what we've seen so far, how are the "Mafia" and organized crime portrayed in The Godfather? In other words, what does the film seem to be saying about them?
Please remember that some have yet to see this whole film. Make sure to use only details found thus far in the movie SO as not to spoil later parts. WRITE AT LEAST TEN+ SOLID SENTENCES AND REFER TO EXAMPLES.
Also, see the link to the IMDB for referencing names, etc.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068646/
I find the complexity of the crime and those who carry it out very interesting thus far. Through establishing likable characters like Don Corleone, Michael, Tom, and even Luca Brasi and Clemenza, the Godfather successfully gets the viewer to become attached to these guys and root for them. This support for them and their decisions extends to their organized crime. For example, the Corleone family and the viewers, too, are both more than happy with Michael's plan to kill the corrupt cop McCluskey because Michael seems to be so sweet and easy to love, with his strong family values and kind disposition. We want Michael to kill McCluskey for vengeance even though it breaks the law, even though it's organized crime. On the flip side of the viewer's wants, we hate the organized crime dished out by the Corleone's enemies, for example when the Tattaligas kill Luca Brasi and attempt to assassin Vito. Basically, we justify the organized crime of those we like (the Corleones) and detest the organized crime of those we dislike (the enemies of the Corlenones). Realizing this puts the entire Mafia operation into perspective. We know there are five prominent Mafia families in New York and the surrounding areas, but we are only okay with the Corleone's business because we know them. If we had looked at the Tattalgia's, we'd be mourning the loss of their men instead. The exposure of this hypocrisy is shown in Kay, who questions Michael's family's business and doesn't seem to be able to excuse it simply because she's dating one of its members. The Godfather seems to be saying that organized crime is all subjective and justified by personal means.
ReplyDeleteWhile "The Godfather" does follow some of the stereotypes associated with the mafia. Some members of the Corleone family such as Luca Brasi and Sonny Corleone fit particular stereotypes. Luca Brasi has slicked back hair, wears a suit, and acts as a loyal enforcer for the Corleone family. Sonny Corleone (the son of Vito Corleone) is your typical tough guy who doesn't respect anyone unless they're associated with the family (i.e. smashing the cameras of the photographers at the wedding). However, "The Godfather" sets out to break some stereotypes as well. The mafia is often looked at negatively. Many of the members appear to be heartless minions who only function to serve their particular boss. This is not always the case within the film. Michael tries to stay away from the family business. Michael is a war hero and does not want to be dragged down by the illegal actions of his family. Vito shows a softer side by taking numerous requests from attenders of his daughter's wedding as a show of good faith. He could have easily said no, but he does not want to be hated, but rather the opposite. Vito (and many other characters such as Michael) come off as very likable characters, thus shedding the over generalized idea of what a mobster is, or what one is suppose to be. I believe that the film could be trying to change the way the mafia and its members are viewed. Things aren't black and white, but rather many shades of gray. Not everything is as it appears.
ReplyDeleteThe Godfather seems to portray the “Mafia” as a strong family. All the members either kiss one another on the hand or the cheek. This showing how important each member is. This is on positive aspect, but I feel that the “Mafia” cannot show their true feelings to women. One guy was on the phone and his wife was telling him to tell her that he loves her, but he hesitated and would not allow himself to speak such words. The “Mafia” seems to be too “manly” to say such “feminine” words, and only has time for business. The movie doesn’t really show their relationships with women (other than sex), and so this busyness seems to say that the “Mafia” is the ONLY one true family and they must work together to get what he wants.
ReplyDeleteThe Mafia according to The Godfather if a family. Even the title itself, The Godfather, shows the bond between families amongst the Mafia. In the very first scene of the movie Don Corleone takes offense that the man seeing him did not approach him as a friend, even though his daughter was Don Corleone's God Daughter, setting the tone of strong family ties from the very beginning. Michael Corleone, even though he makes it very clear that he is not part of the Mafia, still feels that sense of family, which is apparent at the wedding and after he hears about his father's attempted assassination. While the strong family connection shows a bright side of the Mafia, there’s still a violent presence. Whether it be the murder of a horse to help Johnny Fontane’s career, or the murder of Luca Brasi, violence plays a big part in the way the Mafia does business. There’s also a lot of competition between families. We found out that the Corleone’s are successful because they control the Unions and gambling cites but there are other families they’re competing with, most notably the Tattaglias. This competition goes back to the tight families, showing the loyalty each person has to their family.
ReplyDeleteIn The Godfather, the mafia culture is portrayed in a semi-positive light. In the beginning of the movie when Vito is first asked to do a favor, he listens to the man's pleas and eventually decides to carry out the favor for no money. If anything, Vito is offended that Bonasera hasn't invited him over and that he doesn't really think of Vito as family- even though Vito is the godfather to his children. The film also shows how strong the family bonds are in the Corleone family. During Connie's wedding, Vito Corleone doesn't allow the family picture to be taken without Michael - he wants to make sure that everyone in the family was included. Even the violence in the film seems to have some logical reasoning. In other portrayals of the mafia that aren't as positive, the killing and violence seems to be kind of random and much more about getting revenge. The mafia in the Godfather is a little bit about getting revenge, but Vito mostly does things to try and help those in need. The scene when the movie director wakes up in bed next to the severed head of his favorite horse is probably one of the most savage scenes in the Godfather, but it is important to remember that the Corleones did not do that to "get back" at anyone, but to try and help out Johnny Fontaine. Of course the mafia portrayed in the Godfather is very violent, and I'm not saying that all of their actions (especially that one) are well justified, but this movie provides an inside look on the mafia that shows the feelings and mostly good intentions of the people involved. In The Godfather, the mafia is portrayed to be about having strong family bonds and helping out family. Even Vito says to Johnny during their meeting, "a man who doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man."
ReplyDeleteI believe that so far, the movie The Godfather has portrayed the mafia as a group of families where each family is very close to its members and rivals with other families. I use the word families very loosely, because incorporated in each family are also close friends and business partners. Many aspects of the life of Vito Corleone and his sons are quite stereotypical. For example many of them are very cruel and are willing to murder at the sound of a word. But also I believe the movie has represented the mafia as opposite of many stereotypes. Sure, while Sonny Corleone and many others demonstrate stereotypical unkindness and hostility towards anyone not within the “inner family,” I believe that the godfather shows many mafia characters who are actually not pure villains, such as Michael and Fredo. While both of the characters are not very involved with the mafia, they do participate in the activities while still acting and behaving human. Michael has a girlfriend and is a war hero, and tried not to get involved in the “family business.” He is liked and respected by all. This is especially shown when the police officer protests against arresting Michael because he is a highly respectable man. Fredo is an upbeat character who displays intense emotion upon the Godfather being shot, uncharacteristic of a man involved in the mafia.
ReplyDeleteCoppola has made sure that the audience sees reason and even compassion behind the seemingly effortless killings, especially through little elements. For example, in the begining, when Don Corleone is making decisions about whether or not he will kill the men who beat the undertaker’s daughter, he is stroking a cat. This is an interesting contrast to the rather morbid situation, and serves as a reassurance of Don Corleone's humanity to the audience. Also, in the scene of the attempted
ReplyDeleteassassination, Vito is buying fruit- a very seemingly innocent, simple task for the head of a mafia to do. In the movie, Vito never gets directly involved in violence, leading to a stronger attachment of the audience. He also is shown valuing 'family' and friendship. He berates the undertaker in the opening scene for seeming to reject his friendship until the undertaker needed the help of the Mafia. Also, interestingly, we see Don Corleone accept to help the undertaker who was treated unfairly by the police and court system and the baker, whose struggles were with the lack of citizenship status of Enzo. But, when Don Corleone is offered a deal with narcotics, he refuses, keeping up the almost 'wholesome' image presented to the audience. This wholesome image is further supported but the deep family values and loyalties. Vito readily helps his godson, Jonny Fatone, and the before mentioned Enzo pays a visit to Vito in the hospital, then is recruited to help Micheal defend Vito at the hospital steps. The Godfather, so far, has tried, and succeeded in presenting a much more human, complex Mafia than the stereotypical merciless thugs.
The “Mafia” and organized crime is portrayed in an almost friendly way in The Godfather. The movie opens at a wedding: an event far removed from ruthless violence one would expect from the mafia. Dancing, drinking, and general merriment all overshadow the darker reality of what the Corleones do for a living. The theme in the movie is about family. There is so much focus on family, and compassion between family members and family friends (Johnny Fontane and Luca Brasi, for example) that one forgets we are talking about the mafia. The film displays the mafia in a way that appeals the viewer’s sense of family and friendship. When Michael leaves and dismisses the need for bodyguards, Sonny says, “send somebody with him anyway.” Also, the family greets each other with lots of hugs and kisses every time they meet. However, the mafia still views women as secondary figures. Michael does love Kay, but treats her needs as secondary. He leaves abruptly to plan a murder, without explaining the situation to her. Sonny doesn’t treat his wife with respect. However, this sexism was not too far out of place for the time period. The Godfather shows the mafia as a well-run organization, but one with tight-knit family members who remain fiercely loyal to one another.
ReplyDeleteWe hear over and over again that the Mafia is all about business and isn't personal, but we learn through "The Godfather" that there is more to the Mafia than just gambling and drugs. Don Vito Corleone is known as the Godfather to the people he protects, and he doesn't take the title lightly. Vito Corleone plays his role as a Godfather by protecting his Godchildren, even if it means having to get a little dirty. One of Corleone's favorite Godchildren, Johnny Fontane, is having trouble with his Hollywood career, and, like any Godfather, Vito wants Johnny to be successful, so he helps him out by making the producer "an offer he can't refuse". This scene is especially powerful because it shows the other side to the Mafia. I would argue that this "other side" is the main function of the mob. During the wedding, all of the the Corleone's friends and family are present, but at the same time they conduct business. It becomes obvious that family is important to Vito, and that is why he is willing to do the job that he has. This is also why when Vito is shot, everyone is willing to help out the Corleone family. An example of this is when Michael was standing outside of the hospital with someone his dad had only helped once. Someone was willing to risk their life for Vito, and they had never even met him before. The close-knit-family setting of the Mafia is what keeps it alive. The Mafia lives, not because of the money, but because they care for their community.
ReplyDeleteI find the way the movie portrays organized crime to be very interesting. Nobody really thinks of mafias and mobs as good guys. However, by using sympathetic characters like Michael, the film helps us see them in a different light. I think it's very odd how much we find ourselves rooting for the Corleones in this film. They're clearly not nice people. This is emphasized in scenes like the severed horse head bit and Pauly's murder. Even so, we find ourselves rooting for Vito Corleone to survive the shooting and for Mike to succeed against the other crime families. The mafia is shown to be very tightly knit and almost familial. This helps us sympathize with them more, as they all seem to love each other like brothers and want revenge for the attack on their 'father'. There's always an underlying feeling that these people could off each other at the slightest mistake, but we still root for them all. I think it's really interesting how the mafia is shown, making it seem like some sort of happy movie with an ensemble cast of protagonists, even though they're all liars and murderers.
ReplyDeleteIn "The Godfather," the mafia consists of many mafia families. These families act as small gangs and the family members are extremely loyal to one another and care greatly for each other. There is a huge family aspect to the mafia and this is first shown in the opening scene when a man is asking for a favor from Don Corleone and Corleone is offended because the man doesn't treat him like a family member or even a friend. An example of a scene where loyalty to the family is shown is when Corleone sends his lawyer, Tom Hagen, to California to get Johnny Fontane the job he wants acting in a movie. When the director refuses, Hagen kills the director's horse and puts it in his bed for him to see. This is the type of loyalty that goes on in these families and it is necessary to keep the trust within the family. Another scene where this is portrayed is when Michael Corleone goes to the hospital where his dad is being kept after he was shot and stands outside pretending to be a bodyguard. Lastly, mafia families are extremely competitive with one another. They all want to be the richest the most feared and the most respected family.
ReplyDeleteIn the Godfather, the good guys are members of the Mafia, and while just as ruthless as one would assume, the viewer sympathizes with them. Maybe it’s because the opening scene consists of a happy wedding and the head of the Mafia being kind and doing favors to old friends, but the viewer can easily relate to Corleones. The people are genuine and sincere, and they care more about family than their business. The men in the Mafia are portrayed as overall good people, and they make is seem like what they do for a living is nothing out of the ordinary. Organized crime is nothing more than a family business, much of the same way a man running a restaurant with his kids is. But at the same time, it all has to do with power. The decisions made by Vito Corleone and his sons are significantly affected by the effects those decisions would have on their power. They have policemen, local politicians, national politicians, and even journalists on the payroll. To me it seems like they care so much about power because of their pride in the family name. The Corleones think 5, 10 years down the rode when making important decisions. They want the family business to live on. The Mafia in the Godfather isn’t run based off of money, it’s much more than that.
ReplyDeleteThe Godfather presents the mafia as possessing a certain elegance. Murder and political corruption hardly seem elegant activities, but Don Vito Corleone seems to go about his business with relative ease and grace. He's the master of the mafia trade. There's something almost beautiful about him making "an offer he can't refuse." The morning welcome of a bloody horse head is as beguiling as it is disturbing. Vito is a classy guy -- we see him wearing a red rose and dancing with his beloved daughter on her wedding day. He says, "a man isn't a man unless he spends time with his family." The audience sympathizes with him; his apparent family values and suaveness justify his criminal actions. This kind of sadistic beauty seems to be common to all portrayals of the mafia and contribute to its allure.
ReplyDeleteFamily appears to be a very prominent theme thus far -- big wedding, lots of brothers and sisters, and fierce family loyalty. Michael initially seems to want nothing to do with the bloody family business. When he tells his girlfriend about his father's "offer," he adds that it's his family, not him. However, when Vito is shot, Michael discovers a newfound pride in the Corleone family, offering to shoot the corrupted cop McCluskey. They also mention the "five families," other bands of mafia presumably equally as loyal, violent, and determined as the Corleones.
Based on the content we have seen, the mafia and organized crime are almost glorified in "The Godfather." The movie displays many of the common stereotypes discussed earlier: the men in the mafia are typically Italian men with slicked back hair and classy attire. Everyone in the movie seems to live reasonably well, suggesting that men working for the mafia receive a fair income for their service in the family. Another trend portrayed in "The Godfather" is the theme of family unity. The first scene of the movie depicts the entire family at a massive wedding. Everyone is dancing and talking, showing that everyone in the family is very close. This idea is further emphasized when Vito Corleone gets shot on the street. When the rest of the family hears, they are either enraged and make plans for revenge or break down in tears. The movie also shows the loyalty of the men in the mafia. Michael Corleone boldly volunteers to assassinate McClusky. He quickly comes up with an elaborate plan to hide a weapon and kill the cop during a dinner meeting. While violent and dangerous, the plan reflects the respect and loyalty of the "grunts" of the mafia: people who do the dirty work for the more powerful members of the family. Another idea emphasized in the film is the power and prominence of the mafia. When singer Johnny Fontane asks Vito to help him secure a role in an upcoming movie that would revive his career, Vito sends one of his men, Tom Hagen, to talk with the director Jack Woltz. After Woltz refuses to give Fontane the part, Tom cuts off the head of Woltz' elegant racehorse and places the head in Woltz' bed. This scene reflects the substantial power of the mafia. If the family needs to accomplish a task, the head of the family (in this case, Vito Corleone) can send grunts to perform the task through violence, intimidation, or bribery.
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