Week One Blog: The Godfather
- Select a full-length film and identify the title, writer, director, major actors, and the year it was released.
Title: The Godfather
Writer: Mario Puzo
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Year: 1972
Actors: Marlon Brando (Don Vito Corleone) Al Pacino (Michael Corleone) James Caan (Sonny Corleone) Robert Duvall (Tom Hagen) Diane Keaton (Kay Adams) Talia Shire (Connie Corleone)
- Summarize the story and plot of your chosen movie.
Story: The Godfather, based on the Mario Puzo novel of the same name, follows an Italian-American crime family headed by Vito Corleone in New York City beginning in the 1940’s. The story details the struggles encountered by Don Corleone as his family battles the other New York crime organizations for control of the city. The movie describes the violence and betrayal of the mafia lifestyle and its impact on the Don and his children.
Plot: The film begins showing Vito Corleone, also known as the Godfather, on the day of his daughter’s wedding receiving guests in his studio. Vito is in charge of the most powerful Mafia family in New York and along with the other four families controls most of the city’s illegal activities. The Corleone family is old fashioned, and honor valued by its leader and extolled by members of the family. When Virgil Sollozzo (Al Lettieri) approaches Vito to enlist support in a new drug business the resulting refusal results in an assassination attempt on Don Corleone to remove him from power.
The ensuing power struggle between the Corleone and the family of Phillip Tattaglia (Victor Rendina) results in a conflict that leads to each man losing a son. It also brings into the family Michael (Al Pacino) Vito’s youngest son who had avoided the family business for years. The attempt on his father’s life and the death of his brother Sonny (James Caan) though draws a hesitant Michael in to help the family in spite of promising his wife Kay ( Diane Keaton) otherwise. Michael eventually reestablishes the Corleone family’s power through a purge of the other New York family’s leaders and becoming the new Godfather in the process (Poon, 2006).
- Discuss whether your film is presented chronologically or non-linearly. In your discussion, address the following:
- How did this aesthetic choice contribute to the general effect on the audience?
The story is in chronological order that allows the story to progress showing struggles and conflicts along with the ensuing succession of power being passed from Vito to Michael.
- How are elements like character development or foreshadowing impacted by the choice of storytelling methods?
The chronological storytelling allows the audience to see the transformation that takes place especially in the role of Michael Corleone. Michael’s changeover from a military war hero to the most powerful mafia don in the city is truly amazing to behold.
- If the film had followed a different presentation style, how would the general effect on the audience have been different?
If the movie had followed a non-linearly presentation, the impact would not have been as powerful. That being said the non-linear approach did work in Godfather Part II but only because of the introduction of characters in the first film.
(The Godfather , n.d.)
References
Poon, P. (2006, Winter). The Corleone CHRONICLES. Journal of Popular Film & Television, 33(4), 187-195. Retrieved from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/eds/detail/detail?vid=3&sid=24970506-c852-4005-989f-7501bd217bb1%40sessionmgr198&hid=121&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#AN=19794206&db=aph
The Godfather – Official Trailer. [Video file]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DO-nDW43Ik
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