I have chosen to write an essay on the film The Godfather. It is a film that was released in the year 1972 and is about the Corleone family and the mafia war and gangster dealings involving the Corleones and some other families. It is a film that continues to receive commendation long after it was released. I choose to write on it because it is very interesting. Aside from that, the film has a very engaging and captivating plot as well as a few life lessons that one can pick and use in real life situations. It is also very entertaining as it gives great performances more so when one looks at how the wars between the families unfold as well as the intrigues in the Corleone family. It paints the picture of the mafia families that existed some decades ago and therefore brings to reality some of the things that used to happen back in the day. The Godfather therefore passes for an all time classic that has a rich cinematography and perfect music that has remained very captivating in the eyes of anyone who gets to watch it.
The story is told from the context of New York of the 1940s where family businesses were organized as mafias and were so ruthless to say the least. The godfather or Don has a very tight grip on the underworld business and has introduced all of his sons to the business apart from Michael who went against all odds to enroll in the marines and went on to fight in world war II. But then he returns on the day of his sister’s wedding and introduces his girlfriend to the family. Later on, Don Corleone survives an attack because he rejected a drug trafficking deal from a rival family. He again survives another assassination attempt and his son Michael wants to retaliate and avenge. Michael goes on and murders a police captain and runs off to hide in Sicily. He falls in love with a girl and marries her but then she dies when an attempted assassination is directed to him but dies instead. Meanwhile back at home mafia wars erupt. But Sonny, his elder brother is murdered after being betrayed by their sister Connie’s husband. Finally Michael returns home and convinces his first love Kay to marry him. By then, Don Corleone has recovered and wants to amend his destroyed relationship with his enemies. Meanwhile, Michael is warming up to take after his father as the Don. When he becomes best suited for the position, he makes his family prosperous once again but then avenges the murders of his family members and the plotters of the downfall of the Corleone family (Dramatica.com 1).
I really liked the film and would recommend to everyone who finds time to watch it because it will not disappoint. The story that is told in the film is about Don Vito Corleone who really manages a very tightly knit family. This family runs legal and illegal business. The illegal business includes gambling, prostitution as well as protection rackets. All members of this family happen to be part and parcel of the family business except Michael but eventually he finds his way into it and ends up taking the position of his father as head of not only the family but the family business too. It so happens that there exist several rivals to this family but Don Corleone rules Machiavellian style and stays on top of the game (Washingtonpost.com, 3). He always has a way of dealing with his adversaries by always giving them an offer that they cannot refuse to take and that is how he manages to maintain his grip on the New York underground gangs. He has his goons by his side and they help in putting guns on the heads of those who refuse to do as per his wishes. The entire storyline is centered on him and his children and enemies.
The Godfather is an all time great film and I like it so much. There are several things about it that make a person want to watch it over and over again. To begin with, the film has a got a very huge cast but within a short time, one gets to know each one of them and learn about their individual characters. In fact, the cast gets the audience up to speed with their personalities even when the audience thinks the opposite of them. A good example is that of the character Michael, from the very beginning, one gets to see the saint that he is but as the film progresses we get to see the real cold Michael. At the same time, the bad characters in the cast are brought out in such a way that one gets to see the human side of the gangsters. Don Corleone for example happens to be a very cold man but he has a heart and reaches out his hand to help those who call on him and thus this makes him likeable.
One other thing that I liked about the film is the great individual scenes and the dialogue therein. Most of the scenes are independent from the rest of the film and are done beautifully and this makes such moments very indelible. A good example is the scene where Michael kills Sollozo and the police man. Michael’s movements and body language gives an impression of one who no longer wants to draw the gun and kill the two. In fact, he seems very uneasy and for a minute one thinks that he is a coward but then goes on and draws the gun in an instant. The dialogue throughout the movie is so compelling and thought provoking. This contributes greatly to the great cinematography of the film and indeed this makes it great. It is because of these reasons and many more that I was compelled to go for it.
Michael just shows up one day at the wedding of his sister, he returns home as a war hero and works hard and ascends to the top and takes the mantle of leadership from his father. He told his father; in his hospital bed that he was with him which could be translated to mean that he was willing to go to any length to protect him and the interests of the family. This happens like it could in real life when a son promises his father that he will take after him. This is so dramatic but then the promise comes to pass and indeed, Michael lives up to his promise. This was done so well as a lesson for young people who watch it. They need to understand the importance of upholding family values. In the case of the Corleones, it was a bad thing to do, to conduct illegal business but then the lesson is that children can step into the shoes of the parents when they are not there and fill in the gap that is left by the parents for the common good of their families.
With regard to leadership qualities, the film has been properly done. In the film, Don Corleone serves every character in the best ways that best suits them. He always had the right way of dealing with people and situations and this is another thing that I like about the film. A good example is when he uses fear just to motivate some people for example the undertaker but then he showed a lot of respect for Luca Bracci while on the other hand he could give his godson Johnny Fontane a kick when he felt it was the best thing to do. Despite his shortcomings, he passes for a very good leader who knows how to handle different situations as he came across them. He is also a loving father and he shows this towards the end of the film. He thinks over and over again about the assassins and how they will target his lastborn Michael and this worries him so much. The film has therefore been well done because aside from it being an entertaining piece, it is very educative and informative too.
One specific area in the film that caught my attention is the point when Michael shoots at Sollozzo and McCluskey and kills them. The scene is indeed very dramatic from the way in which the three men behave. The acting is superb especially from Michael’s end. Michael’s facial expressions from the moment they meet up tell a lot (Lebo 16). In fact, Sollozzo feared that Michael could do something fatal and therefore checked him before he left for the washroom. Upon coming back, Michael’s facial expression and body language tells it all. Apparently he may not have been sure of what he was about to do and so he took his time, thought it through and then reached a conclusion and that is when he drew his gun. Funnily enough, there is the subway noise that helps conceal the gunshots and this gives him ample time to escape. He drops the gun to decrease the chances of him being caught with it. This was a well planned and choreographed scene and it brings out the real tough and vengeful Michael.
With all its drama and intrigues, this film is very important in very many ways. It has got a couple of moral lessons that it highlights about real things that happen in society. At the end of the day, it does not pass for a criminal ridden film. This is so because the Corleones do not pass for underworld thugs. They are descent men who have a well orchestrated plan of how to go about their activities. Besides this, the film is a clear illustration of the end result of injustice in society (Kurtkeener.com6). This serves as a lesson to learn from so as to prevent conditions such as these where gangs are allowed to thrive in our society. If oppression and corruption could get into any society, the oppressed may turn violent and this may lead to a lot of anarchy. When a powerful person takes advantage of such a situation and exploit the opportunities, definitely there will be problems. The film serves as an eye opener of what might happen in our society if some vices were allowed to seep in.
Works Cited
Dramatica.com. The Godfather. www.dramatica.com. Web. Retrieved on 21st January 2014. http://dramatica.com/analysis/the-godfather
Kurtkeener.com. Lessons of the Godfather. www.kurtkeener.com. Web, Retrieved on 21st January 2014. http://www.kurtkeefner.com/2012/10/lessons-of-the-godfather/
Lebo, Harlan. The Godfather Legacy: The Untold Story of the Making of the Classic Godfather Trilogy Featuring Never-Before-Published Production Stills. New York: Touchstone. 2000.
Washingtonpost.com. The Godfather. www.washingpost.com. Web, 21st March 2008. Retrieved on 21st January 2013. http://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/movies/the godfather,1059181.html
The Godfather. Film
