“That’s my family Kay, that’s not me.” Michael Corleone’s declaration to his girlfriend at the beginning of Francis Ford Coppola’s masterpiece, The Godfather, shows us that this character is disenchanted with the illegitimate practices that his family participates in. Al Pacino’s brilliant performance as Michael, rightfully so, thrust him into one of Hollywood’s greatest. Other newcomers, including Diane Keaton (Kay Adams), Robert Duvall (Tom Hagen), James Caan (Sonny Corleone), John Cazale (Fredo Corleone), and Talia Shire (Connie Corleone) star with one of Hollywood’s greatest actors of all time in perhaps one of the most iconic roles in film history, Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone. Brando’s last movie, Queimada, was a flop at the box office leading many in Hollywood to claim Brando’s career as over. Copppola, convinced Paramount studio heads that Brando was perfect for the role, and thus was hired to play Vito. The movie, released in 1972, won three well-deserved Oscars®, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Brando) and Best Adapted Screenplay. Originally supposed to be a run of the mill gangster movie, Coppola painstakingly made an epic that is easily regarded as one of the best movies of all time. The last time I watched this movie, it was spaced out over three separate occasions. This provided a unique experience as it allowed me to not only absorb many aspects of the movie, but to compare and contrast the beginning and the end, and specifically, the dramatic change of Michael. We first see Vito interacting with Bonasera, a caretaker who asks the godfather a favor. Being a Sicilian and the fact that it was the day of his daughter’s wedding, Vito cannot turn down this offer. He tells Bonasera, “Someday… I’ll call upon on you to do a service for me”. Vito is about respect and keeping his word, above all, loyalty. The wedding day continues as we see Vito not only dealing with more requests, but also enjoying the wedding reception, enjoying spending time with his family. It is clear that Vito is surrounded by those who respect and love him, and this makes him happy. About this time, we are introduced to Michael, dressed in military clothing, and his girlfriend Kay. Right off the back, we see that Kay is very naïve, not understanding what the Corleone family is all about, asking many questions. Upon telling the story of Johnny Fantane’s big break (and the offer that couldn’t be refused), Kay is visibly disgusted and shocked. Michael assures her, “That’s my family Kay, that’s not me”. We believe this and Michael becomes a hero – not only did he make it through World War II, but he was going to live a straight, crime free life.
This type of life doesn’t last long as Vito is gunned down, barely surviving. The core members of the Family quickly come together to discuss what is to be done next. The usually quiet Michael, who took the shootings very hard, starts to break out of his shell and to help his family. He becomes more vocal and forceful making sure that his opinion is heard and respected. It was his idea to kill Sollozzo, who worked with the Tattaglia family to kill Vito, and McCluskey, the cop who knocked Michael outside of the hospital. It was also Michael who followed through with the killings. We then follow a more confident Michael go to Sicily where he falls in love, gets married, and watches his wife get blown up in a car. While in Sicily, he finds out that his brother, Sonny, has been murdered back home. Also, Vito, back from the hospital, finds out that it was Michael that killed Sollozzo and McCluskey. It is very clear at this point that Vito is very upset, almost crying, knowing what his son has become involved in. When Michael returns from Sicily, he is a different person – he is more stern, confident, and powerful. It is not long before he becomes the head of the family and everybody answers to him. Perhaps the most brilliant scene in the movie is the assassination of the head of the five families while Michael’s grandson is getting baptized. This was all planned by Michael, who had become something that he promised that he was not.
That last scene has Kay watching Michael getting his hand kissed before someone closes the door on her so that she cannot see what is going on. It is perhaps at this moment that Michael’s promise to Kay was not something he stuck to. He became what his family was, something that Kay had feared all along. It is obvious that this movie follows the progression of Michael. Coppola is able to do a great job showing this. In the beginning, Michael is a bit more reserved. He spends most of his time with Kay and staying out of the family business. In fact, his family laughed at his ideas. At the end, he has a completely different persona and attitude. Looking at Michael in the beginning of the movie. One scene that sticks out is when the family is inside cooking and Michael is outside of the house. He is all alone, seeming small against a large fence behind him. He is crouched over, looking like a little kid. This insecurity carries through the restaurant shootings, as he is very quiet, nervously looking around. However, when he gets to Sicily, he becomes a lot more confident. We see him kicking back, demanding a man to come out to talk to him about his daughter. The old Michael would probably be too shy to do this.
The camera shots put Michael in better lighting where he is the center of attention and does not seem as small anymore. One thing that I found interesting was that Vito is very well liked throughout the movie despite the business he is involved with. However, Michael is not seen in this light, and he is the one who we first thought was a hero.One of the best things about this movie is Coppola’s strong attention to detail. The sets, costumes, and cinematography are beautiful, making this movie truly timeless. It is obvious that this movie took place in the 40’s and 50’s, yet it was made in the early 70’s, but can still be greatly appreciated in the late 00’s. As a big fan of set designs, this movie is very visually stunning – it is a gorgeous movie. The meticulous research and design for the time period being shown is amazing.
The Godfather is a movie that needs to be seen more than once. See it once to see it visually. See it again to follow a tragic story. If you are not a fan of the story, as you watch, you will be able to see some of the greatest performances of all time by some of Hollywood's greatest performers. Francis Ford Coppola, a legend in his own rights, created a beautiful movie that will be appreciated as long as people are watching this movie.
