ipl-logo

What Does The Godfather: I Believe In America?

527 Words3 Pages

The Don will see you now by Rowenna Godfrey

"I believe in America."
The infamous quote that begins one of the most widely regarded greatest films ever. Bonasera's plea to Brando's captivating performance as the patriarch of the Corleone family not only shows the difference of justice from Vito and America, but more importantly, family is key. Francis Ford Coppola's 1972 classic translates Mario Puzo's The Godfather, 1969 onto the big screen. It follows the Corleone family between 1945-55, the passage of power in the face of huge changes and the longevity of family. Winner of 3 Academy Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay, Picture and Actor for Brando from the 10 it was nominated for, it isn't hard to see why it's now a formula to follow for filmmaking and narrative. …show more content…

The attempted murder of Vito changes that quickly, uprooting the stable family we see at the wedding of Connie (Talia Shire) and her husband to a new, twisted form, with Michael as head. The American war veteran we meet with his girlfriend Kay (Diane Keaton), becomes involved in the mob life, killing for family rather than for country. Essentially, Michael grows to embody the worst his family represents.
Coppola made characters who in any other film would be the villains sympathetic, as their actions were in the name of family. Coincidentally, the strife faced by the Corleones is shown with Coppola's struggle with Paramount as he wasn't the first choice of director, and the heated discussions with casting such as an infamously hard to work with Brando and a relatively unknown for

Show More
Related

  • Verisimilitude In The Godfather's Death

    341 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Godfather The concept of Verisimilitude seemed to fail for the most part with this movie. In numerous scenes, such as where someone or something died, the viewer watches an incredible dramatic and exaggerated performance play out before them, which is especially tough to imagine happening in their own life. Specifically, in the incident where the godfather is shot at the market, he dramatically falls onto the car, stops due to gravity, then flops over a few extra times before hitting the ground and moving again once more. I suppose the intention of the actions here are to convince the audience that he is truly and surely dead. Another example would be the famous scene with Jack Woltz, who awakened with a severed head of a horse at the

    Read More

  • Symbolism In Goodfellas

    342 Words  | 2 Pages

    The film, Goodfellas, released in 1990 and directed by Martin Scorsese is a film based on a true story that takes place in Brooklyn, New York. Goodfellas provides drama, suspense and anxiety. There are a number of extraordinary scene, characterization, points of view, lighting, as well as high, small and/or stable angles of shots to analyze. The Copacabana is a scene narrated by Karen, Henry Hill’s future wife.

    Read More

  • Comparative Analysis: Scarface And The Godfather

    760 Words  | 4 Pages

    The film is a myriad of deconstruction of the mafia stereotype; it does not gratify gang life of any form. In fact, it tries to subvert several of them. First is the inclusion of Michael, the oddest of the family, a college educated war veteran with a normal girlfriend. He is the anti-thesis to another anti-thesis, which is Vito Corleone. Vito, the father of the family, is not the typical ruthless crime lord; instead, he is the role model of the family, honorable, smart, sociable and very kind.

    Read More

  • Occupations In Truman Capote's The Godfather

    449 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Godfather: The Godfather is non fiction novel written by Mario Puzo. According to me it one of the best books I have ever read, it is a highlight of my freshmen year at SJSU. It is obvious that, the hypothesis about the acceptance of the book is mainly because of the capability and understanding of the readers to analyze the epic writing style of the author. Every situation and incident in Godfather forced me to apply in the real life scenario. I was actually experiencing a new dimension of world and a new phase of Politics.

    Read More

  • Stereotypes In Casablanca

    1025 Words  | 5 Pages

    These topics are still relevant today and continue to be discussed in contemporary media. In conclusion, Casablanca is not just a great movie; it is also an important historical document that represents the era it was made in. It captures the spirit of its time and reminds us of the sacrifices made by previous generations to ensure our freedom and prosperity today. Overall, Casablanca is a timeless classic that has stood the test of time. Its relevance to modern audiences proves its enduring appeal and importance in cinematic history.

    Read More

  • Why Is It Important To Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now?

    547 Words  | 3 Pages

    I decided to switch my artifact for the research paper from John Erick Dowdle’s No Escape (2015) to Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now (1979) because I think this film is more suitable for what I want to research, which is how and why the media actively shapes Americans’ perception of historical events. I am also especially interested in the role Orientalism plays in this process. Unlike No Escape, Apocalypse Now has a lot more historical significance because it came out a few years after the Vietnam War (1955-1975) and is considered one of the most famous films about the Vietnam War. In addition to that, there is more room for debate about the significance of the film and its portrayal of Southeastern Asians.

    Read More

  • Kay Adams The Godfather

    731 Words  | 3 Pages

    Kay Adams is not clueless. At least, that is what I plan to prove through journal entries written from the perspective of Kay Adams in The Godfather (1972). This narrative focuses on Kay’s life during Michael Corleone’s absence in Italy. It provides insight into what Kay’s life consisted of at that time, how she must have felt, and ultimately, how she decided to marry Michael. Many brush Kay off as an insignificant side character, but she has more depth and character than people realize at first.

    Read More

  • How Does Michael Corlee Use Film Techniques In The Godfather

    1033 Words  | 5 Pages

    It also shows how far he has come since his proclamation at the beginning of the movie that he will never be involved with the family business. Finally, it defines what kind of mafia leader Michael will be: one that does not fear

    Read More

  • Aging Gangster Accused Of Goodfellas Heist Goes On Trial Summary

    1169 Words  | 5 Pages

    After discussing multiple of Scorsese’s other films the author, Robert Casillo, moves on to discuss the real Henry Hill, his rise to power, and his betrayal of the crime “family” he worked for. Robert Casillo also discusses the acting of the main characters and previously famous actors, Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci, and Ray Liotta. Specifically, Casillo compares the acting of the main characters to the actions of the real-life people that their characters were based on, and the representation the actors portrayed them

    Read More

  • The Dressmaker Analysis

    911 Words  | 4 Pages

    From the cinematic techniques to the plot line, the film incorporates many elements of the style of film. Despite being set in an older period of time and adapting the elements of the spaghetti westerns, it appeals largely to the modern audience due to the certain things which capture their attention. Director Jocelyn Moorhouse

    Read More

  • Influence Of The Mafia In The 1920's

    518 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Mafia is a massive organized crime organization hailing from Sicily, Italy. They weren 't big in America until the 1920’s, when they got their start from smuggling alcohol during the prohibition era. The influence of the mafia can be seen across books, television, and movies. The mafia is still an important subject today because of how much power they had in America. There have been many popular movies made such as The Godfather that show what the mafia is like.

    Read More

  • Symbolism In Where Are You Going Where Have You Been

    2058 Words  | 9 Pages

    Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? was published in 1966. Joyce Carol Oates is not a novelist, her area of expertise are short stories. Some other work of hers would be “By the North Gate” and “The Wheel of Love”. Oates is known for incorporating many symbols and themes throughout her stories such as religion, romance and identity. In Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?

    Read More

  • The Godfather Film Analysis Essay

    1159 Words  | 5 Pages

    The Godfather (1972) is said to be one of the greatest films ever made. When this movie was released in 1972, it was nominated for Ten Academy Awards and it won three: Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay. The film was adapted from the book with the same name written by award winning author of mafia fiction, Mario Puzo. This film takes place in a span of ten years following the life of Don Corleone, the head of the Corleone Crime Family. It was a film that changed the history of cinema, introducing a very talented filmmaker and several acting legends in the telling of a story of a Sicilian Crime Family.

    Read More

  • Goodfellas Film Analysis

    1008 Words  | 5 Pages

    The critically acclaimed film, Goodfellas, is a gangster crime drama that features an incredible amount of talent. Household names such as: Robert De Niro (Jimmy Conway), Joe Pesci (Tommy DeVito), Paul Sorvino (Paul Cicero), and promising stars like Ray Liotta (Henry Hill) and Lorraine Bracco (Karen Hill), attracted numerous Oscar and Golden Globe nominations. That type of cast power, linked with the signature talent of Martin Scorsese as a director, made for cinematic gold. Unquestionably, the actors and actresses did an excellent job augmenting the verisimilitude of this film and compelling audiences to empathize with their characters. But the cinematography in this film plays just as large a role in having audiences feel what the characters

    Read More

  • Comparing Dramatic Irony In Macbeth And Coppola's The Godfather

    928 Words  | 4 Pages

    Shakespeare’s protagonist, Macbeth, is both very similar and very different from Francis Coppola’s interpretation of Michael Corleone. Both protagonists come to power by killing, they both distance themselves from their wives out, but they deal with their power in different ways. In The Godfather, Coppola uses a combination of zoom, pan and close-up shots with strategic lighting to portray how Michael Corleone comes to the decision to assassinate those who wronged his family. In the scene, the dark lighting, as in most of the family business scenes, shows how serious the conversation is.

    Read More

More about What Does The Godfather: I Believe In America?

Open Document