Essay/Term paper: Godfather

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Movie Reviews

Mario Puzo"s "The Godfather" was the first and most influential gangster movie that paved the way for gangster movies of the future. The movie was directed by Frances Ford Copolla, who made many different ingenious ways to portray this gangster classic. The movie was a very subversive movie, and one of the first of all time.The Godfather has a many different uses of light settings through the whole movie, in which the movie can be interpreted on.

The lighting in "The Godfather," is very dim and is often said to be compared with a Rembrant. The lighting suggest many things throughout the film like a painting. The light scenes in the movie are to portray the Corleone family as good people, someone you could relate to not look down upon. Such as the wedding scene. The scene is very happy and bright, to make you start off to think that the Corleone"s are loving family, and family minded people. The dim light in the film is used to induce fear and death. Such as the scene where Don Corleone gets shot, or when Mike is going to kill the two people in the restaurant. The scene that contradicts the lighting theory is the heart attack of Don Corleone, but it could be look at as a happy time, a time of rebirth, Michael"s coming into power.

"The Godfather," shows a tremendous amount of family values throughout the film. I think the best line in the film is when Don says to Mike " A man who does not spend time with his family is not a man." A good example of the Corleone"s family values is taking Tommy off the streets and into their home to treat as one of their own. Another example is when Sunny beats up Conny"s husband for abusing her. The most perfect example of their family values is when Don comes home from the Hospital and the family ahs a big dinner, and they do not talk business at the table. When the Family is look on as a regular family as you get drawn in, you then see surprisingly and rudely awakened to the killings of the movie.

The director of the movie(Frances Ford Copolla) has a very good use of montage, and long shots. Capolla starts off the movie with an extrodonary shot of an undertaker saying "this is America." Which gives a glimpse of how haunting the film is going to be? A good use of long shots is perfect when the camera pans around the long shot as Mikey takes on the responsibility of getting revenge for his fathers shooting. Also a good example of Copolla"s long shots is when the film is about to end and there is a shot of Diane Keaton looking so innocent and really knowing nothing of the family business. In the film, montage is used in the baptism scene. The shots cut when all the highly religious questions are asked of Mike, and then the shots start cutting back in forth from the killings of the head"s of the other top five family"s and the baptism, portraying mike as a changing person(a god man to an evil one.)

The music of "The Godfather," is very haunting and scary at times, but also takes on a folklore type of theme. I think the music is typical for this type of film, but it does contribute a lot to the family values theme.

"The Godfather," the title leads toward the theme of the whole movie. Like in the movie, a Godfather is a title of utmost respect, and that person deserves it. The top father in other words. The man you go to for help, and council. Some people say it"s a newer Greek tragedy. It sums up and begins the whole movie, it is a great title.