"The Godfather" revisited

The Godfather defined a genre. Earlier gangster movies showed mafia from an outsider’s perspective, but this was the very first movie that gave an inside look into the lives of a mafia family. Being a gangster became cool overnight. The three hour long drama had the viewers hooked to their seats and fully absorbed them into the mafia lives. The contributions of the ensemble cast and the production crew made The Godfather what it is. Let us look at some of those aspects that make it a legend.

Cinematography – An intriguing cinematography that accentuates the secretive and sinister theme of the movie. For example, the opening scene begins with a male voice "I Believe in America" and a face appears. The setting is dark, suggesting private and intense talk. Camera is capturing a close shot and as the monologue continues, the camera starts to slowly zoom out. Viewers don’t realize that they were looking at the face and suddenly they can see him fully. The camera continues to zoom out and viewers can now see the shadow of another man and it appears that he is carefully listening. The person comes closer to the shadow and whispers, “I want them dead.” The scene is in silhouette, as if to emphasize the darkness of the deed.  Another scene is the one that comes after Sollozzo kidnaps Tom and asks him to help reach a ceasefire with Sonny. It is shot in dark and the light is used only where absolutely necessary. Only the faces of Tom and Sollozzo are shown, leaving the rest of the setting dark. It gives an ominous feeling.

Editing - The opening wedding scenes that are used to introduce the characters are cleverly inter-cut with the scenes showing how a mafia business runs.  The baptism scene towards the end has interesting parallel cuts with the massacre of the head of the other mafia families. Another thing to notice is after the scene where the godfather is shot, the ideal next scene could be the hospital one. However, the next scene is Kate and Mike coming out after watching a show. Kate asks Mike to read the newspaper and he reads the news “Vito Corleone feared murdered.” The editing was so good because it captures the main theme perfectly, the shooting scene is important and will prompt mike’s homecoming. Godfather and Mike are the most important characters. Other things like the hospital/doctors and the anger or sadness of the other family members are not so important and can be ignored.

Background score – The eerie underscore in the background plays a major role in the story. The score pauses itself when important dialogues are being spoken. Good acting doesn’t need support from the background score to convey the emotions. For example, when Tom Hagen goes to meet Woltz, there is a background score that follows Tom from the airport to the studio. The background score is paused for the time, Tom speaks to Woltz and once the discussion is over, the score continues. On the other hand, where only the score is playing, it is an omen to things to come and expresses the whole meaning without any dialogue. When Tom leaves Woltz house, a creepy music starts in the background. Viewers know that there is something wrong and as the camera reaches the bedroom, viewers see Woltz clothes drenched in blood. As soon as Woltz see the decapitated head of his prized horse, the background score stops and give Woltz a chance to scream without any intervention. The camera moves from his bedroom and gives a wide shot of the house. It feels like the whole house is shivering.

Acting – The complete cast was brilliant. Brando essayed the role with complete conviction. His acting prowess can be seen in many scenes - like the opening scenes, the scene where disapproves the narcotic business, the scene where he meets other mafia families.  My personal favorite is the meeting with the heads of the mafia families, especially where he says “I am a superstitious man.” He nailed every word he says.  Al Pacino was very natural in the role of mike. Besides all his famous scenes from the movie, the hospital scene where he comforts his father “I am with you” and walks out of the room, one can notice the determination and confidence in his walk. Viewers are convinced that he will save him. One important aspect of his acting was that he never tried to be a lovable character. This worked in his favor. The rest of the cast also didn’t lag behind and did a brilliant job. In fact, the characters look so real that many a times, you forgets that they are acting.

Screenplay –An adapted screenplay that is in no hurry to reach the climax. The story moves with a slow and a steady pace ensuring viewers understand the characters and their deeds. It even warrants viewers to sympathize with the wrong deeds of the characters. The opening wedding sequence is over 26 minutes long, but it never takes the attention away. It intelligently introduces Don’s business and all the significant characters. It also gives the viewers a peek into their personalities – Godfather is calm, composed and nonchalant;  Sunny is impulsive, gets angry quickly; Tom Hagen, a thoughtful person provides suggestions as appropriate like a true consigliere.

Character evolution - The evolution of Mike’s character was outstanding; in the beginning, he disapproves family business and assures his girlfriend "That's my family, Katie, it’s not me" to the hospital scene where he comforts his father ‘I am with you” When he has to choose between his own ethics and his love of family, he chooses the latter. As the movie draws to an end, viewers start admiring his character and respects the decisions he made.

Direction – The director orchestrated the cast and the crew to achieve perfection. He perfectly visualized the script, handled every scene with care and perfectly framed every shot.  He combines the camera angle, the dialogues, the background score and screenplay and the acting, with precision. His direction made it easier for us to understand the complex characters while delivering a masterpiece.

The movie never tried to idealize mafia but ensured that viewers know the inside story, allowing viewers to morally accept the family despite the slew of illegal activities that make them what they are – rich, powerful, notorious and unforgiving to a fault. In the process, viewers could also take notes of the life lessons from the old man.