For this next blog, I really wanted to focus on
theme again since there is just so much that can be gained from the studying of
a story’s central insight and controlling idea, a fact that was fully embodied
in our reading on theme in Perrine’s chapter. Perhaps one of the most
introspective works that deals with revealing the true nature of society and the
subtle expansion of a single idea is The
Godfather, a true masterpiece of cinematic excellence that has set the
standard for what defines an incredible film. Based off Mario Puzo’s novel of
the same name, Francis Ford Coppola directs a film that weaves through the
intricate nature of the Italian-American mafia in the 1950s, full of violence,
love, betrayal, remorse, retribution, and manipulation, all in the quest for
power and, more importantly, control. While the cinematography, acting, and
intricate plot details are what enamor many viewers of the film, and rightly
so, it is the underlying themes strewn across the 3 hour tale that has truly
allowed the film to stand the harsh test of time and be put on such a high pedestal.
In my opinion one of the most critical elements of the film is the ironic twist
given to the central ideas of the film, the first of which being family. To
even the most casual viewer, it is made very clear just how important family is
to Sicilians. Like the role of an actual godfather, family should be an
integral part of one’s life, always there to help them to make the right
decisions in life and to share in their company in times both good and bad.
Michael Corleone even states at one point in the film, “...and if I ever need any guidance, who's a better consiglieri [counselor]
than my father?” Being half-Sicilian myself, it is especially moving to see how
close knit the Corleone family is with each other, with Don Vito even stating, “A
man who doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man”. With only
this in mind, it is easy to forget the ironic twist that Puzo has put on
family, in that the function of their family does not revolve around each other
but instead is focused on the betterment of the “family business” of running the
mafia. If one were to expand this idea a step more, it is clear that Puzo is
presenting an idea reflecting the corruptive nature of humans, taking something
which should be pure and wholesome, such as family, and weaving into a web of
lies and deceit. Even the idea of a godfather has been taken to a twisted
level, described as “a very religious, sacred, close relationship” but instead
used as a seat of power and manipulation. The ironic twist that was seen in the
aspect of family also permeates into the idea of the American Dream. From the
opening lines of the film, “I believe in America”, it slowly becomes more and
more evident that the ruthless Corleone family functions no differently than
any other big business that has found success in this country. Puzo has again taken a thought pure in origin,
the idea of the American Dream that involves working hard and eventually
finding success, and skewing it to show its reflection in the hands of a crime
lord. But just like the Corleone family, the goal of capitalism is not honesty,
but power and control. Don Vito Corleone put it best, reflecting, “I refused to
be a fool, dancing on the string held by all those big shots…but I thought
that, when it was your time, that you would be the one to hold the string”. The
idea of family and the American Dream both largely reflect the point that I
think Puzo was driving at in the first: the extent to which we as people will
sacrifice what is good and honest in our lives in return for selfish desires
such as power, wealth, and control. And just like Michael, we may never see
ourselves becoming part of our own “family business” of our lives, but that
does not mean it can’t happen. After all, “It’s nothing personal, it’s strictly
business”.
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