Godfather Saga

The three films in director Francis Ford Coppola's Godfather saga is set in the world of the American Mafia throughout most of the twentieth century in order to explore the similarities between family and business interests as fundamental aspects of human behavior. Throughout the unfolding story the interests of the family and its criminal business gradually diverge and as the business concerns of the Corleones become ends in themselves, rather than the essential tools of family survival, the gap between these interests widens. In the end the Corleones discover that the gap can no longer be bridged.

The Godfather (1972) tells the story of the end of Don Vito Corleone's reign as head of the family in the late 1940s. The Godfather, Part II (1974) continues this story with his son Michael's transfer of the family business to Lake Tahoe and Las Vegas in the 1950s, and is intercut with the early years of Don Vito, from his childhood in Sicily to his rise to power in New York City. The Godfather, Part III (1990) presents the aging Michael and his struggle to legitimize the family's business while powerful forces, including his nephew Vincent Mancini, try to pull him back into crime. Throughout the three films there is a progressive geographic movement as the family moves farther and farther away from the roots of the activities that, initially, provided them with some measure of justification. As they move from Sicily to Manhattan to Long Island to Lake Tahoe they get farth

Related Essays

The character of Michael in The Godfather .... to show how these two different approaches to an understanding of human behavior and development describe the arc of Michael's character in the Godfather saga. .... (5572 22 )

Godfather .... The score adds an epic scope to the film, from the original Godfather Theme that is replayed throughout the saga to the use of traditional Italian music like .... (1944 8 )

The Godfather & Dirty Harry .... to take over the family business, he proves more than able to do so and becomes the new godfather, or leader, of the crime family. This family saga hints at .... (2012 8 )

Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather .... to take over the family business, he proves more than able to do so and becomes the new godfather, or leader, of the crime family. This family saga hints at .... (2809 11 )

Worldview of Francis Ford Coppola .... In Coppola's world, the Godfather is in some ways actually more honorable than most .... While Coppola shows, through Michael's saga, the toll this takes on a leader .... (1634 7 )

derlines the difference between a practical pursuit of the protection of the family and its interests by any means (Don Vito), a completely amoral, practical, and businesslike approach to this problem (Tom Hagen), and a lack of understanding of either element coupled with a devotion to both ideas on the part of Sonny, who is played by Caan as a combination of childish brutality and temper that are too strong a match for his basic intelligence and ability. But the conflicts are resolved by the fact that Michael finds himself in a position where his wounded, hospitalized father is reduced to the helplessness of a baby. The absolute necessity of protecting his father draws Michael into the family business. As he leads the planning for the murder of the Sicilian drug promoter Pacino begins to adopt the characteristic posture, sitting erect with his hands on the arms of an armchair, that comes to characterize Michael whenever he is in his role of commander of his forces. Michael is drawn into the business as a direct result of the need to protect the family and this need is then manipulated by the family's enemies when Sonny is tricked into responding recklessly and furiously to the planned beating of his sister Connie by her husb

Category: Film - G