Themes & Characters of The Godfather I & II

This paper compares and contrasts the themes and characters of two of the greatest films of the 1970s, Francis Ford Coppola's productions of Mario Puzo's mob movies, The Godfather and The Godfather, Part II. The films tell the story of Vito Corleone and his son, Michael, and their rise to power as godfather of a powerful crime family. They provide a rich chronicle of the underside of the American dream. The first film was highly influential and critically well received. Its sequel is widely regarded as even better than the original in the ways that it builds on and enlarges the original story. Although both include many of the same characters, the second movie is more complex and multi-layered, and its themes are deeper. Together, they form a fascinating commentary on loyalty, honor, and family and the ways these qualities are intertwined with the American experience during the 20th century.

The Godfather focuses on Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) during his last, most powerful years as patriarch of an extraordinarily successful family business. The Corleone family runs an increasingly expansive collection of illegal operations, but Don Corleone has his own ethical standards that prevent him from moving into areas he considers to be sinful; he is especially against anything to do with drugs. The beginning of the end of his power comes when he is forced to surrender to what everyone around him believes is the inevitable wave of the future. By the end of the film, he

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ily, placing them above everything else, Michael has a more difficult job. His family is not as appreciative of his loyalty. His brother Fredo (John Cazale) and sister Connie (Talia Shire) both come to resent their little brother's increasingly powerful hold over them. Kay finally falls out of love with her husband and sees him for what he really is: a ruthless criminal willing to murder anyone who gets in his way. By the end, Michael has wealth and power, but he is alone with it. The final shot of him, sitting alone in the darkness of his study, contemplating his state, is deeply melancholy. The film contrasts Michael's story with the account of how Vito came to establish a family business in crime. For the young Corleone, illegal activities were the best use of a quick mind and a steady temperament in the quest to support his growing family and make a name for himself in his new homeland. He dreams of bettering himself, and he is wonderfully successful. Vito's basic goals are no different from Michael's; they also lead to cold revenge and a victory, however hollow. Vito's story ends with his murder of the man who killed his family and drove the boy to America. Vito is able to return to Sicily in triumph, in order to

Category: Film - T