The Worldview of Director Francis Ford Coppola

This paper examines the worldview of director Francis Ford Coppola as it is expressed in two of his most masterful films, The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather, Part Two (1974). Although the original source material is the novel by Mario Puzo, and Puzo co-wrote both scripts with Coppola, the consistent vision and themes presented in these two films of the way the world works and the importance of family is very much that of the filmmaker himself. Throughout, Coppola portrays a world in which loyalty, honor, and power rest in the patriarch, the head of the family who bears responsibility for keeping the family together. In his world, he contrasts the mindless pursuit of everyday life that goes on outside while powerful, quiet, sometimes violent men control the important events from within dark, private rooms.

The first film sets up this vision from its opening sequence. Inside Vito Corleone's dark mahogany study, an insignificant undertaker softly recounts the story of his daughter's rape. His face fills the frame at first, then the camera pulls back to reveal his audience. These are serious men who listen carefully to his plea for justice. Corleone, the Godfather, lets the man lay out his case, then explains what the undertaker will need to do to come fully into the world that will be able to help him.

He makes clear to the man that this is a world with very clear rules. Respect the Godfather. Come to him first. Give your unconditional loyalty to him, not to

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to become godfather to his sister's son. On the day of the baptism, Michael solemnly vows his belief in God and the church. Coppola intercuts scenes of the family gathered for the baptismal ceremony with scenes of each of the key victims going about their normal lives (having a massage, getting a shave) and with their eventual assassins preparing to commit simultaneous murder. The sequence climaxes with an almost operatic settling of all of Michael's business deals, just as his family is settling its private deal of saving a new family member's immortal soul. Making this sequence an even more personal statement on the part of the filmmaker is the fact that the newborn baby is played by Coppola's own daughter, Sophia, who later went on to play a pivotal role in the third Godfather movie. The first film portrays Michael's rise as his father's successor, despite his attempts to keep clear of the family business. Michael is drawn in because he recognizes that he is in the best position to avenge his father's shooting by rival families. He has not served time as a lieutenant to the Corleones, choosing instead to serve his country, despite his brother's argument that "only saps risk their lives for strangers." Nevertheless, his

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