50 years later, “The Godfather” still makes us an offer we can’t refuse.
Next month marks the 50th anniversary of the Academy Award-winning film “The Godfather” which premiered in 1972.
Set in New York City during the late 1940s, the iconic film tells the story of the Italian mafia under patriarch Vito Corleone, starring Marlon Brando, in his fight for control against the rivaling gangs. Corleone becomes the figure to whom the rest of the mobs bow to due to his political connections and societal influence.
It is a heart-wrenching and compelling film carried by the strength of the actors, plot, and cinematography. Suspense propels the viewer forward amid the tension between the ruthless Italian families. Corleone even sustains five gunshot wounds, putting him into a critical condition, and absolving him from his position as the head of the Corleone operations.
During Vito’s recovery, the Corleone brothers struggle to maintain a grip on the political power they once possessed. We receive an accurate portrayal of the violence and the brutality of the Italian mobs likened to a 1987 film called “The Untouchables” starring Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, and Robert de Niro.
The director, Francis Ford Coppola, finds ways to create a gloomy and lifeless tone to the atmosphere to reflect the disparaging culture of the Italian mobs.
As a viewer, we also catch glimpses of hope through the youngest Corleone, Michael. He is an American war hero who tries to set himself apart and forget the bloody past of his family. He begins to engage with the violent culture of the mobs by murdering two major opponents to the Corleone operation in cold blood. Michael tries to escape this life by traveling to Italy, in hope of marrying and beginning a new life. Yet, after hearing about the murder of his brother and witnessing the murder of his first wife, Michael succumbs to the vicious ways of the mob and assumes the new position as the head of the Corleone operations, Don Corleone.
At first, it seems Michael will be using his role as the Don Corleone to bring about a new order to the family and restore its name. We see him attending a baptism as if to emphasize this new way of life. But at the same time, we see the other family heads of each of the mobs being eliminated one by one under Michael’s command.
Coppola ends the film with the Corleones committing one last act of revenge by murdering a man who had killed a member of the family. Michael’s wife asks him whether he was involved, and Michael denies it. But the film ends with Michael in his office, closing the door, leaving his wife on the outside.
Has Michael adopted a new way of life or not?
All in all, “The Godfather” gives viewers a taste of powerful acting, suspenseful plot, artful cinematography and strong character development. The longevity of the film’s reputation is not unbiased–it has an Academy Award for a reason. And if you love it, there’s always part two. And three.
