SUBVERSIVE STORY OF A MAFIA
FAMILY FOLLOWING THE RISE OF MC
FROM BEING THE WAR HERO TO
BECOMING A FELLOW CORRUPT
MEMBER OF THE MAFIA - BECOMES
MORE RUTHLESS THAN HIS BROTHER
AND FATHER COMBINED
DIRECTED BY FRACES COPOLLA IN 1972 IT
WAS THE FIRST INFLUENTIAL MODERNE
GANGSTER CRIM DRAMA AT ITS TIME , AND IS
CONSISTENTLY RANKED AS ONE OF THE TOP
THREE FILMS BY THE AMERICAN FILM
INSTITUTE
CONCLUSION
WE SEE MICHAEL DRAMATICALLY TURN FROM A WAR
HER INTO A MAFIA BOSS THROUGH MANY FILMING
TECHNIQUES
THE HORROR OF THIS SEQUNCE ADDS TO THE AUDIENCES APPRECIATION OF THE FILM AS A WHOLE
AS WE ARE COMPLETELY TAKENA BACK BY THE MEMORABLE MASTERPIECE CREATED BY COPPOLA
PARAGRAPH 1 - THE WAY MC CHARACTER CHANGES
WATCH HIM TURN FROM BELEIVING WHAT HIS
FAMILY DOES IS WRONG, TO BELEIVING THAT HIS
FAMILY'S CRIMES ARE NECESSARY EVILS
OPENING SEQUENCE HE TELLS KAY HIS GIRLFRIEND - THATS MY FAMILY KAY. THATS NOT ME
THE MISE EN SCENE MAKES CORLEONE COME ACROSS AS THE STEREOTYPICAL GOOD GUY, NOT PART OF THE MAFIA WORLD,
LOOKED UPON AS AN AMERICAN WAR HERO, THROUGH HIS COSTUME, INTERACTION WITH PARTY
GUESTS AND HONEST DIALOGUE
TALKS CLINICALLY ABOUT HIS FAMILY, SHOWING HOW LITTLE
HE WANTS TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THEM
THE HIGH KEY LIGHTING SHOWS MICHALE IS
OUTSIDE PART OF THE HIGH KET ATMOSPHERE OF
THE WEDDING - AWAY FROM THE DARK CLOSED
DOOR BEHAVIOUR HIS FATHER HAS IN HIS LOW KEY
LIGHTED OFFICE
COPPOLAS MONTAGE OF THE TWO DIFFERNT WORLDS
LEAVES THE AUDIENCE SHOCKED AS THEY REALISE WHAT
A MONSTEROUS CHARACTER HE HAS TURNED INTO
CHANGES AS WE SEE MICHEAL BEING BAPTISED INTO EVIL AT HIS
NEPHES BAPTISIM IN THE CLOSIG SCENE
AS MICHAEL RENONCES SATAN, WE
GRUSOMLY SEE THE RIVAL DONS BODIES
COVERED IN BLOOD
EXPOSES MICHAELS DUEL LIFE AND CHARACTERISATION AS HE SPEAKS IN ONE WAY IN ONE WORLD (BLESSING) YEAT
ANOTHER WAY IN ANOTHER WORLD (MASS MURDEROF THE DONS OF THE FIVE FAMILIES)
PARAGRAPH 3 - THE VIOLENCE PROVOKED THROUGH CAMERA CUTS REINFORCES ITS A
MAFIA FILM
MOST VIOLOENT SCENE IS THE CLOSING SEQUNCE WHENERE THE
CAMERA CUTS BETWEEN THE MURDERS OF THE DONS'
MICHAEL DECLARES THAT HE RENONCES SATAN AND IT CUTS TO MO GREEN WHO IS SHOT THROUGH HIS
GLASSES - THE BLOOD SQUIRTING FROM HIS EYES IS A GHASTLY IMAGE AND CONTRASTS WITH THE WATER AT THE BAPTISM THE CLOSE UP OF HIS CRACKED
GALSSES ADDS REALISM TO THE WHOLE SITUATION
A FEW CAMERA CUTS LATER IT CUTS TO A WOMAN IN AGONY AS AHE IS
SHOT WITH BLASTS FROM A MACHINE GUN IN A HOTEL BED, WITH MORE
BLOOD SPURTING EVERYWHERE LEVING US SHAKEN
THE FINAL CUT IS TO THE DEATH OD DON BARZINI WHITH FLESH HANGING FROM HIS
BACK EMPHASISNIG HIS TERRIBLE PAIN- THERE IS THE A SHOT OF HIM ROLLING DOWN
THE STEPS OF A PUBLIC BUILDING PROVIDING MORE HIGH DRAMA AND EMPHAISNG THE
END OF THE WHOLE ORDEAL
WE SEE MICHAEL CHANGE FROM BEINH A MAN WHO DOSENT ONLY MURDER MEN
OUT OF LOVE FOR HIS OWN FATHER, BUT IS NOW A CONFIDENT MAFIA BOSS
COMPLETLY REMOVED FROM ANY SENSE OF EMOTION - PROVEN THROUGH THE CLOSE UP OF HIS EMOTIONLESS EXPRESSION
VIOLENT SCENES AND QUICK CUTS BETWEEN THEM EXPOSE MICHAELS LACK OF
CONCERN BY CONTINUALLY REFFERING BACK TO THE CHURCH AND PRIEST WITH THE
INNOCENT CHILD
PARAGRAPH 2 - TENSION IS BUILT UP THROUGH MUSIC
THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRITY OF THE FILM BUT
PARTICULARLY IN THE CLSOING SEQUNCE
WITH THE ORGAN
INITIALLY SOFT DIEGETIC MUSIC, SIGNIFYING A CALM PEACEFUL
DAY FOR THE FAMILY
PLAYS THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE SEQUENCE AS A
NON-DIEGETIC ADDITION TO THE MONTAGE - THE FACT
THAT ITS OMINOUS DEVELOPS THE THREATENING
NATURE HOWEVER OF THE GANGSTERS
THE VOLUME OF THE ORGAN REACHES A CRESCENDO AS BARZINI IS SHOT AND TUMBLES DOWN THE COURTROOM STEPS BUILD TENSION
WITHIN THE AUDIENCE - SHOCKING AND BEWILDERING AS CONFUSING AND PANICKING AS IT CONTRASTS WITH THE ,CALM, PERSONA THE
CHURCH IS SUPOSE TO HAVE
ORGAN MUSIC STOPS ABRUPTLY WHEN MICHAEL IS ASKED FOR THE FINALTIME TO RENONCE STANT SHOWING HOW COLD AND DETACHED MICHAELE IS - ALLOWS US TO CONCENTRATE ON WHAT
MICHAEL IS SAYING ASN REALISE THAT HE IS RENOUNCING STAN WHILST IN CONTROL OF THE DONS LIFES
HARD FOR THE AUDIENCE TO COMPREHEND AS IT SEEMS LIKE A VERY IN-HUMAN THING TO BE DOING