GODFATHER

THE FILM
▸ Directed by Francis Ford Coppola in 1972

▸ Based on the book Godfather by Mario Puzo

▸ Won the Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Actor

(Marlon Brando) and Best Screenplay (Mario Puzo and
Coppola)
FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA
▸ Films
Godfather I, II, III

Apocalypse now

One from the Heart

‣ Stylistic traits
Cross-cutting to build tension

Intellectual montage

Coppola’s operatics - Sound serving

both diegetic and non diegetic
functions intensifying the emotion

Family dynamics, character study,

existential crisis are focal points of his
stories
THEMES
▸ American Dream

▸ Power

▸ Family

▸ Trust and loyalty

▸ Honour

▸ Deception

▸ Line between personal and business

NARRATIVE
▸ Linear narrative with cause and effect - Vito’s refusal to
protect Sollozzo’s drug business leading to crisis in the
family, Michael’s entry into family business; each of the
petitioners in the beginning are called to do a favour

▸ Restricted narration - The involvement of Barzini is learned

through Vito’s revelation

▸ Parallels between Bonasera and Michael

MISE-EN-SCENE
▸ Setting - The ruthless business centre in New York city, the idyllic town of Sicily, the
entertainment centre Vegas

▸ Opening scene - Minimal lit office space and dark interiors symbolise the dark
business world of Corleone, highlight the material status of the characters

▸ Character Blocking in opening scene - Places Vito as the centre of focus

▸ Use of red rose on Vito’s coat separates him as an important person in the room

▸ The well lit wedding scene highlights the personal world of Corleone

▸ Don Corleone’s make up - Wore a prosthetic mouthpiece to have a jaw dropped

appearance of a bulldog

▸ Overhead lighting used for Brando to avoid attention to his make-up

▸ Use of oranges as an metaphorical prop to foreshadow death

▸ Ending - The growing space between Michael and Kay, the door shutting on Kay as
she watches Michael getting enclosed in his business
CINEMATOGRAPHY
▸ Cinematographer Gordon Willis “The Prince of Darkness”

▸ Opening scene hints the dark nature of the story - low key lighting, use of heavy
shadows on Bonasera’s face and the zoom out to show over the shoulder
silhouette of Vito

▸ Chiaroscuro lighting/Low lit scenes - highlight the nature of the family business

▸ Bright outdoor lighting for the wedding scene and the Michael’s time in Sicily

▸ Overhead lighting creates more shadows on the faces of characters

▸ Lighting highlights the duality of the characters - Vito and Michael

▸ Ending - the focus on Michael in the background and Kay is off focus in the
foreground
SOUND
▸ Don’s voice based on real life gangster Frank Costello’s whisper
like voice

▸ The restaurant scene - The suspense is created by the ambient

sound of the passing subway train; the rising tempo of the music
also signals Michael’s anxiety and passover into the family business
and his loss of innocence

▸ Organ score in the baptism heightens drama of Michael’s

transformation into a ruthless Godfather

▸ Organ score serves both diegetic and non diegetic functions in the
baptism scene.

▸ The Organ score also serves a contrapuntal effect to the shots

where heads of other mafia families are being killed.
EDITING
▸ Baptism scene - Intellectual montage signalling Michael’s
own baptism, becoming the Godfather of the Corleone
business

▸ Inserts of empty hallways in the hospital scenes - adds to

the impending danger

▸ Montage of newspaper clippings - Put together by George

Lucas from clippings of actual events