Coppola chooses to portray characters in The Godfather as the opposite of what the general public would expect. This provokes the viewer to question the opinions he or she was so certain of prior to watching this film.
In the first scene, Don Corleone is sitting in front of a window shadowed by shades; however, his head is exactly where a border of light seeps through the gaps of the shades, creating a halo around his head. Coppola has already implied that Don Corleone is an angelic figure by calling him "The Godfather", so the appearance of this halo is the second implication that Don Corleone is a holy figure.
When Don Corleone sends Tom Hagen to talk to Woltz, one would assume Hagen, a member of the mafia, to be openly ruthless, aggressive, and rude. It turns out that Woltz, the victim, is the one who fails to be considerate and polite although he is the host. Tom Hagens gives off a respectful, mild-mannered aura although he is still firm in his arguments. It is as if Coppola is attempting to justify the acts of the mafia by revealing the fact that the victim is, at times, not much of a victim at all.
When Sollozzo gets the word that Don Corleone is still alive, an important hint to the allusion of Christianity is dropped. Sollozzo tells Tom Hagen that Don Corleone has been shot 5 times, but is still alive. This is a reference to how Jesus Christ was struck five times with the intention to kill him, but lived. The fact that it was Christmas time supports this allusion. By throwing this allusion into The Godfather, Coppola is again depicting Don Corleone as a holy figure.
Coppola seems to believe that at times, the violence of the mafia is justified by the acts of their victims. Coppola seems to be using characterization to portray this concept to viewers through a string of realistic events that prove more believable and supportive to his idea than if he were just to say that the mafia's acts were justified.
Monday, November 28, 2011
The Motif of Doors
In the movie The Godfather, Coppola chooses to frame a multitude of shots with a door frame. The use of shots through windows or glass is also noticeable. The motif of doors in the movie are representative of both exits and extrances - the transitions between lives of organized crime and normal lives.
In the beginning of the movie, the sudden transition from darkness and quiet in Don Corleone's house and his daughter's wedding is startling. It is as if the doors represent the underground, hidden transactions that go on within the mafia. As soon as the camera moves outside, the scene becomes cheerful and bright.
When Luca Brasi puts on his bulletproof vest and picks up his gun, the shot was framed with a door. This could have been symbolic of how infiltrating the Tattaglias was an inside job. The incorporation of doors in various shots lead the viewer to feel as if they are looking in, almost spying on mafia activity.
When Sonny receives a call and discovers Sollozzo has Tom Hagen, his wife is separated from him at many different times by doorframes. This is symbolic of a divide between the women and the men, considering only the men are involved in mafia activity.
When Michael steps into a telephone booth to call Sonny, Kay is automatically isolated from him as we see her face outside the telephone booth through the glass. This is again a representative of the divide between mafia life and other relationships, making the the transitions between the lives of the Corleone men and normal people evident.
Coppola's use of doors is deliberate, and it is undoubtable that he is trying to convey a certain concept - I will be looking for other possibilities of ideas he may have as we go through the movie.
In the beginning of the movie, the sudden transition from darkness and quiet in Don Corleone's house and his daughter's wedding is startling. It is as if the doors represent the underground, hidden transactions that go on within the mafia. As soon as the camera moves outside, the scene becomes cheerful and bright.
When Luca Brasi puts on his bulletproof vest and picks up his gun, the shot was framed with a door. This could have been symbolic of how infiltrating the Tattaglias was an inside job. The incorporation of doors in various shots lead the viewer to feel as if they are looking in, almost spying on mafia activity.
When Sonny receives a call and discovers Sollozzo has Tom Hagen, his wife is separated from him at many different times by doorframes. This is symbolic of a divide between the women and the men, considering only the men are involved in mafia activity.
When Michael steps into a telephone booth to call Sonny, Kay is automatically isolated from him as we see her face outside the telephone booth through the glass. This is again a representative of the divide between mafia life and other relationships, making the the transitions between the lives of the Corleone men and normal people evident.
Coppola's use of doors is deliberate, and it is undoubtable that he is trying to convey a certain concept - I will be looking for other possibilities of ideas he may have as we go through the movie.
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