The ultimate depiction of America's obsession with power

Rating: 10/10 (25 September 2002)

Mario Puzo's book The Godfather is one of the greatest works of fiction this country has ever produced, and Coppala brings it to the screen almost perfectly. Both the book and the film have been so popular, in my opinion, because they provide a stylistic and romantic view of power-a subject which we Americans have always struggled with.
Most Americans (especially men) like and admire Vito and Micheal Corleone. The fact that they are criminals doesn't bother us at all. Usually a character must be empowered by the law or seeking justice in order for us to sympathize with him or condone actions we normally view as evil. That is not the case with the Corleones. We like them because they are powerful in and of themselves. The actions of the Corleone family are sometimes motivated by revenge, but more often the goal is to simply gain more power. We excuse them of murder because we see them as being outside of and above the law.

The reason that this film is so appealing (beyond the phenomenal acting, the wonderful quotes, the artistry and originality or the director, etc.) is because deep down, most of us want to be Vito Corleone. We want to be powerful enough to protect our families and our friends. We want our enemies to fear us. We want the money that goes hand in hand with such power. (You'll notice, that in all three Godfather stories, the power brings in the money, not visa versa.) Sure, most of us would rather come by it honestly, but in the end we just want that kind of control. For most of us, Vito Corleone embodies the American dream.