This is a review for my Media Literacy Class

Rating: Null/10 (1 October 2012)

The Godfather is a 1972 gangster film by Francis Ford Coppola that portrays the life of a family outsider who becomes a merciless head of one of New York's most dominant Mafia families: the Corleone's. Along with the Corleone's come four other rival and ally families striving to become the underground kings of New York in the late 1940's early 1950's. They fight for their power, respect, and pride as they interact with each other. The five families are the Corleone's, the Tallaglia's, the Barzini's, the Cueneo's, and the Stracci's. The families all have their sole leaders who are addressed as Dons. The Dons are Vito Corleone, Philip Tattaglia, Emilio Barzini, Ottilio Cueno, and Anthony Stracci. Throughout the film the Dons of each family gather together to discuss and try to resolve any differences they may have. In one scene, Jack Woltz, a studio head who did not comply, wakes up to find the head of his prized horse in bed with him. The horse head symbolizes the power they have and how easily they can kill. Another scene involves a dead fish wrapped in a vest to symbolize that the dead character "sleeps with the fishes". The fact that they use animals is symbolic. The families may have on-going conflicts but at the meetings there seems to be an established peace treaty. Despite there being four other Dons they all seem to look at Don Corleone as the most powerful. The Corleone family is a well-established one. They are very family oriented for the most part. The family consists of Vito, Sonny, Fredo, Michael, Carmela, Connie, Apollnia, Kay, and Sandra. The Corleone has very close allies including Pete Clemenza, Luca Brasi, and Tom Hagen; Vito's legal adviser. Don Vito Corleone is the main character in this film. He works hard to maintain the status of his family as an organized one. Although he is a crime boss he tries to have legitimate reasons for his actions. Don Vito is a high ranked man in Little Italy, New York. He has many connections and is always finding ways to build upon his empire and also giving back to the community. Don Corleone offers protection to many of the business owners in exchange for their loyalty and services. Since he is so powerful the other four Dons look to him as a growing threat. In the streets of Little Italy, there is an on-going crime war for territory, property, drugs, and all out power. The Corleone house is the family's protected safe haven where most of the movie's important sequences and dialogues are shown. The film takes a turn when Don Vito is severely injured and hospitalized. Control of the Corleone family is up for grabs so Sonny steps in as Don. Sonny is later set-up and killed. His death causes a stir between Don Vito and the other families. Sonny's character is the "shoot first, ask later" type of guy so when labeled Don, he immediately took action. Sonny and most of the other Dons, like most men, can't help but try to take on the role as an alpha male. Michael's character starts off as shy but eventually grows to learn the family business. Don Vito does not intend for his son Michael to join in the family business. Don Vito has surrounded himself is crime and wants a better life for his son. When Michael realizes his brother Fredo is too weak to be in charge, he takes control. Michael is a very intelligent man who understands he must pick up right where his father left off because in Mafia's, one mistake can lead to your family's demise. Though the film is about different Mafia families, the violence throughout the movie plays a very small role in the bigger picture. The "rise to power" cliché is about having the most allies and maintaining power through fear, not the actual action of killing. Michael's rise to power comes at a higher cost. It takes the deaths of his older brother, family enforcer, and wife for him to realize that he was meant for that lifestyle. If none of those deaths had occurred then Michael and his wife Kay would not be dragged into their new roles as a Don and his wife. Michael's first hit was sloppy but then Copalla makes it so that as Don, Michael's hits go smoothly. This makes it seem like the title Don matures Michael in a sense. The death of Michael's father, Vito Corleone, and the birth of his son, Anthony Corleone, symbolizes new beginnings for the Corleone family. At the end of the film, Michael is questioned by his wife about the death of his brother-in-law. Michael denies any involvement and his wife accepts his answer, he is then addressed as Don Corleone by his capos. When one door closes, another usually opens.