The Gother Father Review

Rating: 7/10 (30 September 2012)

The Godfather The film The Godfather takes place in New York and some parts of Italy during the mob era in the late 1930's and '40's. The story begins with a mob boss Don Vito Corleone, also known as the Godfather, who conducts "business" out of his office. The scenes that take place here are where most plots and deals are being prepared. Usually trouble is being made when scenes take place here. Corleone is asked by a New York gangster, Sollozzo, for protection in exchange for profit from the drug trafficking business. Advised by his adopted son and family lawyer, Tom Hagen, and since he is not fond of drugs, Corleone decides to decline Sollozzo's offer. Following an assassination attempt on Corleone conducted by Sollozzo, his oldest son Sonny takes over the family business. Soon after this assignment to power, Sonny is assassinated. The next in line is Corleone's youngest son, Michael, the main character, who is a World War II hero. Michael had vowed to never become part of the family business but is slowly falling into the position due to his brother's death. After he is involved in a mob killing, Michael is forced to move to Sicily, where his father was born, until everything calms down. A movement that is frequently seen throughout the film is hand gestures. These are usually made as a signal for help, to kill someone or used to get a point across. An object that is seen often during the film is a gun. The gun represents quick resolution and necessity for survival.
Although this film is a classic, it isn't well written because the scenes were scattered. It was also hard to follow and I had to watch it twice in order to understand what was happening. In addition, it was very lengthy. It seemed like there pointless scenes in the film.
In The Godfather the viewer is able to see the different groups of people throughout the movie. One of the main groups in the movie is Don Corleone and his sons. Another group is the heads of the five families. These men would meet during movie to negotiate money, territory and other things that involve mob concerns. A different group in the film is the rest of the family. These people are important because the mobsters cherish, protect and believe family comes first against anything.
In the film little things are the cause of big things. For instance, when Don Corleone decided to decline from Sollozzo's offer, the consequence was the hit that Sollozzo put on him. Another example is when Sonny's sister was beat by her husband Sonny decides to go after him but ends up trapped at the toll booth where he was assassinated. A similar example is after Sonny is killed, Michael becomes head of the family business. All films are uncanny. The Godfather is my MLK film, therefore it is uncanny.From the film I learned that even though you are in a "family" business you still are not able to trust anyone fully. The message of this movie is that when conducting a business there is always someone out to get you. Especially when you are at the top you have to watch your surroundings and who you decide to trust because once you at the top the only direction you can go is downward.