Bonasera's Service

After Sunny is killed, the Don goes to Bonasera to collect the favor that he owes him for getting justice against the men who beat his daughter. Corleone asks the undertaker to "use all his powers, and all of his skills" in preparing his son for the funeral, so his mother would not have to see him in the state in which he was "massacred". In class we discussed the differences between this request and Bonasera's request at the begging of the movie, and how they contrast each other in both their figurative size and nature. Bonasera's request, as we saw in the opening scene of the movie, was to get justice against the men who brutally beat his teenage daughter and were allowed to walk free by the police; Most of the points that came up when we were discussing this in class related to how Bonasera was asking for revenge, in the death and suffering of the men that hurt his daughter, and The Godfather in a sense wanted his son to look peaceful in death, after his brutal murder.

Both mens' requests come as reciprocations of violent acts, but the two are contrasted in each of their natures: the Godfather, a notoriously cold hearted criminal, crying bitterly as he asks the undertaker to make his son look at peace in his casket; and Bonasera, the hardworking undertaker trying to provide for his family and get justice for his daughters suffering by taking out a hit on the men who beat her and asking for them to suffer horribly for their actions. The use of contrast in these situations are illuminated by how the characters act when they ask for their favor from the other, which is uncommon from their usual nature, Bonasera vehemently demanding the men's punishment to be violent and severe, and then Don Corleone, weeping for his son in front of the undertaker.

*Interesting Fact: The undertaker Bonasera's name means "good night" in Italian

The Sith and the Godfather - Contrast and Compare

Peace is a lie. There is only passion.

Through passion, I gain strength.

Through strength, I gain power.

Through power, I gain victory.

Through victory, my chains are broken.

The Force shall set me free.

-The Sith Code

Though not directly related to any specific events in Coppola's The Godfather Part I, I found this quote and I thought it was quite interesting in relation to it, as well as Joseph Campbell's' concept of the hero's journey. The Sith Code is the moral code of the fictional Sith warriors in George Lucas’ Star Wars saga, in which the Sith represent the forces of ultimate darkness; but as in The Godfather, the audience is shown the softer side of the characters behind it as well. The quote even ties in to the theme of the American Dream and its role in Coppola’s The Godfather, in the idea that through passion and strength, one will gain power, and this power or Force (American Dream), will set the individual free.

Kay Adams, The Lady in Red

Kay Adams, Michael Corleone’s girlfriend, is characterized throughout the film by always appearing in a red dress; this was identified in the class discussion as the archetype of the “Lady in Red” or “the Scarlet Woman”, and defined as “the Great Mother or the Mother of Abominations, sometimes referred to as the whore of Babalon, her consort is chaos”. I found this last line particularly interesting because it appeared (in the film) just a few scenes before Michael takes the leadership role of the Corleone family after his father is shot. His radical decision to kill the chief of police and sell the story to the reporters is an interesting reference to this and really stuck with me. I like how something so obvious as a woman always wearing a bright red dress (two times is a coincidence, three times is a pattern) can hold such cryptic meanings and even be used as foreshadowing.

Corruption and the American Dream in Coppola's The Godfather

The American Dream, the promise of freedom, prosperity and happiness through hard work, the romanticized ideology of capitalism sold to the working class, and the unseen force behind many of the actions of characters actions in Coppola’s The Godfather Part I. Even at the very start of the movie, we are introduced to this notion of the desire to do absolutely anything it takes in order to manifest this idea. Small details in the setting, for example the time period (post-WWII) in which the story occurs, as well as characters like Captain McCluskey, help reinforce the symbolic relationship between the story and the corruption of the American Dream.

The nature of the characters in the film almost acts a foil for the concept of the American Dream and how it has been corrupted by the realities of life in America’s working class. In the film, the power held by Don Corleone both mimics and contrasts the ideal of the American Dream; through hard work and the determination to do whatever it took, Don Corleone rose up from the streets of New York to become a rich and powerful mafia boss, but only achieved this by defying the law. This kind of play on the blurring of the lines of what is good and what is evil appears all throughout the film, in not only the plot and characterization, but down to simple and easily-overlooked details like the use sound and light to effectively illuminate or obscure the viewers’ perceptions.