1. Relate what was discussed in class or the text to the screening.

In the film, The Godfather was directed by Francis Ford Coppola in 1972. The film was
Coppolas (UCLA Film School Brat) seventh film to direct but it was his first major
hit. Coppola comes from a line of famous people including his sister Talia Shire who
starred in the film. His daughter Sophia Coppola went on to become a famous director as
well, known for her work in Lost in Translation and his son is also went on to become a
filmmaker. Nicolas Cage a current day well known star is also his nephew. Needless to
say, The Coppola is a talented family in the Hollywood Scene.
The Godfather categorized as in the Gangster genre, Coppola re-energized the
genre paving a new wave of auteur films. It went against the previous Hays Code wish
was developed in the 30s as it went against romanticizing criminals which was found in
early films such as Scarface. Criminals were supposed to be portrayed as morally
repulsive social deviants. The Godfather rewrote the rulebook and paved a new
generation of gangster films, such as, The Sopranos and Good fellas.
Coppolas film did well that year in the awards season. It received eleven
nominations and had three wins. The wins included, Best picture, Best Actor (Marlon
Brando) and best Adapted Screenplay. To this day, it is still one of the highest grossing
films of all time. In 1972 it grossed about Eighty-two million dollars. Total USA was
about (134 million) and worldly (244 million). It can be said it was one of the greatest
gangster movies of all time.

2. Find a related article and summarize the content.
The New Yorker on August 1
st
2013 published an interesting article on The
Godfather. The author Richard Brody compares the film to other films. The
author believes there are others who really paved the way for New Hollywood
and it was not Francis Coppola like so many others believe. He argues realism
was not portrayed well in the film as it was lost in the need for the effects of
drama. To further read the article go to
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/movies/2013/08/godfather-negative-
influence.html to see his opinion of the famous film. It is interesting to see a
negative connotation of the famous film, especially when it was AFI top three
films of all time.

3. Apply the article to the film screened in class.
It has been said that the Godfather paved the way for the gangster genre
TV and future films. However, Richard Brody believes differently. He believes
Coppola shored up the ruins of familiar but old-fashioned convention. Brody
believes John Cassavets was responsible for making Hollywood new not Coppola.
He states, he exploded the very notion of character and plot by finding the
interstitial moments that emerge from stories, the explosions and the intimacies
that are unsurprising and unpredictable mark of people rather than characters
(Brody). The article depicts the problem with The Godfather isnt about people.
The movie focuses on crime and modern day gangsters. The movie is too
transparent and characters are stripped from their web of context. To illustrate
his point he argues the scene when Don was playing with his grandson. It was cut
short by the need to have drama as the audience watches him die in front of his
young grandson. Brody feels the scene should have been more focused on the
relationship between the characters versus the need for a dramatic outcome.
He later goes on to compare the performance of John Marley who plays
the movie producer to Jack Woltz to Cassavetes Richard Frost an executive in
Faces. Cassavete portrayed shock and wonder as the actor deployed a well flowed
scene. Coppola inspired admiration towards the wrong type of people. He ends
the article by stating, Francis Ford Coppola should properly be considered the
founder of modern television. What Cassavetes has inspired are the strongest
currents of the independent cinema (Brody).
4. Write a critical analysis of the film.
Francis Ford Coppolas The Godfather was one of the most influential films of all time.
The film was based on a popular best selling novel and went on to become the most
popular movies of all time. The film challenged the old Hollywood and is even shown in
a scene in the film. Layer Tom Hagen asked a studio owner to put Johnny Fontane in a
movie and made him an offer he couldnt refuse The studio owner felt Johnny was
washed up but Tom felt there was other reasons why he didnt get the part. He was
vengeful and was depicted not as an real artist only in it for the sex and money. It didnt
matter if he made a good film. This scene could be portrayed as an attack on the old
Hollywood ways.
Vito Corleone was the Corleones familys Don (head of the mafia family) He is
portrayed as a highly respected man. This is illustrated during The Dons daughters
wedding. It was said on the day of a mafias leaders daughters wedding one can ask any
question to him. Outside The Dons office is pictured a nervous large man, practicing just
the right thing to say to the Don. This alone shows how people wanted to make the best
impression to him when in his presence. Even if Vito is a ruthless criminal and killer
there still is light to him. The audience gets to witness warmth and humanity to him as
you see him with the generosity and love with his friends and family. The generosity
side of him is shown as his lawyer turned out to be his adopted son he took in from the
streets. He understood his family business was not for the good as he didnt want his
son Michael a part of his world.
Michael Corleone was the war hero and son to Vito Corleone, the mafia head. He
was portrayed to be smart and a clear thinker even pressure. He was never supposed to
become the head of his family .His father wanted greater things for his son Michael.
Michael was supposed to become a senator or president. His father imagined big things
for him. However, it was his traits that would make him an excellent candidate versus his
brother who was the complete opposite of Michael.
This brings up to the hot headed character Sonny Corleone. He is illustrated to
have all heart but no brains. This is shown clearly by the love he has for his sister. The
sister was in an abusive relationship and after a call (during a dangerous time for the
family) he went without body guards to get his sisters husband who beat her up.
Unfortunately, on his way he was set up and was shot over and over again. This was one
way to show he often thought before thinking. It was interesting to see who was to be the
head of the family has he lacked the restraint and regard that made his father and brother
successful in their lives.
CHECKLIST FOR PLAGIARISM

1) ( x) I have not handed in this assignment for any other class.

2) ( x) If I reused any information from other papers I have written for other classes, I clearly
explain that in the paper.

3) ( x) If I used any passages word for word, I put quotations around those words, or used
indentation and citation within the text.

4) ( x) I have not padded the bibliography. I have used all sources cited in the bibliography in
the text of the paper.

5) ( x) I have cited in the bibliography only the pages I personally read.

6) ( x) I have used direct quotations only in cases where it could not be stated in another way. I
cited the source within the paper and in the bibliography.

7) ( x) I did not so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks interpretation or originality.

8) ( x) I checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have been fully transparent about the research
and ideas used in my paper.

Name: Jacqueline McGrath Date: 5/12/14