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The Godfather
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The Godfather

The Godfather is a novel written by Mario Puzo about a fictitious Italian Mafia family.

Table of contents
1 Theme
2 ISBN numbers
3 Film
4 Critical Acclaim
5 Sequels
6 External link

Theme

The Godfather (in Italian Il Padrino) is a term used to identify the boss of a Mafia clan, the eldest or the most representative member of a family. (See godparent for the origins of the term.) In the novel, this character was Don Vito Corleone, whose surname recalls the town of Corleone, Sicily, where traditionally the Mafia had a similar organisation into "families". Similarly, the surname of Don Vito's mother is Corigliano, coming from the town of Corigliano Calabro, Calabria, this too sadly remembered for ndrangheta matters.

ISBN numbers

Film

The motion picture adaptation of The Godfather (1972) was directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Coppola had directed several films prior to this, but none of them had significant impact on the public. Shooting began on March 29, 1971 and was completed on August 6, 1971. The producers of the movie did not believe that The Godfather would be very successful, hence there was an extremely low budget for the film. This made it interesting because the crew for the film used regular lights, instead of the production/set lights. The producers originally wanted Robert Redford to play Michael Corleone. Al Pacino was not well enough known at the time, and was not considered right for the part. Mario Puzo actually helped with the screenplay and making the movie, as well as the second and third part. The movie was an enormous box-office hit, smashing previous records to become the highest-grossing film of all time (until that record was surpassed by Jaws in 1975, and a number of other movies afterwards).

The role of Don Vito Corleone was memorably acted by Marlon Brando, and Brando won an Academy Award for his portrayal of the aging Don. Many of the actors playing the supporting roles were largely unknown or minor actors; however, they rocketed into the limelight with the success of The Godfather. In particular, Al Pacino and Robert Duvall enjoyed long, successful, highly acclaimed careers. However, Pacino was only granted the role after the director, Coppola, said he would walk out if the young actor was not commissioned.

Since its release on March 15, 1972, The Godfather has been accused of glorifying the image of the Mafia, although this word is never spoken in the film, or written in the book. Don Vito Corleone was portrayed by Brando as a Mafia Don who people could actually respect (although the actions of Don Michael Corleone in The Godfather Part II worked to tear down this image).

Warning: Plot details follow.

The opening scene is one of the most famous portraits of the Mafia. The dialogue between Corleone and Bonasera ("I believe in America") points out the importance of the Mafia being based on family hierarchies. Only after accepting the Godfather as head of the system (Brando demands the kiss of his hand) and Bonasera's integration in the family (he must call him "Godfather"), he can hope for support for his problem (being a family-problem itself).

The decisions for the violent and illegal acts are taken in a dark, brownish colored office, symbolizing a secure, cozy, and calm atmosphere. This is contrasted by the bright, loud, and hectic wedding, which is celebrated parallel outside the house. This can be understood as the glorification of the positive framework the Mafia creates by playing down crime and violence at the same time.

One of the movie's most shocking moments comes early in the film, involving the decapitated head of a horse. Animal-rights groups protested the inclusion of the scene, though Coppola stated that the horse's head was delivered to him from a dog food company; a horse had not been killed especially for the movie.

One of the last scenes in the movie, after the death of Don Corleone', his son, Michael Corleone, acts as godfather in the baptism of his sister's newborn baby, Michael Rizzi (actually Sofia Coppola). At the same time, his henchmen, acting under his orders, kill the heads of rival families. This is Michael Corleone's own baptism into "the family" as the new Godfather.

Critical Acclaim

The Godfather won three Academy Awards: It was nominated for eight additional Academy Awards.

As its sequel The Godfather Part II also won the Academy Award for Best Picture, the Godfather trilogy remains the only series of films ever to win multiple "Best Picture" Oscars.

Additionally, The Godfather won five Golden Globes, one Grammy, and numerous other awards.

Sequels

After the 1974 release of The Godfather Part II, Coppola re-edited the two movies together, adding some previously unseen footage but also toning down the violence, into one long saga for TV broadcast, entitled The Godfather Saga (aka "The Godfather: The Complete Novel For Television" and "The Godfather: 1901-1959--The Complete Epic").

Both The Godfather and The Godfather Part II have been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.

In 1990, Coppola released a belated third film, The Godfather Part III. This film was successful financially, but critical and fan response was mixed. However, the movie still received seven Academy Award nominations, among them "Best Motion Picture" and "Best Cinematography". The film is notable for the key role played, though ineffectually, by Coppola's daughter, the future Academy Award-winning director Sofia Coppola.

The movie was set in 1979, and focused on an aging Michael Corleone. The film had several historical inaccuracies. First, the death of Pope Paul VI, the election of John Paul I and his subsequent death were part of the story. But both Popes had died in 1978, not 1979. Also the movie states that Cardinal Lamberto was the winner, but in reality it was Cardinal Luciani of Venice who won that election.

External link