He Sleeps with the Fishes

A few classes ago was mentioned the interesting shot Coppola had used immediately before the death of Luca Brasi. Hired by the Godfather to spy on the Tattaglias, Luca Brasi enters a room where Sollozzo and a member of the Tattaglia family awaits. During this entrance to the room―although the focus is subsequently adjusted to Luca Brasi and the people within the room―the camera first shows a glass panel with numerous fish painted on it. It is recognisable from viewing the next few shots that these fish were intentionally shown by Coppola because they foreshadow the event which follows: Luca Brasi's death.

A few scenes after his shooting is given to the Corleone family from the Tattaglias a fish wrapped in the clothing of Luca Brasi. At this point is it first realised by the Corleones what had happened to Luca Brasi. As the Corleones are Sicilian, they know to interpret the delivery as a message that Luca Brasi now "sleeps with the fishes" (Coppola). Apparently, because Sicily is an island, dead bodies there are simply thrown into the sea in order to conserve space. Therefore, the dead may be regarded as "[sleeping] with the fishes" in the water (Coppola).


Relating the appearances of fish in both scenes is made evident the use of foreshadowing. Coppola purposefully took the shot of Luca Brasi through a piece of glass with fish to indicate he is to "[sleep] with the fishes" sooner or later.

Orange

Only have I payed attention to the colour orange after mentioned in class of the repeated appearance of it. Recognising the scenes in The Godfather pertaining to death, it is possible to find either orange colour or orange fruit in each of them.

At first is shown Jack Woltz with a bowl of oranges. Next, his horse is shown killed.
Given is also a scene where the Godfather buys oranges and then is shot five times.
Especially notable is the restaurant where Michael kills Captain McCluskey and Sollozzo, as the lighting both within and outside the restaurant appear to have a orange tint.
Luca Brasi is also killed in a room with orange lighting.
Close to where Sonny dies is shown an advertisement with the word "orange".
It seems Vito Corleone dies by choking on an orange, although this would require confirmation.

Mr. McGuigan has stated that "twice is a coincidence, [but] three times is a pattern."
If three times is enough for a pattern, then what would six times be? Coppola has obviously made the colour orange and the fruit orange symbolise death in The Godfather. Through recognising this relation during the film, it was possible to predict the crucial moments in the story where someone was to die.

What is just?

Francis Ford Coppola certainly emphasises justice in The Godfather. Rather ironic it is to be discussed on a story of the mafia, but throughout the movie, Coppola allows the audience to question justice from various perspectives. Additionally, certain "filmic devices" suggest shots implied to pertain to justice (McGuigan).


Notable firstly is the most obvious: the plot of The Godfather. Considering the perspective from which the film is told through―the Corleone's, it could be assumed that Coppola is attempting to, to an extent, "glorify" the mafia (McGuigan). In the movie is a scene where Michael Corleone is beaten by the New York police, for example, in which there is little explanation why Captain McCluskey must punch Michael. Since the audience only knows Michael's side of the story―that he is standing in front of the hospital to protect his father from the Sollozzo and the Tattaglias―and not the other, it is far easier to associate Michael with good than it is to associate Captain McCluskey with the same. Far more difficult it is to associate the mafia with the wrong it is with the right when viewed through the mafia's perspective.


Other appearances of justice include where Vito Corleone seems to perform a judgement. Regarding certain scenes closely, such as that shown to begin the film―of Bonasera and the Godfather, one may be recall a court case. Don Corleone may be interpreted as the judge, while Bonasera is pleading to the Don his case. Considering the Don's capability and power, he is truly a fitting representation of a judge. Of course, it should not be ignored how the Don is called the Godfather for a reason: the name Godfather places Vito Corleone at the same level as the gods of all monotheistic religions―most notably that of the Judeo-Christian sphere. Powerful enough are both God and the Godfather to judge one to heaven or hell easily, for example. Possibly, the five bullets into the Godfather and the five strikes to Jesus is also a Judeo-Christian "allusion" which Coppola has made to further make obvious the similarities between the Godfather and God (Yap).


Obvious it is how Coppola has tried to recreate a court scene multiple times. Like the very first shot of the film with the Godfather and Bonasera, Vito Corleone has especially appeared in these court-like shots, which would make sense considering his godly, judge-like characteristics. Apparent in these shots are usually a table, a chair of some sort, a judge, and another character. Again, these court recreations may be a way for Coppola to convey to the audience his idea of relating certain characters, such as the Godfather, to a court judge.

Predictions

During last class was a small discussion on what was believed to happen next in the film and at the end of the film using the occurrences seen so far and the Campbellian model of the Hero's Journey. Of course, there is something about actually watching the movie which allows one to better sense the direction and flow of the story, but this will be ignored for analytical reasons.


Following Joseph Campbell's model of the Hero's Journey, it is easily predictable that Michael is to further rise in significance as the story progresses. Evidence that Michael is the hero of The Godfather could be seen everywhere―including how he is considered a "hero" of the American Army and how Clemenza directly says he thinks of Michael as a hero. Campbell separates the Hero's Journey into five stages: departure, initiation, the road of trials, the innermost cave, and return and reintegration with society; Michael is most likely currently "Crossing [his] First Threshold", which is a part of the second stage of the Campbellian Hero's Journey―initiation. Michael has been given his first task of shooting Captain McCluskey and Sollozzo, and this will drag Michael further into the world of the mafia. It could be assumed that he is to later accomplish far more difficult tasks as he climbs to the top of the Corleone family.


Personally, I have a much more uncertain prediction as to how the story will be brought to an end. It may be considered the appearances of Don Barzini throughout the first few scenes of the film as awkward or unnatural, and this I have interpreted as him making an appearance later in the film as a more important character, as it is not made evident that he is of much importance as of now. Though with little proof, this subtle introduction to Don Barzini may be an implication by Francis Ford Coppola that he is the antagonist of the entire story. Recalling all major movies and novels, there is not a single which does not―regardless whether directly or indirectly―refer to the antagonist near the beginning of the story; an antagonist does not suddenly appear at the climax out of nothing, without any background. It is because he is the only character who has been introduced in the wedding scene yet has not reappeared to play a significant role that I predict Don Barzini is the hidden antagonist of the story.
There is no other obvious role remaining for him to play. If Don Barzini is not the mastermind who plotted the collapse of the Corleones, where does he fit in? What is Coppola's intention behind his appearance at the wedding? I hope to look for more hints during the movie to discover the true significance of Don Barzini.

Please take your time now to remove the package on the Hero's Journey...

'Monomyths' as referred to by Joseph Campbell include the famous Harry Potter and Star Wars, as mentioned in the package provided. Ideally, a comparative analysis similar to that on the seventeenth page of the package would be made using The Godfather; unfortunately, certain points of the storyline of The Godfather are slightly different in comparison to those of Harry Potter and Star Wars, such as how no orphan in The Godfather is to become the main focus of the story. Comparing Harry Potter and Luke Skywalker to the orphan in The Godfather, Tom Hagen, is definitely not appropriate; Michael Corleone is the character to be compared, as he―I have concluded from what was seen of the movie so far―is the true hero of The Godfather.


Having only watched less than an hour of the film, the majority of the plot and the hero's journey is still uncertain. Although so, one of the reasons which suggest Michael's heroism is the obvious difference and separation between himself and others; Michael is "special" and "one of a kind" (Campbell 2). Examples of this could be seen during the wedding, when Michael―wearing an army uniform―arrives with Kay Adams―also dressed like no other―late to a party of thousands of Italian-American friends and relatives. Later, Michael further separates himself through explaining to Kay of his family business and how it is "[his] family, not [him]" who is involved. I understand this as the "Refusal of the Call" described by Campbell. Simply stating, Michael's denial of affiliations with the mafia is the result of his reluctancy to step deeper into the world of mafia.


Through the depiction of a story from the Corleones' perspective is certainly to an extent the glorification of the mafia in general. However, this means the hero of the story must be one who further improves or promotes the mafia in a way or another; this is the exact opposite of what is usually viewed by the general public. Eventually, Michael replaces Vito Corleone as the head of the Corleone family, it is easily predictable. How Michael is "called to [the] adventure"―though usually chronologically before the refusal―is through the attempted assassination of his father and leader of the Corleone family, Don Vito Corleone (Campbell 2). Evil to the point abandoning his father Michael is not, as he rushes to his father in the hospital and resolves to protect and serve―to be a Corleone.




Realising the intentions behind a given resource is sometimes a hint to answering questions asked.
On the front cover of the package, for example, is he: quite obviously the hero of The Godfather.

Vito Corleone ― An Introduction to the World of "The Godfather"

Given that the audience is without any provision of information to do with the story in advance, the first scene of The Godfather is crucial, introducing the most influential character: Vito Carleone. Only once acknowledged the director’s intentions behind every detail in the scene, however, does it become apparent how this scene impresses on the conscious and subconscious minds of the viewer an image of the Don. Dialogue is merely one of the many sources of information available to the audience in the first scene; being of a film, rather than that such as dialogue which could be read from a novel is to be focused is how the visual form―including angles, lighting, sequencing of shots and visual effects―interacts with its intentionally displayed/undisplayed content―including the subjects’ actions, body language and facial expressions―to create or express ideas and emotions.


Form in the first scene is shown by Francis Ford Coppola at its most effective. A long shot in a dark room of Bonasera speaking to the Don begins the movie for example, in which Vito Carleone, the Godfather, slowly becomes visible to the audience as the camera zooms outward from the face of Bonasera; at this point, the exact face―and thus the identity―of Don Corleone is not yet revealed to the audience. Then, when for the first time showing his face in the next shot, Coppola aligns the Don between the camera and two bright windows, introducing light to the picture, which is very much the opposite of the previous shot. How the Don is presented with a halo of light as opposed to the dark background behind Bonasera, how light is introduced with the revelation of the identity of the Godfather allows for the association of Vito Carleone to hope and power and Bonasera to despair and the seeking of hope, and surely enough, these statūs of hope and hopelessness are derivable through the dialogue of the exact same scene. Essentially, this contrast of brightness Coppola has created introduces to the audience and emphasises how the Godfather is powerful, much respected and god-like, as hinted through how he is called the Godfather.


Reinforcing these characteristics of the Don is the content of the scene. It is shown to the viewer in the first shot of the entire movie the face of Bonasera in despair, desperately wanting help from Don Carleone. Something to compare this desperation of Bonasera to is the Don's action of playing with his cat; this seemingly unfitting action suggests the Godfather is not astonished or surprised in any way because he has much experience with murder. Don Carleone also accepts this murder proposed by Bonasera in exchange for ‘mere’ friendship. Enforcing this acceptance is the Sicilian tradition by which the Corleone family generally abides, yet the viewer may initially argue that it should not be that murder be taken so lightly no matter one's level of experience. Apparent from the way Vito Carleone pets his cat and speaks to his assistants and to Bonasera is his calmness, capability and confidence. Don Carleone is at the centre of the family and is much depended on; he must be and therefore is an experienced, powerful don, able to resolve almost any trouble, as shown to the audience through his actions and body language.