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.