Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather

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Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather (1972) is packed with bloodshed and shady business, but the offer no one can refuse is closer to home. In between the fighting, glimmers of a normal, legitimate lifestyle are shown throughout the movie, and these scenes show how a family in the close-knit Italian-American mafia is just like any other family trying to make a life for themselves. From the film we learn what happens when you join the family, obey the family, and betray the family, all of which still allow time for a dinner at the table. More so than anything else, the movie follows the themes of family and business versus personal issues to tell a masterfully crafted story. The overarching plot follows the Corleone mob family, specifically…show more content…
The beginning of the scene is not in his office scheming of a plan, though. He is at a baptism, playing the role as godfather to Connie’s baby. As he cements his role in the family business in this scene, it seems fitting he also becomes a godfather, thus making him that much more of a family boss. As he is in the church during the baptism, hits are all carried out on the heads of the Five Families and the hostile Moe Green (Alex Rocco), a casino owner from Las Vegas. There is a sort of irony of Michael being in a church, yet he ordered all of the subsequent killings. He does not flinch, though, when he renounces the devil and proclaims his loyalty to God. He tries to keep the personal side out of what is going on, but at the same time he probably realizes that the entire situation is personal. He does not seem happy with what happens, but he knows that it has to happen. To complete the circle, Michael then confronts Carlo about Sonny’s death after the baptism. After Carlo’s confession of his guiltiness, he is spared his life due to him being in the family. Instead he is exiled to Las Vegas. Shortly after he leaves the house, however, Carlo is murdered at Michael’s will. After this, Kay confronts Michael about his involvement in Carlo’s death. He denies it, yet again attempting to keep family away from the surrounding criminal activity. His determination to separate the two leaves him at a point of pleasure with his success. After many times throughout the film, this is the ultimate point in which the men of the family lie to themselves and others to justify their

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