Posted on 09/13/2022 6:28:36 PM PDT by Rummyfan
The ostensible premise of The Godfather, the film version of which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, is that American society is so prejudiced against Italians that extraordinary men such as Vito and Michael Corleone have no choice but to turn to crime. In a way, then, author Mario Puzo was a kind of goombah Ibram X. Kendi, director Francis Ford Coppola the dago Ava DuVernay, and The Godfather the guinea 12 Years a Slave.
If you doubt my claim, consider two scenes. In the first, Michael, back from hiding in Sicily, finally decides to get married (again) and so tracks down his college girlfriend. Kay, the daughter of Yankee protestants (including a minister), has long known the real nature of the Corleone “family business” but had been willing to overlook it because Michael seemed to reject that life for himself. But after the shooting of Sollozzo and McCluskey, Kay knows that Michael has entered that world forever. (In the film, her realization is implied when she visits the Corleone compound and speaks with Tom; in the book, it’s made explicit when, on the same visit, she speaks with Mama.)
To convince Kay to marry him—the word “woo” hardly captures his cold approach—Michael must rationalize his family’s activities...
(Excerpt) Read more at compactmag.com ...
The other flawed premise is that Irish cops are corrupt.
Well, that’s that. There goes my dreams of being a Godfather and running a multi-million dollar criminal enterprise. Way to shoot down a persons goal in life.
Somebody’s thinking too much.
An idiot’s interpretation of a cinematic masterpiece.
The valid premise is that politicians are corrupt.
"Who's being naïve, Kay?"
Oh BS. It's about how one gets power and uses power. It's as good a story about how nuclear deterrence works as it is about how party politics works.
I like the part where Godzilla breathes fire on the jets.
Yeah....this piece had a compelling title but was a big disappointment.
I don’t buy the premise of the authors first sentence. Like he has his own ax to grind.
Hopefully not an idiot - I saw the movie as a blank slate twenty years ago - loved it - and my main takeaway was, they felt compelled to create their own country within ours because they felt they could not get justice nor thrive without it.
I think it’s a perfectly reasonable take.
It did not make me love the mafia, but, I felt my understanding was expanded. It’s a good motivation for equality and justice for all.
Perfect
There are no good guys. Bad guys and even worse guys.
And Al Pacino before he became an "over actor".
I never understood that movie. Or its popularity. Kind of reminds me of Citizen Kane, a gigantic waste of time.
An old editorial cartoon had a boy declare to his dad that he was gonna enter a life of organized crime.
The father calmly ask if it’s “Government or private sector?”
I just enjoy the movies.
Perfect analysis.
Both were honorable men early in their lives but not extraordinary. Vito chose a life of crime when Clemenza took him to get a new rug.
Same with Michael. He chose the family business when he volunteered to avenge his father’s shooting, and turn his back on the path his father had dreamed for him.
We are both part of the same hypocrisy, but don’t think that ever applies to my family.
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