- the human capacity for good and evil
- the positive and negative aspects of human life: life, death, love, hate
- coming to terms with mortality
- the search for belonging and meaning
- commonalities: wants and needs (basic needs), emotions and feelings, goals (the final destination)
I think that the human condition is what makes most stories appealing to us. There are emotions and feelings that every human feels at one point of their lives. We are connected to what the characters are feeling so closely that we are able to relate to their actions in some way.
The Godfather is really about the human condition. An example is one joining the mafia to want a sense of belonging because they are part of an elite organized crime. Francis Fordcopola frequently plays with the human condition and we find ourselves in confusion. As we are following the protagonist Michael Corleone, we find him getting sucked into the mafia life and find ourselves being pulled along as well. Like Ms. Shepard said in class, we came into the beginning of The Godfather thinking that mafia life is evil. However as we got attached to the protagonist we find that in "evil" businesses there are respectable men. A good example of that is Clemenza in the scene that he's warning Paulie to watch out for the kids while they are leaving and his wife says, "Don't forget the cannoli." No matter how unjust their actions are they are still human.
Even when the main characters are somewhat inhuman like Avatar. We still find ourselves connected to them because they display human characteristics. They are essentially looking for the same things as us; to belong, distinguishing good and evil, being the hero. Since we are similar in many ways we feel included in the story.
Don Vito Corleone was easily characterized as a God-like figure in the first scene of The Godfather . From his deeds to his natural aura even to the strategically placed light that resembled a halo. Here is a man who is bent on keeping family-life separate from his brutish dealings in the mafia business and still comes home with love for his sons and daughter. Of course Vito is a violent criminal but there's a touch of humanity in all the acts that he takes part of that further add to the characterization of him as God. This is portrayed in more detail as Vito gets older and older and his character lightens up quite a bit. Although, the scene I favoured the most was when he was playing tag with his grandson. Looking at the scene didn't once make me think back to all the acts of violence he had taken part in. I think that Vito has essentially two families his crime-family and blood-family and I think he did pretty well to keep them separate.
Although I know that Michael isn't nearly as rash as Sonny there's just something about his character that seems unsettling. It's almost as if he doesn't want to be the Godfather and he's just doing it because he has to, whether it is to keep the family together or for his dad. Michael doesn't seem like someone who can easily express his emotions like Vito. He is definitely smart and quick on his feet. Thinking back to the time when he and Enzo the baker pretended to have guns to ward off a second attack from Sollozzo. He is the best candidate for Godfather out of the whole family. I also think he is very determined but his character doesn't seem as flexible as Vito's. Simple put, Michael just doesn't have enough class :).
There's my view on the two major characters, my favourite being Vito Corleone because there is just much more to like. On top, he seems more human of a character than Michael Corleone because to his dark murderous side he nicely contrasts with a loving side for his family. When Vito died I felt as if the story couldn't go on any further, I didn't even feel like watching it. Whereas if Michael died I honestly couldn't have cared less! The story would go on.
Even when the main characters are somewhat inhuman like Avatar. We still find ourselves connected to them because they display human characteristics. They are essentially looking for the same things as us; to belong, distinguishing good and evil, being the hero. Since we are similar in many ways we feel included in the story.
Character Archetypes:
I would like to take a post to
identify various character archetypes that can be identified in this film and
which major characters fit into which archetype.
First off, there weren’t any
major women characters. Women didn’t
play a huge role in The Godfather;
they were the background music in the song.
The corresponding character archetype would be an outcast. They weren’t
allowed to be in on the mafia life “we don’t discuss business at the table” Tom
Hagen stated very clearly. The women
were banned from the discussion that happened behind closed doors, accentuated
by the various reoccurrences of camera angles through doors. The ending scene is of the door closing on
Kate’s face, symbolizing that Kate will forever remain an outcast on the
dealings of the mafia. She will never
know the truth of what happens behind the closed doors.
The hero of this film is obviously
Michael Corleone. In the beginning it
seemed as if the hero would have been Vito Corleone but a) he was too old and
b) there wouldn’t be much for him to accomplish because he was already at the
top of his world. Michael Corleone was
the outsider; however he placed himself that way and was different from the
very beginning. Wearing a army uniform
to a wedding, I mean he didn’t just fling something on because he felt like
it. He wore it to further emphasize his
separation from mafia dealings.
I believed the mentor to be
Clemenza it’s a pupil relationship though because he’s just filling in on some
advice because the Don isn’t there. When
the time came to shoot Sollozzo, Clemenza was Michael’s weapon maker and mentor
(briefly) on how to shoot him and what to do afterwards. It was quite brief. Then when Vito recovered he became Michael’s
mentor advised him what tactics to take when someone was deceiving him and how
he would know (Tessio).
Women as the temptress, that’s a
major archetype that I see in most films.
In this film, I thought it was Kay Adams at first but she didn’t keep
Micheal away from anything. Michael
basically left her after killing Sollozzo.
Then there was Appolonia and she was “known to tempt the devil himself”. But even then I don’t think anything
distracted Michael.
Comparing the Characteristics of Vito Corleone to Michael Corleone.
Don Vito Corleone was easily characterized as a God-like figure in the first scene of The Godfather . From his deeds to his natural aura even to the strategically placed light that resembled a halo. Here is a man who is bent on keeping family-life separate from his brutish dealings in the mafia business and still comes home with love for his sons and daughter. Of course Vito is a violent criminal but there's a touch of humanity in all the acts that he takes part of that further add to the characterization of him as God. This is portrayed in more detail as Vito gets older and older and his character lightens up quite a bit. Although, the scene I favoured the most was when he was playing tag with his grandson. Looking at the scene didn't once make me think back to all the acts of violence he had taken part in. I think that Vito has essentially two families his crime-family and blood-family and I think he did pretty well to keep them separate.
Although I know that Michael isn't nearly as rash as Sonny there's just something about his character that seems unsettling. It's almost as if he doesn't want to be the Godfather and he's just doing it because he has to, whether it is to keep the family together or for his dad. Michael doesn't seem like someone who can easily express his emotions like Vito. He is definitely smart and quick on his feet. Thinking back to the time when he and Enzo the baker pretended to have guns to ward off a second attack from Sollozzo. He is the best candidate for Godfather out of the whole family. I also think he is very determined but his character doesn't seem as flexible as Vito's. Simple put, Michael just doesn't have enough class :).
There's my view on the two major characters, my favourite being Vito Corleone because there is just much more to like. On top, he seems more human of a character than Michael Corleone because to his dark murderous side he nicely contrasts with a loving side for his family. When Vito died I felt as if the story couldn't go on any further, I didn't even feel like watching it. Whereas if Michael died I honestly couldn't have cared less! The story would go on.
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