Post by klep on Jul 18, 2016 6:44:24 GMT -6
MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 7/18: The Godfather
The problem with writing about a film like The Godfather is that it's so good and so celebrated that just about every conceivable thing that could be written about it has been. So I'm probably not going to be saying anything that's new here, but bear with me anyway.
For me, the heart of The Godfather is expressed right in the opening scene. "I believe in America" is the first thing we hear, as a man pleads his case before the Don. Here is a man professing his faith in the American way precisely as he seeks vigilante justice after America failed him. His only true recourse... is the family.
The Godfather is thus about an inversion of the American Dream, in which anyone can make it if they only put in the work. In the world of The Godfather, your worth and your ability to climb instead rests solely in your connections and in the service you can provide to the family, but the family reigns over it all. And if you aren't in the family's good graces, then you have no protection. Not even rich and powerful movie producers are exempt from the family's rule, as one discovers to his chagrin. And it is only when he professes friendship and respect for Vito Corleone that the man who speaks that opening line receives his requested aid.
At the wedding that starts the film, Michael Corleone tells his girlfriend "I'm not my father." He's part of the family, but not part of the business. He is destined for legitimacy - a war hero turned politician. But he still knows the golden rule, that the family is everything, and everything is for the family. And so he throws away his dreams of a legitimate life to do the work that needs to be done. And while he still allows himself a daydream while hiding in Sicily, the import of the path he chose eventually comes back full force. At films' end he has taken his father's role, learned his father's lessons. The family business is taken care of, and the family is secure.
And no Narrator, I have not forgotten Gordon Willis. His work is amazing of course. His firm control of the spectrum of brightness is a critical factor in the film's mood, with each shot having a carefully chosen light level appropriate for the scene. Witness the brightness of the wedding contrasted with the interior of the Don's office, the brightness of Sicily versus the Don's narrow escape at the hospital, or even the partly cloudy day as Michael seeks out Kay late in the film. The Godfather is a movie in which each element is just at the top of its game, working together to make something rightly celebrated as among the best examples of its art.
OUR NEXT MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 7/25: The Life of Brian
After a Lars von Trier and The Godfather it's time to look on the bright side of life with one of Monty Python's cinematic efforts. The Life of Brian is rightly beloved by multitudes, and is available for Prime members on Amazon Instant Video with a Seeso add-on subscription (which looks like it has a 7-day free trial). I have no idea what Seeso is. Also, you can probably find a nerd at your local college who knows the script by heart.
NEXT PICTURE SHOW PODCAST for 7/14: The Neon Demon
Wednesday we'll have a thread up for discussion of The Neon Demon, though I'm still hoping to find a volunteer to write something about it.
The problem with writing about a film like The Godfather is that it's so good and so celebrated that just about every conceivable thing that could be written about it has been. So I'm probably not going to be saying anything that's new here, but bear with me anyway.
For me, the heart of The Godfather is expressed right in the opening scene. "I believe in America" is the first thing we hear, as a man pleads his case before the Don. Here is a man professing his faith in the American way precisely as he seeks vigilante justice after America failed him. His only true recourse... is the family.
The Godfather is thus about an inversion of the American Dream, in which anyone can make it if they only put in the work. In the world of The Godfather, your worth and your ability to climb instead rests solely in your connections and in the service you can provide to the family, but the family reigns over it all. And if you aren't in the family's good graces, then you have no protection. Not even rich and powerful movie producers are exempt from the family's rule, as one discovers to his chagrin. And it is only when he professes friendship and respect for Vito Corleone that the man who speaks that opening line receives his requested aid.
At the wedding that starts the film, Michael Corleone tells his girlfriend "I'm not my father." He's part of the family, but not part of the business. He is destined for legitimacy - a war hero turned politician. But he still knows the golden rule, that the family is everything, and everything is for the family. And so he throws away his dreams of a legitimate life to do the work that needs to be done. And while he still allows himself a daydream while hiding in Sicily, the import of the path he chose eventually comes back full force. At films' end he has taken his father's role, learned his father's lessons. The family business is taken care of, and the family is secure.
And no Narrator, I have not forgotten Gordon Willis. His work is amazing of course. His firm control of the spectrum of brightness is a critical factor in the film's mood, with each shot having a carefully chosen light level appropriate for the scene. Witness the brightness of the wedding contrasted with the interior of the Don's office, the brightness of Sicily versus the Don's narrow escape at the hospital, or even the partly cloudy day as Michael seeks out Kay late in the film. The Godfather is a movie in which each element is just at the top of its game, working together to make something rightly celebrated as among the best examples of its art.
OUR NEXT MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 7/25: The Life of Brian
After a Lars von Trier and The Godfather it's time to look on the bright side of life with one of Monty Python's cinematic efforts. The Life of Brian is rightly beloved by multitudes, and is available for Prime members on Amazon Instant Video with a Seeso add-on subscription (which looks like it has a 7-day free trial). I have no idea what Seeso is. Also, you can probably find a nerd at your local college who knows the script by heart.
NEXT PICTURE SHOW PODCAST for 7/14: The Neon Demon
Wednesday we'll have a thread up for discussion of The Neon Demon, though I'm still hoping to find a volunteer to write something about it.