The Godfather Trilogy

Director: Francis Ford Coppola

Cast: Marlon Brando, James Caan, John Cazale, Sofia Coppola, Franc D'Ambrosio, Robert De Niro, Robert Duvall, Andy Garcia, Diane Keaton, Morgana King, Al Pacino, Talia Shire, Simonetta Stefanelli

Total Runtime: 539 mins

Average Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Godfather.

Kay: Michael, you never told me you knew Johnny Fontane!

Michael: Sure, you want to meet him?

Kay: Well, yeah! Sure.

Michael: My father helped him with his career. 

Kay: How did he do that?

Michael: Let's listen to the song.

Kay: Tell me, Michael. Please. 

Michael: Well, when Johnny was first starting out, he was signed to a personal services contract with this big-band leader. And as his career got better and better, he wanted to get out of it. But the band leader wouldn't let him. Now, Johnny is my father's godson. So my father went to see this bandleader and offered him $10,000 to let Johnny go, but the bandleader said no. So the next day, my father went back, only this time with Luca Brasi. Within an hour, he had a signed release for a certified check of $1,000.

Kay: How did he do that?

Michael: My father made him an offer he couldn't refuse. 

Kay: What was that?

Michael: Luca Brasi held a gun to his head, and my father assured him that either his brains or his signature would be on the contract. That's a true story. That's my family Kay, that's not me. 

That definitive statement within the cautionary anecdote are amongst some of the first lines uttered by Al Pacino's Michael Corleone in The Godfather. First introduced to the audience seated with Diane Keaton's Kay Adams at his sister's wedding. Micheal arrives late and sits on the outskirts of the rapturous celebrations. He doesn't greet anyone unless they approach him beforehand. In fact, his reluctance to mingle with family members indicates a certain level of hesitation in even attending the wedding in the first place. He sticks out like a sore thumb in the family portrait - wearing his military uniform and insisting that his aforementioned girlfriend, Kay, is present. It all comes across as a rebellious act akin to that of a petulant teen. A clear resistance of his families' ideologies and illegal business dealings. 

"That's my family Kay, that's not me."

Michael does indeed achieve his goal of distance from his family post-wedding. Returning to finish his senior year at Dartmouth, after being discharged, he lives with Kay in Lebanon, New Hampshire, under the guise of husband and wife. Only upon the unexpected discovery of the assassination attempt on his father - the film's titular Godfather, Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) - is Michael emotionally pulled back towards the Corleone family. 

"Just lie here, Pop. I'll take care of you now. I'm with you now. I'm with you." 

These are the first words directly spoken by Michael to his father in The Godfather. A man of respect, perceived by those around him to be the personification of fear, reduced to tears by his son's promise. Michael relinquishes his previous resistance to his father's way of life in an act of unconditional honour. He is his father's son - admittance or otherwise. Nina Rota and Carlo Savina's The Halls of Fear begin to echo through the abandoned hospital, a hit on Vito is imminent. What follows is the beginning of the greatest character arc in film history.

Bathed in shadow, Michael Corleone and Enzo, the baker act as the last stand. Imitating armed guards, the assassins are spooked and retreat before police arrive. Affected by the ordeal, evident through his persistent shaking, Enzo attempts to light a cigarette hoping for a much-needed calming influence. Unable to strike his lighter, Michael takes charge and ignites the flame with ease. The camera lingers on his expression and the lighter as Michael recognises the gravity of his action. Two 'civilians' - at least so far in the minds of others - with polar opposite reactions to the same situation. Michael is unphased and most notably he's self-aware of his steadiness. There's a conscious shift in Michael's perception of himself. Michael is no longer the 'college boy' or 'civilian' as others describe, he is transformed. From this point on, Michael stops reacting to aggravation and starts to take progressive action. This innate response to adversity sets Michael's path in stone - there is no escaping this life and he now understands this. 

All this character development and subtext is made abundantly clear to the audience through expert filmmaking in a scene with minimal dialogue, lasting less than twenty seconds. Phenomenal acting from Al Pacino, now fully immersed in the role, perfectly painting that realisation through facial expressions alone. 

Although, it takes the rest of the Corleone family a while to grasp, Michael's 'change of heart' is a straightforward spot for the audience. Positioned centre frame, commanding the room and twisting the knife as he accepts his position in the family. Heralding the responsibility of the murder of Sollozzo (Al Lettieri) and Captain McCluskey (Sterling Hayden). What's impressive isn't Michael's inevitable completion of the killings but the manner in which he executes them. He doesn't register his surroundings or particularly pay attention to the pointless discussion of a truce. He's almost dismissive of Sollozzo from the get-go. There's a burning sensation of disdain in his eyes, staring the men down as if they're pieces of meat waiting to be slaughtered. However, when the moment arrives Michael doesn't allow hatred to be the driving force of his actions - a mantra that will serve him well in the future - and takes a moment for calm before pulling the trigger. 

Now fully assimilated into the life of the mob, it would be easy for the rest of The Godfather to detail Michael's rise to power. Nevertheless, Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo take the film in a different direction. Forced to flee America to avoid consequence for his crimes, Michael finds himself in Corleone, Sicily. It is here, in the birthplace of his father, that Michael is provided one last opportunity to get out. Left breathless by a Sicilian, Apollonia (Simonetta Stefanelli), Michael asks for her hand in marriage, and in the scenes that follow, he wholeheartedly falls in love. Michael is later betrayed by his own bodyguard, and a failed assassination attempt results in the death of a loved one - as it so often does for Michael - in Apollonia. Destiny denies Michael a simple, ordinary life. He's trapped, confined into this role that he spent years trying to avoid. 

Upon his return to America, Michael enters a family in disarray. With one brother brutally murdered, another mentally weak and the other an illegitimate son, the burden lies heavy on Michael to take over the role of Godfather of the Corleone crime family from his ageing father with a promise to be completely legitimate in five years. Michael has been forced to mature and rise into a position of power within The Godfather. It is only in his father's final moments that he has the opportunity to gain wisdom from the man that started this empire. A bridge between generations as the two discuss the passing of the baton. Michael is perceived to have everything in order, but it is only when Vito leaves that the audience catches a glimpse of the huge weight on Michael's shoulders, sinking deep into his chair. 

Vito: Listen, whoever comes to you with this Barzini meeting, he's the traitor. Don't forget that.

Michael doesn't have time to let the enormity of the role get to him, only emphasised by his father's passing. In a cutthroat display of ruthlessness, Michael targets all five rival families. The literal and metaphorical baptism cements his assertion to power. Intercutting various murders with Michael declaring his renouncement of Satan, a stark level of irony, in the film's most iconic scene. Michael seems to pay for victory with his soul, as if making a deal with the devil himself. In what appears to most, a moment of victory Michael is left unsatisfied- there are debts left to be paid. Michael has both his brother-in-law and his father's most trusted man killed for betraying the family. It lays out Michael's philosophy as Godfather, one of proactiveness and consequence. Loyalty isn't rewarded and kin is far from untouchable.  

The Godfather Part II.

The Godfather Part II begins as The Godfather concludes with Michael physically shutting Kay out of his. Separated initially by a doorway before quickly having it closed on her - Michael choosing his found family over his own blood. That opening encapsulates Michael's mindset throughout the rest of the narrative, business over family. A decision that informs Michael's future as Godfather. 

Michael's earliest appearance in the film has him mingling with senators and congressmen, a clear facade. When the audience first catches a glimpse of Michael's true character he has evolved from the relative newcomer to a cold-hearted 'businessman'. Shrouded in shadows, a motif that is ever-present in The Godfather Part II, as he deals with men of much higher social and political power than him. He's brash and aggressive, a contrast from The Godfather in which Michael initially emerged as level-headed. 

"In my HOME! IN MY BEDROOM WHERE MY WIFE SLEEPS! Where my children come and play with their toys. In my home."

The volatility with which he speaks is staggering. Yet, Michael's intelligence remains a constant. Perceptive enough to spot the hallmarks of an attempt on his life the split second before it happens, saving himself and Kay in the process. He's astute enough to know he's been betrayed from the inside, a reaction only furthered when the assassins are murdered going against Michael's orders. 

Although, taking the conversation in a non-linear direction, as well as being the moment in which Michael discovers there is a rat in the family is simultaneously the moment in which he completely loses his family. As stated previously, in each film of the trilogy Michael loses the person most important to him. In The Godfather it's Apollonia and in The Godfather Part II it's Kay. Another failed assassination attempt on Michael, albeit the similarities end there as the loss of Kay isn't a physical one but that doesn't diminish the impact. Seven years on from their marriage Kay is tired of false promises.

Kay: It made me think of what you once told me - "In five years the Corleone family will be completely legitimate." That was seven years ago. 

Michael: I know. I'm trying darling. 

Every interaction Michael has with Kay in The Godfather Part II, he's either lying to himself or to her. A reminder that Michael once believed in something bigger than this life for himself, a distant past. He's concealed, hidden in mountains of secrets and lies. It is ultimately too much for Kay with the attack being her final straw. It pushes her to resent her husband, later coming to acknowledge him as the physical depiction of dread. She's so detached now from Michael - no longer the college sweethearts they once were - and decides to rid herself of all future connection to her husband. 

Kay: Oh, Michael. Michael, you are blind. It wasn't a miscarriage. It was an abortion. An abortion, Michael. Just like our marriage is an abortion. Something that's unholy and evil. I didn't want your son, Michael! I wouldn't bring another one of your sons into this world! It was an abortion, Michael! It was a son Michael! A son! And I had it killed because this must all end! I know now that it's over. I knew it then. There would be no way, Michael... no way you could ever forgive me not with this Sicilian thing that's been going on for 2,000 years. 

Michael: Bitch! You won't take my children!

Kay: I will

Michael: You WON'T TAKE MY CHILDREN!

It's a shocking realisation for the audience to learn that Michael has driven Kay this far. By this point he has completely lost grip of his family. His wife resents him just as his sister once did. Why though? Vito was well respected and loved by his entire family despite the severity of his crimes. It makes for interesting conversation, clearly understood by Francis Ford Coppola as The Godfather Part II intercuts Michael's story with the origin of the Corleone family through a young Vito (Robert De Niro). Michael taking all the wrong lessons from his father - American over Italian, fear over respect, business over family. It reminds the audience of a statement from The Godfather. 

Vito: Tell me do you spend time with your family?

Johnny Fontane: Sure I do.

Vito: Good. Because a man who doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man. 

Directed towards Sonny (James Caan) at the time, the caution applies more so to Michael than it ever did to Sonny. Has Michael's chase of power been a success? Partly, but it has come at the cost of his family. He's alone, left with material riches rather than emotional ones. Placing business first whereas Vito looks physically agitated when he can't spend time with his family at his daughter's wedding during The Godfather. 

Michael will soon come to learn that it isn't only his wife and unborn child that he will lose. The past unjust treatment of his older brother, Fredo (John Cazale), has led to discomfort and agonising double-crossing. Tossed aside, runt of the litter, Fredo rebels with little thought of the outcome. In piecing it together, it's perhaps the only time the audience catches a sight of genuine sincerity from Michael, at least initially. 

"I know it was you, Fredo. You broke my heart. You broke my heart!"

Familial honour doesn't prevent Michael's eventual retribution, only postpones it. Ensuring no harm comes to Fredo whilst their mother is alive, Michael no longer views Fredo as a brother, he's nothing to him. When the time comes, Michael chooses to leave no stone unturned, and he has his own brother killed. Michael delivers on his promise even though it will haunt him for the rest of his life. 

"Fredo, you're my older brother, and I love you. But don't ever take sides with anyone against the Family again. Ever." 

The poignant final scene of The Godfather Part II sees Michael alone once more. A thematic lack of symmetry between his father who started alone but built a family. One man who ended a war to protect his children another who couldn't let go of a vendetta killing his family in the process. Too much of Sonny's fury and pent-up rage not enough of his father's knowledge of when to quit. Michael's wish to leave his family has transpired in front of him without leaving him the satisfaction it seemed it might. His eyes are so empty as he sits and reflects. 

The Godfather Part III. 

Continuing on from The Godfather Part II when the audience next sees Michael Corleone in The Godfather Part III it's almost as if he's an outcast in his own family. Stood unaccompanied at his own charity event - stuck on the outside looking in. Abandoned by his wife, contradictory with his son, only his sister and daughter continue to stand by his side. Michael is now a shell of his past self, closer to a tired and weathered old man to a Godfather that ruled through fear. Still maintaining the desire of complete legitimacy even though Michael views politics and crime as the same.

Michael: My father is no different than any powerful man, any man with power, like a president or senator.

Kay: Do you know how naive you sound, Michael? Presidents and senators don't have men killed. 

Michael: Oh. Who's being naive, Kay?

It's this false ideal Michael has had since The Godfather that poisons him like a cancerous tumour. A corrupted promise of change never achievable if the two opposites hold the same space in Michael's mind, tearing apart his family from inside. 

Michael felt obliged to step-up for Vito in his father's moment of need, out of honourable duty rather than desire. The reluctance is most likely what served him well initially but in The Godfather Part III, Michael's hesitation catches up with him. Looking to forge a way out, mentoring Sonny's disgraced son, Vincent (Andy Garcia), to relieve him of this burden. In the end, the passing of the torch is a forceful one due to ill-heath. The great Michael Corleone left hospitalised by diabetes, a cruel irony. 

Although, circumstances aside, this is what Michael wants. A final chance to right his wrongs and make peace with his loved ones. A life full of regret at his choices, his decision to ignore the worth of his family. A lesson learned too late for Michael. 

"I, uh, betrayed my wife. I betrayed myself. I've killed men, and I ordered men to be killed. No, it's useless. I killed... I ordered the death of my brother - he injured me. I killed my mother's son. I killed my father's son."

In the attempt to compensate for the past Michael draws his family into the firing line as there's yet another failed assassination plot. Mary (Sofia Coppola) is hit with the bullet meant for Michael. The devastating blow is the metaphorical death of Michael Corleone. Self-imposed isolation, Michael is alone once more in the end. Michael's success ultimately plays out as a tragedy. The power and control Michael chased doesn't serve him in his final moments. In the end he's nothing more than an empty, hollow man left to ruminate over the loss of Apollonia, Fredo, Kay, Mary, Sonny and Vito.