"The Godfather" by Mario Puzo

Paper Summary:

The paper explains that one of the dangers of portraying violence on film is that anything on the cinema screen takes on a kind of glamour. The paper portrays how a shoot-out even has a kind of beauty in Francis Ford Coppola's "The Godfather." The paper contrasts this to the cool, blunt force of Mario Puzo's prose in the original novel that more effectively shows the consequences of living in a violent and lawless world. The paper demonstrates how Puzo's book ultimately forces the viewer to think critically about violence, rather than simply become drunk upon bloody, violent images of primitive Italian revenge.

From the Paper:

"Mario Puzo places the Mafia's history and legacy in a historical context that takes away some of the glamour of its power. The Mafia is not a silent, deadly, unstoppable force that suddenly and inexplicably rears its head in history. It is not just an exotic Italian import, like pasta and oranges, in contrast to the rather bland wholesomeness of Michael's traditional American fiancee. In the film, the Mafia could be luring behind any corner, like a monster, which also makes it perversely attractive, like Dracula, while Puzo clearly situates the rules of the organization, how such apparently silent but deadly attacks can occur, and also shows how easily violence can become tolerable within a society, society, and an individual's psychology."

Sample of Sources Used:

• The Godfather." Directed by Francis Ford Coppola. 1972.
• "Organized Crime Research." Informational webpage. 2006.<http://www.organized-crime.de/index.html>
• Puzo, Mario. The Godfather. New York: Fawcett, 1969.

More papers on "The Godfather" by Mario Puzo:

• Analytical Essay # 8191 : "The Godfather" by Mario Puzo"
• Essay # 32598 : "The Godfather"
• Film Review # 23478 : "The Godfather" and the Criminal Underworld"

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