Francis Ford Coppola's "Godfather" Saga

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that the three films in Coppola's Godfather saga, which is set in the world of the American Mafia throughout most of the Twentieth Century, explore the similarities between family and business interests as fundamental aspects of human behavior. The paper states that "The Godfather" (1972) tells the story of the end of Don Vito Corleone's reign as head of the family in the late 1940s. The author points out that "The Godfather, Part II" (1974) continues this story with his son Michael's transfer of the family business to Lake Tahoe and Las Vegas in the 1950s, and is intercut with the early years of Don Vito, from his childhood in Sicily to his rise to power in New York City. The paper continues that "The Godfather, Part III" (1990) presents the aging Michael and his struggle to legitimize the family's business while powerful forces, including his nephew Vincent Mancini, try to pull him back into crime.

From the Paper:

"The story begins, therefore, at a point where the broader implications of the family business are clear. But it also shows the awareness, at least of Don Corleone, that being in this business is a necessity but is not, in itself, desirable. He plans for his youngest son Michael--a college-educated war hero--to escape from it. Michael (Al Pacino) himself tells Kay Adams (Diane Keaton), after being quite frank about the nature of the family business, that all this is his family--not him. He understands his father's desire to protect him from it. The brutality of the business is fully revealed in the 'war' sequence that follows the request for accommodation in establishing a heroin importing operation which is favored by some members of the family but rejected by Don Vito."

More papers on Francis Ford Coppola's "Godfather" Saga:

• Film Review # 122479 : "Michael Corleone as Tragic Hero"
• Essay # 71671 : "Francis Ford Coppola's "The Godfather"

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