"The Godfather"

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how it is for its violence and portrayal of organized crime that "The Godfather" is so memorable, although this only provides details to the landscape of the plot. It examines how the theme it underscores is one where the protagonist returns from the pluralistic, ideological world of the United States during the forties to a more primitive one characterized by blood, danger, superstition and death. It looks at how the idealistic protagonist falls prey to the standards of conduct endemic to a society bereft of moral principle which must rely on the pack instinct and family loyalties in order to maintain some cogent structure.

From the Paper:

"Firstly, The Godfather is a story where the gangster comes of age in a completely normative culture, which is bereft of the principles symbolized by service in the Allied forces. This culture is so lethal and estranged from the primacy of human need that the main character is only able to survive by adopting the ethics of a counter-culture in which he can gain status and approval through participation in a disruptive turf war that destroys many of his family members. In turn, the alternative society, where he earns his rite of passage by murdering an enemy of his criminal organization, provides him with dignity and fulfillment. We see a social criticism in the repetition of memes: the young Michael Corleone first enjoys the acclaim of his country for heroism because he is willing to kill Germans, and upon returning home is expected to perform the same task for a smaller, more intuitive group of people with whom he self-identifies."

More papers on "The Godfather":

• Film Review # 73393 : "The Godfather": Analysis of a Movie Classic"
• Film Review # 121204 : "Coppola's "The Godfather"
• Film Review # 117581 : "The Godfather" and Difficulties in Making the Film"
• Film Review # 23478 : "The Godfather" and the Criminal Underworld"

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