Abstract This paper explains that FrancisFord Coppola's worldview of quiet, powerful, violent men making important decision in dark rooms while the unimportant real world goes on outside, is made evident in two of his most famous films, "The Godfather" and "The Godfather, Part Two". The paper presents an analysis of both films by focusing on the activities of the Corleone family.
From the Paper "This paper examines the worldview of director Francis Ford Coppola as it is expressed in two of his most masterful films, "The Godfather" and "The Godfather, Part Two". Although the original source material is the novel by Mario Puzo and Puzo co-wrote both scripts with Coppola, the consistent vision and themes presented in these two films of the way the world works and the importance of family is very much that of the filmmaker himself. Throughout Coppola portrays a world in which loyalty, honor and power..."
Abstract This paper argues that director FrancisFord Coppola demonstrates in his film, "Apocalypse Now" that those who kill are no better than those who they kill, if those who are killed are devalued solely because they are portrayed as the inferior "other."
From the Paper "The Vietnam War was one of the most divisive conflicts in American history. Within the controversy was the question of how many people one has to kill before one becomes a killer. Such valuations are often ignored because of ethnocentrism and the creation of an other, an other that is devalued in order to justify the destruction of life in combat. As Windschuttle argues, the construction of identity in every age and every society involves established opposites and others. This happens because the development..."
Abstract The paper discusses how FrancisFord Coppola was an Italian filmmaker that sought to identify his own culture through a series of films that depict New Yorkers and the Mafioso mentality of class struggle. The writer examines how,by creating the Godfather Trilogy, Coppola has instilled a classic sense of realism in the crime genre, which transcends all previous films on the subject. Furthermore, Coppola was able to step out of his own tendency to film movies about his family and culture, when creating Apocalypse Now.
From the Paper "This film study will analyze the life and films of Francis Ford Coppola. Through an understanding of his difficult childhood, one can realize the cinematic energy and attention to family and cultural background, which helped him when creating his films as an adult. By integrating various films in this biography of Coppola's life, the unison of these themes can help bring about a clarity as to the inspiration and creation of his classic works. Francis Ford Coppola was born in 1939 while his parents lived in Detroit, Michigan. The move to New York City shortly after his birth allowed the young Coppola's parents employment in the music profession. This kind of background helped the young Coppola to realize a creative outlet through the various work his parents did in television and film."
This paper discusses FrancisFord Coppola's epic film of the Vietnam War " Apocalypse Now": Plot, characterization, structure, themes, costs, setting, innovations and test marketing.
1,575 words (approx. 6.3 pages), 4 sources, 1981, $ 55.95
From the Paper "Francis Ford Coppola's long overdue, substantially over-budgeted, $30 million Vietnam war epic, Apocalypse Now, was finally released in America in the summer of 1979. For director Coppola, the film threatened to become a personal Waterloo ?- both financially and creatively. Originally budgeted at $12 million, Coppola risked his own assets, by borrowing $18 million against his homes, yacht, properties and residuals on prior films, in order to complete the project. He also seemed to lose control over the direction of the film, at one point admitting, "the film was making itself", and it is easy to draw parallels between difficulties in concluding the movie and those encountered in ending the actual war. But Coppola survived the risky artistic adventure. Partially due to Coppola's ... "
From the Paper "Francis Ford Coppola's film "The Godfather" can serve as an artifact for ethnographic study, presenting as it does a full and detailed picture of a social subgroup in American society. The plot of the film focuses on the criminality of members of this subgroup, but in a broader sense the story of the Corleone family reflects a number of other forces in American society--the immigrant experience, the maintenance of certain Old World social structures in the New World, and a family organization that is different from the prevailing structure in American society at large. The film tells the story of a specific family in a way that reflects the experience of a large number of people from a similar background at this particular time in American history.
The story of The Godfather derives from a novel by Mario Puzo, an Italian-American familiar with this milieu and with the ... "
Abstract This paper discusses the film "Apocalypse Now," directed by FrancisFord Coppola based on the book "Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conran about the Vietnam War. It examines the different themes prevelant throughout such as horror, morality and good verses evil and discusses the accuracy of its historical and political content. It shows how Coppola has a way of meshing all these themes together until they make perfect sense and how one of them alone might be difficult to believe or experience in the film, but together, they form a bond that cannot be broken, one of horror, deception, morality and the question of what is truly good.
From the Paper "Morality is also a very prevalent theme in the movie. Who is really the moral one here, Kurtz or Willard or the U.S. Army? Not only does the movie question the characters' morality, it questions the entire morality of the Vietnam War. Some of the most horrific scenes are those showing how much some of the commanders really enjoy killing. There is a reason "I love the smell of napalm in the morning" is such a favorite and well-used line from this film. It is because the line conveys all the horror and lack of morality present during the war. It was every man for himself ? not for survival, but for pure selfishness and lack of feeling. When a fighting unit becomes as jaundiced as the men in this film, they are past usefulness, but as the film shows, this is a common occurrence in war ? people lose their morality."
Tags: vietnam, war, joseph, conran, horror, morality, good, evil
Abstract This paper examines one of the most effective business leadership examples ever created in American cinema, that of Vito Corleone in FrancisFord Coppola's film "The Godfather". It analyzes how Corleone's style shows a high regard for both the productivity of his business and the welfare of the people in his employ, a regard that relies on a strong sense of honor and loyalty. It shows through examples how Corleone's organization exhibits many of the characteristics found in some of the most successful corporations in America and how he provides an excellent example of how to lead an efficient, profitable business.
From the Paper "First, we see Brando listening patiently to the recitation from an undertaker in his district who wants revenge against the men who attacked his daughter. Brando does not interrupt the man's story, allowing him to come to the point in his own way and in his own time. At the end, he spells out for the man what he expects from him: friendship, respect for himself and for the organization, loyalty, and honor. He makes clear how important these qualities are for the good of the business, and only then does he tell the man that he will give him what he has asked for, once he has been assured that his own expectations will be met."
This paper reviews the three films in director FrancisFord Coppola's "Godfather" saga: "The Godfather" (1972), "The Godfather, Part II" (1974) and "The Godfather, Part III" (1990).
Abstract 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."
Abstract This paper compares and contrasts the themes and characters of two of the greatest films of the 1970s, FrancisFord Coppola's productions of Mario Puzo's mob movies, "The Godfather" and "The Godfather, Part II". The writer explains how the films tell the story of Vito Corleone and his son, Michael, and their rise to power as godfather of a powerful crime family. They provide a rich chronicle of the underside of the American dream. It shows how the first film was highly influential and critically well received. This is compared to its sequel, which is widely regarded as even better than the original in the ways that it builds on and enlarges the original story. Although both include many of the same characters, the second movie is more complex and multi-layered, and its themes are deeper. Together, they form a fascinating commentary on loyalty, honor, and family and the ways these qualities are intertwined with the American experience during the 20th century.
From the Paper "The Godfather focuses on Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) during his last, most powerful years as patriarch of an extraordinarily successful family business. The Corleone family runs an increasingly expansive collection of illegal operations, but Don Corleone has his own ethical standards that prevent him from moving into areas he considers to be sinful; he is especially against anything to do with drugs. The beginning of the end of his power comes when he is forced to surrender to what everyone around him believes is the inevitable wave of the future. By the end of the film, he has retired, turned the business over to his son, Michael, and died, a peaceful old grandfather, playing in his vineyards with his grandson."
Abstract "The Godfather" (FrancisFord Coppola, 1972) and "Goodfellas" (Martin Scorsese, 1990) share common elements of theme and characterization; however, the two films differ in regards to tone, direction, and cinematography. The paper shows how both movies address the nuances and complexities of Italian Mafia life from the perspectives of the criminals. It examines how the directors of each of these films portray concepts of family, tradition, culture and religion without neglecting to graphically display the insensitivity, violence, greed and corruption that pervade Mafia life.
From the Paper "Coppola and Scorsese employ vastly different camera and filming techniques. The Godfather is famous for its large, panoramic images like that at the beginning of the film during the wedding. Moreover, the director pans the camera in scenes like the only in which Sonny is shot. In The Godfather, camera angles are instrumental in providing perspective, as in the first scene with Don Corleone behind his desk in his home, as well as the scene in which Michael shoots the crooked cop in the restaurant. Goodfellas contains more close-up shots, especially of Henry Hill."
Abstract This paper presents a short analysis of a sequence from FrancisFord Coppola's masterpiece, "The Godfather". The scene in question is the murder of the police chief and rival mob boss by Michael Corleone, played by Al Pacino. The paper focuses on the camera angles, motifs, etc.
From the Paper "As he enters the stall, the camera pans right to follow him. It stops directly behind him as he begins searching behind a rectangular fixture on the wall for the gun that is hidden there. As he searches, he turns so that the left side of his face appears in profile. The left (or sinister, from the Italian) side of his face is swollen and slightly bruised because the captain at the table broke his jaw in an earlier scene. The injury has caused his cheek to swell and speech to slur, which makes him look and sound more like his father, the Don of the Corleone crime family. It is appropriate that the audience can only see his "gangster" side as he prepares to commit the first act in his life of crime."
Abstract This paper discusses FrancisFord Coppola's film, "Apocalypse Now," which has been acclaimed as one of the most provocative and insightful films of the genre. The film is based on Joseph Conrad's novel, "Heart of Darkness". The paper examines how Coppola's film follows the text of the novel with regard to the main events, the central characters, and the central themes that appear in the book. The paper contends that Coppola also succeeds in capturing the atmosphere of the book and in translating the essential insights and questions that the book presents into a contemporary context.
From the Paper "Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now has been acclaimed as one of the most provocative and insightful films of the genre. The film is based on Joseph Conrad's novel Heart of Darkness. Conrad's novel deals ostensibly with the early years of the colonial invasion of Africa; while Apocalypses Now deals with Vietnam. Coppola's film follows the text of the novel with regard to the main events, the central characters and the central themes that appear in the Heart of Darkness. Coppola also succeeds in capturing the atmosphere of the book and in translating the essential insights and questions that the book presents into a contemporary context. "
Abstract "Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad was one of the first works of fiction to explore modernist notions of reality, and specifically, what makes an experience "real." The film, "Apocalypse Now" can, in many ways, be thought of as the transposition of Conrad's ideas onto a modern war. Tim O'Brien's "Going After Cacciato" investigates similar themes concerning mental and physical interpretations of reality and is also placed in the Vietnam War. This paper shows that, together, these three works provide insight into the minds of FrancisFord Coppola, Tim O'Brien, and Joseph Conrad; in particular, they reveal how these three artists structure their interpretations of reality through direct experience, memories and dreams.
From the Paper "The story that O'Brien tells is a combination of Berlin's "facts," his memories, and his daydreams. Yet, even the facts seem to have more existence in the mind than in physical reality. By the end Berlin admits to himself, "Those were all the facts, and he could face them squarely. The order of the facts-which facts came first and which came last, the relations among facts-here he had trouble, but it was not the trouble of keeping facts. It was the trouble of understanding them, keeping them straight." (O'Brien 323). With this passage O'Brien is hoping to show that even an extensive knowledge of the physical world is always imperfect-and the truths that are born out of these facts are formed within an individual's perspective."
This paper analyzes the link between the Catholic Church and organized crime, as depicted in FrancisFord Coppola's film "Godfather III," as well as in real life.
Abstract This paper examines how actual events surrounding the Vatican gave director FrancisFord Coppola the creative license to fictionalize a series of conspiracy theories involving the mafia and the church. This paper explores and details the events of the Roberto Calvi case. Calvi's case, of an Italian businessman and banker, who was involved with the Vatican, was found hanged in 1982, is similar to one of the sub-plots in Coppola's film. The writer presents published material which suggests Calvi may have been killed, in order to stop him from revealing certain secrets about Italy's political and religious establishments. This paper also discusses other events from the film, which were played out in real life, including one involving the death of Pope John Paul I.
From the Paper "The book contains a photo of the Pope taken reportedly three hours before his death, speaking "jovially" with a Cardinal, not looking like a man about to succumb. The official Vatican reason given for his death was a "possible myocardial infarction," according to press accounts of the Vatican announcement of Pope John Paul I's death. "Possible" myocardial infarction? And why, interestingly, was there no autopsy? These are all issues and questions that obviously played into Coppola's hands as he set out to produce the third in the Godfather trilogy.
The Pope was about to investigate the banking scandal, when he died on September 29, 1978. He was found by Sister Vincenza, at about 4:45 a.m., and according to Yallop's book. She was allegedly "forced to keep silent by the Secretariat of State, Cardinal Villot, who imposed a vow of silence upon her to cover up the whole affair," the reviewer continued."
Abstract This essay examines the way that the story arc of the Hollywood episode is conveyed via editing. The author illustrates the use of continuity of shots. The paper describes the relationship between shots and setting.
From the Paper "In "The Godfather", one of the main lines of narrative has to do with the fact that the Corleone family always returns insult for insult except that the returned insult is always at a higher level than the enemy's first action. That clarifies the lengths to which ..."
