Film & Book Reviews by Ashley S.

October 3, 2023 – Written with Alex S.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Film allows us to watch stories come to life, the plot rises, thickens and lowers itself to the necessary ending. The Godfather (1972) Dir. Francis Coppola portrays the unity of family, conscious and unconscious choices, whilst identifying the voice of reason. The notion of a godfather is evaluated through the promise of encouragement to help the child become the best version of themselves and maintain a Christian way of life. Essentially, protection played an intense role throughout this film. Micheal Corleone was never supposed to reach the top, yet it seemed practically inevitable as events that surpassed gave him no choice. Coming from a mafia family can be difficult, especially if you are the one member in the family who would prefer to be less involved in the duplicitous actions that would follow. In this film review, I will analyze the paradigms of his life, the crime and justice that was served, as well as the symbolism between the choices that were made by Michael, thus giving him the title of The Godfather. 

To begin with, Michael Corleone was the prodigal son that was rather divorced from the rest of his family. When his sister’s wedding was taking place in the second scene, we witnessed Michael’s attire: His military uniform. His first appearance on camera was that of a reserved man. The viewer can also identify that his relationship with his father is questionable. He respects his father, but he seems to want to stay farther away from the familial activities that take place. “That’s my family, Kate. Not me.” This particular line could be considered candid, but somewhat of a foreshadowing for the rest of the film. As we focus down the line, the baptism scene, which occurred in the Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral was significant in Michael’s new image as the New Don. The shots and angles of the camera offer us crucial evidence to the final moments of the baptism. This scene utilizes the editing technique known as cross-cutting, or parallel editing. More specifically, this type of camera movement and switches, creates an interconnection between two events as they occur simultaneously insofar that they are now woven together. As he becomes the godfather to his nephew at the altar, the murders he has ordered mark the transition into Don Corleone. This montage setting provides emphasis on intense juxtapositions, sharp contrasts in tones and concepts that the Coppola wants us to be aware of. Other aspects such as the music being played in the cathedral creates a correlation between the action and the conclusion. The song playing was “The Baptism” by Nina Rota (Own Brady, 1972). Although there are no lyrics, the sound intensity and levels can be expressed as rhythmic, increasing in sound almost emphasizing as each man meets their arrival of death. On the other hand, paying close attention to his nephew’s moods brings a certain sadness. Michael’s nephew cries and then stops crying, signifying calmness in various parts as the scene carries on. 

Additionally, the baptism scene evokes higher feelings of the lore of Christianity in regards to Michael the Archangel. In the bible, the archangel Michael is seen as a dominant leader, protector of people, and the right hand of God. This was the position that Vito Corleone envisioned for Michael from the beginning of the film. This is further emphasized by Vito wanting him to place his energy into more legitimate businesses. Regardless, his father eventually wanted him as a right hand, thus the same as archangel Michael who was the right hand of God. In the same manner, Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral (1809) can be evaluated through a lens of a symbolic nature. For instance, this is the preferred church of the Corleone family. They often used it for celebrations and other baptisms for the members of the family. The cross-cutting occurs during the oath of the godfather. In between each of the statements that are given by the priest, another man dies. The priest asks: “Michael Francis Rizzi, do you renounce Satan?” Michael responds, :I do renounce him.”  If the viewer looks closely at Michael’s facial expressions, there is a cold and vile look in his eye. He can appear as Satan himself, completely undermining the vows that were just given to him. Consequently, Moe Green is assassinated right after he renounces Satan, paving the way for the Corleone family to establish themselves in Vegas: Also known as Sin City. A baptism represents a cleansing for the baby, the same way that Michael is cleansing the mafia world of enemies that could hurt the family. Additionally, the baby signifies the new vision that Michael is birthing for the Corleone family. Later, he waits until he takes up the mantle of the godfather position, which is a rather cardinal role in the Sicilian family, to assassinate the baby’s own father– Carlo. At the end of the scene Michael is the undoubted Godfather of the New York Mafia much like he is the Godfather to his nephew.

Check out the Baptism Scene below – Notice the angles and sequence of the perspectives

Finally, as we further analyze Michael’s transition within this scene, the motifs of punishment, retribution and justice are prevalent. For example, Carlo was executed by Michael’s men, as punishment for his role in the brutal assassination of Sonny. This follows Michael incites Carlo to confess his role and implicate his co-conspirators. “Only don’t tell your innocence, because it insults my intelligence and it makes me very angry.” This embodies Michael role as the judge in seeking a confession for his brother’s murder. Michael achieves his justice by lending Carlo a false sense of security by telling him that he won’t kill but have him sent off to Nevada, only for him to be strangled from behind much like Sonny was caught off guard. Similarly, Michael achieves a retribution for the attempted murder of his father which led him to ordering the hit on the Mafia heads: Barzini and Tattaglia. These were men that betrayed his father, they even plotted to kill Michael also which is evident in scenes later in the film. Furthermore, justice was displayed in Michael’s warped sense of protecting his loved ones. There is no doubt that murder is not always deemed justice but for Michael, this was the only way that he could achieve peace as he finally reached the title he was meant to have. 

In conclusion, Michael’s transition from the clean-cut, college educated, war hero to hardened, cold-blooded mafia boss crescendos during the baptism scene. Michael stands in a place of God amongst his family, taking a holy oath of godfather. During this scene Michael is no longer a man of God, he is no longer innocent. At this point he has personally killed two people and has ordered the killing of several more all to benefit his family’s criminal endeavors. Michael takes the oath of godfather for his nephew with the intent of killing his brother-in-law shortly after the ceremony. The baptism presents itself as a twisted allegory to Michael cleansing the Mafia world and allowing his family to be reborn free of their enemies and with a new beginning in Nevada. From initially being so divorced from his family to becoming The Don, his father did not die in vain. Michael was the son that he knew would become the essential protector leading his family though the reins of fire and entering a new world where he has the control. 

Works Cited

Friedman, J. (1975). Archangel Michael vs. the Antichrist: The Servetian Drama of the Apocalypse. Renaissance and Reformation / Renaissance et Réforme, 11(1), 45–51. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43464911

SILVERSTEIN, N. (1974). The Godfather—A Year Later: An Examination of The Movie’s Internal Structure. Italian Americana, 1(1), 104–117. http://www.jstor.org/stable/29775826

LOBRUTTO, V. (2006). Godfather: The Intimate Francis Ford Coppola [Review of Godfather: The Intimate Francis Ford Coppola, by G. D. Phillips]. Film Quarterly, 59(4), 57–58. https://doi.org/10.1525/fq.2006.59.4.57