
The Godfather is weighed down by responsibility.
The Godfather (1972) famously opens with a close-up and the words “I believe in America.”
The speaker’s surroundings are gradually revealed, followed by the back profile of a man listening attentively. The profile belongs to the Godfather himself, and the setting is his office. He is visited by several guests asking him for favors, for as explained, it’s a Sicilian tradition that a man never refuse a request on his daughter’s wedding day.
We see very little of the wedding in the beginning, but can tell from the loud music that the party is right outside this somber room. The scene soon shifts there, and we’re shown the festivities in all their colorful, noisy glory. From this exterior vantage point, we now see the Godfather peer out of his office window from behind a curtain to catch a glimpse.
OPENING SCENE OF THE GODFATHER • Click on each image for a larger view.
Stills taken from DVD of the film.
That is how in this famous opening scene, director Francis Ford Coppola first traverses an initial boundary, the beginning of the film itself, and directly follows it by defining another boundary, namely that between the Godfather and the rest of the family. By defining this new boundary so close to the beginning of the film, Coppola establishes it as a major thematic element that spans the entire film and its two sequels: it represents the struggle of the head of the Corleone crime family to keep business and family separate, and ironically alienates its patriarch from the children he spends his whole life trying to protect.
“Just lie here, Pop. I’ll take care of you now. I’m with you now. I’m with you.” — Michael Corleone to his father.
Francis Ford Coppola was a big part of an era of American cinema in the 1970s during which a group of young directors fresh out of film school made some of the best work in the history of the screen. From start to finish, The Godfather is a masterpiece of pacing and mood, and an excellent example of how the established relationship between cinema and architecture can be upheld while being used in completely fresh and exciting ways.
Several scenes in the film are notable for their use of intelligent editing to invoke a sense of realism and place, or of suspense, mystery and romance. The film’s style is controlled, building on a long tradition of film technique, while breathing new life into the stale crime genre of its time.
Another masterful example of the use of architectural boundaries in The Godfather comes in the final scene of the film, one of the most famous endings in all of cinema. In case you haven’t seen the movie yet, go do it! Then come back and read the hidden section below.
This ending perfectly counterpoints the opening scene of the film, and shows how two characters enjoy literally the same seat of power, yet fill it in very different ways. This is a chilling ending and a powerful use of architecture in film to reveal the psychological and social spaces in which these characters live.
The Godfather is dear to my heart because at its core, it’s about the love between a patriarch and his son, and the struggles of a young man to carry on his father’s legacy. Both men put family before all else, but the question is at what expense.
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola • Starring Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, and Diane Keaton
This story is from Meedo’s upcoming book montagespace: Cinema and the Making, Un-Making and Re-Making of Architecture. Please feel free to contact us for more details and read related stories here.
{ 6 comments }
i love how the godfather movies always start with a party...
great review on the greatest film ever made
True! The second one starts with a funeral...
And yes I agree The Godfather is possibly the greatest film ever made. By the way, Coppola went to my school (UCLA)!
waiting for the next coppola laken:)
well ya, i meant they all start with gatherings:)
The last 5 minutes of godfather II give me goosebumps, they remind you how innocent michael was at the very begining and how he wanted no involvement with the family business. shows you how human nature and family shaped his "career" path
Me too.
It is tragic how his father didn't want Michael to be involved either. I also get goosebumps in the scene in The Godfather (the first one) that I quoted in the review. When Vito is shot and is bedridden in the hospital, Michael promises to "take care of him now." This simply means that Michael is now in charge.
The heartbroken father can do nothing but to weep.
Me too.
It is tragic how his father didn't want Michael to be involved either. I also get goosebumps in the scene in The Godfather (the first one) that I quoted in the review. When Vito is shot and is bedridden in the hospital, Michael promises to "take care of him now." This simply means that Michael is now in charge.
The heartbroken father can do nothing but to weep.