The Godfather

Question 1

Categories- Media

Answer 1

>Novel (1969) - bestseller
>Cinema (1972)
>TV (1974)
>Video & Box Sets
>DVD & Box Sets
>Music: Soundtrack
>Computer Game (2006)

Question 2

Categories- Form

Answer 2

> Block Buster
3 hours instead of 2 hours
Mainstream Feature Film
Arty Film (Style amplifies plot)

Question 3

Categories- Purpose

Answer 3

>Profit
>Story-telling
>Spectacle
>Star
>Escapism from everyday life
>Fantasy for audience: Power
>Demonstrates craft of filmmaking

Question 4

Categories- Style

Answer 4

> Classic Hollywood: continuity editing
Hyper classical:
Teems with recurring motifs
Opening foreshadows rest of movie
Use of musical leitmotifs with transformations
Fresh, elegant solutions of story telling

Question 5

Wedding

Answer 5

Demonstrates the wealth and power of Don Corleone-
>Lavish-famous guests
>Presence of FBI outside hints at criminality
>Contrasts in Don Corleone’s character: Dangerous Criminal (dark office) vs Family Man (bright sunshine of wedding)

Question 6

What is the Genre?

Answer 6

The godfather is a generic hybrid

Question 7

Crime/Gangster Film

Answer 7

The godfather deviates from the typical structure of a gangster film (the rise and fall of a criminal) as Michael becomes more powerful and he doesn’t die. He gets rewarded for his crimes, as he becomes head of the family and gains enormous wealth.
(This was allowed to be shown when the American Government relaxed its strict production code (The Hayes Code)

Question 8

Romance

Answer 8

The relationship between Kay and Michael follows a typical romance structure:
Boy meets Girl - Boy loses Girl - Boy and Girl Reunite
Michael and Kay are happy - Michael kills Sollozzo, exiled to Sicily, Marries Appollonia - Marries Kay after returning from Sicily

Question 9

Tragedy (Aristotle)

Answer 9

Character with a fatal flaw, who brings about their own destruction. Michael doesn’t die, he loses his humanity.
Fatal flaw- Loyalty/ Love for his father

Question 10

The Hayes Code

Answer 10

America’s Strict Production code that forbade the glamorization of violence and crime.
The code was relaxed:
> Italian American gangsters
>Identify with the criminal
>Criminal Profits, revenge is justified and crimes go unpunished.
>He continues to become more powerful and ruthless

Question 11

Tone

Answer 11

Serious Drama which aims for realism (verisimilitude). This can be seen through the use of authentic period detail typical of the late 1940’s. This helps the audience suspend their disbelief.

Question 12

Mis en scene

Answer 12

Michael wears army clothing which symbolises honour, good, trusting, patriotic, war hero, civilian and Kay is wearing orange dress and pearls which symbolises happiness, positive, wealthy… This contrasts to the ending where Michael is wearing the mafia uniform and Kay is wearing drab/ defeated clothing.