Godfather

Name Name

J .Keener

Class

Date

A Proposal for the Inclusion of The Godfather

In 1972 , America was introduced to a family that they were not soon to forget . With the release of The Godfather ' Francis Ford Coppola brought to life Mario Puzo 's Corleones , the leading Mafia family of their time (Dirks 2007 . The film was an instant commercial success dominating the 1972 Academy Awards with ten nominations and three Oscars (Dirks 2007 . Almost everyone remembers , and may occasionally use , the pivotal line , I 'm gonna make him

an offer he can 't refuse (Dirks 2007 ) The Godfather ' was so successful that it spawned two sequels , and some believe that it revitalized the American film industry (Dirks 2007 . However , there must be more than this impressive list of achievements to justify The Godfather ' taking the place of another film in a class curriculum . This writer will present several reasons for inclusion , starting with an unusual theme : music and opera

One might not think of The Godfather ' and its sequels in terms of music , but many critics have pointed out the similarity of the film to an operatic score (Citron 422 . It is said to have the breadth and grandeur of an epic (Citron 422 ) Every bit of music in the film has its exact place , and the position is meant to heighten the emotion or underscore the importance of a moment to the viewer (Citron 421 . Whether we are looking at a scene of a baptism , cut in with scenes of a brutal murder ' or a lavish wedding ' the music rises to the occasion , letting the viewer know what they should be thinking and feeling (Citron 427 . Because of the random , gruesome violence carried out by members of the Corleone family and their cronies , music occasionally must be used to keep the viewer on their side . It is not easy to agree with the motives and actions of the family , but the music acts as an assurance that we are on the right side , no matter how much we might like not to be . The framework of the movie follows the form of an opera , particularly in the use of such nineteenth century themes of honor , loyalty , betrayal , and revenge (Citron 425 . The Godfather ' itself is said to be set up as a six act tableau structure , starting slowly with the beginning party scenes and building up to the final rush of gruesome murders (Citron 428 . Coppola even uses a blackout filming technique that is meant to remind the viewer of a curtain going down on a stage to make transitions in the film (Citron 428 . Think of how watching The Godfather ' could lead to extra interest and understanding about operatic plays and epic tales . The structure of The Godfather ' is a good base for introducing these theatrical forms , for if a student had difficulty in following along with a classic epic movie , they could learn the basic structure from The Godfather ' Using a well known , popular movie to...