“The Godfather epitomized Hollywood’s relentless iconization of film Italian-Americans not only as popular cultural embodiments of their ethnic group but also as symbols of the ethnic experience in general, particularly for the extra-legal quest for the American Dream” according to Carlos E. Cortes (108). In fact, Cortes continues to further explain and depict how the fame and success of the film, The Godfather “integrated the major threads of seventy years of U.S. screen treatment of Italian-Americans” (108). The Godfather was released in 1972 and even to this day is considered one of the greatest films made. It depicted the life of an Italian-American mob family of Don Corleone thus showing their lives, and specifically the transformation of Michaels (youngest son) ordinary life into him being heavily involved with the mob (Browne, Cortes). …show more content…
The Godfather is vital in understanding the importance of its influence because following the succession of the film (particularly making lots of money), many more films were made once there was a realization that there was a huge market for films about the Mafia or even about Italian Americans in general (Cortes, Browne). Examples of films include The Godfather Part II, Mean Streets, Capone, Gloria, The Don is Dead and Married to the Mob (Cortes,
The characters in these films were savvy, secretive and wealthy unlike the gangsters seen in Little Caesar and Scarface: The Shame of the Nation. Brian De Palma’s Scarface (1983) payed homage to the original, and although they follow roughly the same storyline, De Palma’s remake is more reminiscent of The Godfather films than its predecessor. Tony Montana (Al Pacino), the film’s main character, worked his way up from poverty by selling drugs and committing horrifying acts of violence in order to attain the power, wealth and woman he so desired. In his 1983 review of Scarface, Pulitzer prize winner, Roger Ebert states “Al Pacino does not make Montana into a sympathetic character, but he does make him into somebody we can identify with, in a horrified way, if only because of his perfectly understandable motivations” (RogerEbert.com). More than fifty years later, Ebert expresses similar thoughts to those of Robert Warshow, esteemed film critic and author of “The Gangster as a Tragic Hero.” “…We [the audience] gain the double satisfaction of participating vicariously in the gangster’s sadism and then seeing it turned against the gangster himself.” (Warshow) These sentiments are exactly what the censorship of the 1932 version intended to prevent, yet Scarface (1983) did not receive the same scrutiny. Despite the mixed reviews that Howard Hawk’s original Scarface: Shame of the Nation and Brian De Palma’s
A life of organized crime, fancy cars, machine guns, beautiful women, money, power and family; these are the images that have perpetuated the associations of Italian-Americans with the Mafia in film and television for decades. It is in this traditional Godfather fashion that the HBO hit series The Sopranos continues to perpetuate this stereotypical image into the 21st century. From classic films like The Godfather and Goodfellas, to miniseries events like Bella Mafia and The Last Don, to the dramatic series The Sopranos, Italian-Americans have traditionally been portrayed as gangsters and mobsters and have been seen living the lives of organized criminals. Italian-Americans and the Mafia have traditionally been linked in popular culture and The Sopranos is no exception.
The gangster genre within films in America has accomplished numerous positive criticisms and constant willing audiences due to containing outstanding spectacles and mind-blowing action. The Godfather, being second on the IMDb Top 250 Movies, has set a new popular concept to life within the Mafia from their point of view. Doing so, creating a positive association. Yet within Italy, the same topic contains a complete different view. Movies such as I Cento Passi demonstrate unenthusiastic view by those whom are outside yet negatively affected by those members. Unlike American films, the gangsters are not as often viewed at the protagonist and are the main causes for the problematic events. But how different is Italian Mafia and American Mafia in cinema?
Goodfellas is one of Martin Scorsese’s most popular and elaborate films. From the freeze-frames to the famous long take at the Copacabana. Everything done behind the camera seems to bring this film together as a whole. Even though the film can be dated back to the 90’s with the tacky costumes and décor, the story of the film is timeless. This is a movie that has already stood the test of time and will continue to do so for generations to come. Goodfellas is truly one of the most remarkable films of all time.
Another common theme of this wildly intoxicated era was that of the gangsters. In the twenty-first century when the word gangster is uttered, often times images of minorities in baggy clothes comes to mind. However, when discussing the Prohibition Era the lives of gangsters are seen as much more glamorous, and none were more glamorous than that of the ultimate American gangster, Al “Scarface” Capone. Capone’s name brings to mind images of pinstripe suits, underground bars, bootleggers, flappers, and gun fights. His image embodies that of the Prohibition Era and his influence throughout society carries through it. Alphonse Capone is the ultimate American gangster.
“Scarface”, an original gangster film created by Brian De Palma, has captured audience’s attention by remarkable editing shots and the superb use of mise-en-scene. “Scarface”, originally released December 9 of1983, is a drama revolved around the life of Tony Montana who is played by Al Pacino. Tony gets his name by the scar on his face going over his right eye. He was born in Cuba who immigrated to the United State who then starts his life in Florida from the bottom of the drug cartel to soon making his way up to becoming one of the most powerful cocaine cartel leaders in Miami. What made this film so realistic was because at the time, Miami was becoming a huge crime scene to cocaine smuggling and drug wars. According to Answers.com, this time was brutal and the people associated with this lifestyle were known as “Cocaine Cowboys” (par.3). It was a time where it wasn’t unusual to see and hear about drug related deaths. Brian De Palma captured all of this by his utilization of editing style and application of precise mise-en-scene.
Does family matter? Yes- family always matters. It is necessary to have some sort of family structure in order to have a stable foundation. This need for stability and structure is how the family survives and the children find safety. In the movies The Godfather and Scarface we will discover how the two differ when it comes to family and family business. These two patriarchs have different views on family and how the family is involved in the business. In this discovery one struggles to gain and maintain power- but looses everything in the process. While the other maintains the family through peace negotiations and understanding business and revenge can not always go hand and hand in order for the family to survive.
“American Gangster” is based on the true story of Frank Lucas’ life. It is the story of how he cut out the middleman in the heroin business and the story of how Ritchie Roberts caught him. Throughout the film we see the parallel between a cop and a criminal as we inch forward to see their lives finally meet.
The themes of the film are timeless, but the historical period in which the film takes place is also very significant. As the movie begins, the family?s youngest son has just recently returned from World War II. As the movie progresses, parallels are made between the Corleone family and the rest of the world. The war between the rival families is much like the conflicts between nations during World War II. After Don Corleone is shot in the streets, it?s a wake up cal...
The Godfather is the “dark-side of the American dream story” (Turan, pp2). The film follows the practices of a fictional Italian mafia family, the Corleone’s. Though most Americans do not condone the practices of the Italian mafia, they cannot deny that Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather is a cinematic masterpiece. This film gave insight to a mysterious way of life that the average person does not have knowledge of. As the audience is educated about the mafia they also are introduced to many stereotypes.
Whether it is fortunate or unfortunate, the Mafia does have an impact on the cities in which it frequents. The effects can be either positive or negative. Overall the impact of the Mafia on the culture and economy in which it frequents is undoubtedly negative.
The Godfather is most notably one of the most prolific films of its time. This "gangster" film displayed many transformations of permeating color to give the viewer observable cues in its mise en scene that drew one right into the movie. The dramatic acting set the tone of the film with a score that lifted the viewer right out of their seat in many scenes. The directing and cinematography made The Godfather ahead of its time. The nostalgic feel of family importance and the danger of revenge lets us into the life of the Mafia. Even though no other techniques would have given the viewer a feeling of inside the mob like the mise en scene of the power the godfather held, the characters are reinforced literally and figuratively because the story views the Mafia from the inside out, and the cinematography of the film gives it a dangerous and nostalgic feel.
The Mafia was first developed in Sicily in feudal times to protect the estates of landlords who were out of town. The word Mafia, derived from the Sicilian word, Mafioso, means family. Today, Mafia is a name which describes a loose association of criminal groups. These groups can be bound together by blood, oath or sworn secrecy. Many people had considered the Sicilian Mafia as the most ruthless mobsters of the twentieth century.
Within Gran Torino, Eastwood has employed the change of a stubborn man’s opinion about the new multicultural America to convey his own messages on the concept. The fall of the old America is depicted via voice-over, a negative association with this achieved via stereotypical characters. The friction between new and old America is shown through symbolism, and finally the relationship between two major characters provides a symbolic example of the overcoming of this. Thus, Eastwood has crafted an insightful film on the falling away of the old American way, and the inception of the new multicultural
Francis Ford Coppola has amassed a reputation nearly as large as his film repertoire. He has worked as a director, producer, movie studio entrepreneur, and as a film writer. In each role he maintained a balance of working inside the studio system, while consciously maintaining a wary distant from it (Hill and Philips 167). The sweeping range of critical commentary on his films, paired with popular and profitable films, followed by complete flops led him to declare in 1987, “I’m embarrassed by my duality of failure and success.” (Bergan 7) Even two of his most successful and critically acclaimed films, The Godfather and The Godfather II did not completely fulfill him. He found that while doors opened within the industry, he was pulled from his