The Godfather’s portrayal of villainy allows for its lasting legacy 50 years later
Aletta Ren | Contributing Illustrator
To celebrate its 50th anniversary, “The Godfather” will be released in theaters on Feb. 25 in 4K.
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On March 24, 1972, one of the most important films in the history of popular entertainment hit theaters when Paramount Pictures released Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather.” Widely regarded as one of the greatest films of all time, the film follows Don Vito Corleone and his family during the 1940s, when his power in the world is dwindling.
Starring legendary actors Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Robert Duvall and James Caan, “The Godfather” takes the audience on a Shakespearean journey through the actions of the Corleone family, showing viewers the fall of Vito Corleone (Brando) and the rise of his son Michael (Pacino).
Through amazing acting performances, writing and directing, viewers see members of the mafia at both their most powerful and their most vulnerable.
Although this subject may not be very relatable to many filmgoers, its influence on the film industry and the world at large — both in the 1970s and in 2022 — is unquestionable. Even if you have never seen “The Godfather” film in its entirety, it is very likely that you are aware of the famous line, “I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse.”
One of the reasons that “The Godfather” is so popular is that it focuses on a subject that is particularly interesting to audiences: the study of villainy. Stories centered around characters who are morally misguided and act in an unlawful manner are generally much more enticing for audiences because they give us a look at a world that is generally hidden in the shadows.
Being able to see how the Corleone family operates and the connections between them are just one of the parts of “The Godfather” that has made it a classic for 50 years. Although Don Corleone and his family are committing many heinous actions, we root for them because the film gives us a clear sense of moral authority to justify the actions of the characters.
Constantly watching and reading stories centered around a morally perfect hero can get very boring and predictable at times because we have an understanding of how the characters will act and the choices they will make. For example, we know that Spider-Man will eventually save the day after dealing with some form of conflict because he is the hero of the story. In “The Godfather,” viewers are never sure what specific decisions will be made by Don Corleone and his family — we just know that it will be within their specific moral code.
Ever since its release, there have been many extremely successful and acclaimed pieces of popular culture that have centered around characters who may have questionable morals. Two pieces of content that took direct influence from “The Godfather” movie are “Goodfellas” (1990), directed by Martin Scorsese, and “The Sopranos” (1999-2007), created by David Chase.
Both of these works of art largely focus on Italian Americans who have a lot of power and influence in the world, achieving success through immoral means. Similarly to “The Godfather,” both stories are told from the perspectives of the “bad guys” and viewers are never really given a chance to root for anyone other than those characters.
“Goodfellas” and “The Sopranos” also give the audience a clear understanding of a world that they are unfamiliar with, and viewers can always tell what the power dynamic of the world the story is set in. In all three works, no matter how abhorrently the characters in each show may act, we are always rooting for them and are fully invested in their stories. This narrative strategy has also been adapted into the business world, with shows such as “Succession” (2018-present), created by Jesse Armstrong, and “Billions,” created by Brian Koppelman, David Levien and Andrew Ross Sorkin (2016-present).
As audience members, we are aware that the main characters are doing immoral things but the shows are so compelling that we have no choice but to root for them. No matter what the specific genre and narrative of a crime story may be, the release of “The Godfather” marked a significant moment for filmmaking and storytelling alike.
Coppola announced that “The Godfather” will be rereleased in theaters on Feb. 25 to celebrate the 50th anniversary. The theatrical release will be a new 4K remastered version, further enhancing the sound and image quality of the film. Hopefully, this release will lead to a new generation of fans who can fully experience the beauty of “The Godfather” on the big screen.
Published on February 23, 2022 at 9:00 pm
