Making the Movie Gangster, Part II, Aethetics, Identity and Italians; The Godfather.

by Fionn Morris.

The Godfather, The Godfather 50th Anniversary Trailer, 2022, Paramount.

Crime fiction has been subject to a universal obsession. It transcends cultures and mediums, with a loose outline for what makes “crime fiction,” allowing it to become so versatile that it almost exceeds the notion of genre entirely. In spite of this, the genre is heavily reliant on the existence of many societal constructions, such as the concept of law and an established judicial system, ones that needed to be built overtime. As a result, compared to other overarching genres such as romance and science fiction, crime fiction is relatively new, with some of its earliest examples coming from the Middle East during the Islamic Golden Age. It was adopted properly by Western audiences even later, only truly catching on with the rise of the 9th century detective novel, a response to the creation of a national police force in 1856 and the expansion of a penal system in the form of prisons. This lay the groundwork for crime fiction to become arguably the most popular genre to exist, with its adaptability allowing for elements of other genres, such as comedy or horror, to be incorporated, while its focus on the smaller scale questions and the human condition set it apart from other genres which leave a broader space to focus on more existential and conceptual subjects.

Therefore, it was only a matter of time before the subject of crime fiction was adopted into the medium of film. The genre of detective stories were abundant, with adaptations of classic novels, for instance Sherlock Holmes, being a constant throughout the years of cinema, along with crime thrillers that take on more risqué and violent subjects with some popular early examples coming from Hitchcock’s films such as, North by North West (1959) , and, Strangers on a Train (1951) .

Though it is gangster films that seem to be the most recognized and prolific throughout cinema. The genre's tendency to focus on the criminal rather than an outside source, as well as a common unflinching attitude towards extreme violence, gave audiences an up close look at those that the genre of crime fiction had focused on for so long. Its massive success has shaped the public consciousness and the way we now interpret what a, “criminal,” might be. In turn, the genre of gangster films have evolved, moulding itself to fit within different contemporary times and cultures. From American gangster or, “mafia,” films, to the Japanese production companies Toei and Nikkatsu fighting for national domination over the genre of yakuza, the subgenre has seen many different interpretations to be explored by audiences.

The Godfather, The Baptism

The typical image of a mainstream image of a mobster has many characteristics. They have an affinity for violence, a stylish taste from suits and, most significantly to this film, are culturally Italian. This stereotypical portrayal of an Italian gangster is somewhat rooted in historical Italian American criminals that almost became figures of celebrity, from the members of the infamous Gambino family of New York, to the heads of crime syndicates such as Frank Costello and Chicago’s own Al, “Scarface,” Capone. But, most importantly, it was the influence of film that helped build this image, with Scorcese’s Mean Streets (1973) and Goodfellas (1990) , along with other contemporary gangster films such as The Untouchables (Brian De Palma, 1987) and Once Upon a Time in America (Sergio Leone, 1984) all building this image of the Italian American mobster. However, if we look further beyond the New Hollywood era, back to the Golden Age of Hollywood, we can observe a distinct lack of any real Italian American identity. Mainstream gangster films seemed to instead never be fixated to a single national identity, even if the character is actually Italian American, such as Tony Camonte in the 1932 Scarface (Howard Hawks) . Instead, they are focused purely around the American experience, with a signature, “Hollywood spectacle,” that was dominant in this era. This is where the significance of The Godfather (1972, Francis Ford Coppola) comes in, as while the Italian identity was lightly explored in earlier works, Francis Ford Coppola weaved together the Americanism of older films with the Italian identity, so much so that these two national identities are inseparable from discussion around the film. Moreover, its massive critical and commercial success captured the zeitgeist of fellow gangster auteurs, with many symbols becoming prominent across the entire sub genre.

How this film is American is through that sense of spectacle, using expressionistic techniques to alter the mise-en-scène and editing in order to reflect the themes of both luxury and violence that The Godfather is distinguished by. No better example of this than in the Baptism scene, an iconic passage that has solidified itself in popular culture due to its role as the end of a narrative arc, along with its complete infatuation with violence revels in. The editing, for example, with its quick cut montage sequences, reinforces the eruption of violence that the audience is forced to witness, almost bombarding them with both images of a massacre and a baptism, setting up this dichotomy between the two lifestyles that the Corleones lead. Disparity between the camera and the mise-en-scène also reinforce duality of themes, with the short sequence focused around the assassination in a revolving door, where the camera work, using a POV shot, trapping the viewer next to the victim, along with the preformance of both the assassin and the victim having extremely sharp, clean gestures and movements, framing this act of brutality as equally bloody and precise. On the contrary, the mise-en-scène is distinctly deluxe in presentation, from the dark golden hue of the lighting to the bronzed accents that decorate the doors and walls of the set; it almost gives the barbarity a sense of class.

Fate in the “Revolver,” Door, The Godfather, 1972, Paramount.

These techniques that Coppola deploys, while an effective display of the separate lives of luxury and violence that the Corleone’s lives inevitably blur together, are inherently expressionistic, manipulating the image on screen to get an emotional reaction out of the audience. Not only does this link the film to it further link Coppola to his Hollywood contemporaries but, arguably, further separates itself from the style of old Italian cinema. In terms of the relation to Golden Age Hollywood, the use of expressionist filmmaking was, in this period, going somewhat out of style. With the rise of New Hollywood came a shift in focus, to shooting on location, less elaborate camera angles, and an overall move away from the dominated star system all in an effort to conserve budgets that is required for the influx of independent film creators. Constantly, Godfather seems to revel in many techniques pioneered in the Golden Age that directly constant the New Hollywood shift, not only in the expressionist filmmaking techniques that directly combats the push for realism, but also through a reinforcement of the star system of the past, with Marlon Brando, arguably the poster boy for the system of old, playing the lead role. Moreover, these element of filmmaking seems to directly contrast that of the old Italian Neo-Realism movement, one that was distinctly defined by the smaller budgets, use of non-professional actors and, most importantly, a move away from glamorization of any kind, a direct contrast to the golden hue of luxury that The Godfather is smothered in. In turn, we could easily argue that the luxury aesthetic, and the devices used to display these themes, creates a stronger link between The Godfather and the American identity, while also drifting away from that Italian heritage it has regularly been argued to champion.

Despite this view on the aesthetics present in may seemingly completely deviate from that core Italian identity, some seemingly completely counter this, arguing that the aesthetic qualities are, “Catholisized,” and a direct cause of Coppola’s Italian heritage. Braudy explores this prospect in his 1986 article for the Film Quarterly titled, “The Sacraments of Genre: Coppola, DePalmer and Scorsese.” Throughout the article, Braudy describes how the Catholic upbringing of Coppola, along with his Italian American new Hollywood contemporaries Scorsese and DePalmer, “literally or metaphorically, makes them the most salient filmmakers of the group, heightening a self-consciousness about all aspects in the historical-aesthetic moment.” (pg. 20) Braudy goes on to describe how that, “for Coppola it is a sense of genre, which to him is attached to a feeling of family situations and family betrayals… Genre for Coppola is like the rituals of religion.” (pg. 20)

While we can look at many different aspects of the film that have been, “Catholicisized,” from the use of costumes to the performance of the actors, instead the focus should be, of all things, on how Coppola depicts the subject of food. In The Roaring Twenties (Raoul Walsh, 1939) food is little more than back dressing to the rest of the scene, a prop in the background. The scene that sees Barley first come home, for example, with his father sleeping at the dining table, the food relegated to a small corner of the frame. And the portrayal of selling alcohol, beyond its historic precedent, is never actually expanded, it can be replaced by any illegal activity and still have a similar effect.

Connie’s vibrant wedding, The Godfather, 1972, Paramount.

Coppola deviates from these past representations, as food is one of the few constant presences among the film, its purpose is to serve as a general visual representation of the family and their relationships to one another. As a result, the tone of the dining table can transform from scene to scene depending on the context. At first, such as during the opening wedding scene, the role of food is as a unifying source of joy between the family, with many different members of the Corleone’s eating, laughing and catching up over bowls of vibrant fruit and glasses of colourful wines. This role then transforms later in the film to a war room for the characters as they discuss the plan to assassinate Sollozzo and McCluskey over some fast food hidden in cheap cardboard boxes. No longer are characters speaking freely in between chewing, instead having the food block their speech, and there is a sense of blandness in comparison to the striking colours of the earlier food clearly highlights a sense of melancholia, a sullen mood as the members hurl insults and suggests through their teeth. And again, when examining the meeting between the mafiosos near the end of the film, we can see the dining table once again transform, now becoming a piece of vanity for the head of the table, a display case for the trophies, or in this case, the food. Similar to the wedding scene, the food on the table consists of vivid, bright fruits. However, unlike the earlier scene, the food here is little more than decoration, put in bronze and glass bowls at the centre of the table as more a piece to look at rather than consumed. On the subject of consumption, despite taking place at a dining table, we do not actually see anyone eat or drink, making what would commonly be a communal location, a setting for family and friends, become subject to a stand off.

Meeting of the Mafiosos, The Godfather, 1972, Paramount.

This “Catholicization,” of food became a staple of the gangster sub genre, with the meaning shifting from film to film. Scorsese's films, Goodfellas for example, display food as a symbol of experience, with, “good food,” becoming more a way to separate the maestros from the novices of the crime world. Paul and Vinny’s prison dinner scene is a good introduction to this sense, as in spite of being locked away, kicked down and away from their riches, they meticulously prepare and cook their meat. Conversely, the first dish we see a young, inexperienced Henry make is a simple ham sandwich, almost completely parallel to the grand dishes of the veterans. By taking this stance on The Godfather, we can argue that not only are the aesthetics inherently related to Coppola’s Italian heritage through, “Catholicization,” but moreover, his influence also lead to other contemporaries in the subgenre to adopt a similar approach when making their own films, forever attaching the Italian identity to the gangster subgenre.

All that being said, there is still a very fair argument to be made that The Godfather, in spite of being heralded as a champion of the Italian American identity, seems to fall short of delivering a true representation of the Italian character on screen. Instead, its commitment to the older Golden Age of Hollywood filmmaking style seems to not only further tether it to a sense of Americanism, but directly contradicts the Italianism that it had apparently centred. Despite this, through Braudy’s explanation of, “Catholicization,” we can argue that the film is inseparable from the Italian upbringing of its director. Moreover, through high sought after position as a “masterpiece,” of the gangster subgenre, it’s influence has lead many other to adopt a similar, “Catholicization,” to different aspects of their filmmaking, making now not only The Godfather, but the entire gangster sub genre itself, inseparable from the Italian identity.

by Fionn Morris, November 2022.