Gangster films are one of the oldest of film genres. It emerged in the 1930s, during the "studio era". James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart were some of the stars that emerged during the gangster genre. Films such as "Little Ceaser"(1930) and "Public Enemy" (1931) were the first gangster films produced by the Warner Bros. Studio. "Scarface" was produced in 1932. The production of these films caused critics and politicians to say that the studios, especially Warner Bros. were glorifying gangsters.
"The Godfather" is an insightful, sociological study of violence, power, honour and obligation, corruption, justice and crime in America.
The film was adapted from Mario Puzo's bestseller. The director of the film was Francis Ford Coppola. One of the "Movie Brats", he had not made a successful film in seven years. Paramount studio wanted to make "The Godfather" as cheaply and efficient as possible. Therefore, they hired Coppola who was not employed at the time and he had a wife and children to support, he had nothing to loose.
The epic story traces the history of the Corleone's close-knit family Mafia family and organization over a ten-year period . The honourable crime family working outside the legitimate system due to exclusion by social prejudices serves as a metaphor for the way business is conducted in capitalistic, profit-making corporations and government circle.
From the very beginning the audience are given an indication of the central theme: Good and Bad. In the opening scene of the film, the camera very slowly pulls back from the face of a man who is in Corleone's dark home office . However, in the next scene, the marriage reception of his daughter is being held in the bright, sunshiny outdoor veranda of his Long Island compound. My two chosen clips clearly illustrate that the business side of the family is bad but the family side is good.
