The Godfather – A Cultural Analysis

Dear Reader,

My most recent writing project has been a cultural analysis of The Godfather movie, with references to its two sequels. I’ve always loved the movie and believe, like many film critics, that it is one of the best movies ever made. So I spent some time researching the making of the movie and the spectacular  actors who  made the script come to life. My research was aided by Francis Ford Coppola’s Notebook and by the classes I’ve recently audited in Anthropology and Sociology. The result is overly long and amateurish, but it gave me the opportunity to watch the three movies multiple times and pick up on some of the nuances that I missed the first few times around.

I’m giving the  completed work to my Sisters who, like me, can relate at least in part to the Italian-American experience in the 1940’s, 1950’s and 1960’s during which Godfather I takes place. Our Castaldo family followed a very different path than the Corleone’s but there is some crossover. Most particularly is the wedding scene. My sisters and I remember similar Italian weddings in Bayonne, N.J., certainly not as lavish as the Corleone reception but with some cross connections. Like the bride’s “boursa,” the white purse to collect the cash, the dancing, the unfamiliar relatives, the weird guests, and the general atmosphere of celebration.

So I decided to post the Wedding Scene chapter on my blog. Take a look. I hope you find something in it that’s provocative. If not, maybe you’ll get a sense of what I’m trying to say in terms of cultural analysis.

One other thing – watch the movie again, after reading this post. And let me know if you see something new and interesting in Coppola’s masterpiece.

“The Wedding: Favors and Obligations

In late August, 1945, as WW II is drawing to a close and the Country is beginning to relax and celebrate, the wedding of Constanzia (Connie) Corleone and Carlo Rizzi is celebrated at the Don’s home in Long Beach, NY, just east of lower Queens. It’s a beautiful home and a perfect venue for a gigantic wedding. No expense is spared. Connie is the Don’s only daughter and he intends to make the reception a memorable experience for his daughter.
Carlo, on the other hand, suffers by comparison to the Don’s four sons, Santino, Fredo, Tom and Michael. Carlo is a “half breed” – all Italian but only half Sicilian. Moreover, he grew up as a petty criminal in Las Vegas and is considered by the Family to have a combination of inexperience and excessive ego. Nevertheless, the Don treats his new son in law with respect although he makes it clear to Tom and Sonny that Carlo will never be a part of the Family’s business. He’ll have a good job, but no access to the inner circle.
The wedding scene is beautifully filmed, perhaps my favorite movie scene ever. There’s singing, dancing, drinking, eating, flirting, sex between Sonny and the Maid of Honor, and general carousing. Lots of kids attend, all ages, with adult men like Tessio dancing with his daughter’s feet on top of his. An extremely diverse group was invited, from the grounds staff and local shop owners, to US Senators, federal Judges, and other Mafia Dons. The Senators and Judges decline to attend, for reasons of discretion, but send lavish gifts. Don Emilio Barzini, known as the Wolf, is the head of a rival Mafia Family and attends, as is expected. But makes it clear that there will be no photographic evidence of his presence.
Connie carries her lacy white boursa with her as she accepts cash gifts from her Father’s friends. Pauli Gatto, one of Clemenza’s button men, speculates that the boursa contains more than $30,000 in cash. “Marrona Mia,” he says, if only she wasn’t related to the Don he’d boost the bag in a second.
Despite the lavish party with all of its plots and subplots, the main point of the scene is the depiction of the Don’s power through the favor requests. It is a tradition in Sicilian society that the Father of the bride cannot refuse anyone who requests a favor on the day of his daughter’s wedding. The five requests made demonstrate the scope of the Don’s fearsome power, from a trifling investment to matters of life and death. This is where the Don operates, offering patronage in return for future service. As Michael says to Kay during the reception, “Favors are like food caches. They will be eaten someday.”
Each of the five has a specific role to play in the story, but none is more central to the theme of culture than Amerigo Bonasera, the undertaker. In the dark scene that begins the movie and shows only a close up of Bonasera face, he says: “I believe in America. America made my fortune.” But his belief and financial success were of little comfort to him after his daughter was brutally beaten and permanently disfigured by two boys who wanted sex from her. She refused and “kept the (Bonasera’s) Family honor.” Bonasera trusted the American Justice system which failed to punish appropriately the perpetrators. The presiding Judge convicted the two boys of assault but suspended their sentences as first time offenders. They walked out of the court free men as Bonasera fumed in silent rage at the injustice of it all. He mumbled “Suspendeda sentencesa!” Bonasera was devastated as the boys strolled by him and smiled.
So he came to the Don at the wedding ask for justice. To Bonasera, the two boys should be killed, but the Don replies “That I cannot do.” To the Don, murder isn’t justified because Bonasera’s daughter still lives. Additionally, the Don points out that Bonasera had disrespected him for years. Here’s the back story that explains the Don’s feelings on the matter. Bonasera’s wife and the Don’s wife, Carmella, had been best friends for years. But Bonasera rejected friendship with the Don not wanting to get involved in the affairs of the Corleone Family. He never invited the Don to his home for coffee, nor did he acknowledge the fictive kinship relationship by calling him Godfather. The Don asked, “Why did you go to the Police? Why didn’t you come to me?”
So the choice for Bonasera is clear. If he acknowledges the Don as Godfather and pledges loyalty, his daughter’s beating will be avenged. Bonasera does so and kisses the Godfather’s ring. As the Don walks out of the room, the Don says, “One day I will ask you for a service, and that day may never come.” It’s clear that for the Don’s patronage, Bonasera is obliged to perform a reciprocal favor.
The favor is called in later, but, to Bonasera’s relief, it is straightforward and involves no illegal activity. After Sonny is brutally murdered by a hail of machine gun bullets at an isolated tollbooth by the Tattaglia Family, the Don takes the mutilated body to Bonasera. He calls in the favor. “Use your skill, undertaker, with this body. I don’t want his Mother to see him like this.”
This is a heart wrenching scene. Is the exchange moral in all respects? Of course not. Two punks are badly beaten, but not killed. Did they deserve it? Some would say yes. And an undertaker is asked to prepare a bullet riddled body for an open casket viewing by a Mother. In this case, the favor requested is an act of kindness by the Don out of his love for his wife and son. If morality is lacking, as it is here, doesn’t the reciprocal patronage ultimately result in something that at least resembles moral justice?
The second favor request is only hinted at in the movie but takes place in the book. A young punk who has respected the Don has, like Bonasera, avoided the Family’s criminal conduct. Nevertheless, he is invited to the wedding. He asks the Don for a loan of $500 to start a pizza parlor. The Don quietly agrees, noting the man’s loyalty and respect. Coincidentally, the man is named Anthony Coppola in Puzo’s novel, the name of Francis Ford Coppola’s son. The Patronage exchange in this instance is classically simple. I can imagine the Don’s family eating free pizza for a long time.
The third request is more complicated. Nazorine, the Baker, is the Don’s childhood friend of long standing. He made the enormous, multi-tiered wedding cake, of which he was immensely proud. Obviously, Nazorine made the cake as a favor to the Corleones and as a sign of his respect. But he had a serious problem and needed the Don’s help. His daughter had fallen in love Enzo Aguello, an Italian soldier. After capture by the Allied Forces in Sicily, he switched sides and fought with the Allies against the Germans with honor and distinction. After the War, he was allowed to immigrate to the US and started to work in the bakery. Love bloomed with Nazorine’s daughter. But Immigration Officials ultimately decided that the young man should be repatriated to Italy. He feared reprisals if he returned and the daughter was grieving over the prospect of losing her loved one. Nazorine’s request to the Don is complicated. Can the Don somehow keep Enzo in this country? The Don promises to do so whereupon Nazorine leaves the room elated and filled with pride, bragging about the beautiful wedding cake. Then the Don instructs Tom Hagen, his Consigliere, to contact a friendly Congressman in another District to propose a Special Act of Congress to grant Enzo’s citizenship. It’s pretty remarkable, an Act of Congress for the baker’s soon to be son in law!
The reciprocal service, however, required enormous courage in the face of life threatening risk. After the Don was shot but not killed, Sollazzo tried to finish the job by sending button men to the Hospital. By chance, Michael arrived before they did and discovered that the nurses and police protection had all disappeared as a result of Sollazzo’s bribery and intimidation. So the Don was alone and vulnerable. Michael assesses the risk as being grave. At this moment, the Baker’s new son in law strolls into the hospital unaware of the situation. He came to pay his respects to the Don and bring flowers to the room. But no one other than Michael is around! Michael has a plan and needs help. He asked Enzo to join him on the outside steps acting like armed guards. Enzo agrees, “Anything for the Don!” The hit men drive up, see the two supposed guards on the steps with their hands inside their coats, seemingly holding guns. The killers drive off thinking that their plan had failed. Michael turns to thank Enzo, who, by now, is so shaken that he can’t light a cigarette.
The favor was reciprocated by the man’s presence in the role of a bodyguard. If on a moral basis, his acquisition of citizenship was tainted, his courage to protect the Don in the face of grave danger is morally admirable. Protection of life in return for citizenship, a fair exchange in my estimation.
The fourth request is just plain creepy. Luca Brasi, the Don’s faithful soldier and fearsome killer, asks Tom Hagen for a short visit with the Don. When Hagen passes the request along to the Don, he replies, “Is it necessary?” Even the Don has some trepidation when in Luca’s presence. In the distant past, Luca had stalked and killed six men who reportedly had plans to kill the Don. Six of them, one after another. No one could stop him. All feared him.
An interesting movie fact is that the man who played Brasi, Lenny Montana, was not an actor. A former professional wrestler, he showed up on the movie set protecting a man highly connecting with the Colombo Family in New York. Coppola asked the Colombo Don and Montana if Lenny would play the role. The Don thought it was a great idea, and so Montana was cast in his first and only movie. He was an awkward and amateurish actor, which made him perfect for the role. In fact, he had trouble remembering his few lines. The scene of Luca rehearsing his speech to the Don during the wedding was, in fact, true. He couldn’t remember the lines so he kept rehearsing them. Coppola added that scene and Kay’s reaction to the scary man talking to himself to the movie.
It’s an awkward moment when Luca meets the Don in the library. He is stiff and nervous, not an act. He stumbles on his prepared speech, short as it was, again not an act. But he conveys his promise of unending loyalty to the Don because he was so honored to be invited to the wedding. His gift of cash to the Don is heartfelt but socially inept. The money should have been given directly to the Bride for her boursa. But Luca, because of his lack of social grace, wants the Don to know how much cash was in the envelope. The Don deals with these shortcomings elegantly. He tells Luca that he is a dear friend which is the recognition Luca craves.
Shortly after the wedding the Don asks Luca to reciprocate. Luca is instructed to infiltrate the Tattaglia Family, express dissatisfaction with the Don, and find out more about Sollazzo’s plans to distribute drugs. Neither the Tattaglias nor Sollazzo believe for a second that Luca would ever abandon his loyalty to the Corleones. The infiltration presents the perfect opportunity to eliminate the most feared killer loyal to the Corleones. So Luca is set up and murdered. His bullet proof vest with some fish are delivered to the Corleone’s. “Luca sleeps with the fishes.”
Nothing about these contract killers, Luca, Sollazzo, the Tattaglias, the Corleones, is moral. But Luca’s loyalty to the Don is impressive. Loyalty is a virtue. It’s not nearly enough, however, to remove this favor experience out of the vices category.
The last favor request is, no doubt, the most complicated. Johnny Fontane, the popular singer, arrives at the reception with girls screaming in delight and others jockeying for a position close to him. Johnny’s voice is weak but he agrees to sing one song to honor the bride. Afterwards, the Don and Tom come out to greet Johnny. The reunion is loving, since the Don is Johnny’s Godfather and the fictive kinship between them is strong. Johnny asks for some time with the Don to ask a favor. Tom Hagen is pushed aside as the Don focuses solely on his Godson. In the study, Johnny tells the Don his voice is weak and he needs a part in a new movie to revive his career. The film’s Producer, Jack Wolz, has vowed never to give him the part because Johnny stole away one of his mistresses. Johnny’s career is at a low point and only the movie can bring stardom back to him.
The Don listens attentively since, after all, he has great affection for his Godson. Finally, Johnny asks tearfully, “What can I do?” The Godfather loses his temper and says angrily, “You can act like a man! What’s the matter with you? Is this how you’ve turned out? A Hollywood finocchio who cries like a woman?” (Finocchio is an Italian slang word for homosexual.) The Godfather slaps Johnny and tells him to spend more time with his family. “A man who doesn’t spend time with his family can never be a real man.” He instructs Johnny to stay with him for a month, rest up and eat well. And he promises Johnny that he will take care of his problem with Wolz. How? “I’ll make him an offer he can’t refuse.”
This is no idle promise. Michael tells Kay this background story at the reception. Years before, a bandleader held a long term contract with Johnny. Johnny wanted to be released from its terms and the Godfather promised to help. The Godfather visited the bandleader and offered $10,000 for a release. The offer was refused. The next day the Godfather showed up with Luca Brasi and a check for $1,000. Luca held a gun to his head while the Godfather told the bandleader that in one minute either his signature or his brains would be on the release. The bandleader signed.
This story is similar to the way many think that Frank Sinatra was released from his contract with the Tommy Dorsey band. The Bonanno Family helped “facilitate” Sinatra’s freedom.
The Godfather sent Tom out to Los Angeles to negotiate the part for Johnny. Tom meets with Wolz and politely promises some help with the unions on the set and other accommodations. After Wolz refuses, Tom returns to the airport saying that the Godfather doesn’t like to wait for bad news. The next morning Wolz wakes up with the head of his prize stallion, Khartoum, in his bed. Realizing his own life is in danger, Wolz gives Johnny the part. To the Don, kinship, either fictive or real, justifies the result.
Reciprocation for that favor came at the end of the movie. As Michael is panning the Family’s move from NYC to Las Vegas, he tells Johnny that the Godfather wants Johnny to sign a contract promising five appearances a year at the Corleone owned casino in Las Vegas. Johnny agrees, “Anything for my Godfather.” Moreover, there is discussion about Johnny inviting his Hollywood friends to appear with him.
There is no moral justification for this Patronage exchange. It is based on an act of utter and inexcusable brutality. It demonstrates the depth of the fictive relationship and the each makes to the other. The rules of law don’t apply; the rules of the patronage culture prevail. The raw horror of the scene when Wolz wakes up overpowers the pathos of the request the Don makes to Bonasera, the undertaker, to use his skills to allow Sonny’s Mother to view his body at the funeral. Or the Godfather’s investment in a pizza parlor. Or the Godfather’s lifelong gratitude to the baker, Nazorine. But all of the Patronage/favor stories portrayed in the wedding scene make the same point. There is something going on beneath the story line in each example. That something is a culture of reward and protection. Favors are granted, and services are given in return. These transcend societal laws and other accepted paradigms. They exist because they work.
That’s the point that makes the movie work as well as it does. Reciprocal services are portrayed in ways that maximize cinematic effect. The Don, for example, as he graciously accepts Luca Brasi’s awkward pledge of loyalty and respect. The gratitude we know Johnny Fontane feels for getting the movie role despite the brutal treatment of Wolz and Khartoum. We, as movie goers, can understand the quid pro quo. Moreover, each of us can conclude whether the culture portrayed is moral or not, at least in terms of our own subjective definition of morality. When we keep in mind that The Godfather is not a documentary but rather is a work of fiction, it becomes easier to bring romantic views of social banditry into the picture. Is the Godfather a hero or a villain? Depending on perspective, an argument can be made either way. For me, as a person who always saw the quintessential social bandit, Robin Hood, as a hero, Don Vito Corleone is a compelling and attractive figure.
Vito Corleone, as the Godfather, did both good and evil. But he stands in stark distinction to his son, Michael. The criticism of social bandits is that they are all simply bandits, with Michael Corleone, acting as Godfather, as a prime example. He demonstrates a raw brutality that disdains the many virtues of Vito Corleone. Nothing conveys his dark and unforgiving nature more clearly than the Baptism Scene. As he stands as Godfather for his nephew, Anthony Rizzo, we see the corrosive and corruption influence of greed and power. We see the carefully orchestrated murders of Moe Green, Philip Tattaglia, Emilio Barzini and a variety of other Family leaders and soldiers. Whereas the wedding scene shows the joy of celebration surrounding the favor and then reciprocal service dynamic, the Baptism scene is pure brutality. It’s the difference between Vito Corleone and Michael Corleone. We need to examine that scene closely in another section of this work since its importance is second only to the Wedding Scene. But first, we need to look more carefully at the Corleone son who surprisingly succeeded the Don after his death, Michael. Michael is a complex character who starts as an idealist and ends the movie series as a reprehensible monster. It is Michael who turns the movie from Hollywood fantasy to brutal reality.”

(c) 2017