The Godfather Part II & American Gothic
An example of Francis Ford Coppola's brilliance
By Jaustin
Francis Ford Coppola’s 4 movie run is among the most impressive artistic feats in history. Within that run is 1974’s epic, “The Godfather Part II”, starring De Niro, Pacino, Duvall, Diane Keaton, and much more.
The Godfather series is very Shakespearean. While the first tells the tragedy of Michael Corleone’s downward spiral by reluctantly following his father’s footsteps, Part II fleshes out Michael’s fall decades later. However, the real genius of Part II isn’t in Michael’s dealings with Hyman Roth, it is in the flashbacks of Michael’s father, how Don Vito came to be and his rise to glory.
In the scene above, we see Vito cradling baby Michael with blood on his hands. This shot is moments after Vito assassinated the mobster oppressing his family. Yet, there is still a wave of pessimism in the air. The pessimism arises from Vito’s reality, he’s merely traded one form of oppression for another. Sure, he’s no longer under the mob’s thumb, but now he’s subject to the American capitalist spirit, the culture that permits you to take what’s yours in the name of freedom. The shot is eerily reminiscent of the famous painting “American Gothic” by Grant Wood, which depicts the steadfast, emotionless American spirit the rest of the world has become subject to.
Here, Vito tells Michael everything he’s done, is for him. This line captures the theme of the series; duty to family versus country. Vito, raised in the old country was taught family takes precedence. Michael on the other hand, rejecting the sins of his father, saw the fight for freedom as the virtuous path, hence why he fought in WWII (against Italy). Vito didn’t want his son fighting for his country, nor did he want him to follow after him. Ultimately though, Vito’s sins spill onto Michael, just like the blood on his hands. In the end, he’s left with a country fighting against him, and no family around to console him.
This mere frame captures the essence of The Godfather and is an example of why Coppola’s aesthetic eye rivals anyone in history.