Class Act- Character foil: Michael and Sonny

     Michael and Sonny come from the same family but end up taking different routes in life; in fact almost opposite paths in life. At first, Michael chose to take the life of a normal person; going to the military, not getting involved with the family business, but then, he chose to take the life his brother, Sonny, was taking because of what had happened to his father. Sonny chose to take the life of a member of organized in the first place. They are both qualified and one of them is most likely to take on the role of the next don after their father. Sonny is a character foil for Michael, their actions and choses have made them different.

     The personalities of Michael and Sonny are quite different to start off with. Michael, as we have seen in the movie is more calm, quite, knows what to do in dangerous situations and deals with situations less violently than Sonny. It seems like his mind is built for the maifa business more than Sonny's is. The Godfather and Tom Hagen both attack a situation or solve a problem with calmness and quietness (not yelling all the time). Sonny, on the other hand, usually deals with situations by yelling and getting all mad etc. Usually, people involved with organized crime deal with things in a somewhat calm matter, besides shooting people. When Tom Hagen was talking with Woltz and persuading him to give Jonny Fontane the movie, Tom was the one that was calm when Woltz was loud.
      Michael has met two scarlet women when Sonny has met only one: Kay, which does not even count because Michael introduced her to him. Michael will get or has already got either help or some downfall from these two women when Sonny did not. This could either help Michael or reduce his chances of being the next don.
       Michael and Sonny could be very different but they also have many similarities within them. These similarities give them both the potential to be the next don.
       

Michael: The Next Don (please read this one)

     In previous posts I have talked about how Michael changed throughout the part of the movie we saw in class. I characterized him first as an outsider then a hero. He really stepped up and provided help for the family when they really needed it. This week we have watched further into the movie and more evidence of Michael being the next don has been depicted.
     I noticed when Michael was heading to the restaurant with Sollozzo and McCluskey in the car he was in the middle of Sollozzo and McCluskey. There was at least one time that the lighting from the back of the car enlightened him while the lighting on Sollozzo and McCluskey was almost pitch black.  This can symbolize that Michael is the next don because his light and power diminishes everyone elses. This is similarly shown when the Godfather was in power. Mr. McGuigan pointed out in the beginning of the movie that when the Godfather was at his office during his daughter's wedding there was a shadow of a hallo over his head. This could represent that the he is a God or an angel with great power.
      The noises of the train that are in the scene where Michael plans to kill Sollozo and McCluskey may represent a new beginning because Michael can not really have a normal life out of the mafia business if he decides to kill Sollozzo and McCluskey. The noises from the train may also symbolize Michael never being able to turn back from now on and his heart beat and nervousness to kill them (the noises are not always constant, it gets louder overtime). Michael does kill Sollozzo and McCluskey so he has to leave and go somewhere far away so no one can find him and have the chance of killing him for revenge. He cannot turn back now, if he goes and lives a normal life with Kay, people that want revenge (The Tattaglias) will harm him.
        Sonny and Michael are brothers that will most likely get the role of the don after there father; however, this is not possible anymore because some people, probably the Tattaglias, have killed Sonny. Also, the name Michael means a militant archangel, which is an angel of high rank that is aggressive ("Michael | Define Michael at Dictionry.com") especially in a serious situation (when The Godfather almost dies). It is all up to Michael now to help his father with the business and to make it a success. Michael has the brains to do this and is willing to do so now, after his father's incident. I am eager to find out what will happen with the Corleone family and their business.

Bibliography

"Michael | Define Michael at Dictionary.com." Dictionary.com | Find the
               Meanings and Definitions of  Words at Dictionary.com. Web. 09 Dec. 
               2011. <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/michael>.

Literary Features Hunt-The use of oranges and the colour orange in "The Godfather"

    Coppola, has added many oranges and has used the colour orange in many of the scenes in The Godfather to show danger, death, something bad is about to happen, sad mood or atmosphere and sometimes coincidence.  Since The presence of the colour orange or oranges have been presented throughout the part of the movie that we have watched in class.
     One of the examples that I noticed that show death and danger through the use of the colour orange is when Luca Brasi talks to Bruo Tattaglia and Sollozzo. The glass next to the door  Brasi was going to enter through to talk to Bruno Tattaglia and Sollozzo had fishes on it. The camera focused on these fishes before going on and filming Brasi and their conversation. These fishes meant that something "fishy" or strange was going to happen. These fishes were clear translucent in colour and the light in the room behind the glass was reddish orange in colour, which makes the fish look orange, which was a coincidence. Luca Brasi was killed later, after the conversation, which means that the fish symbolize both strangeness and danger and death. Another example, also having to do with fish, happens when Sonny and the Corleone family find out that that Luca Brasi died. When a package containing a bullet-proof vest with a fish wrapped up in it  is sent to the Corleone's, the fish had the colour orange on it and it symbolizes the death of Luca Brasi.
     Other examples include: the oranges that were being sold in a market when The Godfather was getting shot, the orange flowers that Enzo brings when he visits The Godfather and the orange Christmas lights hung around the city and the arch of the entrance to the hospital where The Godfather was staying. There are much more examples than the ones I have mentioned above and I believe there will be a lot more coming up in the movie. The symbols of oranges and the colour orange may soon play a more obvious part in figuring out and coming up with a theme that is depicted in the movie.

Archetypes: The Hidden Hero in Michael Corleone

     I characterized Michael Corleone as an outsider to his family in one of my previous posts but after watching further into the movie there were many pieces of evidence that shows that he is really becoming part of the Corleone family and their business. It is starting to show that Michael is the real hero in The Godfather. So far, after his father almost died, he came to take care of the father and promised to be with him. When the Godfather says "You spend time with your family?" and "Good. 'Cause a man who doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man." to Jonny Fontantane, he is probably taking about Michael and how he is not a hero because he does not spend time with his family. "Just lie here, Pop. I'll take care of you now. I'm with you now. I'm with you... "When Michael told his dad that he was going to join his dad, a smile appeared on the Godfather's face.
     Michael follows the stages of a hero's journey, at least so far in the movie more than the Godfather. He has just passed the steps and stages of the beginning of a hero's journey. Michael has past the first stage and has also passed the second stage of the hero's journey. He is on to either the third stage or almost on to  the fourth stage of the hero's journey. He was reluctant to accept the job of working with his family and being involved in the mafia buisness. He is not inexperienced in the mafia business; however, he knows what to do in many situations to solve the problems better than Sonny does. When his father almost died and was in the hospital, with no guards there to protect him, Michael knew what to do and did not panic. When he called Sonny to let him know about this, Sonny told him not to worry and he said he would not and then hung up on the phone. Michael is feeling that the family, or at least his brother looks down on him and his ability to cope with the family business. He has entered the second stage of the hero's journey which is to go into a new world gaining a different perspective. He is starting to realize that his family is more important than Kay and that the mafia business needs him. The third stage is when Michael agrees to go kill the cop that slapped him across the face and that was bribed by Sollozzo. The fourth stage has not happened yet but is going to happen later in the movie. This is when, Michael kills the cop and Sollozzo. Stage four of the hero's journey is about going to a place that yo have never been to before and the hero is reborn some way (physically, emotionally, spiritually).
       Archetypes that I have noticed throughout the movie that are likely to represent Michael's journey of being a hero are the journey, the initiation, the ritual, young man from the provinces, the initiates, the quest and the magic weapon. I am not sure if these will all be implied further than they are portrayed now in the future of Michael's journey.
       The initiation, is portrayed through the scenario from the start of the movie when Michael is an outsider to the family because of what he wore, Kay, his ways of doing things etc. to the part where he steps up in the family by joining his family and their business. After his dad almost died, he regained new strength and dreams. The ritual is shown throughout the movie, the string of events that have happened to his family (the wedding, the business, his almost dead father etc.) Kay (how she makes him different) may all contribute to his entering into the family's business. Young man from the provinces is shown when he joins the family business and when the audience finds out that he is somewhat portrayed as having pass knowledge of  how to run an organized crime.  Maybe, he was born with the brain of a someone who is good at thinking of sneaking things to do and getting out of things. When he joins the family, he sees new ways of doing things and suddenly has the courage to kill the cop and Sollozzo.
       I am interested in what Michael's journey will look like in the rest of the movie. Will it still follow the Joseph Campbell's hero's journey, or will his journey turn around somewhere?

Archetypes

    The Godfather follows Joseph Campbell's concept of the Hero's Journey. There are five stages of a Hero's Journey. So far, in the movie, only about two or three stages have been partially or completely developed. The first stage is departure, it is when the Hero is asked to do go on his journey but he does not want to. Marlon Brando who was casted as the godfather refused to accept because he did not want to glorify the mafia but he decided to go with it and be the Godfather. I do not think the godfather actually glorifies organized crime, he just does it for a living because he may not have any other skill.  In The Godfather, the godfather most likely did not want to do organized crime in the beginning but then he decided to because he wanted to live a life full of extravagance and after he started to do organized crime it probably became a part of him. He was probably to use to living the life of a leader of organized crime and could not help himself from withdrawing from that kind of a life.
      The second stage of a Hero's Journey is initiation, this is when the hero goes into a more dangerous world where he has to do more dangerous and important tasks. In The Godfather, this is when the wedding is over and is when Jack Woltz enters the scene and when the Godfather asks Tom Hagen to fly to Hollywood to ask Jack Woltz to let Jonny Fontane be in his movie. This is the climax of the story, before this the scenes are relatively calm and festive and not at all serious or dangerous. The Godfather is always calm, when Woltz's horse died, he did not show any emotion; he just stuck to what he was supposed to do.
       There are other archetypes that are shown in the movie. So far, the symbolic archetypes that have come up are light vs. darkness, inside vs. outside and festive and loud vs. inside, quiet and serious.Darkness, inside, quiet and serious all relate to the mafia (crime) life when the opposites of these symbolic archetypes listed above relate to normal life.All these symbolic archetypes are connected together to form the movie. In The Godfather, it is always darker inside than it is outside. When the characters are inside the mood is more serious, sad and dangerous than it is outside; where is it festive,  loud and full of happiness. For example, at the beginning of the movie, Bonasera's face is so serious when he is explaining what happened to his daughter to the Godfather and what he wants the Godfather to do to help him with his problems. As soon as the Godfather steps out of his office and attends his daughter's wedding; however, his mood changes to a happier and friendlier mood. Another place where this is happening is when Woltz's prized horse is killed. Woltz finds out that his horse is killed in the dark, when he is inside and the atmosphere is calm and quiet.
      These symbolic archetypes have been played with a lot in the parts of the movie that we have already watched in class and will most likely continue to do so throughout the movie.These archetypes may have something to do with the theme and central idea of the movie because there are many pieces of evidence that lead back to these archetypes.

Literary Features Hunt: characterization and symbolism

        Michael: one of the sons of the Godfather, is characterized as if he does not want to be belong in the Corleone  family. He is a an outsider from his family and it looks like, he wants to be."We're not taking the picture without Michael"says the Godfather. The godfather knows that Michael does not want to be apart of or have anything to do with the mafia business. "Luca Brais held a gun to his head, and my father assured him that either his brains--or his signature--would be on the contract. That's a true story. That's my family, Kay. It's not me." Michael is explaining to Kay how he is not like the rest of his family and he is not involved with illegal crime. He is trying to get away from his family and living his own life with no influence by his family for making him do the wrong thing. His family; however, still treats him as a family because they are not willing to take the family picture without him. "Santino, go tell your brothers that I went them to come with me to visit Genco to pay their respects. Tell Fredo to drive the big car... outside now." says the godfather."Sonny (Santino): "Uh, Pop... Michael?"The Godfather: "All my sons" The Godfather includes Michael in his list of who is going to come visit Genco with him even though, he knows that Michael is probably not going to attend. 

                   Symbolism is also used in The Godfather to display how Michael is trying to be extraordinarily different from his family. For example, he dresses in an army suit when he attends the wedding and he brings a non Silican girl to the wedding. Kay Adams, the girl that he brought to the wedding, stands out in the crowd and is an outsider just like Michael. When Kay arrives at the wedding she is dressed in a red dress while everyone else is wearing other colours including white. Coincidentally, everyone else at the wedding was wearing either a red or white flower, besides Michael and her. Is it a coincidence that Michael brought a girl that is dressed in red?
        Other things in the movie that contributes to the motif of outsiders include: the Godfather and his mafia crime is an outsider with the normal people (he has enough money to invite many people to his daughter's extravagant wedding) and how Tom Hagen is an outsider to the Godfather's family because he was adopted by the Corleone family. Even though Tom Hagen is somewhat an outsider to the Godfather's family, the Godfather treats him kindly and he is a big help to the godfather's business. The Godfather has a sweet and friendly heard to his family but a violent and dangerous one to others, especially if they are involved with his mafia crime.