The Godfather novel and film and the mafia

When Francis Ford Coppola's adaptation of Mario Puzo's "The Godfather" begins, we see Vito Corleone as the head of his Mafia Family, the Corleones. He is addressed by numerous characters as 'Godfather' and so we assume Vito to be the titular character. However, Vito may be a Godfather to many, but he is not The Godfather Puzo intends to create in his story. In fact, Vito's youngest son and eventual successor, Michael, is The Godfather, as named by Puzo. This is made clear using the plot structure in Godfather Parts I and II, which shows Michael's transformative path of basing his actions off his father's own past. Due to the transfer of power within the family, we can also see that, despite Michael's attempts to rebuff his chosen future and create his own path, becoming The Godfather is a destiny that Michael cannot control; in fact, it controls him(Puzo, p67).

The first thing that seems to imply that Michael is truly The Godfather is the story line of Godfather I. As the movie begins, Vito Corleone sits at his desk, and it is clear he is the head of his Mafia Family. However, our knowledge of a movie's plot is that it expresses a series of actions that often change the main character, and the dynamic result is most often associated with the title. Thus, Vito cannot be The Godfather, since he starts in this role and in the end relinquishes it to his son. Instead, Michael learns from his father's past and present actions and follows his path to becoming the Family boss, resulting in his position as The Godfather. Coppola shows through the father-son shift how a family transforms, power shifts, and titles evolve(Puzo, p67).

Godfather II opens with a telling portrait of Vito Andolini's early life; his father has died and left young Vito alone in a world of hostility, violence, and fear. Vito does not talk once in these early scenes, but he does not need to. As viewers, we can sense his saddened but strong mind during the funeral procession, his grief upon the killing of his older brother, and his heart-racing pulse while his mother dies to protect young Vito. Vito never utters a threat of revenge nor shows contempt for the local Mafia Don. However, Don Ciccio shows his intelligence when he says of Vito, It's not his words I'm afraid of. He knows that actions can be more deadly especially when these actions come from a person alone in a foreign world left with nothing but a vendetta, as is proven by Vito's later achievement of revenge.

Michael's situation in late 1950s America mimics that of his father's new life, alone in New York in 1901. After his father's death, Michael seeks revenge against those who have wronged him and his family over the years, including the men responsible for the murder attempt on his father's life. However, even after these deaths, Michael is left initially without the ability ...