Oral Presentation Part 1: Genre and Audience

The Godfather 

I would classify The Godfather as a movie following many of the conventions of the crime and drama genres in film. I would like to argue that the film took many ideas and followed conventions followed by Noirs. Overall, the film can be easily said to be a gangster film. The lighting is one of the biggest elements that expresses that The Godfather is a noir. Many of the scenes are underexposed. Even when the sun is clearly out and the events are joyous (like the wedding), there still is a dark tone present that is always looming over the characters. There are shadows everywhere. Single point lighting only one side of the face portrays the transforming of a character from a side of goodness to a side of evil.

It is one of the biggest launching points for mob/gangster movies in America due to its legacy and impact on the industry. Francis Ford Coppola was the director of the film. The film was based on the crime novel published in 1969 by the same name. It was written in San Francisco in the North Beach District in the building now known as the Coppola tower. The district was and still is known as the Italian community in San Francisco. The writer was influenced by this community. Both the direcor and the writer wanted to explore the themes of family and revenge. Most of Coppola's other work is similar to the ideas and dark themes portrayed in The Godfather. He finished the Godfather trilogy by directing all of the three films. In a addition, he made films such as Apocalypse Now, The Outsiders, however, he has experimented with comedies like Jack. A common idea in all of his movies shows gangs, family, fulfillment, and in general people being oppressed. Still, he's varied enough in his work that this statement is not true for a lot. The audience for this film would be anyone interested in the crime mob genre. Family values are closely tied to this, but they are explored in a violent manner. This violence is key because there is always danger present (it seems) in every scene of the film. The story does not allow for the audience to rest or think as if everything is going to restore to its natural state. Once the audience does that, the impact of the violence is even more impactful. The death of Lucabrazzi is a clear example of this. The audience thinks that they know what is going to happen, but his death is unforeseen and unexpected.

Film's themes:
- The importance of family 
- Business vs. Personal life
- The desire for revenge 
- The need for respect