Scarface, starring Al Pacino, is the greatest film to ever hit the film industry. Scarface was released in December 1983 and is technically assumed to be a remake of the 1932 Scarface movie. The 1932 Scarface film was centered in Chicago during the Depression-era, however, the 1983 remake shifted the action from Chicago to Miami during the 1980s-era (Bayard). The directors did this on purpose; because the 1980s-era was the time the Mariel Harbor boat lift happened, thus in a approach to give the movie a new relevance (Berardinelli).…
One of the most inspiring movies of all time in terms of cinema, The Godfather directed by Francis Ford Coppola, uses a style of cinema that was unheard of until the creation of this movie. Coppola, a master of tone, uses many different forms of cinematography in order to make the audience feel the emotions in which he wants them to feel. Through different forms of cinematography, along with different styles of rhetorical elements in dialogue, Coppola was able to effectively portray the post-colonialism oppression against immigrants while explaining the necessary respect when dealing with the Italian mafia in order to achieve an effective argument in this situation.…
Through out history crime has existed not only through individuals but groups, some organized others not. Crime knows no boundaries: it exists in all cultures, is committed by every race, and has existed in all time periods. The Mafia was started for the purpose to create a family orientated organization of Sicilians to gain freedom, and has grown to become one of the most successful organized crime syndicates, that over time has fascinated many people. The mafia through all its publicised terror and famous court hearings have left an impression on our society that will not be forgotten. For many incentives such as money and power, the mafia grew popular and eventually spread through out the world.…
There are many signs in the film that shows the audience how Michael Corleone belongs in the mafia. This is shown by Michael’s actions, where he…
Everyone has heard of the notorious Al Capone. Gang leader from Chicago who is responsible for many murders. What some may not know is that he was also a part of a much larger organization known as The Mafia. Defined by Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary as a “secret criminal society” the Mafia controls all organized crime in a particular area. They knew how to get what they wanted without getting caught and were not afraid of anything or anyone. Although the Mafia is still around today their prime years were from the 1920’s to the 1970’s. Beginning in the late 19th century organized crime rose in popularity among American people. The Mafia and its following depended on family ties, secrecy, and loyalty as they participated…
“This life of ours, this is a wonderful life. If you can get through life like this and get away with it, hey, that’s great. But it’s very, very unpredictable. There’s so many ways you can screw it up” (“Famous Mob Quotes.” 1). Despite public misconception of the Italian Mafia, it has not always been the murderous, cold-hearted killers known today. The Mafia actually began as a way of protection. When the government took advantage over the common people, the Mafia would take the law into their own hands. The organization simply became too big for its britches and was forced to expand. When social issues arose, the Mafia extended to America and became the sophisticated society seen today. Beginning as small guilds and families in Sicily, Italy,…
Today, most individuals are used to the modern Ratings system and enjoy very little censorship in movies. However, it did not always used to be this way. Starting in the 1930's, movies were required to follow a strict set of rules and morals called the Motion Picture Production Code. When the Production Code was abandoned in the 1970's, directors gained more freedom than ever when making movies ("Hollywood Censored: The Production Code."). One film that came during this time is The Godfather, based on the novel by Mario Puzo, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, starring Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Richard Castellano, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard Conte, and Diane Keaton. The Godfather tells the story of a family involved in the mafia. The head of the family, Don Vito Corleone, is known as "Godfather." Throughout the film, the audience sees a mob war being fought between the…
Martin Scorsese does an exquisite job of making this film real. When Henry is still young, his innocence is displayed so subtly, but with profound clarity. The same can be said for all the scenes in the movie. The characters often seem to live in a different world, with their frequent killings and the absence of emotion that they display. Then all of a sudden, you'll find yourself identifying with the character, and they will seem so classically human. The Gangster, as Robert Warshow puts it, is a “quintessential 'tragic hero', a character whose very nature and deeds ultimately condemn them to a short and fruitless existence, outside of the boundaries of normal society”. The Gangster's place within cinema is an important one, and the genre has now developed to a point of sophistication far beyond the flailing reach of the petty criminals on which it was based.…
It is the larger picture the writer and director want people to see throughout it. The mafia is what ran the streets of New York during this time period. The entire movie was based around the mafia and their activities. The gambling, the bars, the violence. It was all a part of the mafia and its power. The opposing side to the power issue with the mafia is that of what his father tries to teach him in regards to it as well as to the issues of racism and the morals a person should have. The issues his father brings into the film all play into the way the characters interact with each other and the smaller picture that is going on inside the mafia-run streets of New York in the…
In the Godfather they are a mob family who are all Italian. An Italian /mafia stereotype is how they have 2 Families, one is there blood family and the other one is there "gangster" family. The Don loves and cares about his real family but treats his other family as if they were related and would do almost "anything" for them. Family plays a major role in the Godfather . The men are part of the family business where as the women are preoccupied with…
The Godfather and Goodfellas are both considered “mafia movies.” Both of these films portray some form of organized crime committed by Italians. They mutually romanticize the mob lifestyle and depict it with pure clarity. Although both of these movies portray the lives of the same kind of people, they are more than just a simple characterization. Violence plays a major role in each of these films. The Godfather and Goodfellas are obviously very similar. However, they also have several aspects that differ from one another.…
The movie is focused around the life of a man by the name of Tony Montana and depicts his rise to power from a political refugee from Cuba to a drug warlord. In the course of the movie, Tony Montana also known as Scarface, is able to go from a dishwasher in a small restaurant to a very powerful man in the States through the drug trafficking and distribution of large amounts of Columbian cocaine. The movie shows Scarface’s rise to fame and then his downfall caused mainly through cause and effect. Now that I have briefly described the summary of the film, let us focus on other factors of this film.…
The Godfather is a tragic tale of life, death, family, murder, and vendettas. At the heart of this tragic story is Michael Corleone, the son of Don Vito Corleone. In the beginning of the film Michael has just gotten back from the war and he’s a hero, who tries to disassociate himself from his family, due to their illegal activities. That is until his father gets shot and he is practically forced to run the family. He is the definition of a tragic hero.…
The Godfather - The aging patriarch of an organized crime circle must secure the future of his family’s empire by leaving it in the hands of his reluctant son.…
The major conflict of the novel concerns Don Vito Corleone and his youngest son Michael. As the Corleones become engaged in a mob war against four of the other five major crime families of New York, Michael against his intent finds himself succeeding Vito as head of the Corleone Family. The story begins at Connie Corleone’s wedding to Carlo Rizzi at which her father (Vito), Tom Hagen (the soon-to-be Consigliere), and Santino Corleone (Vito’s oldest son and the Underboss) are attending to the family business upstairs. Michael arrives with his girl friend Kay Adams (a White Anglo-Saxon Protestant), and during the festivities Michael explains to Kay about his family and their involvement in organized crime and how he’s not like them and wants to live a legitimate life. Unlike Tom, who is an adopted son, and Fredo and Santino who are both biological sons of Vito, Michael is treated as a civilian by the mob world as a result of his refusal to be involved in the family business.…