The Godfather (1972) & Goodfellas (1990)

The Godfather (1972)

Basic MIGRAIN:

• begins with a black screen and classic music playing as the nam"e Marlon Brando" appears and an image. "Al Pacino" introduced. Music begins before any name appears or any images - the music sets up a dramatic environment.

Key characters, Brando was already established, and this movie aimed to establish Pacino.

• familial idealogies throughout the trailer - we see images of family, weddings, children and women. The only joyous scene in the movie is a clip of a family wedding.

• "dont ever tell anyone outside the family what your thinking again" - backs up familial ideologies - introduction of violence as its a threat.

• "women and children can be careless, but not men" - sets up a patriarchal thinking, could be linked to familial ideologies as he believes he has to look after and protect the women and children.

• classic music turns into loud typical italian music.

• dark lighting - dark rooms - Brando's office.

• all wearing suits - shows wealth, sophistication, power, well established in whatever they do - capitalist ideologies ?

• we can see that Brando is the dominant figure - most respected.

• Brando is the only one who wears a red handkerchief in his suit - connotes violence and blood - relfective of his lifestyle.

• guns and violence introduced later in the trailer.
• "he'll never fear you" - typical of gangster films.

• we see several relationships - between family and men and women.

• family dinner - again backs up the familial ideologies this trailer establishes - "its my family not me" - loyalty despite orignally disagreeing with this lifestyle.

• kissing of Brandos hand - power, dominance, fear.

Goodfellas (1990)

Basic MIGRAIN:

• unlike the previous film which was tradition based when it came to the gangster lifestyle, this film makes it more about the luxury.

• begins with laughter unlike the Godfather.

• gangster lifestyle is set up to be a childhood dream, to gain wealth and luxury. "Rags to riches" song.

• "always keep your mouth shut" - violence quickly introduced - breaking car windows and blowing up cars as a child.

• large group of men greet the young boy after hes carried out a task - patriarchal ideologies - violence is a form of acceptance by these men.

• quick shots introduce 4 key things in this lifestyle - money, guns, the cross, blood.

• religious reference with the cross - lifestyle associated with italians - catholics.

• stealing of large sums of money and murder seen as casual - part of their lifestyle - accepted the violence and murder.

• "if we wanted something we just took it".

• show a joy in what they do - do not see itsdangerous or take it serious.

• gangster films usually show women as passive and weak under the mans power however here we see a woman confront Liotta's character for standing her up on a date and then holding a gun aimed at his head. She is a strong woman - it is shown that she is a jewish woman - maybe its shown to say if she was italian she would be passive like the other women in such films? only outside women can act this way?

• glamourises the lifestyle whereas the Godfather doesnt look at that aspect of the lifestyle and is more about carrying on for your family.

Related Texts:

• Scarface (1983)
• The Godfather trilogy (1974, 1992)
• One Upon A Time in America (1984)
• Casino (1995)
• Carlito's Way (1993)

SHEP -

• prohibition
• immigration in the early 1990s
• crime development
• poverty
• glamour linked to the gangster lifestyle shown through people such as Al Capone.

Cult of the Celebrity - people such as Al Capone, John Gotti etc. gained alot of importance within society and the media, they glamourised this lifestyle and made it more appealing due to the wealth they had gained. Made it more appealing to watch these types of films and learn about the life.

Moral Panic - during the period the films are set in there was a significant amount of moral panic associated with the gangster way of life, it was a threatening and dangerous thing. We learn through both movies what people outside these links thought and how they feared these people.

Hypodermic Needle Model - some may be influenced by the glamour and money, may want to take part in this kind of life, similiar to Ray Liotta's character in Goodfellas who dreamt of becoming a gangster from a young age.

Similarities & Differences

• The Godfather shows this life as more traditional, it is for the sake of the family, however, Goodfellas shows it more about the luxury and the wealth which comes with this lifestyle.
• Goodfellas has more elements of humour and comedy, the trailer begins with laughter and we see as they bury a body the are making jokes. The Godfather is more serious about these issues.
• Godfather is more family based and traditional however Goodfellas is about these group of men and what they can get out of it all.
• Goodfellas shows more female figures, and establishes one of them as stronger than most women in this film genre.
• Goodfellas glamourises violence and robberies alot more than the Godfather does.