Gang life, family loyalty, justice, and power--these are all themes that are present in The Godfather. The theme that I'm going to discuss, however, is the segregation of certain people from the family business, particularly women. Don Corleone states in the opening sequence that "a man that never spends time with his family can never be a real man". So, a man should devote himself to his family, but should also maintain a certain level of secrecy in order to keep the family together. This will be evident in my final point later on. I'm going to focus on Kay Adams' perspective because she offers the most accessible, due to the social differentiation between her and the other characters she interacts with.
This movie is about a family that is working tirelessly to preserve itself and make clear the often blurry line between family and business. But, in order to keep the family alive, it's imperative that certain information not be spoken to certain parties. This often leads certain family members to commit brutal acts of murder.
The scene after the shooting of the Don, when Michael and Kay are walking by Radio City Music Hall and Kay sees the paper about the shooting, provides visible insight into this idea of segregation of outsiders from knowing certain personal business. The shot of Michael inside the phone booth and Kay on the outside looking in reinforces this idea. Not only is Kay watching Michael, but we are as well, from the other side, in the booth. What this means for us is that we are not outsiders. The same cannot be said about Kay. We are allowed the privilege of listening to the critical conversations, although it’s merely in a passive capacity; we are powerless to stop violent acts when they arise.
Another key example of this separation and segregation is the final scene, when Michael deceives Kay into thinking that he's innocent in the killing of Connie's husband Carlo. When she leaves the room to go get drinks, she turns to look down the hallway and back into the room. What the camera is focused on are the three guys in the office (who just killed a plethora of powerful people in scenes prior). They are essentially pledging allegiance to the new Don. The camera, throughout the whole movie, has shown us the true nature of all of these characters. Moreover, in times of deception, such as this, the camera continues to show us the truth, while leaving those who have been deceived in the dark. In this instance, Kay is out of focus because we are supposed to see what's really going on while it's still unclear to her just what it is her husband does.
The final shot in the scene, of Kay's confused facial expression being shut out by the door, along with the last musical notes ending on a tritone instead of resolving, is affirmation that women are not allowed within the family business, even if she is the wife of the leader of the family.
This idea of segregation works on different levels, but is most obvious through Kay. Her curiosity is piqued from the beginning, but what is it that keeps Kay out? Is it an inability or unwillingness for her to understand what the family is about?
Kendrel Dickerson -Group 3-
ReplyDeleteI like this theme of segregation, it is one we wouldnt obviously think of. It's not as apparent. but it does make sense. Everything that goes on inside of the Family is off limits to anyone who is not in the Family Business. The examples used were prime examples on how we are let into the world, we are made part of their world, while all outsiders remain just that, outsiders.
Now the idea that is really interesting here and makes me propose a question, is it just outsiders or is it the women who are a part of the family too? It seems all women are not directly in the mix of anything that goes on in the Family Business. There is a really good point in this blog, its that of the camera angles and how it takes different perceptions. It allows us to enter into a world where outsiders are not allowed and at the same time it keeps the outsiders out, the director is clever this way.
Another really interesting thing idea that is something to think about is at the beginning when Michael tells Kay that thats his Family not him and how he eventually makes the transformation. He gradually makes his way into this world and Kay stays on the outskirts. It shows who is allowed in, they were both once on the same side and Michael is welcomed, almost forced in, but Kay is not allowed.
This is a good way to recognize how these things are noticed in a film, through dialogue, through insinuation, through camera angles, and through actions of other people. So we know these things because of what we see through camera blurrs and angles. We know through what Michael says and what Kay sees and does not see.