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The Pop Culture Film The Godfather And Its Influence On Contemporary Society

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The Pop Culture Film The Godfather And Its Influence On Contemporary Society

 

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The Pop Culture Film The Godfather And Its Influence On Contemporary Society

Introduction

The Godfather was a film directed by Francis Ford Coppola in 1972. It turned out to be a great success and a famous film too. The gangster film revolves around Don Carleone, an Italian American and his family. The film is filled with revenge, betrayal, and morality issues. All the violence and betrayal aim to gain power and wealth. Its relevance in the American culture is that Don Carleone wished that his family and he would achieve the “American dream,” which is somewhat elusive to many. He was willing to attain this and be the most powerful man he could be at whatever cost. At the core of this film is how Michael Corleone, Don’s son, transforms into a Mafia boss from a pure war veteran who was a university graduate. His values and ideals slowly but gradually get eroded, and he soon joins his father in the Mob.  Even though the film was released many years ago, it has not lost its popularity, and its effects can still be felt in American culture. It is an artifact of pop culture, which is as alive in contemporary society as it was back in the ’70s. With this understanding, it is crucial to delve deeper into this monumental artifact and investigate its impact on Western society in the present day.

 

How contemporary society is reflected in The Godfather

The American Dream.

Some significant words articulated in the film are “I believe in America,” which draws the viewers’ attention to the fact that the reason why the characters do anything is to attain the “American dream” (Hester & Eglin, 2017). The culture in the film shows how power and money led to social stratification. In the better part of the world we live in, Capitalism is the economic structure that is dominant (Szeman & O’Brien). This is inclusive of an emphasis on wealth creation and wealth distribution in a manner that is not equitable (Szeman & O’Brien). Even in contemporary society, there is a race towards attaining the American dream, especially in youth. They end up being willing to do anything just to get ahead. By the end of the film, the story convinces the audience of the fact that the notion of the “American dream” is a flopped one, which can lead to crime, violence, and moral decadence if pursued (Belliotti).

Legitimate and Criminal Society.

The Godfather also highlights the connection between legitimate and criminal society. The criminal underworld is a part of the modern-day culture (Saltzman, 2019). One whose influence is far-reaching and cannot be denied. The Corleones are a dynasty who has created an empire of wealth which one of Don’s sons will take over. This is a common phenomenon, especially among the elite, businesspeople, and the Mob. Sonny seems to be the one to take over. He is the eldest, fiercest, and most violent among Don’s sons. The idea of inheritance or joining the “family business” is a modern concept (Hamenstadt, 2019). Violence and cruelty among gang members, aside from their mere existence is highlighted in the film. The same thing is a reality in the present day.

The scene of the confirmation is a contract to that of the wedding portrays the metaphor that crime is analogous to a legitimate society. As Michael is becoming a godfather in the religious sense, he is also becoming the Godfather of the Mafia (Messenger, 2002). As the Church receives Michael’s son, America receives the family as part of it to corrupt the Gesellschaft ().  For instance, in the scene where Michael explains to Kay Adams, his innocent fiancée, he thinks that his father’s work is not as bas as it seems to be (Hester & Eglin, 2017). He makes the statement even though Don is a gangster and one of the most powerful men in America at the time. He says that his father is no different than any other man just as a senator or a President. Kay, who is the daughter of a clergyman, refuses to say that Michael sounds naïve, stating that Senators and Presidents don’t have men killed. This reflects the way political and business disagreements, differences, and disputes have been and still get resolved in ways that are criminal in their execution.

Religion and Morality

The theme of religion in contemporary society is a very controversial one, with some people not subscribing to any form of it whatsoever. It, however, cannot be denied as it is still part of the modern-day social fabric. Religion is highlighted throughout the film right from the onset, for instance, in the name “The Godfather,” which refers to a man who can sponsor a child for the baptism ritual (Burger, 2019). This being a Roman Catholic practice, signals the audience that there will be a lot of reference to religion and spirituality in the movie. Michael becomes a godfather to his brother-in-law’s child. He accepts baptism, renounces the devil, yet at that very moment, his hitmen finish off his enemies, and he emerges as the current “Godfather” and the leader of the Mob (Burger, 2019). Throughout the film, Coppola depicts religion as a front to hide crime and a practice for children, women, and men who are sissies. In other words, he depicts it as being for the weak. The film addresses the subject of morality, which is a common discussion in the modern-day. On the one hand there is the Irish policeman, Captain McCluskey is on the gang’s payroll and does their bidding (Phillips, 2017). Jack Woltz is a producer in Hollywood who is obsessed with sex and is also very vulgar (Phillips, 2017). On the other hand, Kay Adams is a liberal lady who is very innocent and oblivious to the violence and brutality surrounding her.

Justice and Community versus Society

Justice for the ordinary citizen is elusive and prominent people have influence even on the judiciary and court decisions and sentences. According to Don, America is not similar to the Corleones as they are conflicting social organizations. This phenomenon is what sociology terms Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft, which is “community and society,” respectively (Hamenstadt, 2019). Gemeinschaft is a culture that is dominated by tribe, blood bonds, and kinship ties. It emphasizes loyalty to friends, family, and social hierarchy. There is deep-set honor in relations as they resemble those of a servant or apprentice and their master. The Gesellschaft mode, on the other hand, is represented in modernization, and it moves away from family and friendship ties (Hamenstadt, 2019). It is the social element upon which bureaucracy and formal organizations are built in the modern-day. In the film, there is a constant conflict between these two factions. For the Corleones, their loyalty to crime is a family affair, and they show how gangs can become a regular part of life. Don Corleone embodies the Gemeinschaft in the family of the Corleones (Hamenstadt, 2019). He is a cautious man who is humble and devoted to his family. He is loyal to his family and values spending time with them. He advises his godson Johnny Fontane who has been carried away by the Gesellschaft in Hollywood (hamenstadt, 2019). This advice is meant for Santino, his son, who a sex fanatic to do the same. He tells his daughter that “even the King of Italy didn’t dare to meddle with the relationship of husband and wife” (Hamenstadt, 2019). This is right after she complains about her spouse battering her. Don propagates the philosophy that a man can only be a man within Gesellschaft and terms those who follow the American societal philosophy not to be completely human. Don tells Fontane that “You can act like a man” when the musician complains about his woes (Hamenstadt, 2019). Throughout the film, there is a tug of war between the Gesellschaft and the Gemeinschaft (Hamenstadt, 2019). The Corleones put a lot of effort to show that the life of the Mob is the real legitimate and standard kind of societal organization. This is especially hammered in through Bonasera’s ordeal when he was offered “the corrupt justice by America” when his defiled daughter’s assailants were not punished (Hamenstadt, 2019).  After propagating what a contrast between crime and mainstream society is, in the end, it turns out that they are very similar. This is since the Corleones thrive on force and fraud. It eventually integrates and becomes part of the American society.

Power

The lack of a central authority is well propagated in this film. Despite the anarchy portrayed, the Mob has an organized structure and can protect its members.  (Saltzman, 2019). In contemporary society, there is always an underworld which opposes mainstream society and is dominated by anarchy. The principal or basic unit of the Mafia is the family unit. It is depicted in the same light as the state is with the relationship between it and the Mafia, mirroring that of the government and its states (Saltzman, 2019). The Mob provides services, for example, security and opportunities like those of investment and development (Saltzman, 2019). Just like in international politics, the criminal families are in constant power struggles with each one seeking to eliminate the competition to achieve their goals, which range from financial profit to mere personal gain (Saltzman, 2019). They portray the arrangement of the criminal families into organized fronts that work together as a unit and are responsible for territories that they manage. They make treaties to avert war between families and fight each other for territory where there is animosity between them (Saltzman, 2019). There are blood relations and other associations which tie the Mafia to actual Italian families as The Godfather succeeded in selling the notion that criminal families could be of Italian descent (Saltzman, 2019).

The impact the film The Godfather has on contemporary society and whether it is negative or positive.

Language

This timeless story of Don’s family and their crime in a bid to adjust to the new normal after World War II has had a significant impact on contemporary society. It is one that has had a pervasive effect on popular culture. One of the ways in which it has changes society is in the area of language. The film has many sayings and phrases which depict power plays such as, “Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer” and “Revenge is a dish that tastes best when it is cold” (Messenger, 2002). Other common phrases are, “A lawyer with his briefcase can steal more than a hundred men with guns,” to present someone with “an offer he can’t refuse,” “family business,” to “sleep with the fishes,” and “if you have an enemy, that enemy becomes my enemy” (Messenger, 2002). These sayings speak to the philosophy that human nature stays more or less the same over time, and so do the laws of nature through which they attain and lose power. They are also a reflection of how power is gotten in the Mafia is very similar to how it is attained in government. The film has captured international and political sociology and is a good source of content for the study of cross-border international relations. The way it has brought a sense of unity across people from diverse cultures and races with the colloquialism is positive.

Social orders

Social orders continue to exist because the ones dominated allow them to do so as per Karl Marx’s theory of domination (Hamenstadt, 2019). The transformation of Michael Corleone from a war hero who is not involved in “family business” to the kingpin himself is intriguing and represents social domination on modern-day culture (Hamenstadt, 2019). Symbolic power depends on one’s perspective of the world and how that relates to social structures of objective nature (Hamenstadt, 2019) Several rituals are performed in the film which creates dispositions and leads to a transformation of the character as is the case with Michael Corleone whose hexis adjusts over time (Hamenstadt, 2019). The film depicts him as a character whose habitus can be observed by his facial expressions and body reactions as the transformation to a member of the Mafia occurs (Hamenstadt, 2019). In contemporary society, law enforcement officers usually find copies of The Godfather in the homes of members of the Mob. After the release of the film, they claim that Mafiosi began speaking like some of the characters in the movie-making listening to wiretaps a very entertaining affair. The negative influence of social orders is widely felt in society as they lead to discrimination and domination.

Violence

The Godfather depicted violence in a different way. It was brutal in the dealings of the Mob. It included the heads of dead horses appearing in peoples’ beds, blowing up of expectant wives, a lot of gunfire, strangulation in the back seat of cars, among other acts of violence (Boddu, 2015). It glorifies violence in a way that makes it exciting to the audience (Boddu, 2015). It changes the film industry, making it a more common feature in Hollywood films from its debut onwards. It also shows how organized crime operates and has grown in Hollywood, New York, Las Vegas, and in government (Boddu, 2015). Before this film, most heroes fought the rich and corrupt to reward the poor more or less like Robin Hoods (Marinaccio, 2013). In The Godfather, the perspective was from within the Mafia, and it included the corruption within the political front along with social decadence in a way no film had done before (Belliotti). Even though for the screen violence has been glorified, it is a vice that caused many untimely demises.

 

 

Discrimination

Socially, the movie influenced the people to see Italians differently by removing the stereotypes which had been slammed on them, thereby making American culture more Italian-friendly (Thurman, 2018). Coppola managed to redefine how Italians in America were viewed. At a time when due to discrimination, the immigrants were at the bottom of the social strata in America, Vito Corleone had become a powerful Mafia boss who was equally feared and respected (Marinaccio, 2013). The affect of the film allowed the audience to react to the experiences they were exposed to, creating a different pattern of thought (Guins & Cruz). Freud says that people usually have a predominant rationale behind the way they feel (Guins & Cruz). During exposure to an artifact such as The Godfather film, the audience had to reinterpret their paradigms and adopt a new worldview that is congruent with theirs (Guins & Cruz). Coppola maximized the emotions of the audience to drive his point home and, in the process, still win the heart of Americans and the world at large. This is a positive effect of this artifact in society as there is more awareness of social discrimination.

The Lion-fox Polarity

Another way the film impacts contemporary society is through the “lion-fox polarity” philosophy (Francis, 2019). The matter comes up in the scene where Don’s sons Tom and Santino argue about what to do about the assassination attempt on their father’s life (Francis, 2019). Santino, who is known and feared for his violence, thinks that they should cause a bloodbath with their rivals who work closely with their father’s nemesis (Francis, 2019).  This is about combining the fierceness of the lion with the cunningness of the fox in proper balance. According to the artifact, many leaders do not know how to keep this delicate balance and rely on either option too much. Tom is the adopted son of Don and is crafty and subtle, the fox. Santino, on the other hand, is the lion (Francis, 2019). They continuously butt their heads due to their disparity in the methods of doing stuff. Michael can balance the two. He suggests that he should accept a meeting with Sollozzo, their father’s enemy claiming to want to negotiate. Since he was not officially involved with the Mafia, Sollozzo would not suspect that anything could go wrong. Michael then smuggled a gun to the rendezvous, killing Sollozzo (Boddu, 2015; Francis, 2019). In so doing, he avenged for his father and went on to inherit his gang empire. He used the fierceness of a lion and the shrewdness of a fox to defeat Sollozzo (Francis, 2019). This has shaped the philosophy of many organizations and bodies for the better.

Masculinity and The Godfather Effect

The movie tells the story of the Mob from the perspective of the Mafia rather than from the perspective of law enforcers showing us their humanity (Boddu, 2015). The producer portrays Don and his family as family men who love their families and are loyal to them. The film is also filled with scenes of domination of the male gender over the female (Boddu, 2015; Hamenstadt, 2019; Guins & Cruz). The characters maintain their traditional roles. The men in the film are the providers and go to any length to protect their families.  The women are more docile and nurture their families apart from being bearers of progeny (Boddu, 2015).

The Godfather, is still popular in America today as it was almost five decades ago. This is probably because it is made up of immigrants making it very relevant in current affairs (Marinaccio, 2013; Marris). One one hand, there is the entertaining nature of this artifact and the thrilling story of brutality, violence, and revenge in the Mafia. On the other hand, the Corleones are depicted as ordinary people with families and roles, such as mother, father, or Godfather. In this way, it strikes a chord with the audience in the manner of its humanity, leading to what is popularly known as The Godfather Effect (Marinaccio, 2013; Marris).  Today, aside from just the impact it has had on social structure, The Godfather is also the name of a pizza chain. So it realizes its allusion to popular culture as it is consumed by the masses, mostly teenagers (Marinaccio, 2013).

Conclusion

  It is evident that The Godfather is a social artifact of popular culture, and it still appeals to the minds and hearts of its viewers. It has had a significant impact on society, highlighting the rise of people to power, crime, politics, and violence and how they are all an intricate part of societal practice and existence. The film also draws attention to the discrimination of immigrants in America, the effects of Capitalism, and the elusive “American dream.” The phrases that society has borrowed from the movie could be the most exciting aspect about it as they continue to be part of contemporary vocabulary and communication.

 

 

 

References

Belliotti, R. A. (2020). The Godfather as Philosophy: Honor, Power, Family, and Evil. Springer

Boddu, A. S. (2015). Revenge, Masculinity and Glorification of Violence in the Godfather, International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research, 3 (2), 6-12. Retrieved from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/274715139_Revenge_Masculinity_and_Glorification_of_Violence_in_the_Godfather

Burger, J. (2019). The catholic Imagery Of The Godfather Trilogy. Aleteia. Retrieved from:  https://aleteia.org/2019/04/07/the-catholic-imagery-of-the-godfather-trilogy/

Francis, S. (2019). Crime Story: The Godfather as Political Metaphor. Chronicles, Retrieved from: https://www.chroniclesmagazine.org/article/crime-story-the-godfather-as-political-metaphor/

Guins, R., & Cruz, O. Z. (). Popular Culture: A Reader. Sage

Hamenstadt, U. (2019). The Interplay Between Political Theory and Movies: Bridging Two Worlds (eds.). Routledge

Hester, S., & Eglin, P. (2017). A Sociology Of Crime (2nd ed.). Taylor & Francis

Marinaccio, R. (2013). The Godfather Effect: Changing Hollywood, America, And Me By Santopietro. JSTOR 3(1), 74-77. Retrieved from: https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5406/italamerrevi.3.1.0074

Marris, P., & Thornam, S. (). Media Studies (ed.). New York UP

 

Marshall, D. P. (). Celebrity And Power: Fame In Contemporary Culture. University of Minnesota Press

Saltzman, I. Z. (2019). An Offer You Can’t Refuse: On The Value Of The Godfather Trilogy In Teaching Introduction To International Relations. Journal Of Political Science Education, 15(4), 507-521, Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1080/15512169.2018.1515635

Szeman, I., & O’Brien, S. (). Popular Culture: A User’s Guide, International Edition. Wiley Blackwell

 

Messenger, C. (2002). Godfather and American Culture, The: How the Corleones Became “Our Gang”. State University of New York Press

Phillips, M. (2017). The Godfather Is The Ultimate Morality Tale. The Times. Retrieved from: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-godfather-is-the-ultimate-morality-tale-g7wmzm2qx

Thurman, K. (2018). Learning From The Past: An Examination Of Discrimination & Progression In Italian And Syrian Immigration Narratives In The American Media. Haley Mazzei Dow, Retrieved from: https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/147354/haleymd.pdf?sequence=1

 

 

 

 

 

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