The Godfather

My class was set another task; identify visual parallels and contrasts from the scene of “The Godfather” where Michael Corleone is at his son’s baptizing and his family kills the Dons’ of the other families.

If you are not familiar with this movie, there are five families who are at rivalry with each other. The heads of each family is called a Don. Michael Corleone is head of the Corleone family, after the death of his father.

This scene shows two stories at the same time, but spotlights the same “people” (The Corleone family). This scene uses montage, throughout the scene, the audience is presented with the baptizing of Michael Corleone’s son and his mobsters. There is a basic contrast between these stories, the Holy setting of the church and the murderous killing that the mobsters perform.

During this specific scene, there was a lot of focus especially on the hands and also handkerchiefs. For example, when the father of the church whips his hand and places water onto Michael’s baby and then cuts to several mobsters who whips their head with a handkerchief as if they are sweating.

The scene is very fascinating because of it’s editing. The father of the church recites his words while Michael replies, at the same time, the mobsters of the Corleone family are preparing and killing the Dons’ of the other families.
One of the best editing of montage in this scene is where Michael is asked, “Do you renounce Satan?” and Michael replies, “Yes”. Then, the audience sees the Dons’ of the other families getting shot and killed. This shows great contrast and a parallel because of his innocence in the way he replies while the audience knowingly sees his family kill the other Dons’. This effect shows how much power Michael Corleone has that even if he lies in the house of God, he is a Holy man and is protected because he has organized the killings of the other Dons’.