The Godfather
Spoken Essay Notes
Choose a film which you think has a definite turning point or decisive moment.
Explain briefly what happens at that point or moment and go onto explain why you
think it is so important to the rest of the film.
In your answer you must refer closely to the text and to at least two of plot, editing,
soundtrack, aspects of mise en scene such as lighting and use of camera or any other
appropriate feature.
Before
Michael says to Kay “That’s my family Kay not me”. He is in uniform - war hero. Very
distant from family but a key character. Outside of family business but important to the
family unlike Fredo. Trusted and reliable. “Mickey” “Mike” was used as nicknames
from the family when he wasn’t part of the business. Michael is never seen in the family
house. Framing shows Michael is going to be an important character – always in the
middle of the frame. When Don Corleone is shot Michael is not contacted and finds out
from a newspaper. Sonny blames Paulie for being of ill when the Godfather was shot and
demands that he is killed. When Michael is being shown how to cook Kay phones and
says “I love you tell me you love me” the atmosphere is friendly. Michael and Kay have
dinner, romantic music, Kay says “when will I see you again Michael?” Michael leaves
with no indication to when he will return.
Before the Hospital scene Michael is seen as a respectable young man who has nothing to
do with the family business and you think he is incapable of killing anyone. Although
you can tell from the framing and the way he is always in the middle of the shot that he is
going to become an important character. Also the way Don Corleone talks of Michael
when the photo is being taken you can tell that he means a lot to Don and although Don
wants him to become a governor or senator the importance he is putting on him shows
that he is going to be a significant character.
Hospital Scene
Music/Sounds
Leitmotifs – The Godfather theme and the Michael theme are played throughout this
scene as well as tension music and an orchestra.
Inside the hospital – Michael’s theme is played as a funeral dirge accompanied by a slow
pulse that sounds like a heart
Don’s room – the pulse continues punctuated by an English horn phrase every fourth
measure.
Moving Don – no music is being played and all you can hear is the fast footsteps coming
up the stairs getting louder and louder.
When Michael returns to his father and tells him he is with him now the godfather theme
is played with a folk like accompaniment and distorted harmonies.
Plot
Michael firstly arrives at the hospital and you can see Christmas decorations and a tree,
which set a warm, family mood. It changes dramatically so when he enters into the
hospital and he sees that all the guards that were there for his father have disappeared,
evidence of this is that sandwiches have been abandoned half eaten. Michael then runs
up the stairs unaware of what he is going to find in his fathers room but Don is lying in
the bed. After entering the room a nurse joins him and tells him to leave and also informs
him that the guards were ordered to leave. Michael then phones Sonny and tells him “I
won’t panic”. Michael gets the nurse to move his father because there will be another
assassination attempt. When they are moving him they start to hear footsteps coming up
the stairs and Michael hides behind the door unaware of who it is. A mysterious figure
appears and it turns out to be the baker, who offers his services to help the Godfather.
Michael returns to Don and tells him “I’m with you now, I’m with you” this moment is
the turning point in the film as you see Michael is now going to join his father in the
business.
Lighting
Outside before Michael goes into the hospital it is nighttime so all you can see is the dark
and the Christmas lights.
Inside the hospital the corridors are very bright and white with big lights shining
In the Godfather’s room however the lighting is warm, a sort of golden glow from a light
shining over his bed.
After
After the hospital scene Michael changes considerably and his darker side is revealed and
we are shown what he is capable of. He shows this by calmly saying what he is going to
do to get revenge on Sollozzo and McClusky, as he knows they will not leave his father
until he kills them. His intelligence shows through as he thinks up of the plan and
suggests how to go about assassinating the men. The other brothers laugh at Michael
when he suggests his plan but he convinces them and he caries it though, assassinating
McClusky and Sollozzo in public.
His character declines from the once relaxed and good-natured man to a colder character
that will do what ever it takes necessary to make sure of his family position at the top.
He becomes ruthless and intent on finishing all family business in one day. As Michael
knows he is going to be killed, he organises for the five heads of the family to be
murdered. When he dispatches with Carlo (his sister’s husband) who is blamed with
Sonny’s death, he denies having anything to do with Carlo’s death when asked by Connie
and Kay. You can tell Michael’s character has changed because his way of dressing
resembles that of the other mafia men.
In the last scene of the film Michael is very much in the centre frame, and a long shot is
shown of Kay blurred out in the background with Michael in focus, this shows that Kay’s
character has also changed dramatically and she is not as bold as she used to be.