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.