Acting “The Visible Element in Film”

Acting is all about honesty. If you  can fake that, you have got it made (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2011). Acting is the most notable element in film. It is what the audience pays attention to the most, because it is what makes the film realistic, interesting, emotional, and it is what captures the viewer the most of all the elements. In the film “The Godfather there are different acting styles associated to the film that makes it a classic. The style of acting by Al Pacino in the Godfather is method acting. Al Pacino draws off emotion and becomes the character. He is feeling what the character feels, he becomes the character. When Al Pacino confronts his sisters husband for setting up Sonny in the below scene, he is filled with anger, resentment, and revenge. As a viewer you feel what “Michael Corleone” feels, “payback.” He displays an authentic performance.

Sonny Corleone played by “James Caan” was a different style of acting. This style of acting was realism. . This is acting that does not draw attention to itself but instead gives the impression of genuine human action and reaction Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2011). When Sonny received a call from Connie, telling him that her husband beat her. Sonny’s reaction was one of genuine emotion. He was reacting with a genuine action and reaction.

The third style of acting that is notable in the Godfather is stage vs. film acting. When Michael Corleone meets with Sollozzo with intentions to kill him. The camera catches his facial expression through various angles and camera shots. His eyes are captured with an intense stare. Sollozzo raises his eyes brows several times when explaining that he wants a truce. These camera shots are telling because you can sense the emotions of each character by their facial gestures.

Al Pacino can be characterized as a method actor. In films like “Heat” where a acted along side Robert De Niro once more, he played an intense emotional police officer who wanted nothing more than to catch a band of bank robbers. Al Pacino also used method acting in the film “Scent of a Woman” where he played a blind retired army officer in need of assistance over a thanksgiving weekend. This is another one of Al Pacino films where he becomes the character by absorbing the emotions and feelings of the characters by becoming retired army officer Frank Slade. Although Al Pacino exhibits the star persona, he is by all means a method actor capable of becoming the character he is set to portray.

 

 

“How Sweet the Sound”

Sound is the breathe that brings the film alive for the audience. A movie goer can get emotional or excited about a film because of the visual effects, but the connection to the film is captured by the sound. The three types of sound in “The Godfather” that delivers the character experience, and connects to viewer to the characters are Dialogue, sound effect, and music.

Dialogue:

In this scene, Sonny explains to Michael Corleone, played by “Al Pacino” that to commit murder, you must get up to them close and personal. This dialogue is unique, because Michael Corleone never says a word. The scene begins with Sonny laughing at Michael expressing his doubt, apprehension, and skepticism in Michael’s abilities to do what is necessary, like commit murder for the family. As a viewer you can sense Michael’s frustration with Sonny. Sonny’s dialogue with Michael as well as his expressions, body movement, and voice texture gives the viewer a look into Michael’s inadequacies. This is heightened by Sonny’s continued rhetorical comments to Michael. You are instantly connected to both characters although the dialogue is coming from Sonny.

Sound Effects:

The atmosphere in this scene is one of anger, revenge, and shock. When Sonny drives out of his driveway, the tires spinning on the gravel are loud and echoes until he pulls through the gate. This sound effect of the tires spinning leaves the viewer to anticipate what is to come next. You are waiting on Sonny to reach his sisters husband to dish out what is coming to him. You are on the edge of your seat waiting for the revenge to happen. As Sonny’s car approaches the toll booth, you can hear seagulls and the the engine of the car which almost sounds like an ocean, adding to that brief moment of tranquility. This was very unique in this scene, because you immediately had a feeling that something bad was going to happen. This was an Asynchronous sound effect. For example you could hear the seagulls, but you could not match them to anything in the scene. When Sonny reaches the toll booth, the remainder of the sound effects are Synchronous sounds. They contribute to the authenticity of the scene. These sound effects have you anticipating what’s to come, saddened by what happen, and upset that this character was killed. Sound effects add to the emotional changes in this scene.

Music:

In this scene the godfather is dancing with his daughter Connie. The music adds to the feeling of tradition, ritual, and heritage. The music played here is representation of the situation or theme of this particular scene. The emotional connection is celebratory, and notable as the godfather takes the first dance with his daughter. This music set the tone for this scene.

If any of the key sound categories were removed, the mood, tone, expression of the characters, feeling, anticipation, and excitement transferred to the viewer from this film would no longer exist. This is a classic film, and each key ingredient makes it just that, “a classic.”

Lighting “The Godfather”

The Godfather lighting was done in low-key. This style of lighting not only intensified each character, but it also brought their personalities to life. At the beginning of The Godfather Don “Vito” Corleone is sitting in a room behind a desk. The mood is dark and mysterious. The low key lighting adds a sense of power to Marlon Brando’s character. His surrounding is dark and shadowed while light enhances his facial features with the exception of his eyes that remain dark throughout the scene. This low key lighting is effectively distributed among each character as they meet with the godfather, expecting a favor. The lighting on the other characters, although dark and also in low key, added a different kind of insight into their personalities. It was positioned to display their weakness, only making the godfather appear stronger.

The low key lighting added to the desperation,  necessity, pressure, and seriousness of the films theme. Throughout the film, the scenes that defined its theme were shot in low key lighting, to heighten the sense of urgency of the Corleone families fight to survive a mafia war. The Godfather lighting was complimented with dark bluish green lighting that added to the power of the film and its characters. Desaturation was used to turn down the colors to almost a black look. If different lighting had been used to brighten the scenes, the mood would have changed to a more less intense setting, taking away from the power of the film and its characters.

Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2011). Film: From watching to seeing. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. 

The Godfather

 

THE GODFATHER 

Release Date: Mar 1972 
Duration (in mins): 175-177

Writers: Mario Puzo (Scr) and Francis Ford Coppola (Scr). 

Director: Francis Ford Coppola (Dir) and Fred Gallo

Cast: Marlon Brando (Don Vito Corleone), Al Pacino (Michael [Corleone])                           James Caan ([Santino] Sonny [Corleone]), Richard Castellano (Clemenza), Robert Duvall (Tom Hagen)

“The Godfather” – Summary of Story

The Godfather is about the Corleone family, and their struggle to survive. Headed by The Godfather “Don Vito Corleone”, and his sons Santino, and Michael, the godfather is a ruthless mafia boss who is trying to move his family forward without getting them involved in narcotics. The godfather tries to avoid war with other mafia families by maintaining piece, but this all comes to an end when an attempt is made on his life. The family is forever changed by the murder of his son Santino, and the necessary involvement of his war hero son Michael Corleone to protect and repair the families name.

“The Godfather” – Summary of Plot

The Godfather opens with Don ‘Vito” Corleone, the head of the family at his daughters Connie wedding. The Godfather’s son Michael Corleone just returned home from world war II, with no intentions of joining the families business. Sonnie the ambitious and short tempered son is expected to take over the family business as the second in command to the Godfather. During the wedding the Godfather is visited by multiple characters looking for a favor. As the Don carries on the old traditions, there are those who seek to change them. The Don challenges the new influences in New York who seek to sell drugs. An all out war erupts, and the clash leaves the “Don” badly injured, Sonnie dead, and Michael left to make a difficult choice and sacrifice, heading the family business.

“The Godfather” is presented non-linearly. The film begins with the Godfather as an old man, and then switches back and forth throughout the movie which gives insight into how he came to be. 

 

The  aesthetic choice added the mystic of the film and symbolized the times in which the story and plot took place. The audience felt that they were apart of that era where fruit vendors were on the street, old cars with big body designs carried mysterious men, and suits were tailored with matching hats that helped identify the who’s who of the film.

In “The Godfather” foreshadowing played a very important part in telling what was to come next. When Michael Corleone interacted with his older brother Sonny he was often harassed. Although this portrayed him as weak, the development of the character began to take shape after his father was shot, and taken to the hospital. Michael stood bravely outside the hospital where his father laid injured as hit men sent to murder him drove by. This gave the audience a look into Michael strength and courage. You could foresee Michael playing a very important part in the family business. You could also foresee Sonnie’s death as his character developed. His over zealousness and impatient behavior gave insight into his end result “death.”

From thirties gangster films comes the figure of Sonny Corleone (James Caan): aggressive, a natural leader, enamored of the pleasures of life, and women, Sonny is led by his animal energy to a fatal lack of caution and a violent death. He is the one figure even critics of the movie are drawn to (Chappetta, 1972).

Foreshadowing is very important in storytelling. It leaves the audience anticipating what is to come next, as well as leaves you guessing on character outcomes.

If the film was in chronological order, I believe the audience would have expected some of the drama to take place, taking the shock value and character appreciation out of the film.

The presentation style for ‘The Godfather” was exactly as it should have been. This is a classic film.

References:

The Godfather Review by: Roberta Chappetta Film Quarterly, Vol. 25, No. 4 (Summer, 1972), pp. 60-61 Published by: University of California Press Article DOI: 10.2307/1211303

Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1211303

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