The Godfather
Writer: Mario Puzo, Francis Ford Coppola
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Major Actors: Marlon Brando (Don Vito Corleone), Al Pacino (Michael Corleone), James Caan (Sonny Corleone)
Year of Release: 1972
Mise en Scene not only refers to the technical elements in a film, but also to the acting in the film. Every actor’s style is unique from one another. When reading a script each actor will interpret how they see the character, this play an important role in the film. To make a successful film it takes the director, actors, editor and cinematographer to have the same direction they want the film to go. Three actors that made a huge impact throughout their careers are Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, and James Caan. They were all main characters in the movie, The Godfather (1972), directed by Coppola.
Marlon Brando played Don Vito Corleone in The Godfather (1972). He was the head of an Italian mafia family. In the movie, he used method acting. When an actor draws on their own memories and experiences in order to more genuinely feel emotions this is called Method acting (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014). Marlon Brando does in this in The Godfather (1972). In the garden scene, Don Corleone is talking with his son, Michael, about talking over the business. He knows that his health is rapidly declining and he will not be around for much longer (Sal Vatore, 2013). You are able see the sadness in his face as he is talking with Michael. His emotions look so genuine that the audience forgets that they are watching a movie. Marlon Brando is an interpreter in his acting during The Godfather (1972). An Interpreter is a type of actor who takes the material and put their own stamp on it (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014). Marlon Brando accomplished this when he came to the audition for The Godfather(1972). He had read the script and knew that he did not fit the profile of a mafia boss. He used black shoes polish on his hair. He placed tissue paper in his mouth to give his face a more bulldog appearance. During the audition, he read his lines in a raspy whisper (Hughes, 2006, page 127). The director thought he was perfect for the part. This was how Brando imagined Vito Corleone to be. Brando is not typically known for his method acting. In the beginning of Marlon’s career, he was actually a stage performer (Brando Enterprises L.P., 2014). Stage performs have to used grander mannerisms and expressions to ensure everyone is able to see in the theatre. They must express their feelings in a more theatrical way so that the audience doesn’t overlook them (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014).
Figure 1.Sal Vatore. (2013, November 28). The Godfather – Garden Scene [Video Clip]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJxFEOJo874
Al Pacino played Michael Corleone in The Godfather (1972). He is the son of Don Vito Corleone. At the end of the movie, his father passes away and he is left to take over the family business. Al Pacino also uses Method acting in the movie, The Godfather (1972). In the scene, Don’t Ask Me About My Business, Michael, Pacino, is confronted by his sister and his wife about killing his brother-in-law. During the entire scene, you see an intimidating and cold demeanor from Michael. He shows no emotions as his sister is crying about her husband. He yells at his wife for asking him about his business (Moustafa Anan, 2013). You feel as if you are really watching a mobster talk with his family. Al Pacino uses interpreter acting in The Godfather (1972). He places his own spin on the script by his facial expressions. Pacino uses a cold, intimidating, and straight-faced demeanor throughout the entire movie. His typically acting style is a star. As Goodykoontz & Jacobs (2014) describe, “A star is a distinctive screen persona who is well known and popular with moviegoing public” (Section 5.5, para. 8). He was not considered a star performer in The Godfather (1972) because this movie was his first well known movie (Al Pacino, 2014). Now, he is known for performing in films that contain crime and action in them.
Figure 2. Moustafa Anan. (2013, January 10). The Godfather – Don’t Ask Me About My Business [Video Clip]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ig6XntgHMe4
James Caan played Sonny Corleone in The Godfather (1972). He is the older son of Don Corleone. He takes over the business while his father is in the hospital. He begins a war with the Tattaglia family. This ultimately leads to his death. James Caan uses stylized acting in The Godfather (1972). Stylized acting is when the director or actor wants to call attention to the fact that they are acting (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014). The scene, Sonny is Killed, shows stylized acting the best. As Sonny is getting shot by hundreds of bullets, he is able to get out of the car and stand up (Movieclips, 2011). This is all done for dramatic effect. The director wants the audience to see that even when he is dying, he is strong enough to confront his enemies. James Caan is typically a wild card actor. A wild card actor is an actor that is difficult to classify as a certain type because they often they play a wide variety of characters (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014). Caan has played roles in romantic comedies, westerns, gangsters, and science fictions (James Caan, 2014).
Figure 3. MovieClips. (2011, November 22). Sonny is Killed – The Godfather (4/9) Movie CLIP (1972) HD [Video Clip]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJU2cz9ytPQ
Reference
Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2014). Film: From watching to seeing (2nd ed.). San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc
Hughes, H. (2006). Crime Wave : The Filmgoers’ Guide to the Great Crime Movies. London, GBR: I.B. Tauris. Retrieved from http://www.ebrary.com
Al Pacino. (2014). The Biography.com website. Retrieved 08:12, Oct 02, 2014, from http://www.biography.com/people/al-pacino-9431474
Brando Enterprises L.P. (2014).The Work. Retrieved from http://marlonbrando.com/work/
Moustafa Anan. (2013, January 10). The Godfather – Don’t Ask Me About My Business [Video Clip]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ig6XntgHMe4
MovieClips. (2011, November 22). Sonny is Killed – The Godfather (4/9) Movie CLIP (1972) HD [Video Clip]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJU2cz9ytPQ
James Caan. (2014). The Biography.com website. Retrieved from http://www.biography.com/people/james-caan-9542410
Sal Vatore. (2013, November 28). The Godfather – Garden Scene [Video Clip]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJxFEOJo874
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