One of the Francis Coppola’s films, The Godfather, is one of the crime thrillers films of all time that was filmed in 1972.  One of the greatest gangster films of all time, Francis Coppola’s The Godfather is the story of an immigrant family from Italy that establishes their “family business” as members of the New York mafia. The values behind the family business are similar to how the head of household acts- kind and generous to those who give respect, yet succumbing to callous actions for the good of the family. Through the combined use of film techniques of lighting, shot angle, and sound, Coppola is able to develop an intricate story that sets the standards for screenwriters and directors alike. The Godfather brilliantly combines methods in sound, camera work and mise-en-scene to craft the story of a family battling to separate two closely linked worlds, the “family business,” and the family life.

            The opening shot of the film is a black screen that slowly fades into a close up shot of Bonasera, a minor character, whose features are cast in only dim shadow of light.  He is requesting a favor from an undisclosed character, explaining how his daughter was attacked by a group of American boys and how she deserves justice for what they have done to her. In simple terms, he is asking the undisclosed character, later revealed as Don Corleone, to kill the boys for him. As he continues to speak, a pullback shot is used to reveal the backside of Don Corleone’s head, and slowly Bonasera’s image shifts from filling the entire scene to being a minute character in the background.  Corleone’s massive desk takes over the scene and the screen soon shows the entire view of the room. Coppola then shifts to a close up of Corleone, establishing his importance in the film as well as taking away any importance that may have been put on Bonasera. Coppola is making it clear to all viewers that Don Corleone is going to be a very important figure in this film. Employing the shot/reverse shot method, Coppola is able to display to viewers the dialogue between both characters. This opening conversation in the film, continually filled with dim lighting, creates a mysterious mood around the “family business” and dim light becomes associated with the actions of the business throughout the film.

This use of dim lighting in the opening scene contrasts the ambiguity of the family business with the joy of the surrounding family. Following the conversation with Bonasera, the film cuts to a sunny shot of his daughter Connie’s wedding reception, giving viewers a glimpse of the other side of the Corleone life. This defining shot, a group photo of the family on the patio of their massive home, not only shows the large size of their family but the huge community and following their family has. The happiness associated with weddings seen in this shot, accompanied by the natural light, makes clear to viewers a change of tone between the family and the “family business.” There are many quick shots, introducing viewers to numerous characters of the film as well as a glimpse of their personalities, displaying different moods of the characters. For example, Don Corleone’s personality shifts from serious and stern to cheerful as he becomes more engaged with his family at the wedding. Through these film techniques, Coppola is able to inform viewers of important concepts without having it written into the script.

An important aspect of these initial scenes is the role of sound. In the opening, the office is filled with the somber, non-diagetic sound of a violin. This establishes a sense of restlessness and discomfort for viewer, making him or her contemplate what will happen next. Contrastingly, the wedding scene is filled with upbeat, Italian wedding music, accompanying the mood that the natural sunlight brings into this scene. The distinct music choices again reaffirm the divide between the two worlds of the Corleone family.

Lighting and sound continue to play a vital role in the development of the plot. After a scene in Corleone’s office, the film fades out into a defining shot of the New York during Christmas time. Almost instantaneously, the music cues to a favorite Christmas song and viewers see Michael Corleone and Kay discussing the presents they have purchased. This interaction between the two of them, as well as the music choice, establishes that Kay and Michael are still very distant from the “family business.” Coppola then moves to shots of Luca Brasi getting ready in his apartment. The cheerful Christmas music continues to play on the radio in his apartment as he gets ready, despite the dim lighting from a single lamp and the presence of Luca’s bulletproof vest. Coppola tries a ploy of deception, directing the audience to think that Luca is going to murder Sollozzo as a job for Don Corleone, who does not want to get into the narcotics business with him. However, the contrast of joyful music and cues of mystery from the lighting serves to indicate that something is very unusual.

As mentioned above, lighting in this scene foreshadows the upcoming event, as it is very similar to all the other violence scenes. After leaving his dimly lit apartment, Luca goes to meet with Virgil Sollozzo and Bruno Tattaglia in bar that has very little lighting projecting from the inside. The low source of light in both his apartment and the bar is a sign that something is not right. It can inferred that some sort of murder or illegal action is going to take place as the dim lighting is associated with murder after Bonasera and Corleone’s conversation in the opening scene. After talking about the deal, Luca takes out a cigarette to be lit and Bruno happily lights it. In this instance, the view of the shot changes to Bruno’s eye level and the audience sees him look past Luca, as if he is giving a cue to a hidden person in the bar. The scene then goes silent and suddenly a knife penetrates Luca’s right hand to the bar and an assassin comes from behind and silently kills him with a garrote. The significance of silence kill directly correlates with the hidden agendas and secrecy that define mafia life. Just as Corleone’s business was not done in the open, the murder of one of his men done behind closed doors in a rather dark location is done to prevent any repercussions.

Later in the film, we visit another scene of violence, headed unexpectedly by Michael Corleone, the WWII veteran of family, who earlier in the film was disassociated with the family business all together. Once Michael realized that there was going to be a second murder attempt on his father in the hospital, he became interested in the family business and ultimately murdered both Sollozzo and McCluskey out of shear vengeance. The setting is an old, vintage, dimly lit Italian restaurant, creating an ominous mood before they have even entered. The first shot of the scene is an overhead pan of the restaurant, showing viewers how small and intimate the meeting is going to be. Coppola has clearly set up an isolated meeting that many outsiders of the mafia would imagine one to be like. The camera then switches to close ups of all three characters, going back again to a close up of Michael’s face. The close up shot is used strategically to display the transition of Michael’s emotions throughout the series of shots as well as show his apparent disconnect from Sollozzo. In the beginning, viewers are able to see the fear in his eyes as he enters the restaurant, not sure if the gun will be waiting for him in the restroom. However, the scene concludes with a close up of Michael’s expressionless face, right before he shoots both Sollozzo and McCluskey, validating his new association with the family business.

The soundtrack of this scene also plays a very important role in conveying meaning and shifts in the characters ideals. The scene begins with a slow apprehensive melody of the piano and violin as he leaves and says his goodbyes, similar to what was heard in the beginning of the film when Don Corleone was discussing business. This informs the audience that Michael not only supports the family business, but the actions in the upcoming scene portray what the mafia business is best known for- murder. Additionally, the choice of music informs the viewers that Michael Corleone feels in charge of the situation similar to the control Don had over the situations in this office. Once Michael is picked up for his meeting, the music suddenly stops and the car is filled with chattering between the police captain and Sollozzo. Unexpectedly, the car makes a sharp turn and once Sollozzo applauds the driver for losing any or all followers, the music of the violin and piano returns, reaffirming that the plan is still intact. The increased volume and speed of the violin-piano combination signifies the pressure of this “job” closing in on Michael. Once they have almost reached the eatery, the sound of train screeching is added into the sound mix and exponentially increases as they get closer, symbolizing the psychological state in which Michael is in. Once in the restaurant, the only sounds are those of the three characters speaking until Michael leaves the table to go to the restroom, and the sound of rushing water takes over the scene in order to mask Michael’s search for the gun.

After several minutes of suspension watching him search for the gun, Michael finally returns to the table, with the gun in his possession. With a distressed look on his face, Michael takes his seat at the table and gradually the noise of the train begins to fill the air again. It continually grows louder and louder, covering up the Sollozzo’s voice. As the sound of the railway car disappears, Michael lifts up his gun and the sound of gunshot fills the scene as he puts three bullets into his adversaries. The sudden stop of the music alerts viewers that Michael has made the decision to kill and the psychological battle going on in his head has come to a halt. The three distinct sounds used in this portion of the movie are Coppola’s way of foreshadowing the murder and creating an increasing level of anxiety for members of the audience.

Towards the end of the film, Coppola represents death in a new way. Contrastingly to every other death seen thus far in the movie, Don Corleone does not die in darkness but in the peace of his own home, as he plays with his grandson outside in the light. Don passes away rather peacefully compared the rest of the horrific murders seen in the film. Corleone’s death and the way Coppola portrays it in the film provides viewers with a thinking point- that the family is making a positive shift away from the crookedness of the mafia and towards a brilliant, legitimate future.

Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather is truly a masterpiece of its time. Through the use of lighting, sound and cinematography, Coppola is able to portray the wonderful, yet twisted lifestyle of the Corleone family and their “family business.”  The careful combination of light and sound add a level of understanding and complexity to the film beyond the action that is visually displayed on screen. His use of unique camera shots, like the close up and over the shoulder, allow him to create a tense atmosphere within the audience, making them feel as if they are a part of the  action going on in front of them. Additionally, the lighting, sound and camera angle combination allow viewers to not only see but also immerse themselves in the emotions of characters like Michael and Don Corleone.  The Godfather brilliantly establishes the mafia in new way, showing the joyful and typically overlooked family side in contrast to the standardized negative image of the mafia.

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