Depending on where you get your
information, The Godfather (Parts I & II) are either the greatest
movies ever made or the worst thing to happen to the image of Italian
Americans.
We've always been on the fence about the whole issue. We've written that the movies are so good that they rival a Shakespearean tragedy. It wouldn't matter if the subjects were Italian, English, Roman or Greek. The powerful scenes and strong dialogue are hard to ignore.
However, the proud Italian in us recognizes that it gave generations of non- Italians a warped idea of what it means to be Italian, what Italian culture is and what our cultural values are. For a long time, we held a gripe with The Godfather series for this sole reason. We're glad to say that the gripe is gone – and here's why:
Our new found respect for the movies is nestled in a scene that no one ever talks about. It is seemingly a throw away scene, setting us up for bigger developments later in the movie. But, as a stand alone scene – it sends a message that is more powerful (and empowering) to the Italian community than any other dialogue.
Let's refresh our memories:
 |
| Vito Corleone, with his family, on the stoop |
In The Godfather (Part II) Robert De Niro ( Vito Corleone) is an
Italian immigrant trying to make his way in New York's Little Italy.
Times are tough – and he struggles to make ends meet and support
his family through legitimate means. He has a job at a grocery store.
This is where we first meet Don Fanucci – the “Boss” of the
neighborhood. Fanucci comes into the grocery and demands that the
owner hire Fanucci's nephew. The owner agrees – and promptly fires
Vito (De Niro) because he cannot afford to employ both.
Vito then begins to take notice of Fannuci and how he operates within the neighborhood. In the next scenes, we're shown Vito and his best friend, Genco, in an Italian theater watching an Italian melodrama.
Vito then begins to take notice of Fannuci and how he operates within the neighborhood. In the next scenes, we're shown Vito and his best friend, Genco, in an Italian theater watching an Italian melodrama.
After the play ends, Vito's friend,
Genco wants to see the female lead of the play – with whom he is in
love. They go through a back stage door and see Don Fanucci shaking
down the theater owner (who is also an Italian immigrant. )
The shakedown gets very heated – and Don Fanucci takes a knife to the theater owner's daughter (pictured above), threatening to kill her. The theater owner relents and pays Fanucci's price.
In a side alley, just outside the stage door, Vito asks Genco about Fannuci. Here is the dialogue:
Genco to Vito:
Genco to Vito:
Genco to Vito:
Now, here is the greatest line in the entire Godfather trilogy:
Vito to Genco:
Vito to Genco:
Genco to Vito:
Why is this the
best scene? Because it tells the audience everything it needs to know
about the Mafia. It tells the audience exactly what the writers, directors and producers think about the Mafia. Namely, that the Mafia started as a thug organization –
terrorizing fellow Italian immigrants and shaking them down for
money. Why did they choose the Italians and not some other group?
Because these new immigrants had no protection and American society wouldn't care about their "ethnic" problems.
The scene also sets us up for what is
to follow: Vito will be a departure from the traditional Mafia mentality. He will not
terrorize people (especially his own), provided that they have no
involvement in his way of life. We see this in the following scenes
where he resolves local disputes and refuses to get violent with a
shady landlord.
| Remember, that poor Landlord |
Don't get us wrong – Vito Corleone was not a saint. However, our favorite scene establishes that Vito (as well as 99% of fellow Italians) saw something abhorrent in Italians attacking fellow Italians. It is a critique on the Mafia and is a silent message that it was a plague on the Italian community.
Why Vito Corleone became a gangster is still up for conjecture. Perhaps he thought, after seeing Fanucci, that the position of Don needed to be filled by a man with a better sense of right and wrong. We'll never know.
We still think the movies harmed Italian identity. But, we now believe that has to do with public perception of the films - and not intent on the part of the film makers.
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