The Godfather: An Analysis of Religion and Pop Culture
Released in 1972, Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather has gone on to become on of the most critically acclaimed, highest grossing American films in cinematic history. Credited with reviving the ‘mafia’ or organized crime genre, Coppola and main actor Al Pacino created a masterpiece that was a gritty representation of the American and Italian underworlds, and how the Corleone family intersected with, and negatively influenced American society as a whole. The Godfather, adapted from Mario Puzo’s novel of the same name, is much more than just a fictional account of a non-existent crime syndicate. Based on real world examples, Ford Coppola was able to use his chosen medium to deeply analyse many traditions, beliefs and ideologies that North America holds dear. The Godfather, it its almost three hour entirety, was able to evaluate the impact of and connection between illegal activity on politics, law enforcement, and legitimate business in New York City and beyond. Most importantly, Coppola was able to critically assess the influence, or lack thereof, of religion on the Corleone family. An Italian-American clan, the Corleones were Roman Catholics and despite the sinful way they chose to make a living, that link to religion was never erased. Quite the opposite in fact, it was used in many ways to further plot lines and used in juxtaposition with the hardening of the criminal faction. The baptismal scene at the end of the film is as chilling as it is unmissable. The unrelenting violence on a backdrop of one of Catholicism’s most joyous occasions makes it an unmistakable part of cinematic and socio-religious history. It is in this way that The Godfather is the perfect marriage of popular culture and religion while casting an introspective and paradoxical light on both.
Religion is thrust upon the viewer even before watching the film. Even the name chosen, The Godfather relates to “a man who serves as sponsor for a child at baptism” as well as “any male sponsor or guardian”.[1] Related to the Roman Catholic practice, the chosen terminology subconsciously prepares the viewer for a deeply spiritual film, even though usage of the term ‘godfather’ has also become synonymous with the chieftain of a mafia organization.
It is only in the baptismal scene where both uses of the term are married into one. In it, Michael Corleone, a one time member of the Marine Corps in World War II fully sheds his disdain for the ‘family business’ and consolidates power within his own ranks, whilst simultaneously sending henchmen to assassinate the heads of the other four powerful New York Crime families — Phillip Tattaglia, Emilio Barzini, Carmine Cuneo and Anthony Stracci. While these murders are being carried out under his orders, Michael is standing at the altar of Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral, partaking in the Baptismal Vows which would see him Godfather to the child of his sister Connie, and husband Carlo Rizzi, who would be strangled at the behest of Michael shortly after the church proceedings.
As the camera fluctuates back and forth between St. Patricks and the merciless killings, the words of the Baptismal Vows are ever present, as are Michael Corleone’s responses. Never once flinching, Michael confirms his belief in “God, the father almighty, creator of heaven and earth” and “the holy ghost, the holy Catholic Church”. Finally, as the triggers are being pulled and mob bosses all over New York are being gunned down, Michael “renounces Satan and all his works.” Instead, this scene is the culmination of Michael Corleone’s adaptation from all-American college boy to maniacal and vindictive criminal. As Paul Graham wrote on the subject in 2005:
…these faster, more abruptly edited moments of the baptismal slayings infuse the film with their own poignancy. The power of speed, dramatic music, Catholic pageantry, and Michael’s aloof stares lies in the very haste with which they are rendered and the onslaught of pain they create. Although much of the anguish is inflicted psychologically onto the audience through Michael’s mutilation of religious and moral tradition…[2]
Implicit in this inflicted psychological anguish is Clifford Geertz’s perception of religion. The unabashed soiling of the Baptism, in which Catholic practitioners see new life, hope, and purification, essentially removes all wholesomeness. The mood that is then created is contrary to what normally occurs during such an event. The created common worldview is now not one of joyousness or elation in welcoming a new member to the Catholic community, but of weariness and fear at how the Sacrament has been treated.[3]
Geertz’s emphasis on symbolism as the primary basis of religion is echoed by John Andreas Fuchs in Showing Faith: Catholicism in American TV Series, where the use of Catholic imagery is praised for its renown and ability to be well recognized by most — even those lapsed Catholics:
An intensely visual religion with a well-defined ritual and authority system, Catholicism lends itself to the drama and pageantry — the iconography — of film. Moviegoers watch as Catholic visionaries interact with the supernatural, priests counsel their flocks, reformers fight for social justice…[4]
By choosing such a well known and visually powerful religion — images such as baptismal water, crucifixes, the act of the sign of the cross — it allows for all viewers, and not just Catholic or Italians to be both outraged at Michael’s callousness, as well as truly grasp the internal struggle within his consciousness (as well as make obvious that the devil inside him is winning). By renouncing Satan while facilitating sin, Michael is creating the ultimate dichotomy, and unlike Jesus in the desert, he welcomed evil consciously and with a clear mind.
Financial statistics further prove The Godfather’s universality appeal regardless of its religious specificities. The Paramount Studios film, with Al Pacino and Marlon Brando as its headliners grossed roughly 245 million dollars US worldwide since its release, and has been welcomed with critical acclaim.[5] The film review website Rotten Tomatoes lists The Godfather with a 92% average rating score by critics, and a 98% by casual audiences,[6] with famous film critic Roger Ebert stating: “This is exactly the feel of “The Godfather,” which brushes aside the flashy glamour of the traditional gangster picture and gives us what’s left: fierce tribal loyalties, deadly little neighborhood quarrels in Brooklyn, and a form of vengeance to match every affront.”[7]
Its mass success speaks not only to the widespread appeal of the movie, and its symbolism, but to a much more surreal phenomenon. The Godfather, a shining light in popular culture, has gone on to influence the very people it sought to imitate. The Guardian writer Aditya Chakrabortty has highlighted this unusual phenomenon by listing several well known cases of mafia figures imitating the Godfather; with even John Gotti lieutenant Sammy Gravano often quoting lines in the film such as “if you have an enemy, that enemy becomes my enemy.”[8] Whereas the public have relentlessly consumed The Godfather as a piece of iconic cinematography, mafiosi have used it as a sort of style guide, an odd occurrence where life is imitating an art form that was based on life. Whilst that may not have been Francis Ford Coppola’s aim when filming the movie, the seal of approval given to it by crime figures in both America and Italy points to its well scripted and beautifully filmed authenticity — something that can be appreciated by everybody, but only truly understood by a select few.
The baptism scene, which unifies Michael Corleone’s status as godfather to the mafia family with a godfather in his own immediate family displays also the lack of importance in words. It serves to illustrate that religion — in particular the Catholic faith — is not merely a spoken confirmation. As Meredith Mcguire states about lived religion: “Because religion-as-lived is based more on such religious practices than on religious ideas or beliefs, it is not necessarily logically coherent.”[9] It is precisely this applied religion where Corleone fails his ultimate test of religiosity. By uttering the words and agreeing, in principal, to the denunciation of evil forces and criminal behavior, Corleone is not essentially agreeing to anything. His true consciousness and mental state are based upon the actions he commits or enables. In the scene, he is being entrusted as a spiritual, moral and ethical guide for his godson, but can not practically be associated with any of those concepts.
Curiously, the scene ends with the priest finishing the baptismal prayer, followed by a cut scene to the outside of the church where congratulations are being held. One thing appears to be missing between this change of location — acknowledgement of the prayer’s finality by Michael. At the end Michael does not appear to say or mouth ‘Amen’, even after the priest does so. This subtle but revealing omission also speaks to Michael’s lack of conviction in himself. Where he has rejected evil and sin and accepted his responsibility to help foster the growth of his sister’s son, he does not speak the word universally taken to represent a proclamation of belief or agreement with the prayer that preceded it. Instead, he casts a hollow gaze somewhere between the baptismal candle and the baby in front of him.
Whether this represents his lack of concern or interest in what is an otherwise extremely important step in the Catholic process, or whether it is to symbolize the last ounces of regret draining from his body is unknown. Either way, his insensitivity is peaked at the exact part of the movie where fundamentally happy emotions should be at its highest. The final phrase uttered from the priest: “go in peace, and may the Lord be with you, Amen” is the final irony, whereas after the mass Michael finds out about the success of his assassinations and subsequently murders his sister’s husband. The words of the priest were seemingly lost on him.
Whether this represents his lack of concern or interest in what is an otherwise extremely important step in the Catholic process, or whether it is to symbolize the last ounces of regret draining from his body is unknown. Either way, his insensitivity is peaked at the exact part of the movie where fundamentally happy emotions should be at its highest. The final phrase uttered from the priest: “go in peace, and may the Lord be with you, Amen” is the final irony, whereas after the mass Michael finds out about the success of his assassinations and subsequently murders his sister’s husband. The words of the priest were seemingly lost on him.
Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather, released in 1972 went on to win three Academy Awards, five Golden Globes and a series of other prestigious film making prizes. It re-popularized the mafia genre, introduced audiences to now leading actors in Diane Keaton and Al Pacino and captivated audiences with its criminal-familial plot line. It is a bastion of popular culture and has successfully incorporated religion as a major plot device. From the name of the film to the baptism scene at its end, Director Francis Ford Coppola ingeniously manipulated a core sacrament in Roman Catholicism to show the moral decline of the movie’s antihero Michael Corleone. Through his blatant disregard for human life in the form of a timed mass execution whilst simultaneously acting as godfather to the son of his sister, Pacino and Coppola were able to use religious custom in popular culture to serve as a powerful way to emphasize the lengths he would go to assert dominance, even while stood at the foot of an altar in Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
[1] Dictionary, s.v. “Godfather,” definition 1, 2016, http://www.dictionary.com/browse/godfather?s=t.
[2] Paul Graham, “Journal of Religion & Film: Revisiting Violence in The Godfather: The Ambiguous Space of the Victimage Model By Paul Graham,” Journal of Religion & Film: Revisiting Violence in The Godfather: The Ambiguous Space of the Victimage Model By Paul Graham https://www.unomaha.edu/jrf/Vol9No2/grahamGodfather.htm.
[3] Chris Klassen, “Religion and Popular Culture.” Religion and Popular Culture: A Cultural Studies Approach, Don Mills: Oxford University Press, 2014: 15–16.
[4] John A. Fuchs. “Showing Faith: Catholicism in American TV Series.” Moravian Journal of Literature and Film 2, no. 1 (2010): 82.
[5] “The Godfather (1972) — Box Office Mojo,” The Godfather (1972) — Box Office Mojo, http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=godfather.htm.
[6] “The Godfather,” Rotten Tomatoes, 2005, https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/godfather/.
[7] Roger Ebert, “The Godfather Movie Review & Film Summary (1972) | Roger Ebert,” Roger Ebert, 1972, http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-godfather-1972.
[8] Aditya Chakrabortty, “Brain Food: Why the Mafia Study Gangster Movies,” The Guardian, 2009, https://www.theguardian.com/science/2009/sep/29/mafia-gangster-films-godfather.
[9] Chris Klassen, “Religion and Popular Culture.” Religion and Popular Culture: A Cultural Studies Approach, Don Mills: Oxford University Press, 2014: 16.
Bibliography
Browne, Nick. Francis Ford Coppola’s Godfather Trilogy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000.
Chakrabortty, Aditya. “Brain Food: Why the Mafia Study Gangster Movies.” The Guardian. 2009. Accessed November 09, 2016. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2009/sep/29/mafia-gangster-films-godfather.
Dictionary, s.v. “Godfather,” definition 1, 2016 http://www.dictionary.com/browse/godfather?s=t.
Ebert, Roger. “The Godfather Movie Review & Film Summary (1972) | Roger Ebert.” Roger Ebert. 1972. Accessed November 10, 2016. http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the- godfather-1972.
Fuchs, John A. “Showing Faith: Catholicism in American TV Series.” Moravian Journal of Literature and Film 2, no. 1 (2010): 79–98.
Graham, Paul. “Journal of Religion & Film: Revisiting Violence in The Godfather: The Ambiguous Space of the Victimage Model By Paul Graham.” Journal of Religion & Film: Revisiting Violence in The Godfather: The Ambiguous Space of the Victimage Model By Paul Graham. Accessed November 10, 2016. https://www.unomaha.edu/jrf/Vol9No2/grahamGodfather.htm.
Klassen, Chris. “Religion and Popular Culture.” In Religion and Popular Culture: A Cultural Studies Appproach, 7–28. Don Mills: Oxford University Press, 2014.
“The Godfather.” Rotten Tomatoes. 2005. Accessed November 13, 2016. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/godfather/.
“The Godfather (1972) — Box Office Mojo.” The Godfather (1972) — Box Office Mojo. Accessed November 13, 2016. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=godfather.htm.