Similarities Between The Godfather And Gangs Of New York

William Inhyuk Hyoung

MHIS-231-001

Jack Freeman

History of Film music final project

Film Score of The Godfather and Gangs of New york

The Godfather, 1972, is a film that won three Academy awards, Bst Picure, Best Actor - Brando- and Best Adapted Screenplay. Gangs of ew york, 2002, is a film that haswon he Academy Award for Best picture. Thirty years apart, both of the pictures portray the story of immigrant gangs or mobs of new york, and were praised as Modern day classics. In this essay I will ompare and contrast the scores of the film by two different composers from two different eras.

Nino Rota, the master film composer that scored the music for The Godfather was borin in Milan Italia, 1911. He was born to a musician’s family and was trained as a musician from young age. Nino was active as a classical composer and was fascinated by film music from 1940 and met Federico Felini, who is now remembered as one of the most successful Italian film directors of the 20th century, having won 5 Academy awards. In

In ¾, the leitmotif with its astonishing feel, evokes the audience to focus on the dialogue between Don Coreleone (Marlon Brando) and a father who came to ask the godfather to avenge his daughter who have been raped. With the combination of Marlon Brando’s charismatic acting, the Godfather Leitmotif immediately sets the dark, charismatic, almost expressionist feel of the film. Gangs of New York begins with the sound of the Priest shaving with a knife. Howard Shore gently places strings followed by marching music. The beginning of Gangs of Newyork introduces many characters that will lead the film and throws the audience into the battlefield that is portrayed more like the dark ages or the middle ages than the 19th century new york. For audiences who must have expected the movie to have a dark, gritty Noir feel, the raw and barbaric feel of the opening scene and the music comes as surprising and