Movie: The Godfather

The Godfather, directed by Francis Ford Coppola is a movie about the lives of an Italian American family affiliated with the mafia during the 1940’s. The movies main character, Michael Corleone is faced with many ethical and moral decisions that completely consume his life sacrificing his beliefs in order protect the “family” that his father has built. Through his trials and tribulations, Michael’s egoism, morality and paranoia sets into motion a destructive force that eliminates any chance of contentment that he may have once hoped to have.

As the movie opens, we immediately see a moral dilemma unfolding. We see behind the curtain the inner workings of Michael’s father meeting with guests granting favors on the day of his daughter’s wedding. A man named Bonasera is asking that the Don kill the men that violated his daughter. Vito Corleone, a well composed and excellent negotiator responds to Bonasera that to kill those men would not be an act of justice. That his daughter is still alive and to kill the men that violated her would be an immoral act. We learn immediately that although Vito’s organization is questionable both legally and morally, there is a code of ethical behavior that is required in order to maintain a successful and respectful operation.

As the movie progresses, we see Michael Corleone, a young man in a military uniform sitting with a young lady named Kay who is startled by a very large man sitting behind them waiting to speak with Michael’s father. When she asks Michael who the man is, he tells her that his name is Luca Brasi and that he is an associate of his father. Later Michael informs Kay of his father’s power and persuasion referring to his father as a man of great responsibility, like a senator or a go...

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...f such deeds to his wife, definitively proves to the audience that his role as a Mafia don has consumed him.

The structure of a Corleone crime organization is similar to that of the military. The interests behind all criminal organizations such as the Corleone family are set up as a military system following a similar hierarchy of soldiers, captains, lieutenants, etc. Any hostility or wars are typically associated for the same reasons whether they are criminal syndicates or government. They may be fought over money, power, resources, territory or a combination of all of these. Just as men enlist and serve as soldiers, men join the ranks and become soldiers for the Corleone family. Both are trained to follow orders and to defend their “families” at all cost. As a soldier, both are loyal to their country and follow all orders given to them no differently when asked.