‘I almost feel hypocrisy’

“Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.‘Aha, wise words indeed! Honestly, who hasn’t used that strategy at the office potluck? It’s a jungle out there, and sometimes it’s a fight for the last slice of pizza. Speaking of survival – and let’s face it, a lot of drama – let’s dive into the cinematic masterpiece that The godfather.

Al Pacino thinks Godfather Part 1 is more rewatchable than Part II | Paramount Photos — Enter Al Pacino *The godfather* | Credit: Paramount Pictures

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola and based on the novel by Mario Puzo The godfather tells the story of an Italian-American mafia family navigating life from the 1940s to the 1970s. It’s not your typical family drama; it features power struggles, betrayals and lots of intense dinner parties.

The film opens with Marlon Brando, who plays crime boss and legendary Godfather Vito Corleone. Then there’s Al Pacino as Michael, Vito’s youngest son. In an exclusive chat with the BBC, Coppola shared his insights, explaining how he envisioned the complex web of influence and manipulation, and revealing how it reflects the good old USA.

The godfather: A mirror for America’s complex landscape?

Through an interview with the BBC’s Barry Norman, Francis Ford Coppola revealed his vision for The godfatherillustrating how the intricate tapestry of power and violence within the mafia parallels the machinations of the United States during a transformative era.

The 1972 film is set against the backdrop of the 1940s and 1950s, a time when the United States was shedding the remnants of World War II and confidently entering the world stage.

Al Pacino's character Michael evolves from noble intentions to moral ambiguity, showing how power can corrupt. — Enter Al Pacino *The Godfather II* | Credit: Paramount Pictures

At the helm is Don Vito Corleone, played by Marlon Brando. His approach to maintaining the family’s influence is a study in contrasts: whether through negotiation, bribery, intimidation or outright violence, he will go to any lengths to protect his empire. At the same time, the US has been playing its own version of this game, using covert operations, bribery and a few proxy wars, all to protect its own interests.

This is beautifully paralleled in a conversation between Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) and his girlfriend Kay Adams (Diane Keaton) in the film. When Michael tells her he’s joining the family business, she raises an eyebrow and says:

Do you know how naive you sound? Senators and presidents don’t get men killed.

To which Michael jokes back:

Who’s naive, Kay?

This descent into moral ambiguity reflects America’s own struggle with its founding ideals of truth, freedom, and justice for all. And Michael was the perfect representation of how power corrupts even the purest intentions.

Al Pacino’s Michael: a reflection of the American power struggle

Francis Ford Coppola suggests that both Michael and America started with strong ideals but became mired in dark realities. — Enter Al Pacino The godfather | Credit: Paramount Pictures

The foundation of the US was based on truth, freedom and justice for all. But very often we have seen the lines between good and evil blurred in the name of ‘national interest’. In The godfatherMichael started out as a noble character and kept himself away from his family’s illegal business. He firmly believed that he was doing good in the world, as reiterated by Francis Ford Coppola in a conversation with Barry Norman (via BBC):

It seemed to me that Michael Corleone in the first Godfather, like America, really started with some ideals, freshness, and although he came from Europe, as America was really born from Europe, there were new ideals and new directions that were like that. inspiring.

But once things take a dark turn for the Corleone family, Michael finds himself embroiled in a bloody war. He becomes entangled in the same mess that made him choose to be free in the first place, just as hatred and corruption have drilled through the pillars of American politics and society.

Coppola realized the degradation of values by Michael’s fall from grace, as he recounts:

As (Michael) grew older, as illustrated by the second film, he, like America, when it really began to function in the world and deal with the responsibilities and manipulations of power, almost began to construct a hypocrisy. That is, ‘I do this for the good, I do this for the family, I do this for the good.

The political chessboard is littered with devious and underhanded moves, and that is even more true today. That’s why Coppola’s films feel relevant to a large segment of cinephiles. While there is still belief in the US’s ability to rise up and live up to the ideals it once stood on, one cannot deny that the gaping holes in the American Way are too big to go unnoticed.

The godfather is streaming on fuboTV.