The godfather (cinematographic analysis) The godfather
The godfather, is a film with very good plans, in which he captures the moments and each character in the precise way, which allows to enjoy and transmit a charm in a particular way. Time is managed in a rather good way and every detail presented in the scenes of the film, it is important for the director, the gestures made by the characters, the way in which the script tells, all of the above is capable of wrapping thespectator and keep it concentrated in the movie, so feel fascinated with what is being projecting.
“Apart from the quality ups and downs that critics appreciate in the different episodes, the godfather has left an indelible mark on the history of cinema. Dozens of directors have paid tribute to their films, with more or less explicit appointments. There is an authentic rosary of phrases that are already part of popular language in various languages: "It is not personal, just business", "You broke my heart", "I will make an offer that you cannot reject". The Rota Nino soundtrack remains in the collective memory 40 years later. But beyond the formal, even academic beauty, of this cinema classic survives the fierce critic that Coppola of the American system makes, where the mafia finds amparo in the corruption of senators, judges and police officers."
Now, to contextualize a little to the person who is reading this writing, then a brief review of what this great film is treated:
America, 40. Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) is the respected and feared head of one of the five families of the New York mafia. He has four children: Connie (Talia Shire), the impulsive Sonny (James Caan), the faint -hearted Fredo (John Cazale) and Michael (Al Pacino), who does not want to know anything about his father’s businesses. When corleone, against the tips of ‘Il consigliere’ Tom Hagen (Robert Duvall), he refuses to participate in the drug business, the head of another band orders his murder. Then begins a violent and bloody war between mafia families.
From now on, the focus will be directed towards a film analysis;Illustrations will be shown to be able to show what is being said in the body of work, with the intention that the reader can compare what was previously said with what is shown in the photograph, it should be noted that the images were taken from the internet, but asIt is not possible to photograph each scene, some were taken as an example of each prominent plane in the film.
Starting with the lighting used in it, which is generally clear, precise, clear in the faces of the actors and in spaces of transcendent actions, as is then in these photographs:
It can be evidenced in the photographs that, there is a key light that is higher than the lens and projects shadows down (in the configuration of a classic portrait, the main light is placed at 45 degrees of angle between the subject and the camera,and high enough to project shadows down, but without the subject’s eyes be seized). As is notorious, there is a contrast between dark and light colors, which the second mentioned is used to highlight the character and focus attention on him and the action he is performing. On the other hand, there are scenes where it is notorious that there is a key light, which is much clearer in which the filling is very little or nothing necessary:
The key light and the filling light are of equal intensity to obtain a low contrast result, but normally the key light is brighter and more intense than the filling. Filling light is the secondary light of the scene., which makes no more dark shadows introduce on the scene.
There is also a light contrast in the scenes, since dark areas are as important as clear areas. Powerful lighting is a characteristic of this film, since it presents a number of light sources located so that they produce very clear and very dark areas.
There is a contrast game in this scene: Christmas- Michael’s violence-happiness outdoors, with luminosity, contrasted with interior’s death preparations and dark lighting.
As it is quite concurrent in mafia scenes or in mysterious situations, they are carried out in places where shadows, chiaroscuros and dark lighting are protagonists:
Analyzing the planes used by the film, the middle planes and short planes can be highly highlighted. Taking as an example the previous photographs, (specifically the first two) it is evidence. And allows you to isolate a single figure inside a box.
Everything related to the use of the plans is closely linked to classical planning, wrapped in sustained planes and of course, the flat plane-continuous plane is notoriously embedded.
This dialogue between Woltz and Tom presents plans and against increasingly short planes:
Next there is a general plan of the Woltz mansion, which is seen in a panoramic way that mysteriously approaches a window, thus causing an impact.
There is a scene where there is a game of plans, in which Sonny interrupts Santino, to his father while he is negotiating. This gesture was not immediately accepted by his father, it is here that the idea of appearances, respect, hierarchy, seriousness and strength, for this scene, Coppola maintains its absolutely classical planning, modulating pauses, using the plane-contracting, but then the general plane inserts again in the middle of the scene, not at the beginning.
The frames made by the cameraman are extremely perfect, since it captures the essence that each scene has and the necessary elements to make the viewer understand what the development of the moment refers. Below there will be some illustrated examples of some moments and frames that were highlighted in the movie.
This Brasi scene is focused on a particular style, for example, where you can see disappearing flat, being framed, in addition, within another picture, a door. A fixed plane where the actor appears and disappears from the frame.
The "The Godfather" film is quite good and entertaining. After the murder of Michael, Coppola will make a montage with newspapers and episodes of the routine of the gangsters, which is again an example of contrast, since the acts that are seen make a total tranquility in the characters, one makes crosswords, another writes, another one is tomba, another sleeps, another eats, another touches the piano, others cook, always cheerful and relaxed, as opposed to the headlines that are showing the newspapers: tumult and spiral of violence.
Coppola does not focus only on mafia uses and customs, but on the customs of the Ítalo-American culture. Thus at the wedding you can see the multitude of details, as also appreciated in the procession and subsequent wedding of Michael in Sicily.
The godfather is a film with many expressionist elements, which refers to the classic lighting of black cinema. OCRES COLORS, especially indoors, brown, chiaroscuro, shadows and lights. An example is reflected in the arrival of Michael to the paternal house.
In this scene, the contrast is the protagonist, as already said, he leaves the dark dispatch to the luminous garden alternately. (Contrast, even if it is not exactly in the same scene, but is reflected in the sequence of the moments shown).
The way of sitting on the armchair already shows it as a leader, such as the godfather’s chair, an inverse movement that is seen in the first scene in which he presented his father, Vito, who backed up even appearing in the frame. The significance of a simple camera movement.
The next scene to this is used in a similar way, first planes of the diners and step to general plane to see the arrival of Tom. In this scene Coppola makes its style known, a general plan that will teach food and that the director will not move, neither he nor his camera, moreover, when Sonny rises to attend a call from his contact, thehow he gets up, his walk and how he takes the phone at the bottom of the unfocused framing (the rest of the characters will remain perfectly focused), (without short planes), as well as his return to the table.
Regarding the angles used in this film, the scorzo plane is quite observed, since the scenes includes the protagonist of the face and the subject who listens to the back. It is a plane that reinforces the reference to the spectator with whom the character speaks.
Another plane evidenced a lot, is the Latin profile or flat that, the camera is next to the character, which was used for the scenes that transmitted distrust and secrets.
The frontal, normal or neutral plane is also notorious in the scenes of the film, since it is quite common at the time of recording and the angle of the chamber, it is parallel to the ground and in front of the subject that is being recorded at the height of theeye.
Nadir plane is used in the film to give it an aesthetic and dramatic level, provide interest to the scene or give dynamism to action, such as: a persecution.
Dorsal plane, it can also be called "semi-subjective plane". Let what the protagonist sees, but including it, keeps the spectator on the sidelines but also gives him information that the protagonist does not know.
In the part of the decorations and in the objects that must be highlighted that in each part of the scenes that are the oranges, they have great symbolic importance, the appearance of one of them always implies something, generally negative or related to death,for instance:
One of the representative moments for this symbol, is the scene of the attack on Vito, that stops to buy oranges, among other things, just after buying them mistreat him in the street before Fredo’s incompetence. There are many oranges, as if it were blood scattered down the street.
In the same way that oranges are present, the wine always has a significant presence, which was present at the wedding, at dinner between Tom and Woltz, at dinner between Michael and Kay, an element that was always present in celebrations,that then do not end completely well.
The specific decoration, Christmas is shown quite a lot: the night, the snow, the shadows, the lighting that are always present, without leaving aside the atmosphere of the party and the decoration of it, including the music.
Now, detailing a little more, but now the characters, several objects used in their costumes can be highlighted:
If you talk about a red carnation in the dress, corresponding to the chest, and that is bent out on the same garment. , The image that comes to mind is clear: Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) negotiating in his studio, while in the garden, everyone dance to celebrate the wedding of their daughter Connie (Talia Shire) with Carlo Rizzi (Gianni Russo).
“Francis Ford Coppola’s film is considered a masterpiece in itself. From a soundtrack that we are all able to hum in our head, to sentences that have already become greeting: "I will make an offer that you will not be able to reject". Coppola knew how to create in this 1972 movie, an aesthetic that is now 45 years old and has even named one of the most used hats in its scenes: the Corleone hat.” – Published by El Periódico: El Pais.
Their outfits are formal, but with details that download a little to the whole, such as shirts with extremely long necks, ties knotted in the rear or belts that are fastened below the waist of the pants. The coat is a fundamental part: long, wool and double button., Highlighting that in this garment, it is where the range that each one had inside the family differs. That of the father will always be much richer than that of the son, and he will always have more quality than that of other members.
An accessory that today is known as "The sponsor’s hat" but that, in his day, nicknamed him as "the crown of the sewers" when belonging to the heads of the entire American mafia between the 40s and 50s.
The use of orange color indicates, without a doubt, death. Coppola placed an orange in each of the sequences in which someone went to better life or, at least, announced his death. A color only allowed women.
Acting development
The way in how the facts and the way in which each actor and actress appropriates his character is developed, is something magnificent and come to convey the time, situations and context in general.
It has a good cast, a good script and the actors work well, this is because the film is quite entertaining by the fact that the viewer cannot be distracted a moment from the film, because immediately "loses the thread", byKeep saying it;Because it is a film that needs analysis and concentration;This is quite good for people who are cinema lovers, because at the time of having this sequences of the film, in this case 3, the enthusiasm or the wonder of the film is not lost.
To show good acting development, then the prizes won by the trilogy: the part does not.1 won 3 Oscar awards (best film, best actor for Marlon Brando (who developed a role too good to my liking and that is undoubtedly an actor with a fairly high level) and better adapted script);The part no.2 won 6 Oscar awards (best film, best director for Coppola, best cast actor for Robert de Niro, best adapted script, best soundtrack and best artistic direction) and the part does not.3, did not have the same taste on the part of the spectators, but was nominated for 7 Óscar (none got?), that is, in total the trilogy obtained: 9 Oscar awards ,
Undoubtedly, it is an icon of classic cinema and with some interpretation of Marlon Brando de scandalThe plot in America as in Italy, have what they require: black cinema in the city, Italian cinema in Sicily;Simply, one of the films that give meaning to the cinematographic world.
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