Godfather trilogy's portrayal of Sicilian immigrants
The Godfather trilogy is renowned for its nuanced portrayal of Sicilian immigrants and their experiences in America. Set against the backdrop of post-World War II America, the films explore the life of the Corleone family, beginning with Vito Corleone's immigration from Sicily to New York in 1901. The narrative incorporates rich depictions of Italian-American culture, including family gatherings, religious ceremonies, and community traditions, such as the Feast of San Gennaro. This cultural context is intertwined with the darker elements of organized crime, presenting a complex image of the immigrant experience that juxtaposes the pursuit of the American Dream with the harsh realities of criminality.
The films are steeped in Italian dialogue and cultural references, effectively immersing viewers in the Sicilian heritage that shapes the characters’ identities. While showcasing the allure of power and success, the trilogy also reflects the challenges faced by immigrants, including the struggle for acceptance and the often difficult choices they must make. Ultimately, the Godfather trilogy serves as both a cinematic exploration of Sicilian-American life and a commentary on the interplay between cultural identity and the pursuit of wealth and influence in a new world.
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Godfather trilogy's portrayal of Sicilian immigrants
Identification: Francis Ford Coppola’s films based on Mario Puzo’s 1969 novel The Godfather, about the family of a Sicilian immigrant who builds a criminal empire in New York that one of his sons inherits
Dates: Released in 1972, 1974, and 1990
Significance:The winner of nine Academy Awards and dozens of critical and film-industry awards, and with The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather: Part II (1974) voted among the ten best American films ever, the trilogy occupies an iconic place in American cinema and culture. Viewed by hundreds of millions in and outside the United States, its portrayal of Sicilian immigrants,New York’s Little Italy, and the organized crime underworld vie in many viewers’ minds with historical truth.
In a 1963 testimony to the Congressional Hearing on Organized Crime, Joe Valachi, a “soldier” in the Genovese crime family, was the first mobster to publicly acknowledge the existence and power of the Mafia. His testimony, broadcast on radio and television and published in newspapers, was devastating for the mob, already reeling from the 1957 Apalachin exposure when New York State police had accidentally uncovered a meeting of several Mafia bosses from all over the United States. However, while the Italian crime syndicate stretching across the United States was no longer invisible to the public, few Americans gave it a second thought. Together with Mario Puzo’s novel, the Godfather blockbusters changed that.
The Godfather (1972) opens in 1945. A decision not to enter the narcotics trade brings Vito Corleone, Italian Mafia family boss, onto a violent collision course with other New York crime families. Peace ensues only after a series of assassinations, instigated by his youngest son, Michael, who takes over the “business” after his father’s death and removes the crime family to Las Vegas. The plot of The Godfather: Part II (1974) is complex and ambitious (the film runs two hundred minutes). Now a billionaire reaping the benefits of legalized gambling in Las Vegas, during the late 1950’s Michael Corleone expands his criminal base, buys political clout, and successfully fends off a federal indictment, while competing against an aging Jewish boss from Miami (modeled after Meyer Lansky). Running in parallel is the story of his father who, as a boy, arrived at Ellis Island from Sicily in 1901, only to rise as a crime lord (“Don”) in Little Italy. The much weaker Godfather: Part III (1990) picks up the story in 1979 and essentially reprises the plot of the first film, with the aging Michael passing the reins to the crime empire amid a new wave of machinations and assassinations.
The films are steeped in the Italian immigrant experience in the United States. Italian dialogue (with subtitles) is ubiquitous, in Godfather: Part II amounting to almost half of the film. Scenes of baptism, first communion, wedding, family dinners, and other aspects of Italian Roman Catholic religion and culture are painstakingly recreated. Street life during the early decades of New York, the annual Feast of San Gennaro, and other traditions combine with extensive footage from rural and small-town life in Sicily to enrich the film’s gangster plot and give it an authentic feel of the immigrant experience, not to mention a criminal underworld twist to the American Dream of “rags to riches.”
Bibliography
Jones, Jenny M. The Annotated Godfather: The Complete Screenplay. New York: Black Dog & Leventhal, 2007.
Messenger, Christian K. The Godfather and American Culture: How the Corleones Became “Our Gang.” Albany: State University of New York Press, 2002.
Puzo, Mario. The Godfather. New York: New American Library, 1978.