A film blog for students of my classes at Santa Clara University. Use this blog to discuss the films we are studying, classic films, current releases or production issues you encounter while making your own films.
Sunday, May 25, 2014
The Godfather
How does The Godfather represent The New Hollywood?
In New Hollywood, directors started gaining more control over their films and therefore became more like auteurs than in previous times. The Godfather is a good example of how Hollywood was continuing to make genre films such as the mobster/gangster film, but Coppola shook up the genre and made it something new. Coppola achieved this both technically and thematically. His use of montage editing and creative sound design elevated the quality of the film to beyond what was expected within the genre. Coppola’s focus on the characters and their relationships also brought a more familial theme to a film that could have otherwise been more about the action. These filmmaking elements gave Coppola a distinct signature on the film and simultaneously elevated the level of this genre. Additionally, many New Hollywood films often emphasized realism, which The Godfather certainly did with its graphic violence and multidimensional characters. Overall, films during the New Hollywood period put more emphasis on the artistic value of the film rather than keeping to what was known to be successful and as a result, created quality films that surpassed the popularity of previous movies, as is demonstrated with The Godfather.
The Godfather represents the New Hollywood because it is a display of creative artistic control from director Francis Ford Coppola. This film is still representative of Hollywood because it still fits into the guidelines of a genre-- a kind of crime/family melodrama. However, through the technical and narrative elements, The Godfather managed to embody a new refreshing approach to an old genre . For example, the character development, especially with Michael, is intricate and adds to the depth of the story. We as an audience are witness to his internal struggle between his desire to stay out of the family business and the duty to protect and honor his family. At the end, Michael completely succumbs to all that he was trying to avoid-- he actually becomes what he was trying to escape. This is captured in a really well done (and chilling) last scene where Kay leaves him in his den, and we see Michael through a doorway, physically making him seem far away. As the theme music (another great touch) begins to play, Michael's battle is tragically resolved as we see everyone coming to kiss his hand as the door closes. This kind of intricacy and attention to detail can also be seen in the violence and deaths in the film (when Woltz wakes up to a bloody horse head in his bed, for example). This film's creative way to progress the narrative, its technical style, and depth is what represents the New Hollywood.
Director Francis Ford Coppola is one of the main auteurs during his time to really make the change into the New Hollywood timing. In the New Hollywood, filmmakers had more control over their film and understood that audiences were looking for something new, different, and interesting. Through the Godfather's characters, lighting, costuming, and plot Coppola turned an ordinary mod film into one of the best melodramas ever. He took a chance from the book and put an intense spin on it and it worked out in the long run creating more depth to each character and plot. Another reason why the Godfather represents the New Hollywood is because it became such a big hit during release that it created the Blockbuster status and event status as well. Blockbuster films were not really a thing until around the 1970's and Coppola achieved it through this film by creating a gangster and family melodrama all into one.
The New Hollywood allowed directors of the time to integrate their own auteur into what genre had been known as before. By having the ability to study films at a young age, these directors started to develop a new and better way to incorporate genre into the films they made. Coppola became one of the most successful directors in the new hollywood with his film the Godfather. He essentially reinvented the gangster genre, turning what the studio considered as a mainstream genre film into a family melodrama. Also through the New Hollywood, directors such as Coppola were able to target a younger audience in which the studio system was losing the attention of at the time. He also had access to new technologies which brought in the art form an emphasis on realism which is portrayed in the Godfather. Coppola became a mentor of his generation through the power and success he was given in Hollywood after making parts 1 & 2 of the Godfather. He is the only director to have a sequel win best picture along with the original.
The Godfather represents New Hollywood on the basis of the perfected melodrama that has been inspiration to many films to follow. Not only do the script, story, acting, setting and music work extremely well together to create the perfect family/crime melodrama. The important thing to recognize with New hollywood is the character development and focus on the certain protagonist or antagonist, this being the Corleone family and the Don and son Michael. There was also the increasing inclusion of violence and intense images that made for a new era in Hollywood cinema. The story line and the message within it (the importance of family and the strength in its ties) is a main plot in the Godfather and the idea of having a distinct message for audiences is what many Hollywood films soon took notice in. The strength of the Godfather trilogy and it's accolades (the only series to receive an Oscar for Best Picture for its original and its sequel) are driven by director Francis Ford Coppola, who's creative control and auteur of the melodrama lead to its success and the inspiration of films and adoration of audiences for decades.
The new Hollywood movement is marked by the auteur of the film taking control over the creative decision making process. Coppola took the somewhat trashy godfather book and turned it into a thematic masterpiece by exploring the different techniques of editing lighting and character development. He showed Hollywood that when a director is in complete control of the story it can be something greater than just a film for profit. He explored the psychology of what it means to be part of a crime family in a way that redefined what crime films could be. Even though directors like Orson Welles had done something similar Coppola did it with something that wasn't completely original and made it original. Without Coppola we might still be discovering what it means to make a crime film perfectly but his dedication to detail shows through every shot in the film.
Francis Ford Coppola is a mentor of his generation and one of the most influential auteurs of his time. He created a mainstream genre film called The Godfather which is representative of The New Hollywood because of his unique and artistic perspective in bringing a melodrama to life. He uses creative lighting techniques to portray moods in each scene and a dramatic story within a family. New Hollywood was all about film focusing on being artistic and creative instead of simply producing what was already known to be popular. Film became an art form and a personal artistic expression. While The Godfather does fall under the criteria of the American crime genre, its extreme attention to detail makes it one of the greatest films of all time and a film that will be referred to as inspiration for generations to come. It pushes the limits and really demonstrates what New Hollywood was all about.
The Godfather represents the New Hollywood through it’s subject matter, style, and approach to production. The younger film school generation was beginning to take over the industry and they were radically changing how films were being made. The studios had to relinquish almost complete control to these young filmmakers because the films were proving to be both commercially successful and artistically innovative. Beyond changing industry standards, films like The Godfather were putting new twist on classic genres and using new narrative and stylistic devices that attracted a younger audience base that the traditional studio system had lost.
New Hollywood marks a time where directors start to gain more control over their films. The Godfather is an example of New Hollywood as its viewed as a legendary American auteur film. Coppola fought for more control and for his view of the film, starting with even the casting of Marlin Brando as Don Corleone. In New Hollywood, genre films are used more as an outline and each director gives his film a twist, whether it be technical or thematic elements. Coppola does this with The Godfather, particularly with his montage editing. One of the greatest montage scenes in the history of film, in my opinion, is the Baptism scene, where Michael’s orders to kill enemies of the family are carried out throughout. In addition, character development is a large focus in the film, particularly with Michael Corleone. The emphasis on characters and relationships helps create a family theme to the film, which proves imperative in a mafia film. Michael’s character develops, arguably, in a negative way. He starts off the film not wanting to be apart of his family’s business, however we see that the nature of being a Corleone does not allow you to fully escape your family and the duty you have to them. The film emphasizes realism with both this idea and its gritty violence. While some violence is graphic, the image that truly haunts me after watching the film several times is the last scene: the long shot through the door where we see Michael being called Don and his wife watching from outside as the door closes. While this scene feels like it was influenced by Citizen Kane, the reason why it feels so tragic to me is that we know Michael has become what he never wanted to be, and Kay, who is the only one he ever told that, is witnessing it with the audience.
New Hollywood is the term coined to the era of when directors and auteur really controlled Hollywood and steered the direction Hollywood would go to after the demise of the strong studio system. In this time, the film school generation directors, including Coppola reigned supreme in keeping studios happy by making genre films, but also pushing the boundaries of how film has become true art. The Godfather is a great representation of this era because Coppola took a gangster genre film and created a family melodrama. He added complicated relationships and characters, such as Vito and Michael Corleone, that were never seen in the genre before. The narrative was also told used by techniques in lighting and editing, used before by Welles in Citizen Kane. The film also created quite a bit of controversy because of the amount of blood and violence that was actually shown to the audience. Paramount fought, but Coppola argued that these realistic violent scenes were necessary for the story. They realism of the scenes resulted in audiences really following the pain of the characters and connecting to the story. The film was well received by all. The success of the film marked a beginning of a New Hollywood. It also showed that while the directors were beginning to become more auteur, the audiences grew as well and began to learn how to read film and understand it as an art. The success of the film is evident with the critical acclaim and the multiple awards. But, the fact that it remains one of the best films ever made, and still affects audiences through different generations shows that Coppola truly changed the industry with this film.
Francis Ford Coppola really made an impact and helped change the New Hollywood. During this time, filmmakers were awarded more control over their films. Not only that but they knew that their audiences wanted something different that they hadn't been getting. This was created in the Godfather. In this film, the characters, and certain elements of the film such as the lighting turned Godfather into a famous melodrama. The Godfather is also an example of the New Hollywood because it was so popular among viewers that it was called a Blockbuster. Through the gangster and family melodrama, Coppola created one of the most famous Blockbusters in all of Hollywood.
The Godfather made By Francis Ford Coppola in 1972 changed the face of Hollywood. The studio thought it was producing a mainstream gangster genre flick, but Coppola had much different outlook on the film. He ended up producing a family melodrama about an aging patriarch of an organized crime dynasty transferring control of his empire to his reluctant son. The film was produced with a modest budget of $6 million ($1 million over budget), but returned over $86 million. It was the first big blockbuster of the decade, and proof that the system could work. To this day, Hollywood works in the blockbuster model.
The Godfather represents the ultimate example of auteur theory. The studios thought Coppola was simply making another gangster movie, little did they know that that both the first and second movie would both win academy awards and the series would be one of the most successful is Hollywood cinema. Coppola draws upon the style and technique from his predecessors, with his own twist. The Godfather also represents a compilation of styles, narratives and techniques perfected throughout film history coming together in one movie. His work emphasized realism and fast paced shot changes to heighten the audiences awareness of a particular scene or moment. He emphasizes the artistic value of the filmmaker and thus created a hugely successful and amazing demonstration of auteur theory.
WIth New Hollywood, we see more of an auteur approach, where the the filmmaker has overall control. This allows film to become an art form, and stylistic approaches become the reason why these films are personal to their filmmakers. Coppola does just this in the Godfather. He uses the deep relationships between characters to perceive the story of a mobster film. He uses long scenes to really divulge into the characters and relationships. This style helps the audience understand the story line, and in doing so imposes his artistic ability as an auteur.
With Hollywood looking for new ways to bring film back to life in their battle against television, the film school generation was there to change the rules and start The New Hollywood. Francis Ford Coppola was one of the first to come up with a brilliant idea of what seems to be just another gangster film at the first glance, but so much more in the end. Coppola took a story and an individual issue anyone could relate to and presented it with outstanding cinematography, great acting, premier storytelling, and touching music. The Godfather seems to be hitting all the right social issued of the 70s: loneliness, family, distrust. Nevertheless, Coppola does not do it in a rather blunt way like Scorsese in "Taxi Driver." On the contrary, Coppola glamorizes the storyline. making it more appealing to the mainstream audience. Another important aspect of the film which made it the beginning of New Hollywood was the ability of Coppola to set a box office record with a relatively small budget. In the later years this would set a trend for looking for "big hits" and change the way studio approaches film production forever.
15 comments:
In New Hollywood, directors started gaining more control over their films and therefore became more like auteurs than in previous times. The Godfather is a good example of how Hollywood was continuing to make genre films such as the mobster/gangster film, but Coppola shook up the genre and made it something new. Coppola achieved this both technically and thematically. His use of montage editing and creative sound design elevated the quality of the film to beyond what was expected within the genre. Coppola’s focus on the characters and their relationships also brought a more familial theme to a film that could have otherwise been more about the action. These filmmaking elements gave Coppola a distinct signature on the film and simultaneously elevated the level of this genre. Additionally, many New Hollywood films often emphasized realism, which The Godfather certainly did with its graphic violence and multidimensional characters. Overall, films during the New Hollywood period put more emphasis on the artistic value of the film rather than keeping to what was known to be successful and as a result, created quality films that surpassed the popularity of previous movies, as is demonstrated with The Godfather.
The Godfather represents the New Hollywood because it is a display of creative artistic control from director Francis Ford Coppola. This film is still representative of Hollywood because it still fits into the guidelines of a genre-- a kind of crime/family melodrama. However, through the technical and narrative elements, The Godfather managed to embody a new refreshing approach to an old genre . For example, the character development, especially with Michael, is intricate and adds to the depth of the story. We as an audience are witness to his internal struggle between his desire to stay out of the family business and the duty to protect and honor his family. At the end, Michael completely succumbs to all that he was trying to avoid-- he actually becomes what he was trying to escape. This is captured in a really well done (and chilling) last scene where Kay leaves him in his den, and we see Michael through a doorway, physically making him seem far away. As the theme music (another great touch) begins to play, Michael's battle is tragically resolved as we see everyone coming to kiss his hand as the door closes.
This kind of intricacy and attention to detail can also be seen in the violence and deaths in the film (when Woltz wakes up to a bloody horse head in his bed, for example). This film's creative way to progress the narrative, its technical style, and depth is what represents the New Hollywood.
Director Francis Ford Coppola is one of the main auteurs during his time to really make the change into the New Hollywood timing. In the New Hollywood, filmmakers had more control over their film and understood that audiences were looking for something new, different, and interesting. Through the Godfather's characters, lighting, costuming, and plot Coppola turned an ordinary mod film into one of the best melodramas ever. He took a chance from the book and put an intense spin on it and it worked out in the long run creating more depth to each character and plot. Another reason why the Godfather represents the New Hollywood is because it became such a big hit during release that it created the Blockbuster status and event status as well. Blockbuster films were not really a thing until around the 1970's and Coppola achieved it through this film by creating a gangster and family melodrama all into one.
The New Hollywood allowed directors of the time to integrate their own auteur into what genre had been known as before. By having the ability to study films at a young age, these directors started to develop a new and better way to incorporate genre into the films they made. Coppola became one of the most successful directors in the new hollywood with his film the Godfather. He essentially reinvented the gangster genre, turning what the studio considered as a mainstream genre film into a family melodrama. Also through the New Hollywood, directors such as Coppola were able to target a younger audience in which the studio system was losing the attention of at the time. He also had access to new technologies which brought in the art form an emphasis on realism which is portrayed in the Godfather. Coppola became a mentor of his generation through the power and success he was given in Hollywood after making parts 1 & 2 of the Godfather. He is the only director to have a sequel win best picture along with the original.
The Godfather represents New Hollywood on the basis of the perfected melodrama that has been inspiration to many films to follow. Not only do the script, story, acting, setting and music work extremely well together to create the perfect family/crime melodrama. The important thing to recognize with New hollywood is the character development and focus on the certain protagonist or antagonist, this being the Corleone family and the Don and son Michael. There was also the increasing inclusion of violence and intense images that made for a new era in Hollywood cinema. The story line and the message within it (the importance of family and the strength in its ties) is a main plot in the Godfather and the idea of having a distinct message for audiences is what many Hollywood films soon took notice in. The strength of the Godfather trilogy and it's accolades (the only series to receive an Oscar for Best Picture for its original and its sequel) are driven by director Francis Ford Coppola, who's creative control and auteur of the melodrama lead to its success and the inspiration of films and adoration of audiences for decades.
The new Hollywood movement is marked by the auteur of the film taking control over the creative decision making process. Coppola took the somewhat trashy godfather book and turned it into a thematic masterpiece by exploring the different techniques of editing lighting and character development. He showed Hollywood that when a director is in complete control of the story it can be something greater than just a film for profit. He explored the psychology of what it means to be part of a crime family in a way that redefined what crime films could be. Even though directors like Orson Welles had done something similar Coppola did it with something that wasn't completely original and made it original. Without Coppola we might still be discovering what it means to make a crime film perfectly but his dedication to detail shows through every shot in the film.
Francis Ford Coppola is a mentor of his generation and one of the most influential auteurs of his time. He created a mainstream genre film called The Godfather which is representative of The New Hollywood because of his unique and artistic perspective in bringing a melodrama to life. He uses creative lighting techniques to portray moods in each scene and a dramatic story within a family. New Hollywood was all about film focusing on being artistic and creative instead of simply producing what was already known to be popular. Film became an art form and a personal artistic expression. While The Godfather does fall under the criteria of the American crime genre, its extreme attention to detail makes it one of the greatest films of all time and a film that will be referred to as inspiration for generations to come. It pushes the limits and really demonstrates what New Hollywood was all about.
The Godfather represents the New Hollywood through it’s subject matter, style, and approach to production. The younger film school generation was beginning to take over the industry and they were radically changing how films were being made. The studios had to relinquish almost complete control to these young filmmakers because the films were proving to be both commercially successful and artistically innovative. Beyond changing industry standards, films like The Godfather were putting new twist on classic genres and using new narrative and stylistic devices that attracted a younger audience base that the traditional studio system had lost.
New Hollywood marks a time where directors start to gain more control over their films. The Godfather is an example of New Hollywood as its viewed as a legendary American auteur film. Coppola fought for more control and for his view of the film, starting with even the casting of Marlin Brando as Don Corleone. In New Hollywood, genre films are used more as an outline and each director gives his film a twist, whether it be technical or thematic elements. Coppola does this with The Godfather, particularly with his montage editing. One of the greatest montage scenes in the history of film, in my opinion, is the Baptism scene, where Michael’s orders to kill enemies of the family are carried out throughout. In addition, character development is a large focus in the film, particularly with Michael Corleone. The emphasis on characters and relationships helps create a family theme to the film, which proves imperative in a mafia film. Michael’s character develops, arguably, in a negative way. He starts off the film not wanting to be apart of his family’s business, however we see that the nature of being a Corleone does not allow you to fully escape your family and the duty you have to them. The film emphasizes realism with both this idea and its gritty violence. While some violence is graphic, the image that truly haunts me after watching the film several times is the last scene: the long shot through the door where we see Michael being called Don and his wife watching from outside as the door closes. While this scene feels like it was influenced by Citizen Kane, the reason why it feels so tragic to me is that we know Michael has become what he never wanted to be, and Kay, who is the only one he ever told that, is witnessing it with the audience.
New Hollywood is the term coined to the era of when directors and auteur really controlled Hollywood and steered the direction Hollywood would go to after the demise of the strong studio system. In this time, the film school generation directors, including Coppola reigned supreme in keeping studios happy by making genre films, but also pushing the boundaries of how film has become true art.
The Godfather is a great representation of this era because Coppola took a gangster genre film and created a family melodrama. He added complicated relationships and characters, such as Vito and Michael Corleone, that were never seen in the genre before. The narrative was also told used by techniques in lighting and editing, used before by Welles in Citizen Kane. The film also created quite a bit of controversy because of the amount of blood and violence that was actually shown to the audience. Paramount fought, but Coppola argued that these realistic violent scenes were necessary for the story. They realism of the scenes resulted in audiences really following the pain of the characters and connecting to the story.
The film was well received by all. The success of the film marked a beginning of a New Hollywood. It also showed that while the directors were beginning to become more auteur, the audiences grew as well and began to learn how to read film and understand it as an art.
The success of the film is evident with the critical acclaim and the multiple awards. But, the fact that it remains one of the best films ever made, and still affects audiences through different generations shows that Coppola truly changed the industry with this film.
Francis Ford Coppola really made an impact and helped change the New Hollywood. During this time, filmmakers were awarded more control over their films. Not only that but they knew that their audiences wanted something different that they hadn't been getting. This was created in the Godfather. In this film, the characters, and certain elements of the film such as the lighting turned Godfather into a famous melodrama. The Godfather is also an example of the New Hollywood because it was so popular among viewers that it was called a Blockbuster. Through the gangster and family melodrama, Coppola created one of the most famous Blockbusters in all of Hollywood.
The Godfather made By Francis Ford Coppola in 1972 changed the face of Hollywood. The studio thought it was producing a mainstream gangster genre flick, but Coppola had much different outlook on the film. He ended up producing a family melodrama about an aging patriarch of an organized crime dynasty transferring control of his empire to his reluctant son. The film was produced with a modest budget of $6 million ($1 million over budget), but returned over $86 million. It was the first big blockbuster of the decade, and proof that the system could work. To this day, Hollywood works in the blockbuster model.
The Godfather represents the ultimate example of auteur theory. The studios thought Coppola was simply making another gangster movie, little did they know that that both the first and second movie would both win academy awards and the series would be one of the most successful is Hollywood cinema. Coppola draws upon the style and technique from his predecessors, with his own twist. The Godfather also represents a compilation of styles, narratives and techniques perfected throughout film history coming together in one movie. His work emphasized realism and fast paced shot changes to heighten the audiences awareness of a particular scene or moment. He emphasizes the artistic value of the filmmaker and thus created a hugely successful and amazing demonstration of auteur theory.
WIth New Hollywood, we see more of an auteur approach, where the the filmmaker has overall control. This allows film to become an art form, and stylistic approaches become the reason why these films are personal to their filmmakers. Coppola does just this in the Godfather. He uses the deep relationships between characters to perceive the story of a mobster film. He uses long scenes to really divulge into the characters and relationships. This style helps the audience understand the story line, and in doing so imposes his artistic ability as an auteur.
With Hollywood looking for new ways to bring film back to life in their battle against television, the film school generation was there to change the rules and start The New Hollywood. Francis Ford Coppola was one of the first to come up with a brilliant idea of what seems to be just another gangster film at the first glance, but so much more in the end.
Coppola took a story and an individual issue anyone could relate to and presented it with outstanding cinematography, great acting, premier storytelling, and touching music. The Godfather seems to be hitting all the right social issued of the 70s: loneliness, family, distrust. Nevertheless, Coppola does not do it in a rather blunt way like Scorsese in "Taxi Driver." On the contrary, Coppola glamorizes the storyline. making it more appealing to the mainstream audience.
Another important aspect of the film which made it the beginning of New Hollywood was the ability of Coppola to set a box office record with a relatively small budget. In the later years this would set a trend for looking for "big hits" and change the way studio approaches film production forever.
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