Following on from Layer Cake the next film i researched was the first Godfather film. A 1972 movie the film see's "Don" Vito Corleone, the head of a New York Mafia "family" battle for control as rival families compete for power, while his old methods of violence are becoming less and less popular amongst his family, the Don struggles against the law and his own family. A UK rating of 15 is down to the vast amount of sex and nudity, violence and gore, profanity, alcohol/drugs/smoking and frightening intense fight scenes. However to fully look into the film in depth to see what makes it a gangster film we need to seperate sections the film by; sound, camera angles, editing and mise-en-scene.
CAMERA ANGLES: Camera angles and camera effects are used very cleverly in the Godfather. I would suggest the producers wanted to create a sense of two worlds to the film. When outside camera angles are presented in a more joyous and nice manor, but when inside it is more mafia mysterious work. For example, when there were shots of the party with the whole family in attendence it was happy and the environment was upbeat but once the head people of the Corleone family are alone inside it turns very dark and mysterious with 2 man shots being more regular while close-ups being more uncommon.
EDITING: Through editing, filmakers gave The Godfather a very continuous action that flowed throughout the film. An everlasting continuation sees the events occur in sequence. The plot of the film is about the transfer of power from Vito Corleone to Michael. Within this movement of leadership, the viewer also sees the development of Michael from a boy to a man. Another editing technique used in the film is the flash-forward, or moving from present to a future event and then returns to the present, this leaves the viewer expectant on whats set to happen leaving them on the edge of the seat wanting the actor to know what they know, about the future evnts in there life.
MISE-EN-SCENE: Location, props and costumes are all consistent within each other to create a very genuine 20th century mob/gangster feel. Linked to camera angles when inside all these aspects of mise-en-scne seem dark and mysterious however once outside when the family try to irradicate suspision by acting like other normal families the location, props and costumes used are that you'd come to expect of a normal rich family in this era.
This video shows the family as they are seen in public:
In contrast this extract shows the Corleone family behind closed doors:
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