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Hi there,
I'm a first year Cinema student at the University of Melbourne, and am doing a 1000 word analysis on the christening scene in The Godfather, part 1. We basically have to talk about the narrative strategies employed in the scene, eg. how does the scene relate to the film as a whole, what does it tell us about character motivation, does it signal a turning point in the narrative...etc.
I think the scene signals a turning point for Michael, especially when you consider his first murder of Solozzo and the cop. In that particular scene, it is quite obvious that he is contemplating whether or not he is going to go through with it, and it seems that his conscious is in opposition to family business. However, in this scene where he effectively masterminds numerous killings, the close ups on his face reveal that he is calm, and he is seems to be showing no remorse. Also, through the way the scene is edited, we are shown Michael in the church as the murders are taking place. There is obvious hypocricy when he announces that he renounces satan, as the scene cuts to one of his hitmen killing somebody. It is a great scene, and the merging of sound with some very clever editing signals Michael's character development, as the innocent bystander to the Godfather.
So, what are your thoughts on this great scene?
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