Religious Imagery In The Godfather

Religious Imagery In The GodfatherDescribe the religious imagery Coppola uses during the Baptism ikon at the end of the Godfather. How is this ceremony utilize to heighten the tensity of the scene? What statement (if any) is he making by cross-cutting between the murders and the ceremony?The Baptism scene is superstar of the intimately exceptional scenes in the Godfather movie because Coppola-the director- combined visuals, language, music, and edit in a very powerful centering. To summarize the scene, Michael, the Godfathers son, sets up himself as the new Godfather and settles the family issues by fiat him men to murder his enemies. In this scene, Coppola uses montage editing to cut between those two scenes back and forth, as if he is trying to demonstrate a point close to Michael. Coppola wanted to contribute Michaels complex event as an evil and good troops at the same time. Also, Coppola used close ups during the scene to emphasize it more. In the Catholic Church, t he priest was using Latin in the baptism he shifted to English when he asked Michael questions just about faith. This shifting between Latin and English was used to underline Michaels contrast between what he is express and the murderous actions that he orders.The scenes in a film stand be edited by all continuous action or parallel action. As for editing the baptism scene, a parallel action was used wisely to present Michaels personality and life. Cutting back and forth between scenes can be implemental to present events that happen at the same time. The parallel action highlighted the dishonesty and the darkness of Michaels thought and personality. join on to that, it presented the double life that he will relieve oneself laid as the head of the family. Coppola used the image of the innocuous baby, who is being washed for purity and sinfulness, to contrast it with Michaels life that is filled with sins and darkness.A rising action was starting signal Michaels men were p reparing for the murders and the priest was preparing the baby. Then the scene r to each oneed the peak when the priest asked Michael if he renounces Satan. The scene cut to the low murder of mafia, then cut back to Michael saying I do. The shifting between Michaels men preparing for a Mafia war and the religious ceremony getting started highlights the tension, the lies, the darkness, and the contrast of this ceremony. At the time where a baptism should be a religious ceremony to clean the soul from sins, the scene presented the opposite of that. We can follow the despise and the shadow thats nearly Michaels life, as if this ceremony was a lie. Coppola was able to clearly present the complexity of Michaels soul and how each murder stresses out a new meaning. Combining the two events in one scene emphasizes Michaels title as the Godfather.We can clearly notice how Coppola used the four elements of filmmaking (Mise en scene, sound, cinematography, and editing) in this one scene to create the perfect atmosphere. Coppolas choice of using a religious music during the ceremony didnt miscellany during the murders. However, he manipulated the level of sound by increasing it during the killings and decreasing it during baptizing the baby. As a result, the level of tension, timidity and pressure increased, and the audience was able to search the real Michael. Michaels true personality was being revealed as the family man who deals with crime and murders.Using different lighting techniques during the ceremony was a clever move by Coppola. He focused the sun light only on the altar where the priest was baptizing the baby. However, he darkened most of the altar and especially the statute of rescuer Christ that was directed toward Michael. Michael being in the light and Jesus in the dark can imply or suggest the differences between them. People may see the use of lighting as a symbolic method to reveal Michaels duplicity. Especially when he rejected Satan in words, while, his men were murdering his enemies.To conclude, Coppola tried hard to introduce Michaels character and personality through and through the baptism scene. His way of using the simplest techniques to reach the point where people can really analyze the character, was powerful. Not all directors can demonstrate the different feelings that audiences felt throughout the scene. If this one religious scene created this amazing feeling of fear, dishonesty, and faith, what about the entire film? The Baptism ceremony was established to comp ar between Michaels life and what he pre turn tail to be. minimal brain damage to that, the cross-cutting between the murders and the ceremony helped showing the evil side of Michael. Coppola had the choice to separate the murders from the religious ceremony, but he chose to combine them to create this anxiety and nervousness feeling. Combining them was a success because the audience was able to live the scene and to understand each character aside. Some historians argue that films reflect the semipolitical and social mores of high corporation at the time of its creation- is this an accurate statement? Is this subject matter of the movies we have watched driven by society or does society drive the entertainment industry to create films within a specific moral, social, or political context? Discuss.Coppola, one of the American directors who created powerful films with strong personal appeals, may shargon more or less of the cultural, social, and political mores that most American have. For example, after watching the Godfather, we cant help but say that it expresses roughly social or cultural mores that directors commonly have with their audience. Godfather clearly reflects the American society in umpteen ways the mafia wars, the killings, and the family relationships. According to Quart and Auster (2002), the movie industry tries hard to perfectly utilize or so social values to attract audience, who is most likely accep ting those values and living on them. wholly films can be considered political as the Batman movie (1989) that point out several views about the American reality.However, we cant say that all cultural and political views in films can relate to audiences social and political beliefs it is difficult to relate to them all the time. Most of the American films try not to eliminate the social patterns. Producers usually try to stylize the cultural or social world to let people live in this bubble of thrill or to let them escape the emotional reality. Films be usually built around the audiences dreams, the individuals heroism, or the individuals personality. In fact, this is what most Hollywoods movies are based on. We can see that from Home of the Brave to Platoon films, where the political events were included to delimitate some characters fate or feeling. For instance, the producers in Platoon film included the Vietnam War to define and show the soldiers journey that he goes through . (Quart and Auster, 2002) When the U.S has entered World WarII, the film industry tried to support the war lather by producing some documentaries and short movies about the war. Also, the OWI (the office of War Information) joined the film industry to dissipate notion among people about supporting the war, and to maintain awareness about it. For example, during the war, Basil Rathbone has played as the brilliant detective Sherlock Holmes who defeated Nazis inhumanly acts. The film industry and the OWI were concerned about the rising tension in the society because of the war. Therefore, they wanted to create a national unity between people, and to present the U.S. as a unified country. Hollywood placed an effort during the war by producing movies. For instance, Hollywood realized that women had been go away behind because their men joined the army therefore, Hollywood produced series of films about how these men are scarifying themselves and their families, and how they are contr ibuting their souls for war. This type of drama pleased and helped many people during the war especially women, who were presented as the ancillary spouse. Hollywoods box office hit a new level because of people admiring the drama of these womens lives and their support for their abide men. (Grainge, Jancovich, and Monteith, 2007) After stating all these facts, I would have to say yes films reflect the political mores of society but not necessary directly it could preserve the audience in many simple ways.Films can be liberal, conservative, or confused when it comes to political events, and analysts are still trying to figure out the connection between them and the society. However, films are a reflection of the society because most movies now a day present part of our day-by-day lives. Films present partly what a family, a teenager, a soldier, a child, and a woman go through every day. For instance, the movie New York talked about how the 9/11 has changed the life of three stud ents who were studying at New York State University. This movie reflected many aspects of society, politics, war and darkness. Add to that, people are able to see the corruption and the dishonesty of the business world by watching the Corporate movie. It presented how women used their femininity to get jobs, how people killed others for silly excuses, and how teenagers took drugs and got pregnant. These entire movies clearly reflect the society as a whole, as if they are the mirror of societys culture and politics. Of course, there are other types of movies like fiction or animation movies that are produced to create a new world for some audience.To conclude, I believe that movies are driven by society and society is driven by them too. In fact, Movies are produced for people, and because people need them to escape their insouciant routine. As a result, people get affected by many stories, actors, and styles presented in the movie. People, especially females, tend to follow the tr ends and fashion of movie stars, and they try to be them in every way possible. The images of these movie stars affect society as a whole. Lets take Hanna Montana films and series as an example for how teenager girls were write her style, her clothes, and her life. We cant deny that society is driven by films, and that movies are driven by society because each one of them is connected with the other. They both complete each other. Society, especially since the last decade, is getting affected by movie stories everyone wants to re-live them. Films in general are created as tools for people to perfectly reflect their economy, culture, and politics. Films basically present societys values and beliefs at a certain(p) time and place each film reflects a certain era and a certain issue. Filmmakers always try to connect with audience through presenting something that may touch their lives or experiences. Finally, Films are now basically part of our lives, routine, and activities.