There are many mob-related movies out there, and perhaps the most well-known of them all is Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather. Not only is it a piece of cinematic mastery, reason enough to go back again and again, but it also gives us the chance to relish in the early days of some of the biggest acting veterans of the day, such as Al Pacino and Diane Keaton.
Like most movies, however - particularly the good ones, often - after the credits roll, audience are still left with some questions. Whether they are ones the director intended or not is the biggest question of them all. While these questions don't hamper this particular movie's quality in any way, they still leave a nagging thought at the back of even the most ardent fans' minds. So without further delay, here are 10 burning questions we still have about The Godfather.
Why Is Carlo Made Consigliere?
Audiences are made to know Carlo solely as a wife abuser; his wife being sister to Don Corleone's family, no less. The only person who seems very bothered by this is Sonny, who promises Carlo that if he ever lays a hand on his sister again he'll kill him. In fact, he's on his way to do just this one day when he dies brutally.
Cut to a later point of the film where Michael is naming his new Consigliere - and it's Carlo! Of all the potential candidates, why him?
Why Was Michael A Civilian?
Before his father gets shot, Michael takes little part in the family affairs. His disdain for the family business is implied through his interactions with his girlfriend Kay. He is later referred to as a civilian by one of the members of the family.
Is it really so easy for members of a mob family to choose civilian life, and still be allowed to remain intimate with the family as Michael is?
How Did Michael End Up As The New Don?
When his father is sick, Michael steps in as the new leader and assumes control of the mob. His father is grooming him for the position, and while it appears to make sense from the standpoint of Michael being possibly the most cool-headed member of the family, he is still the youngest and the one who has been a member for the least number of years.
In terms of seniority and experience, his brother Paulie is older and has been involved longer. So why was he never considered?
Why Was Tom Unceremoniously Removed?
When Michael rises toward the position of the leader, he chooses a new Consigliere. Tom has always been a loyal member of the family, yet he is told he isn't the right fit anymore. Tom is clearly confused and hurt, but is a professional and doesn't fight it.
Rather, he suggests he can still offer his service in some other way - but they insist he can't take any part anymore. What's up with that?
Was Connie's Abuse Really Just A Plot Device?
When Sonny dies it seems that any concern for Connie dies with him. She's a tiny woman in the first place, and on top of that is seen to be beaten by Carlo when she's in an advanced stage of pregnancy. Carlo's concern for her suggests that the film is exploring an interest in female abuse within the mob.
Thing is, the only time Connie's abuse is ever referred to again is in reference to it being a stunt Carlo pulled in order to get Sonny out of the house. Carlo's crime as a traitor to the mob takes precedence over his domestic abuse, making Connie's harrowing experience feel more like a tool to support further narratives concerned with the business of men than anything.
Why Was Luca Brasi Set To Be Consigliere?
Before Luca's murder, he is intended to be The Don's next Consigliere. The role of Consigliere is the point of significant emphasis in the film and it's made clear that the person filling the role must be knowledgeable and sharp-minded.
When Luca is first seen, he's shown standing before The Don and struggling to make his way through a thank-you speech written on a paper in his hand. It makes little sense that such a timid (if still intimidating) man was to be Consigliere.
Why Did Michael Return To Kay?
Michale marries a woman in Italy, then that woman is murdered and suddenly it's a year later and Michael is proposing to Kay on the street after not seeing her for years.
There is nothing to suggest why he would do this, beyond the possible convenience of her being the only woman he knows in America and therefore the easiest route to start a family and continue is bloodline as quickly as possible. This is a harsh assumption, but the film offers nothing else on the matter.
Why Are There Abrupt Time Jumps?
When Michael goes into hiding in Italy he is never told how long he will have to be there, and the audience is never told how long he actually was there. The Godfather jumps from points in time rather abruptly, supplying little to no transition in narratives.
This causes the audiences' understanding of the characters to become disjointed and slightly confusing. Perhaps it's an intentional move, used to communicate the abrupt changes inflicted on the lives of these people. Nevertheless, it still feels off.
Does Michael Choose The Mob Or Did He Lose Himself To It?
Michael begins as a sensitive and thoughtful man who is disapproving of the thuggish acts of the mob. He steps up once his father is shot, offering himself up to murder the two people responsible, but this could be an isolated act of violence purely as revenge for his father.
By the end of the film, he is in training to be the new Don Corleone, and the film finishes with him commanding murders of several people and then lying to his wife's face about it. Is this the life he chose or was he pulled into it?
How Exactly Is Kay Being Used In The Final Scene?
The film concludes with a door slamming in Kay's face in more than just the literal sense of the word. This is a closing off of the old Michael, the one we saw sitting with Kay at the very start of the film as he gently answered her questions about his family. The new Michael becomes enraged at Kay's audacity to ask him questions, and when he concedes to grant her one question, the answer he gives is a lie. He leads Kay to believe that she's in, but when she walks away and the camera focuses on men entering Michael's study and speaking closely with him, Kay looks up and is shut out of the room.
Is this Coppolla's way of acknowledging, among other flaws, the sexism of the mob, or is Kay just another female character used to measure the evolution of a male character?