that you re not a happy person. that was a period where you have robert de niro in taxi driver, there were a lot of misogynistic men whose characters were explored. that s not to say that i don t think the godfather should exist at all, i think it is a great film, ijust want otherfilms, i m sure feminists at the time felt completely destroyed by the cinema, the popular cinema at the time. perhaps coppola s lens on italian and american women living in 1940s new york, a domestic world where they existed to please, may have been fairly accurate. but the 1940s was also an era of spirited heroines on screen and fleshing these women out into fully dimensional characters was also an opportunity missed. this new york crime family epic has stood the test of time because of its strong story, performances and cinematography. it is brilliant cinema. there wasn t enough time, michael. there wasn t enough time. we ll get there, pop. we ll get there.
to the don corleone family. the narrative that unfolds from this house provides audiences with a portrait of an italian american crime family in the 1940s and 50s. but it s more than that. it tells a story of one family member s transformation that of michael, who loses his soul. don t ever take sides with anyone against the family again. obviously, it s about family, obviously, it s about power but i think it s also, in many ways, a film about the loss of one s self awareness and the loss of one s identity because, you know, if you look at the character of michael corleone, you know, he starts off the film as the one person in the family who s self aware, who s really aware of what the family does. that s my family, kay. it s not me. and over the course of the film, he loses that self awareness. don t tell me you re innocent. because it insults my intelligence. it makes me very angry. he no longer has the sense that what the family is doing is wrong. i thought you weren t going to
diane keaton played kay, the american graduate who marries michael corleone. it was keaton s breakthrough acting role. kay, for all herfaults in the film, as a character is more progressive, she does ask questions. what was that? that s an accident, . but nobody was hurt. she does challenge the world to some extent. and i think it s interesting because you see the mafia and the world through her eyes. at the beginning we are at the same point of view as her, we are the outsider curious about this world and want to know more about it. my father helped him with his career. he did? how? that is one of the strong points of the film but it s unfortunate, they could have done a lot more with the character. how long have you been back? i think she is often presented as this sort of lovesick, weeping, distressed women who is just in love with michael.
50 years after its launch, it s clear that in many ways the godfather has very much left its mark on popular culture, particularly with the way in which mobsters are portrayed. a man who doesn t spend time with his family can never be a real man. whether it be in the popular american crime drama tv series the sopranos. someday soon you re gonna have family of your own. and if you re lucky, you ll remember the little moments. ..or in director martin scorsese s celebrated new york gangster film, goodfellas. i do think the godfather change the way the mafia was portrayed in films. after the godfather, gangsters were seen as almost noble. they were seen as quiet, calculating, certainly intense, but not the kind of cartoonish eye rolling villains that you would have seen before. so that brings this special godfather anniversary edition of talking movies to a close.
this is the era of political assassinations. you know how naive you sound? why? senators and presidents don t have men killed. i who s being naive, kay? the country s coming out of the 605 and a lot of people are wondering if the american project can really continue. mr corleone is a manl who insists on hearing bad news immediately. the film really reflects the sense that the characters and the country and their family which, in many ways, is a microcosm of the country is heading towards a very dark place. look how they massacred my boy. marlon brando was cast in the pivotal role of don corleone. he had a reputation for being difficult and the studio didn t want him, but coppola prevailed and his performance ended up defining the film. i have a sentimental weakness for our children and i spoil them, as you can see. they talk when they should listen. he was 47 years old when shooting began, at a low point of his career.