3 ms·

I know this is touched no in The Godfather II, when the Senator's talking to Michael. Where is whiteness a theme in the first movie?

CalChris 10y ago
Michael does not go into the family business. He goes to war. He goes to college. He marries a 'white' wife. He wants out of the family and to become an American; in essence, he wants to become white. Even his own family refers to him as the war hero with both pride and condescension. But he's drawn back into the family, back to his father. Bonasera, the funeral director (corpse valet): I believe in America. America has made my fortune. But when Bonasera's daughter is raped, the (white, American) police did nothing. So he goes to the Godfather for justice. There's always a distinction between white America and Michael's immigrant Italian-ness. Even the beginning of II, young Vito is an immigrant but is drawn back into his community. Always a distinction, cultural, ethnic, generational, racial. The Godfather really is a/the great American novel.
- bostonpete 10y ago
  Interesting, I guess you have to be on the look out for some of that stuff to pick up on it. Probably some of the choices of casting and wording were based on these aspects of the book, but if you're not aware of them, they don't really stand out. In hindsight, I guess it's obvious that Kay doesn't look like the other women in the family. As someone who considers Italians to be "white", it never really stood out to me as notable (aside from the fact that she was unfamiliar/uncomfortable with the family business). I also never would have associated going to war or going to college as rebelling against being Italian, just seemed like a normal thing for a kid to want to do. Probably you view some of these things differently if you've read the book...
  - CalChris 10y ago
    Book is awesome. Extremely readable. The movies are a faithful yet not slavish adaptation.

CalChris 10y ago

Michael does not go into the family business. He goes to war. He goes to college. He marries a 'white' wife. He wants out of the family and to become an American; in essence, he wants to become white. Even his own family refers to him as the war hero with both pride and condescension. But he's drawn back into the family, back to his father. Bonasera, the funeral director (corpse valet): I believe in America. America has made my fortune. But when Bonasera's daughter is raped, the (white, American) police did nothing. So he goes to the Godfather for justice. There's always a distinction between white America and Michael's immigrant Italian-ness. Even the beginning of II, young Vito is an immigrant but is drawn back into his community. Always a distinction, cultural, ethnic, generational, racial. The Godfather really is a/the great American novel.

bostonpete 10y ago
Interesting, I guess you have to be on the look out for some of that stuff to pick up on it. Probably some of the choices of casting and wording were based on these aspects of the book, but if you're not aware of them, they don't really stand out. In hindsight, I guess it's obvious that Kay doesn't look like the other women in the family. As someone who considers Italians to be "white", it never really stood out to me as notable (aside from the fact that she was unfamiliar/uncomfortable with the family business). I also never would have associated going to war or going to college as rebelling against being Italian, just seemed like a normal thing for a kid to want to do. Probably you view some of these things differently if you've read the book...
- CalChris 10y ago
  Book is awesome. Extremely readable. The movies are a faithful yet not slavish adaptation.