US Cinema of the 1970s:The Gangster Genre, Cinematography,

and The Godfather Part 2

Prof. Julia LeydaMay 2, 2023

quizDescribe the differences between the

flashback scenes (of Vito as a young man in the early 20th century) and the movie’s present day (of Michael as an adult in the 1950s).

gangster genreEdward Mitchell’s analysis of the genre in

the context of American cultural valuesPuritanism

condemnation: guilty from birthhelpless: God’s willmoral agents: choose good or evil

Social Darwinismsurvival of the fittest as natural law

the Horatio Alger myth“luck and pluck”social mobility, traditional values, and respectability

American Dream in gangster moviesself-made man: hard work pays off in success

Horatio Alger “luck and pluck”Social Darwinism “survival of the fittest”

children can have a better life than parentsimmigrants associate the US and its icons with

American Dream (flag, Statue of Liberty, anthems)

realities: discrimination, poverty, xenophobia, corruption, class distinctions

immigrant enclave: bilingual community helps newcomers; maintains culture; source of jobs, information, education

Vito as American success storybootstraps: came to US with nothing,

worked hard, earned friends and respectvigilante justice: protected other Italians

from the predatory Mafia dons, eventually replaced them (cf. Westerns, crime)

entrepreneur: used olive oil import company as a front, image as small business owner

traditional values: Sicilian emphasis on family / “Family,” loyal friends, community, church

bootstraps: Vito and Clemenza

vigilante justice: Fanucci needed killing

entrepreneur: Vito’s new business

traditional values: family, community

discussion questionsDiscuss the differences and similarities

between the characters of Vito and Michael Corleone in this movie.

How do Vito and Michael each try to achieve the American Dream?

The Godfather Part 2 cinematographyGordon Willis, DP aka “Prince of Darkness”

also shot Klute, The Godfather, All the President’s Men, Annie Hall, Manhattan, and lots more

shot scale defined by the size of a person within the frame

color coding for time periods and charactersframing to unite or isolate characterschiaroscuro: light and dark for symbolism

and atmosphere

shot scale

shot scale

shot scale: medium close-up (MCU)

shot scale: medium shot (MS); two-shot

shot scale: long shot

color in The Godfather Part 2contrast between flashbacks

warm sepia for Sicily, Vito’s childhood / youth, in the past

garish lighting and cold, hard shadows for 1950sbrowns and sepias look older to us (cf.

Chinatown)expressive of characters and emotional

contextsinterplay of colors with lighting allows more

complexity in expressiveness (dark / light, warm / cool colors)

Vito’s NY neighborhood:LS, two-shot in warm, golden, soft tones

Michael’s NV home: long shots in cold, dark, sharp, blues and greens

final shot: shadowy close-up of Michael

discussion questionsDiscuss the color palettes for the other

movies we’ve watched, in comparison to this one. How does each movie use color to express themes or emotions?

Movie lighting usually aims to show us as much of the actor’s face as possible. What is the effect if we can’t see faces clearly?

Compare Al Pacino’s screen image in Dog Day Afternoon and The Godfather Part 2.

Compare the portrayals of crime and family in Chinatown and The Godfather Part 2.