Baptism The Godfather Context - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Baptism

The GodfatherSlide2

Context

Michael becomes literal Godfather to Connie’s baby and metaphorical Godfather to mafia family

As he receives sacraments his henchman eliminate the leaders of the five rival families in New York

The scene is tense and integral to the narrative as it completes Michael’s transformation from American war hero to mafia Godfather

Climax of the filmSlide3

Baptism

Mise

-

en

-scene: grand, opulent church. Dim, low-key, lighting. Emphasising importance of ceremony.

Diagetic

sounds: organ softly playing, baby crying and Priest speaking in Italian.

This becomes a non-

diagetic

soundtrack during montage as it intercuts with the killings of the head of the five families. Creates suspense and anticipation.

The organ music provides a link between the church and the killings, emphasising the ironic juxtaposition.

Contrasts the peaceful religious ceremony with

the

corruption and

 darkness of preparing for a murderSlide4

Baptism

Opens with a

long shot of the entire Corleone Family as they gather inside the church.

There

is soft diegetic music coming from the church organs, signifying a calm and peaceful day for the family. This also refers various religious connotations because of their pride in devoting themselves to

religion.

This faith creates a contrast between the peaceful surroundings of the church and the violence we are about to see within the upcoming scenes.

At

this moment, we also hear the sound of the baby crying which is louder than the background music, which again, refers back to the contrast of the two events, which are about to unfold

.

Creates ominous, sinister tune which builds to a climax

.

Creates dramatic tension as we wait for the killings.Slide5

Baptism

INTERCUT

shots (

MONTAGE

) of the baptism and Michael’s men preparing to carry out his orders

.

Close ups of

a man putting a gun together whilst we hear the priest talking over the scene and again the use of the organs in the background can still be heard.

Parallels between the rituals of religion (preparing for a ceremony) and rituals of the mafia.Slide6

Close ups

C

lose

ups of Connie’s baby and

shots

of the priest’s hand as he marks the holy cross on the baby’s head in holy water.

The

priest is

preparing

the baby to be accepted by God, which determines the fact that the Corleone Family have a deep faith within their religion.

Next shot is of a

barber who is also preparing a man, but this time in the form of having a shave.

S

uggest

that he is linked to the man with the gun in the previous scene, suggesting that he, too, is about to deceive God because of his bleak, murderous intentions.Slide7

Montage

barber

is also looking back and to at his watch, showing his anxiety as well as his readiness to perform his

duty

Cuts back to family in church. Close ups of Michael’s face.

W

e

notice an stern facial expression on Michael meaning that he is showing the early signs of becoming a ruthless leader.Slide8

Editing

Fast editing is used to build to climax and create nervous tension

Clemenza

: we

see him through a mid shot climbing up a set stairs with the same suspicious package whilst wiping away sweat from his brow suggesting that he may be nervous about committing the murders. 

Michael:

stonefaced

,

hollowing question, 

“Michael, do you believe in God Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth?”

 In which Michael replies, 

“ I do

?”

Links to theme of corruption due to the contrast between religion and murderSlide9

Barzini

Barzini

appears and

we understand that Michael has ordered the killings. It is a statement of power and also how power itself has now consumed Michael

.

It

is a statement of power and also how power itself has now consumed Michael

.

The priest is also speaking within the background of this shot asking Michael,

 “Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the son of our Lord? And do you believe in the Holy Ghost of the Catholic Church?”

 In which Michael replies again with, 

“ I do

.”

Highlights the change from honest war hero to corrupt mafia bossSlide10

Barbers

The music from the church organs appear to be getting louder, still creating suspense.

The

enforcer in the barbers is leaving whilst lighting a cigarette, showing that he is feeling stressed about the whole situation of following Michael’s order. 

A

nother

cut to the church, as we see another close up of the baby and a long shot of the congregation, but we hear the soft organ music mixing in with the low organ music which is

symbolising

that good things are happening in the church whilst there are bad things occurring outside of the ceremony.Slide11

Barzini

We are now reaching the climatic

scene as

we see

Barzini

going down the stairs outside to find that the car he owns is getting a parking ticket by the disguised

policemen

The

sound of the baby crying

symbolises

despair and chaos and possibly pain which links to the atmosphere surrounding the order, the leader’s and of course Michael’s own personal feelings

.

While we

hear the sound of the baby crying, the low music coming from the organ has slowly lowered, giving the shot a dull, eerie silence, which creates that sense of

anxiety. Slide12

Moe Green

We see Moe Green getting massage and understand he too will be killed

Peter

Clemenza

is seen reaching the top of his set of stairs still carrying the mysterious package

Another cut is used back to a close-up of the baby as the priest asks Michael a series of religious questions such as, 

“Michael, do you renounce Satan?”

 Michael then replies, 

“ I do renounce him.”

 This

symbolises

immense irony as we see within the next shot/s the murders of the heads of the five rival families abruptly commence.Slide13

Climax

W

e

now hear an uproar of the church organs as we see

Clemenza

trap one of the leaders in an

elevator, kicks

him

back, reveals a

double barrel shotgun

and shoots

him twice.

Cuts back to Michael in

the church with his eyes glaring which could mean that he is in deep thought, of the task he has assigned, which makes him totally disregard any thoughts concerning the baptism.Slide14

The second time he replies to the priest saying, 

“I do renounce him.” 

 Michael is shown as sincere to his renouncement of

Satan

H

owever

the audience knows of his apparent satanic side, highlighting an omniscient narrative viewpoint used by the director.

Moe

Green is

then

shot in the eye through one of the lenses of his glasses with the loud organs as it crescendos within this shot.

This

is again followed by another close up on Michael, showing that each time we see a killing, we immediately know

he is behind the murders

Another henchman

is seen putting out his

cigarette illustrating he is ready for his part of the ceremony.

The

next

rival

leader

is then trapped within

the revolving doors

and shot 4

times through the glass with crimson red blood splattering against the glass.Slide15

We see another cut to Michael while the organ has stopped as he says, 

“I do renounce him.”

Immediately

after, we

see one of Michael’s guys burst

in on a leader as he is in bed with his presumed mistress

they are both shot

numerous times with

an automated weapon.

Michael

again

answers,

“I do renounce him.” 

The killing ends

with the last leader who

is

of course

Barzini

. The disguised

police officer

first shoots

Barzini’s

chauffeur and bodyguard and then finally shoots

Barzini

twice in the back as the church organs roar in a climatic finish to the order.Slide16

Resolution

T

he

“state of equilibrium

”

has been restored because Michael’s act of revenge is now complete and he has now avenged his brother’s death.

Michael

is

now presented as a more

ruthless and

corrupt character

He has accepted

his new Godfather status

and illustrates that he

will

be different

from his father Don Vito Corleone.

Michael has

compromised

their safety, something that his father would never of

done and has a different perception of justice from VitoSlide17

Baptism

This scene is then ends when the priest asks Michael his final question, 

“Michael, will you be baptised?

 Michael then replies,

 “I will

.”

To

the audience, he is showing that he is relieving himself of his sins, making him feel as if his faith in his religion has saved him from death himself.

Coppola

then dramatically ends this scene with a series of shots of the bodies of the leaders

emphasising the contrast of the religious

baptism ceremony and the frantic, violent murders of the heads of the five

familiesSlide18

Key Points

Creates dramatic tension as we wait for the killings.

Parallels between the rituals of religion (preparing for a ceremony) and rituals of the mafia.

Ironic

. As he is promising to reject evil and be a good godfather to Connie’s baby, he knows his men are killing on his orders.

Face shows no emotion. His corruption is complete. He can lie to God and himself without feeling any remorse

.

The organ music provides a link between the church and the killings, emphasising the ironic

juxtaposition

Michael’s perception of justice is more vengeful and ruthless than his father’s

His transformation is complete