The Godfather, while not family-friendly viewing, is an excellent example of masterful storytelling. The producers of the film were so confident the story that they bought the rights before the book was even printed.
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One Universe
Three-Act Structure
Five Conflicts
Seven Characters
The Godfather Notes
While we might typically associate a crime movie with the external conflict, The Godfather is actually driven by Michael’s internal conflict. We watch as Michael resolves how he’ll follow in his father’s footsteps.
This conflict relates very closely to the Little World Philosophical conflict, and the interplay between the two conflicts creates irony. Ultimately, while Michael follows in his father’s footsteps, he abandons his father’s ethics.
We see a combination character in Vito Corleone, who performs the function of Guide and Object of Affection.
As the Guide, Vito explains the rules of the universe, including the code of ethics, to the viewer/reader. However, as the Object of Affection, he’s also the character who can draw Michael into things he shouldn’t be doing. Michael takes his first step into the crime family when he protects Vito from the second assassination attempt in the “Old College Try.” He tells his father, “I’m with you now,” and begins his journey to become the next Godfather.
We also see a “head of the snake” application in the character of Emilio Barzini. While the Big World external conflict has a lot of bad guys, including all four heads of the rival gang families, the story consistently isolates Barzini as the leader. Other bad guys come and go, but the audience has a special relationship with Barzini and we understand that Barzini’s fate represents the group.
The Godfather is an excellent example of using an internal conflict to drive a story. It should be noted that this film is not recommended for family viewing.
The Godfather was written by Mario Puzo.
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