After Complication

Hey!

This letter is about "The Godfather", an unprecedented classic I am very willing to discuss with you. Last time when I wrote to you (two days ago) I still had to prepare for my YAP interview for the next day. So I did not go into details about the movie series that I value so much. I am so happy to hear that you actually spent time during the Spring Festival to watch the saga----it is very long, about 9 hours plus in total, I think. You sounded like you really enjoyed it! Go so far as to look for its O.S.T. haha. The Jay song really gives the ambience (a wrong word here, but can suit other contexts, check it out), and is pertinent to the movie theme as well. Among those pieces in the Godfather original sound track, "Sicilian Pastorale", "Love Theme", "Apollonia" and "The Godfather Waltz" are my favourites.

You like the 1972 version best, and I like a lot about the version, too, though the 1990 version probes deeper into human nature as Michael strode in the last phase of his life. The second episode concerning Hyman Roth and Moe Greene was a bit what we call "commercial". The Las Vegas scene was relevant but less appealing in a violent setting. (personal opinion only, since gorgeous girls are merchandised by really "ugly'' men) However, I still agree that the 1972 version shows most vissicitudes of the Italian gangster family and touches me most.

I sincerely hope the following sounds more like a letter than a movie review.

The first Godfather Don Vito Corleone displayed the many virtues paradoxically co-existing with his mafia business. He valued family as a whole, never taking a photo when one was absent. He loathed the idea of drug dealing, despite the peril of turning on with the most dangerous partner. He maintained calmness and concealed his inner contradictions and anxieties from his families. He is a gangster and a family man, revered by all and dreaded by all.

The twist came when he was suddenly unable to keep his young son, Michael, "clean" from his family business after a failed assassination attempt on his own life. Michael's coolness aborted the follow-up assassin at the hospital, and he carried on to avenge for his father, killing Don Barzini and the loathsome police officer at the restaurant. Didn't you notice how cool and calm he was when he pulled the trigger that he had never touched before? And the nerdy, dreaded face of the police officer! That marked the ground-breaking emergence of a other wise low-key heir of the Corleone family.

Something interesting about the killing scene is that when I was watching it at home last year, my Dad came and noticed that Don Barzini asked for the police officer's permission before conversing with Michael in Italian, and he went on to chide me that I should do the same when I speak English with my sister. (During lunchtime when I wanted to plot something I did not want my parents to understand I always spoke in English, so they were very confused, and irritated a bit I think.) So you can imagine how aggitated I was when I was speculating whether the gun had been planted in the washroom for Michael while my Dad was...."Remember? See how cultured even the gangsters are! You two should learn from that."

Another scene which evoked fierce family discussion was about Michael's attitudes towards Kay and Apollonia, his Italian wife. When he was in exile in Italy for safety, we began to ponder whether he wound keep his promise for Kay. I gave the morally correct answer before the following scene showed how he betrayed Kay and falling for Apollonia. Others in my house were all very practical, practical, indeed, that they all undoubtedly believed that Michael would betray Kay, and I was convinced that sometimes promises just did not work out when circumstances change, and nobody should be blamed for that.

The final part about Kay's questioning Machael whether he had ordered tha killing of Connie's husband, Carlo, was soooooo touching! I kept my breath and was seriously hoping Michael to lie to her, seriously, please! Lie! Say "no" and hug her! HE DID NOT DISAPPOINT ME:) That is man. It is not about cheating, it is full of love, though how counter-intuitive and flimsy that seems.

Indeed, it was the third one that really revealed the deepest human nature and desire. Old Michael still tried to keep his promise for Kay to "legalise his family business", though Kay's belief in him was hopelessly dying down so as to aborted their son against the thousand-year-old Sicily rule and eventually left him with his son. She finally spoke out what became the biggest tragedy for Michael.

Michael Corleone: I spent my life protecting my son. I spent my life protecting my family!

Kay Corleone: Let's be reasonable here, Michael. I mean, that's your big thing, isn't it? Reason backed up by murder.

Michael Corleone: Oh, God, you hate me. You hate me.

Kay Corleone: No, I don't hate you, Michael. I dread you.

Michael Corleone: I did what I could, Kay, to protect all of you from the horrors of this world.

Kay Corleone: But you became my horror.

I pity him. That 's what he can never escape from, and never get forgiven for. Even when he eventually made a confession in front of the Pope, remorsing that "I've killed men, and I ordered men to be killed. No, it's useless. I killed... I ordered the death of my brother; he injured me. I killed my mother's son. I killed my father's son."
No matter what sins he had commited, he was still revered by all, and dreaded by all. It was his life's tragedy that his own daughter, Mary was killed for his sake. Her last call, the confused, not terrified call of "Dad", virtually extinguished every hope in his life.

So that's what I can write for now, though there are indeed much more unspeakable thoughts about Vincent, and how he controlled his emotions in a man's way. ("Love somebody else"..Great saying!) I shall stop here.
You might want to read the original, though I have never read that before.

Byeeeee!