"The Godfather"

Comments: Analysis source: the film by Francis Ford Coppola

Some interesting points about the Dramatica analysis of "The Godfather" are the choice of Obstacle Character and how minimally the Subjective Story is illustrated in favor of the Main Character and Objective Story throughlines. We have chosen Kaye, Michael's wife, as Michael's Obstacle Character. This may not seem like a clear choice as a result of a shared Obstacle Character perspective during the second act between Kaye and Michael's father Vito Corleone. When Michael is in Sicily and Kaye drops out of the picture for a while, it is Vito who starts presenting the point of view that it is bad for Michael to become involved in the family business. However, this role only lasts until Kaye returns to the scene. Then she resumes the Obstacle Character role and Vito drops back to become Michael's willing advisor.

This is done effectively by having Kaye almost completely disappear during the second act and by emphasizing the Main Character and Objective Story throughlines so much more than the Obstacle Character and Subjective Story throughlines. Storytelling issues, such as the powerful traditions in these Italian families and the complex relationships between the mafioso, help make Michael's change understandable and the Objective Story very involving. The Subjective Story is left very much in the background so that Michael's change can happen without a lot of fanfare. This is a non-leap of faith story in which Michael's willingness to explain family business to Kaye during the opening wedding is compared with his lying to her face about it in the final scene.

The style of this film is to develop the thematic environment in great detail. Many of the scenes and substories, such as the opening wedding sequence and the interlude over Johnny Fontaine's career, are to establish the methods, motives, means of evaluation, and purposes of these Objective Characters. These are not scenes which are necessary according to the Storyform, but they establish rules of behavior which remain consistent for the rest of the film.

INFORMATION ABOUT THIS ANALYSIS:

-- General Storytelling: All Appreciations Illustrated
-- Act Order Storytelling: Illustrated
-- Build Characters: Basic Characters only


PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS:

Name: Michael Corleone
Gender: Male
Description: Michael begins the story as a young man who has just returned from the war to an uncertain future. He does not want to follow his family's footsteps, yet he cannot ignore his feelings of commitment to them or his natural ability to take up the family mantle.
Role: The Godfather's favorite son
Characteristics:
Motivation: Logic; Pursuit;

Name: Kaye Corleone
Gender: Female
Description: Kaye is Michael Corleone's wife and a socially committed woman.
Role: Michael's girlfriend and wife.
Characteristics:
Motivation: Feeling;

Name: Barzini
Gender: Male
Description: Don Barzini is working in the background to manipulate the Sollozzo situation into a chance to steal the Corleone's power.
Role: The competing don
Characteristics:
Motivation: Avoidance; Temptation;

Name: Carlos
Gender: Male
Description: Carlos is Connie's abusive husband who jealously betrays the Corleone family and assists the assassination of Sonny.
Role: Connie's Husband
Characteristics:
Motivation: Hinder;

Name: Clamenza
Gender: Male
Description: Clamenza is a loyal subject to the Corleone family. He assists Michael in preparing to kill the Turk, and continues to assist the Corleones right through the blood bath at Michael's nephew's christening.
Role: the loyal Don
Characteristics:
Motivation: Support;
Methodology: Deduction; Acceptance;
Evaluation: Accurate; Result;
Purpose: Order; Inertia;

Name: Connie
Gender: Male
Description: Connie is Michael, Fredo, and Sonny's sister. She marries Carlos and is then used by Carlos to lure Sonny into a death trap.
Role: Michael's sister
Characteristics:
Motivation: Oppose;

Name: Don Vito Corleone
Gender: Male
Description: Don Vito is the patriarch who founded the Corleone family and established their position as the top family in New York. He is aging and will soon be replaced by one of his sons.
Role: The Godfather
Characteristics:
Motivation: Conscience; Help;

Name: Fredo
Gender: Male
Description: Fredo is a pathetic man who jealously regards his brothers' competence as something he will never have.
Role: Michael's weak brother
Characteristics:
Motivation: Disbelief;

Name: Luca Brazi
Gender: Male
Description: Luca is Don Corleone's dependable henchman.
Role: Assassin
Characteristics:
Motivation: Faith;

Name: Sollozzo
Gender: Male
Description: Sollozzo is the gangster who has decided to begin trafficking drugs through the mafia. He attacks the Corleone's when Don Corleone refuses to assist his business.
Role: The Turk
Characteristics:
Motivation: Reconsider;

Name: Sonny
Gender: Male
Description: Sonny is Don Vito's hotheaded son and the expected heir to the Corleone family business. He is protective of his family and lashes out at anyone who threatens them.
Role: Michael's brother
Characteristics:
Motivation: Uncontrolled;

Name: Tessio
Gender: Male
Description: Tessio was a loyal friend to the Corleones who felt the winds of change coming and befriended the Barzini family in an attempt to shift New York's underworld power structure toward the Barzini's.
Role: traitor

Name: Tom Hagan
Gender: Male
Description: Tom is Don Vito's adopted son who has been brought up as the family's advisor. He is the voice of control which tries to temper Sonny's outbursts with reason.
Role: Consigliari
Characteristics:
Motivation: Consider; Control;
Methodology: Probability; Inaction;
Evaluation: Theory; Trust;
Purpose: Ability; Aware;

STORY DYNAMICS:

· Resolve: Change (the result of Michael Corleone's story experience upon his "character" as it concerns how Michael Corleone changes his essential nature while attempting to solve the problem):

Michael changes from believing that what his family does is wrong to believing that his family's crimes are a necessary evil. He begins by insisting that his family's crimes belong to his family, not to him. In the end, he is organizing the execution of these crimes as the family's new Don, having reasoned that they are necessary.


· Direction: Stop (Michael Corleone's growth toward an ending or beginning as it concerns how Michael Corleone needs to stop using an inappropriate characteristic or to wait for an external force to stop):

Michael resists being associated with his family at first, indicating that he plans to be with Kaye and not get involved in the family business. He stops this resistance, however, when all of his family's power becomes threatened and he becomes the only one capable of preserving it.


· Approach: Do-er (Michael Corleone's preference for external or internal problem solving techniques as it concerns how Michael Corleone looks for a physical solution to his problem):

Michael prefers to problem solve externally. He has just come back from WW II as a veteran hero, then he insists that he can solve the "Turk"(Sollozzo) problem by killing Sollozzo and the police captain. When he falls in love with Appollonia he proposes marriage before even meeting her. He is virtually unable to cope with problems internally, always finding a way to solve them externally. This leads to many murders such as the "baptism of blood" when Michael secures his family's seat of power by having all other threats eliminated during his godson's baptism.


· Mental Sex: Male (Michael Corleone's tendency toward logistic or holistic (intuitive) problem solving as it concerns how Michael Corleone uses male problem solving techniques):

Michael uses a linear, cause and effect manner of looking at problems. He sees the relations of all the families as different links in one hierarchy of power, completely ignoring the holistic effects the families' methods have on the women and children who are, in his eyes, "not involved." His keen sense of logic is what allows him to see that he is the perfect candidate to kill the "Turk." He sees a very binary relationship between people who are "in" the family vs. people who aren't, warning Fredo never to take sides against the family. He is also able to ultimately convince himself that his "business" has nothing to do with his wife and that because she is "not involved" she should not ask him about it.


· Work: Decision (the kind of activity that forces the story forward as it concerns how in terms of the objective plot, decisions force actions):

If it were not for decisions made in the Objective Story, the characters would not be forced to take the actions which they do. The "Turk," Sollozzo's move to hit Don Corleone is an action which is forced by the Don's decision to not support his drug running scheme. The deliberations about how to deal with the "Turk" lead to Michael having to murder him. Sonny's considerations about how the gang war should be fought leads to a prolonged conflict and his own death. The Don's decision to end the war leads to Michael's return to the States. Tessio's decision to betray Michael leads to his own assassination. Michael's decision to become the new "Godfather" leads to the "Baptism of blood" massacre. There are always a variety of ways for everyone to proceed towards their goals, and the characters constantly deliberate over them, forcing actions to follow.


· Limit: Optionlock (the kind of constraint that forces the story to a conclusion as it concerns how the story climax occurs because all other options have been exhausted):

There are only a limited number of Corleone's who have the ability to maintain the family's powerful stature (a limited number of candidates for the new "Godfather"). There are only a limited number of ways to keep the other families loyal and submissive to the Corleones.


· Outcome: Success (the results of the objective characters' efforts to achieve the goal they set out to achieve as it concerns how the original goal is achieved):

A new "Godfather," who will keep the Corleone family and the power structure of New York's underground soundly preserved, is found in Michael.


· Judgment: Bad (the outcome of Michael Corleone's efforts to resolve his personal problems as it concerns how Michael Corleone ultimately fails in resolving his personal problems):

For Michael to have been left the only one capable of preserving his family's power is a bad thing for him personally. He continues to be in love with Kaye, and preserves through her the lie that he is not a murderer. Kaye represents his original desire to remain out of his family's dirty business. When he changes by becoming willingly committed and involved as the new Don, his need to prevent Kaye from knowing of his change indicates that he is still plagued by his personal problems.

THE OBJECTIVE STORY THROUGHLINE:

· Domain: Physics (an activity is the general area in which the objective story's problem resides ):

The problem which involves all of the objective characters has to do with the activities of the feuding New York families. The Objective Story involves the disruption of the power structure among these families and the search to establish a new "Godfather" who can sort it all out.


· Concern: Obtaining (achieving or possessing something is the area of shared concern in the objective story ):

The central Objective Story Concern of Obtaining is to obtain a new head of the families, a new "Godfather." People also come to the Godfather to obtain favors, and it is his concern to obtain ways to grant these favors. Sollozzo, Sonny, the Don, Barzini, and all the other mafioso are trying to obtain more power during this time of disruption. Kaye is trying to obtain Michael as a husband; Fredo and Connie's husband, Carlos, want to obtain more respect from their family, etc.


· Range: Approach (one's methodology of doing or being is the objective story's thematic focus ):

The issues raised in the Objective story revolve around how to go about doing or obtaining- often in regards to culturally "wrong" things, such as murder. One's approach vs. one's attitude is at the heart of these issues. It is all right for the undertaker to ask the Godfather to murder someone, but the way in which he makes this request is taken to issue. The story explores a well defined chain of steps for any move these characters make. Whether their attitude makes their moves "business" moves or "personal" moves determines if their approach is correct or not.

These issues pop up in the dilemma of whether or not Michael can kill a police captain. Until Michael demonstrates that there is a business reason which makes this killing part of a method that other families would agree with, it is out of the question. The mob bosses' discussion of how it may be acceptable to deal drugs is also a discussion of approach.

Similar is the problem when Tessio betrays Michael for Barzini. Michael understands because "it is the smart move on Tessio's part." But even when Tessio admits the betrayal was purely for business, Michael still has to have him killed because that is the methodology among the families.


· Problem: Feeling (an emotional sense of how things are going is the source of the objective story's difficulties ):

It is when feelings pop up in the Objective Story that things become problematic. The Don's feelings about how drugs will affect his political connections cause him to refuse to get involved in the inevitable (and therefor logical) venture proposed by Sollozzo (the "Turk"). Sonny's feelings cause him to run into trouble without thinking, which eventually gets him killed and strips the Corleone family of their acting Don. The movie producer's feelings lead him to dedicate himself to preventing Johnny Fontaine from getting the movie part he needs; etc.


· Solution: Logic (a rational sense of how things are related is the actual remedy for the objective story's problem(s) ):

Whenever logic is introduced in the Objective Story, it solves problems and makes things clearer. Tom Hagan's constant advice to Sonny is always logical and would always make things easier if Sonny would only follow it. The logic that drugs are the inevitable future in organized crime ends up resolving the gang war which killed Sonny and wounded Don Corleone. Logic demanded that Michael kill the "Turk" when there was no other solution, and logical choices of victims in Michael's climactic massacre secure power and stability for him and place his family over all of the families in New York.


· Focus: Reconsider (questioning a conclusion based on additional information is the principal symptom of the objective story's problem(s) ):

The Objective characters believe the story's problem lies in other people's reconsidering (or non-considering). For example, Sonny thinks that the problem is that the other families are reconsidering their loyalty to the Corleones and that he should teach them a lesson; Tom thinks Sonny's reconsidering all of Tom's advice is making things worse; the other families think Don Corleone is reconsidering his commitment to them by refusing to cooperate in setting up organized drug dealing; Michael waits for one of his loyal friends to reconsider his loyalty and turn to the Barzini family.


· Direction: Consider (weighing pros and cons is the apparent remedy for the principal symptom of the objective story's problem(s) ):

The characters believe that considering will solve their problems. Sonny and Tom think the family should consider getting into the drug business. The Don finally considers it as well. Tom continually reigns Sonny in, directing him in the direction of considering rather than acting impulsively. They consider the forbidden act of killing a police captain, which will force the other families to consider the Corleones to be dangerous once again; Michael considers becoming much more involved in the family business.


· Stipulation: Doing (engaging in a physical activity is the standard by which progress is measured in the objective story ):

The Corleone family's activities in relation to the Barzinis' plans and how they respond to the apparent loss of their power is the measuring stick of progress in the Objective Story. The more Michael does to lead the Corleone's through this tough time the more the Objective Characters note the Corleone's progress toward the goal of having a new "Godfather."


· Catalyst: Attitude (one's demeanor while doing or being is the type of item or event that accelerates progress in the objective story ):

Characters' attitudes affect the progress of the Objective Story. When the undertaker adopts the proper attitude to the Godfather, he is granted his request; Sonny's attitude toward the "Turk"'s proposal leads to the "Turk"'s attempt to kill the Don in order to deal with Sonny; Michael's attitude toward killing the "Turk" convinces his brothers to take advantage of their only opportunity to solve the "Turk" problem; when the Godfather adjusts his attitude toward negotiations about drugs then the families are able to once again do business; when Michael insults Appollonia's father, the proper attitude from Michael persuades the father to arrange for them to meet; Michael's controlled attitude toward the betrayals and deceptions carried out by the other families allows him to efficiently wipe them all out unsuspectingly.


· Inhibitor: Rationalization (a logical alternative used to mask the real reason is the type of resistance that slows progress in the objective story ):

When characters rationalize, the Objective Story is slowed down. For example, when Tom and Sonny rationalize that no one can kill a police captain, it looks as though there is no solution to the "Turk" problem; Sonny's rationalization that hitting the other families is a proper move begins a costly and unproductive gang war;

THE MAIN CHARACTER THROUGHLINE:

· Domain: Universe (a situation is the general area which defines Michael Corleone's attributes ):

Michael is a young war hero who is uninterested in the inheritance of crime offered him by his family. He operates primarily in terms of this situation -- tied to a possible future as a the next Don, but desiring of something else which he can perhaps have with Kaye.


· Concern: The Future (what will happen or what will be is the area of Michael Corleone's greatest concern ):

Michael's concern of the Future is that, from the beginning of the story, he does not know what to do with the rest of his life. He has competing visions of his own future which must be sorted out: one is a future with his girlfriend Kaye who will not tolerate a life of crime, and the other is a future as the head of his family's criminal empire. Michael's concern is to see which Michael wins out.


· Range: Choice (making a decision is the area of Michael Corleone's greatest sensitivity ):

Michael is constantly faced with decisions relating to his future, and he constantly makes choices while also believing he can delay the ultimate decision of choosing one future to be his (either a future of crime or a "civilian" future with Kaye). When the "Turk" needs to be killed, Mike chooses to be the assassin, when order needs to be restored to the New York crime scene, Mike chooses to eliminate the people threatening that order. Michael is the logical choice to become the new "Godfather." However, he is not aware that these choices have taken away his power to delay his choosing whether or not to be the next "Godfather."


· Problem: Feeling (an emotional sense of how things are going is the source of Michael Corleone's drive ):

Michael's feelings are the source of his problems. His mixed feelings about his family allow him to become involved in their criminal activity even as he promises Kaye he will never do so. Michael's feelings are what make him vulnerable, as demonstrated in Sicily when his love for Appollonia leads to her death by a bomb meant for him. Feelings are what stand between Michael and his destiny as the next "Godfather."


· Solution: Logic (a rational sense of how things are related is the item, event, or process needed to truly satisfy Michael Corleone's drive ):

Michael finds that he is the logical successor to keeping the Corleone family on top among the families. Rather than being driven by his feelings of distaste for the mafia, he becomes driven by the logic which will protect what his father's mafia activity has created.


· Focus: Temptation (the urge to embrace immediate benefits despite possible consequences is the area or item Michael Corleone believes the problem to be ):

Michael's attention is focused on temptation, believing it to be his problem. First this means the temptation to join in the family business. Then it is the temptation which he sees at work driving the other families against him, personified by Barzini. He knows his betrayer will give in to the temptations offered by Barzini. He knows temptation led Carlos (his brother in law) to trap his brother, Sonny.


· Direction: Conscience (foregoing an immediate benefit because of future consequences is the way Michael Corleone responds to problems ):

Michael's efforts toward conscience begin when he protests to Kaye that the mafia business belongs to his family, not to him. Michael also forgoes his status as a "civilian" to be the one to murder the "Turk" for his family. He is the voice of conscience to Fredo, to Carlos, and to anyone who would take sides "against the family."


· Stipulation: Progress (the way things are going is the standard by which Michael Corleone's degree of concern is gauged ):

The more Michael adopts the manners of the heir to his father's power, the more difficult it will be for him to refuse his inheritance. By the end of the story, he has made too much progress as the new Don, having finally become a true "Godfather." By this point, no matter what he says to Kaye about not being really involved, he has become a real murderer and everything he used to be against.


· Unique Ability: Preconception (unwillingness to re-evaluate is the quality that makes Michael Corleone uniquely qualified to resolve the story's problem ):

Other people's preconceptions about Michael allow him to be effective. His preconceived status as a "civilian" allows him to surprise and murder the "Turk." Preconceptions about his abilities as a new Don lead Tessio and Barzini to underestimate him and tip their hand so that he could eliminate them during his god son's christening. Kaye's preconceptions about Michael's morality allow him to lie to her effectively and convince her he is not a killer.


· Critical Flaw: Closure (bringing something to an end is the quality that undermines Michael Corleone's efforts ):

It is Michael's personal critical flaw to be able to bring closure to the search for a new Don Corleone. He is able to bring closure to the "Turk"'s threat, to the rivalry among the families, and to the beating of his sister. However, bringing closure to these things is the worst thing for him personally, eating away at everyone's preconceptions of him as a nice guy and not a real killer.

THE OBSTACLE CHARACTER THROUGHLINE:

· Domain: Mind (a fixed attitude is the general area in which Kaye Corleone operates ):

Kaye has the fixed attitude that organized crime is evil and that Michael must not be involved in it. Her attitude almost prevents her from marrying Michael and constantly threatens to destroy their relationship as Michael becomes more and more involved in exactly what she is so against.


· Concern: The Subconscious (basic drives and desires is Kaye Corleone's primary objective or purpose ):

Kaye's concern and her area of greatest impact is with the drives which are at work in Michael. She needs to know that Michael's drives are pure and that he wants to avoid the ways of organized crime. She is concerned also with maintaining a genuine love for him, which she demonstrates while Michael is in Sicily by constantly writing and trying to reach him. Finally, even when Michael is obviously mixed up in the mafia, she only needs to hear that he isn't and she remains satisfied about his drives and their love.


· Range: Dream (a desired future that requires unexpected developments is the area of Kaye Corleone's greatest impact ):

Kaye's dream is that she can keep Michael from becoming just like his father. It is clearly set up as she remains in love with Michael as he explains to her what his family does. She continues to believe Michael can be kept from being involved in the Mafia after it is way too late. She also has the hope of being Michael's wife and of their having a family together. This hope is realized, but because of the impossible nature of her dream, Kaye doesn't realize what has really been involved in bringing about her new family.


· Problem: Avoidance (stepping around, preventing or escaping from a problem rather than solving it is the nature of Kaye Corleone's drive ):

Kaye is driven to avoid the mafia and all of the darker side of the Corleone family. She pressures Michael, her husband, to promise not to become too involved in the family business. She is so strongly driven to avoid this side of Michael that she doesn't even notice his otherwise inexplicable rise to the title of "Godfather" to the other families.


· Solution: Pursuit (a directed effort to resolve a problem is the item, event, or process needed to truly satisfy Kaye Corleone's drive ):

Kaye occasionally pursues the clues which indicate that Michael has become involved in organized crime. If she were to pursue them to the correct conclusion she would end her marriage to Michael, and thus her anxiety over his criminal activity. Another way of envisioning her solution of pursue (which is a solution which she never reaches because she is a Steadfast character) would be if she decided to pursue the benefits of being married to a mafia kingpin.


· Focus: Reconsider (questioning a conclusion based on additional information is the area in which Kaye Corleone believes the problem can be resolved ):

Kaye's focus of reconsider is seen when Michael proposes to her and she doesn't know immediately how to react because enough has happened that she doesn't know if she still loves him. She is always finding out more about Michael and his family which causes her to constantly reconfigure her understanding of them and reconsider her relationship with them. Connie's accusation that Michael had her husband killed causes her last reconsideration of the story


· Direction: Consider (weighing pros and cons is Kaye Corleone's point of attack ):

The nature of Kaye's impact is always to make Michael consider. Her presence at his sister's wedding forces him to explain his family's violent history, her desire to marry him forces Michael to consider never becoming involved in his family's business; Kaye's ignorance of Michael's increased involvement in crime forces Michael always to consider the immorality of what he's doing.


· Stipulation: The Preconscious (immediate responses is the standard by which Kaye Corleone's impact is measured ):

Kaye's immediate responses to Michael always illustrate how deep either she believes her concerns to be, or how deep her concerns really are, as when she responds positively to Michael's lies at the end of the story. Since Michael promised not to get mixed up in all the crime his family perpetrates, she judges his allegiance to this promise by his immediate responses to her probing questions.

Kaye's immediate response to seeing Michael for the first time since he's become the new Don Corleone shows that she is concerned that Michael may have changed. But her critical flaw of openness to Michael's explanations allows him to convince her to marry him.


· Unique Ability: Denial (the refusal to let something go is the quality that makes Kaye Corleone uniquely qualified to pressure Michael Corleone to change his nature ):

It is Kaye's denial of organized crime and Michael's increased involvement in it which makes her so uniquely able to affect Michael. She will not give up on Michael and pushes him to reconsider his way of doing things. She becomes especially valuable to Michael precisely because she forces him to deny his involvement in his family's dirty business and because her critical flaw of Openness makes her believe him when he does it.


· Critical Flaw: Openness (willingness to re-evaluate is the quality that undermines Kaye Corleone's impact ):

Kaye's openness to Michael's excuses undermine her effectiveness at forcing him to divest himself of his involvement in his family's criminal activities. She is willing to accept virtually any explanation which he presents her that clears him of responsibility for the crimes which seem to crop up around him.

THE SUBJECTIVE STORY THROUGHLINE:

· Domain: Psychology (a manner of thinking is the general area of difficulty between Michael Corleone and Kaye Corleone ):

The relationship between Michael and Kaye is one of manipulations. Michael keeps his mafia involvement a secret in order to receive Kaye's love and support. Kaye is concerned with keeping Michael from becoming heir to his father's ways. Act by act, we see them relate through their ways of thinking about their future together.


· Concern: Becoming (transforming one's nature is the topic of contention between Michael Corleone and Kaye Corleone ):

Kaye and Michael's conflict is over whether or not Michael will become like his murderous father, as seems to be his family inheritance.


· Range: Rationalization (a logical alternative used to mask the real reason is the subjective story's thematic focus ):

Michael and Kaye rationalize about their relationship, finding reasons, such as a supposed plan to make the family business legitimate, for them to be together even after Michael has become a killer. Michael is obliged to his family, and he rationalizes that these obligations are what keep him involved in the family business and that he is still the man Kaye loves. Kaye rationalizes that Michael's obligations demand that he do things which she should not know about. Rationalization keeps their relationship going past the point where, if Kaye saw all of the facts involved, their relationship would have ended.


· Problem: Oppose (an indirect detraction from another's effort is the underlying cause of the difficulties between Michael Corleone and Kaye Corleone ):

At the heart of their conflict with one another is Kaye's opposition to the traditions of violence which Michael is heir to from Don Corleone. Both Michael and Kaye understand this opposition consciously, which is what drives Michael to hide his growing involvement in the family business of murder from her.


· Solution: Support (an indirect assistance given to another's efforts is the specific element that can resolve the difficulties between Michael Corleone and Kaye Corleone ):

When Michael can win Kaye's support, their relationship goes better. But because he never truly avoids the crimes which his position forces onto him, Michael never truly has Kaye's support.


· Focus: Reconsider (questioning a conclusion based on additional information is the area in which Michael Corleone and Kaye Corleone's attention is concentrated ):

Kaye and Michael believe the trouble between them has to do with reconsidering. Michael originally stated that he would not be involved in his family's business, but then seems to reconsider and has to mysteriously go to Sicily (wanted for murder). Michael realizes that his actions, done in support of his family, are forcing Kaye to reconsider her love for him.


· Direction: Consider (weighing pros and cons is the nature of growth in the relationship between Michael Corleone and Kaye Corleone ):

To try and end their apparent problems of reconsidering their past commitments to one another, they force each other to consider. Kaye tries to force Michael to consider himself obliged to the women and children of the family by becoming a godfather, Michael returns from Sicily forcing her to consider marrying him; Kaye forces Michael to consider telling her of his involvement in Carlos' murder; Michael forces Kaye to consider Michael's business affairs off limits to her.


· Stipulation: Being (temporarily adopting a lifestyle is the standard by which growth between Michael Corleone and Kaye Corleone is measured ):

The more Michael is able to get his marriage with Kaye to appear to be happy and normal, the more in danger it really is of snapping under the weight of his crimes. Since Kaye would clearly not remain with Michael if she knew what his position as the Don really meant, they are only "being" a family, having never truly "become" what they set out to.


· Catalyst: Obligation (accepting a task or situation in exchange for someone's potential favors or in repayment for past favors is the type of interaction that increases conflict between Michael Corleone and Kaye Corleone ):

Whenever Michael or Kaye become obliged to someone, their relationship moves forward. Kaye is obliged to consider marrying Michael when he returns to meet her after several years apart; Michael is obliged to consider becoming his nephew's godfather when Kaye asks him to; Michael is obliged to give Kaye some explanation after his sister implicates him in Carlos' murder.


· Inhibitor: Approach (one's methodology of doing or being is the type of interaction that decreases conflict between Michael Corleone and Kaye Corleone ):

Michael's logical approach to solving his family's problems forces him to run to Sicily and leave Kaye. Kaye's open method of telling Michael she disapproves of his family's violent ways forces Michael to hide from her what he does as a Don.

CENTRAL PLOT POINTS:

· Goal: Obtaining (achieving or possessing something is the central "objective" of the objective story):

The Objective Story goal of the Godfather is for the Corleone family to reclaim their place of power and find a new "Godfather" to maintain this status.


· Consequence: Becoming (transforming one's nature is the result of failing to achieve the goal ):

If the Corleone family fails to reclaim their power then they will be forced to become one of the secondary families in the New York crime scene, a fate which hasn't been theirs for a very long time.


· Cost: The Subconscious (basic drives and desires is the prices that must be paid on the way to the goal ):

As the struggle for power in New York's underground continues, all of the people involved suffer emotional damage which hits them in their subconscious. For example, Don Corleone loses one son and is unwillingly forced to make another son become a criminal like himself; Tom is forced to face the fact that he is not really the Don's son; Sonny is forced to live with his brother-in-law who beats Sonny's sister; Michael is forced into criminal acts which conflict with his sense of decency; the "Turk" is forced into an anxious position when the Don is only wounded during a murder attempt; Kaye is forced to wonder if her husband is or is not involved in organized crime.


· Dividend: The Future (what will happen or what will be is the benefits enjoyed on the way to the goal ):

The struggle in the world of organized crime over how drugs will be distributed is costly, but it lays the ground work for what will one day be their biggest money making industry. Michael's choice of assassinations that make him New York's new "Godfather" also ensures his family a safe move to Las Vegas in the future.


· Requirements: Doing (engaging in a physical activity is the necessary precursors to achieving the goal ):

In order for a new Don Corleone to regain his family's former stature and power, he must do things which demonstrate his superiority in the rivalry among the New York families. This is accomplished with the hits on Barzini, Tessio, and Moe Green on the day Michael "settles all family business."


· Prerequisites: Being (temporarily adopting a lifestyle is the steps or items needed to meet the requirements ):

Because Michael, the new candidate for the title of Don Corleone, had intended to avoid being in his family's business, others are forced to temporarily fill in the vacancy left by his wounded father. Michael himself believes he is temporarily becoming involved with the mafia up until the point when he has truly become the new "Godfather."


· Preconditions: The Preconscious (immediate responses is the conditions imposed on meeting the story's requirements ):

In order for someone to be a good Don, they have to have the correct kinds of immediate responses. Sonny was "not a good Don," because he was too hot-headed. A precondition, which Michael fulfills, is that he have the instincts that will allow him to guide the family well. He demonstrates these when he is unflappable while protecting his father at the hospital, when he insists on killing the "Turk" himself, when he accepts the news of Tessio's betrayal without blinking an eye; etc. It became apparent after Sonny tried muscling the Corleone's back to the top that there were preconditions set as to who could be the next "Godfather."


· Forewarnings: Progress (the way things are going is the foreshadowing events that indicate the approach of the consequence ):

When Don Corleone realizes that it was the Barzini family who had been orchestrating his downfall all along, the Barzini's have already made quite a lot of progress towards becoming the new top family in New York. The progress of the loyalty of other families falling in line with Barzini threatens to cut off Michael's chance to re-establish his family's stature.

THE OBJECTIVE STORY ACT ORDER:

· OS Signpost 1: Understanding (appreciating the meaning of something):

Act 1 of the Objective Story deals with the presentation of Sollozzo, the "Turk"'s proposal to Don Corleone. It becomes understood, when Sollozzo tries to have Don Corleone hit, that there is a major shift occurring among the families. It is also understood that drugs will mean power in the future, and that although Don Corleone is against them, his children understand the importance of drug trafficking. It becomes understood that the only way to deal with Sollozzo is to bring Michael into the family business that he has, so far, been protected from. Act 1 shifts into Act 2 with the murder of Sollozzo and captain McClusky.


· OS Signpost 2: Obtaining (achieving or possessing something):

Act 2 begins with the murder of Sollozzo and captain McClusky which sends Michael to Sicily to hide. Objectively, all the families are fighting over who will obtain the most power and territory during this gang-land war. Sonny feels their family has lost some power and should fight to get it back. The enemies of the Corleone's strive to catch Michael and scheme to get Sonny out into the open where he can be killed. The death of Sonny brings about the truce which signals the shift from Objective Act 2 to Act 3.


· OS Signpost 3: Learning (gathering information or experience):

Act 3 begins with Michael taking over the job as the new Don Corleone. He learns from his father, who acts as the new consigliari, and sees others learning to give him respect. The other families also learn that Michael's appearance means something new is underway for the Corleone family and that they are planning to move to Vegas. These plans are a surprise to everyone except for Michael and his father. The act is over when Michael has learned everything he can from his father to prepare for the inevitable betrayal of someone close to him in favor of Barzini. Finally the old Don Corleone dies signaling the beginning of a new Objective Story act.


· OS Signpost 4: Doing (engaging in a physical activity):

This act concentrates on the Corleone family, especially its new Don, doing all of the things which will cement the establishment of a new Godfather Corleone in New York. Tessio does finally betray Michael; Michael takes the vows to become his nephew's godfather; the Corleone's hitmen make the key hits to shift power to Michael; other dons pledge their allegiance to Michael. These actions bring the Objective Story to a close.

THE MAIN CHARACTER ACT ORDER:

· MC Signpost 1: The Present (the current situation and circumstances):

Michael's concerns in the first act revolve around his present condition of having become recently unemployed and available for any kind of work he may choose. This concern is especially poignant because he is naturally expected to consider joining the family mafia business, which he is against. The family's problems make this current state of affairs difficult for Michael to cope with. These concerns come to a crest when he decides to kill Sollozzo to help his family, and thus signal a Main Character act break by doing this irreversible action.


· MC Signpost 2: The Future (what will happen or what will be):

Act 2 for Michael finds him in love with a Sicilian woman and marrying her. This is a commitment to the future, one which is interrupted by his ties to organized crime when his enemies accidentally kill Michael's new wife while aiming to kill Michael. Michael is also continually wondering when he will be able to return to the states, which also demonstrates his concern for the future in this act.


· MC Signpost 3: The Past (what has already happened):

Michael is busy in this act, establishing his connection with things from the past. He reunites with Kaye and has to face his past commitments to being a legitimate businessman; he begins to deal with the mess which has been left by the gang land war his brother started; he has to deal with how other Don's have always looked at him in the past, which is as though he were a civilian and not a future Don. These concerns of the Past make up the Main Character act 3.


· MC Signpost 4: Progress (the way things are going):

Michael is forced to see things in terms of how they have changed during this fourth act. He is struck by the irony of seeing Tessio betray him, he demands to hear his brother in law admit that he has become a pawn to Barzini; he is also forced to see that he is no longer doing business just for business when Kaye asks if he really had Carlos killed. Michael is also seen to make progress as the new Don by receiving pledges from other dons.

THE OBSTACLE CHARACTER ACT ORDER:

· OC Signpost 1: The Conscious (considerations):

Kaye is becoming consciously aware that her boyfriend is involved with the mafia and that she must consider this when considering continuing her relationship with him. She also represents considerations by forcing Michael to explain why Johnny Fontaine is at his sister's wedding and just who is that big killer over there talking to himself?


· OC Signpost 2: Memory (recollections):

Kaye and Vito Corleone carry the Obstacle Character throughline through this act, carrying the memory of what Michael had once promised to become-- an upstanding citizen who would remain out of the family business. Kaye keeps the memory alive by writing letters to Michael in Sicily, Vito keeps it alive by becoming distressed when he is told that Michael committed the murders which took care of the Sollozzo problem. Vito "didn't want this for Michael."


· OC Signpost 3: The Preconscious (immediate responses):

Kaye's instincts and immediate response to seeing Michael after he has become the new Don Corleone are to not get involved with him. These are clear to Michael, forcing him to insist that he will try to legitimize the family business. Kaye's impact on Michael in this act has to do with immediate responses.


· OC Signpost 4: The Subconscious (basic drives and desires):

Kaye wants to know that she is still married to the man she was attracted to so long ago and who motivated her to become married. She affects Michael in his Subconscious by representing these old desires to avoid ever having to kill family members and commit crimes. Kaye's 4th act revolves around concerns of the Subconscious.

THE SUBJECTIVE STORY ACT ORDER:

· SS Signpost 1: Conceptualizing (visualizing how an idea might be implemented):

In Act 1, Michael and Kaye discuss the idea of staying together and keeping Michael from being involved in his family's business. Michael pulls Kaye into the Corleone family portrait at his sister's wedding, implying their intentions. Then, when Michael has to commit a murder and explains only that he may not see Kaye for a long time, the unspoken issue is how, in that case, will they continue to maintain their relationship.


· SS Signpost 2: Being (temporarily adopting a lifestyle):

In Act 2, Michael is living in hiding for having committed a murder while Kaye stays in New York and tries to wait for him. Both are temporarily adopting different ways of being in order to handle the situation which came as a result of Michael's killing Sollozzo. Their relationship at this time is thinly illustrated in the story, however it is clear that Kaye is still in love with the Michael she remembers, and Michael is still not a hardened mafioso. Kaye maintains the hope that Michael and she will marry and that Michael will remain uncommitted to a life of crime.


· SS Signpost 3: Becoming (transforming one's nature):

Michael, in act 3, has become the new Don Corleone and presents this change in nature to Kaye by way of his dress and manner when they first meet after his return to New York. It is clear that this obvious change makes Kaye think twice about becoming Michael's wife, however she and Michael do get married and they become a family. The issues of becoming in this Subjective Story act revolve around what Michael has become and whether or not he will change the nature of his family's business. When he promises this, she agrees to become his wife.


· SS Signpost 4: Conceiving (coming up with an idea):

Conceiving in this Subjective Story act takes the form of Kaye's finally conceiving of the possibility that Michael is really a killer. Michael, in return, conceives of ways to hide what he is from Kaye; agreeing to become their nephew's godfather and allowing her to believe he will give her one chance to hear the truth about what he does in his family business. These new ideas dominate their relationship in this act and prevent it from being resolved in a fulfilling way for both of them.

AUDIENCE APPRECIATIONS:

· Nature: Actual Dilemma (the primary dramatic mechanism of a story as it concerns how Michael Corleone's decision to change results in success):

Michael Corleone has become, by the time Sonny is killed, the only hope for maintaining the Corleone family power. In order for his family to return to power and for stability to remain among the families in New York, Michael has to change from wanting to avoid the "family business" to becoming the new "Godfather."


· Essence: Positive Feel (the primary dramatic feel of a story as it concerns how the objective characters in the story are closing in on the problem):

Michael understands his family's ways and has a knack for handling himself well under the circumstances in which he finds himself. The Objective Story Goal of finding a new Godfather is clear to Michael and he is tireless in his pursuit while being perfectly suited to achieving it as well (no matter how immoral this goal may be in the view of the rest of the world).


· Tendency: Unwilling (the degree to which Michael Corleone feels compelled to participate in the quest as it concerns how Michael Corleone unwillingly participates in the effort to find a solution to the story problem):

The solution to the problems among the families demands that someone take on the mantle of the new Godfather. Michael is a natural do-er who would prefer a less deceitful career than sitting as a figure head to a mafia family. He also has an apparent aversion to his family's business which means he only becomes involved when he sees that circumstances are forcing him to.


· Reach: Both (the manner in which the audience identifies with the main character as it concerns how both women and men will tend to empathize with the main character in this story):

Michael's way of approaching the story is reasonable and driven by obligations and commitments which everyone can understand. The forces which limit the story also make it easy to empathize with the characters as Michael is forced to become what he has promised Kaye he would never become.