BaptismThe Godfather

Context

0Michael becomes literal Godfather to Connie’s baby and metaphorical Godfather to mafia family

0As he receives sacraments his henchman eliminate the leaders of the five rival families in New York

0The scene is tense and integral to the narrative as it completes Michael’s transformation from American war hero to mafia Godfather

0Climax of the film

Baptism

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

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

0 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.

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

0 Contrasts the peaceful religious ceremony with the corruption and darkness of preparing for a murder

Baptism0 Opens with a long shot of the entire Corleone Family as they

gather inside the church. 0 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.

0 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.

0 Creates ominous, sinister tune which builds to a climax.0 Creates dramatic tension as we wait for the killings.

Baptism

0 INTERCUT shots (MONTAGE) of the baptism and Michael’s men preparing to carry out his orders.

0Close 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.

0Parallels between the rituals of religion (preparing for a ceremony) and rituals of the mafia.

Close ups

0 Close 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.

0 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.

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

0 Suggest 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.

Montage

0barber is also looking back and to at his watch, showing his anxiety as well as his readiness to perform his duty

0Cuts back to family in church. Close ups of Michael’s face.

0We notice an stern facial expression on Michael meaning that he is showing the early signs of becoming a ruthless leader.

Editing

0Fast editing is used to build to climax and create nervous tension

0Clemenza: 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. 

0Michael: stonefaced, hollowing question, “Michael, do you believe in God Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth?” In which Michael replies, “ I do?”

0Links to theme of corruption due to the contrast between religion and murder

Barzini

0 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.

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

0 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.”

0 Highlights the change from honest war hero to corrupt mafia boss

Barbers

0The music from the church organs appear to be getting louder, still creating suspense.

0The 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. 

0Another 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.

Barzini

0 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

0 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.

0 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.

Moe Green

0We see Moe Green getting massage and understand he too will be killed

0Peter Clemenza is seen reaching the top of his set of stairs still carrying the mysterious package

0Another 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.

Climax

0We 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.

0Cuts 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.

0 The second time he replies to the priest saying, “I do renounce him.”  Michael is shown as sincere to his renouncement of Satan

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

0 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.

0 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

0 Another henchman is seen putting out his cigarette illustrating he is ready for his part of the ceremony.

0 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.

0We see another cut to Michael while the organ has stopped as he says, “I do renounce him.” 

0 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.

0Michael again answers, “I do renounce him.” 0The 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.

Resolution

0The “state of equilibrium” has been restored because Michael’s act of revenge is now complete and he has now avenged his brother’s death.

0Michael is now presented as a more ruthless and corrupt character

0He has accepted his new Godfather status and illustrates that he will be different from his father Don Vito Corleone.

0Michael has compromised their safety, something that his father would never of done and has a different perception of justice from Vito

Baptism

0This scene is then ends when the priest asks Michael his final question, “Michael, will you be baptised? Michael then replies, “I will.”

0To 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.

0Coppola 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 families

Key Points0 Creates dramatic tension as we wait for the killings.0 Parallels between the rituals of religion (preparing for a

ceremony) and rituals of the mafia.0 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.

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

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

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

0 His transformation is complete