you so we understand the background of the Godfather which explains its revisionist approach now let's discuss a bit further they use a film technique which on the one hand pays homage to Hollywood classical narrative and the conventions of the classical gangster film and on the other hand subverts both to make its own powerful statement more conducive to the context of the 70s and which also catapulted this film to iconic status in the crime film genre as well as in Hollywood filmmaking in general if we can say that the early trio of classical gangster films I mentioned had a profound influence on the new generation of filmmakers who emerged in the 60s and 70s the one which they all referred to and in some cases even imitated we can say the same about the Godfather which became the new baseline for filmmakers that followed the new seminal iconic mob movie for all time if you watched The Sopranos you'll note how the series not only pays tribute to Coppola film through little narrative and aesthetic touches but also openly mentions it frequently throughout characters like SIL played by Steve Van Zant prefer to wear act out scenes of dialogue from G 1 G 2 and G 3 just what I thought I was out they pull me back just when they thought I was out they pull me back in and it's not hard to see why it's so admired and beloved I very rarely make statements about the world like the one I'm about to make but this film is truly a masterpiece in every sense of the word mostly for its brilliant and original deployment of meson sin and montage these are two key approaches to convey important information through cinematic technique and we'll continue to talk about them throughout the course Meisel sin comes from a French theatre term which refers to set up mainly putting everything in the scene or in the film shot which includes all that the viewer needs to know about what's going on and which conveys all of the meaning of the narrative so that includes camerawork lighting setting decor costumes and actors movements all we need to know is there in that shot montage on the other hand comes from a French term for editing putting things together so here meaning doesn't just come from one single shot or sequence but from the order of the shots and their juxtaposition with one another just as there are different techniques which create aesthetic effects within the shot there are also different techniques of editing each of which has its own effect on its own cuts dissolves fade-outs flashbacks and so on we're going to examine one example of measles and one example of montage in two canonical sequences in the film the first at the very beginning and the second at the very end I hope as you're watching that you'll be able to pick out other examples of film technique that for you powerfully express the revisionist gangster themes and on a wider scale ideological commentary on American society though the film is set in the late 1940s and early 1950s it clearly addresses the sensibilities and culture at the 70s during which the film was made let's start with that very first sequence which is a powerful example of meson sin against the black screen we see the opening over which we hear composer Nino Rota haunting Godfather theme then still against the black screen we hear the character Amerigo bono sarah's opening line i believe in america this is the line which encapsulates the American dream to which the gangster film always refers but which when added over a black screen becomes particularly ominous we then see bono Sarah's face an extreme closeup filling up the screen but this image forms a striking contrast to your statement as there's nothing optimistic or escapist here like one would expect in relation to such a PG article mark rather the whole feeling is one of foreboding the lighting is dim Loki and his face seems to emerge like that of a bath or a ghostly creature out of the gloom that surrounds him he has heavy shadows under his eyes that prevent us from seeing the expression in them as well he's directly addressing the camera something which is off-putting and makes us uncomfortable as we're supposedly voyeurs watching from a position of anonymity typically according to classical film convention the performers look slightly off camera to facilitate that voyeuristic relationship we can see them but they can't see us but by dressing the camera directly buona sera is also addressing the viewer his statement about America implicates us and we understand on some deeper level that it's not just a comment or observation but an accusation of sorts he continues with the story in a heavy Italian accent about coming to America as an immigrant and working hard to make something of himself all the while the camera pulls back very slowly so that we hardly notice it but bit by bit buona sera comes more into view he's no longer just a face in the gloom but a person and as the camera continues to pull back we begin to understand that he's not talking to us but someone else in the room who we can't see it first and as buona sera recounts the event of his daughter's assault and savage beating we begin to understand that he is tested to that unseen person we begin to see the edge of a desk and the massive shadowy form of the person sitting behind that desk directly in front of the camera between us and buona sera this is the person to whom he's telling the story clearly someone in authority to whom buona sera is appealing buona sera stories when a powerlessness out of which he hopes will come empowerment by means of some entity or figure not connected to the police or legal system which has forsaken him lowly immigrant as the camera continues to slowly pull back we see some parallels that established the core links between buona sera and this figure behind the desk as buona sera gestures and despair with his hand the figure behind the desk lifts his hand to his chin and although we don't know this yet the lighting around buona sera but similarly the Heike light on the top of his head which throws the rest of his face into shadow and makes deep dark wells around his eye sockets is the same lighting that will be used later in the film when the man behind the dusk Don Corleone II comes to buona sera an undertaker to redeem the favor he grants him a third person off-screen steps in to hand buona sera drink as he's clearly emotionally overwrought he wraps up a story about how his daughter's attackers are not charged with the crime they committed but set free and that it was then that he decided that for justice he must go to Don Corleone II it is then with that we hear for the first time the voice of the man behind the dusk in a similarly accented English his scolds buona sera for going to the police first before coming to him the dawn and it is after that moment that we have our first reverse shot and see the dawn's face for the first time in close-up we see he's dressed in a tuxedo as befits the occasion of his daughter's wedding day the celebrations take place outside in the bright sunlight while he carries on his dark business inside the shuttered windows behind him refer to the expressionist that lighting techniques of film noir which we'll talk more about in next week's a similar use of chiaroscuro lighting throws the dawn's eye-sockets into shadows we know from classic film convention that this is not a good sign we need to see someone's eyes to know something about them to feel that they can be trusted if the camera pulls back to a longer establishing shot of the room the meson sand enables us to take in additional details the desk between the two men which creates a sense of distance but also also emphasizes the Dawn's power as well as the others in the room we see his son Santino and his consigliere or lawyer and councillor Tom Hagen as well we see that the dawn has a cat in his lap which he fondles as he speaks and as he continues to scold buona sera for never having come to him before or even invited him to his home for a cup of coffee the cat is a fascinating symbol of everything that Donne stands for and the conflictual behaviors which define him chiefly his capacity for gentle wisdom and ruthless violence but also the huge differential and power though the dawn plays gently with the cat it's clear that with one movement he could crush the cat skull in his hand and so we understand it is the same with buona sera who stands before him when buona sera offers the dawn money the dawn stands up and goes over to the shuttered window the shutters are reminiscent of prison bars or a cage powerfully suggesting bornus eras imminent entrapment in a web of obligation the dawn then crosses the room to stand directly in front of buona sera as he looms over him he tell he tells buona sera the terms of his services that one day he may come to buona sera to ask a favor in return and buona sera will have no choice but to repay the debt in kind and of course this comes to pass once again the Dawn's eyes are shadowed and buona sera boughs in gratitude everything we need to know about the dawn about his position is a powerful leader in the community one who stands above the ordinary social structures of legal power and authority as well as his methods for instilling fear and securing loyalty is all there it's all provided by the meson san of that opening sequence the Mazon sin also helps us to understand other underlying and complex aspects of meaning such as the subtle division between home life and work life which the Don keeps separate as part of his conflicted and hypocritical life is a criminal as well as the very murky boundaries surrounding and defining the American Dream and its cherished social values and ideals including democracy and justice the Meisel sin in addition to the dialogue makes it clear to us from the start that these values are not held in the same esteem by everyone nor are they held aloft as inalienable rights despite but the Constitution claims and regardless of its reputation is the land of opportunity America is not a safe haven from a person it is a land in which the primary law is might makes right and white the second sequence I want to discuss is the baptism montage near the end if you haven't seen the film you may want to pause here and watch it before continuing as this part of the lecture does contain some major spoilers this montage sequence comes after the Dawn's death when Michael is tapped to succeed the dawn and become the new head of the family it's ironic as Michael started out as the favorite son and the most American of them all the college boy the war hero who had remained untouched by the family's mob business but who is inherited his father's strategic ability at ruthlessness his cunning and cool-headed planning which will help the family survive and thrive into the next generation it's a fascinating comment on the qualities required to be successful in this country in this world in an interesting scene of succession planning the dawn works with Michael about how to take over the business and then when he dies Michael begins to put the plan into action so the montage sequence begins with him standing in his Godfather for his sister Connie's baby the baptismal sacrament isn't owned by the priest the scene intercuts those charts of the various actions that michael has ordered which establishes new leadership in the family and which also are a settling of accounts from shots of the priest asking Michael if he believes in Christ and then ask him if he renounces Satan we cut two shots of Michael's man brutally massacring the family's enemies this is a brilliant use of montage technique to express in a few moments these highly impactful events which take place over the course of the baptismal ceremony and which will change forever the balance of power amongst the Mafia families in New York as well as Michael's own life and marriage and family relationships there's nothing to actually physically or visually connect the scenes of the baptism with the scenes of the murder the two of nothing to do with one another and take part in different locations it's not like ordinary editing in which we cut between faces or objects of attention within the same scene by inter cutting them in this way Coppola has shown unequivocally that there are two different baptisms taking place simultaneously for the baby as well as for Michael as the new Godfather the use of montage also effectively expresses the deep hypocrisy endemic to the gangster genre these are parallel baptisms of spirituality and blood Michael lies outright to the priest as he lies to his sister Connie when he kills her husband and then denies this the baby's father it and he dies in revenge for Michael's brother Sonny's death and Michael also lies to his wife Kay about his nefarious activities as the baby's soul is saved Michael loses his soul forever in this way as with the measles and techniques in the opening sequence Coppola as one of the new generation of filmmakers coming to the fore in the 70s uses traditional or classical film technically technique in new and innovative ways just suggests not only the typical narrative trajectory of the Hollywood crime film but also to offer an incisive social critique from the context of the counterculture a critique about American values and ideals leadership and power relations in that sense the film is epic in its scope and deeply cynical in its perspective of American society and culture I'll leave it there I hope as you're watching that you'll look for additional examples of revisionist film technique missile sin and montage and that the film also inspires you to investigate other gangster films and television series have a good rest of your week