The Godfather and Its Influence: A Study of Emotional Support for Evil
While The Godfather is not the first film to sympathetically portray criminals, it has undeniably left a profound mark on generations of American viewers. Despite its exploration of power, privilege, and the criminal underworld, the film's enduring appeal can be attributed to its ability to immerse the audience in a world where morality is often tested. This article explores the nuanced impact of The Godfather on its viewers, delving into the question of whether it fosters an emotional support for evil, and the complex interplay of vicarious fantasy and real-world behavior.
The Godfather's Predecessors
Although The Godfather is not the first film to depict criminals sympathetically, it shares similarities with earlier works like Bonnie and Clyde. Both films transported audiences into the lives of lawbreakers, allowing them to experience both the glamour and the grit of criminal life. In the 1960s, Bonnie and Clyde captivated viewers with its romanticized portrayal of gangsters, much like the 30s era gangster films that inspired it.
The Immersive Experience of Evil
The Godfather delves deeply into the lives of the Corleone family, capturing the allure and the aftershocks of their world. The film’s realism and emotional depth immersed audiences in a reality where the line between order and chaos is blurred, and where power often comes at a steep price. The film’s ability to reveal both the glamorous and the grotesque aspects of the Corleone family’s world contributed to its enduring legacy as a cinematic classic.
The Role of Vicarious Living
One of the most striking aspects of The Godfather is its ability to make viewers engage with its characters on an emotional level. By presenting the Corleones as deeply complex figures, the film invites the audience to identify with their rise to power and their means of survival. The characters’ intricately constructed personas offer a kind of vicarious living, allowing viewers to fantasize about achieving such success, even if it means straying from moral bounds.
Emotional Support and Real-World Implications
The emotional connection to characters like Vito and Michael Corleone raises an important question: Does The Godfather genuinely contribute to the emotional support of evil in a tangible sense? Or, is the emotional engagement more about feeling a sense of vicarious fantasy rather than a desire to emulate their behavior in real life?
Fans of the film sometimes describe a sense of justification in their actions, as if the Corleones’ choices somehow validate their own as long as they are also “getting over on the Man” (the term for outwitting authority). However, it is crucial to recognize that this emotional connection to fiction does not necessarily translate to real-world behavior. Many viewers recognize the fictional nature of the plot and do not translate their feelings into criminal actions.
Yet, a more nuanced view suggests that The Godfather indirectly fosters a broader tolerance for unethical behavior. The film emphasizes the effectiveness of such actions within the framework of the criminal underworld, which could potentially normalize such behavior to a significant segment of the audience, even if only in a vicarious sense. In contemporary capitalist America, this normalization can lead to a more widespread acceptance of taking advantage of others, as long as it results in financial gain.
Conclusion
While The Godfather does provide a platform for emotional engagement with characters who perform unethical actions, the extent to which it constructs emotional support for evil remains a subject of debate. The film’s exploration of power, survival, and morality offers viewers a form of vicarious entertainment that is both thrilling and thought-provoking. Whether this emotional engagement translates to real-world behavior or serves as a form of active resistance against societal norms depends on the individual viewer. However, the normalization of such behaviors within the narrative does pose significant questions about the impact of The Godfather on societal norms and values.