Meeting Vito
Vito Corleone
The Shoulder
The Corleone Boys (or Men?)
Michael Corleone, Don Corleone, Santino Corleone, Fredo Corleone
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Geneva Exam Week: Just so we dont forget...
The Golden Spruce and The Godfather Part I appear to be two complete worlds appart. As explained to us by Mr.McGuigan, there actually is a connection between the two works. It is kind of random and really out there, but the connection that was posed to us at the beginning of the Godfather unit was all about Kay.
What is her real presence, who is she really? At first, this was kind of random and spuratic, but it made sense in the fact that we really had to work our 'compare one thing to another and seem if its the same' sort of skills. Kind of like a giant simlie for a movie. So anyways, we figured out a lot of things about Kay and her 'mysical side' as the Scarlet Woman. But in the end, the real answer to the question was Greek--not even Roman!
Kay or Kate=Derived from the name Hecate. Hecate was the god of Hell's gate. The Hecate Strait is the name of a chapter in The Golden Spruce. Grant Hadwin experiences a part of his interesting/mysterious/insane life in this region (well, based on what we are told by John Vaillant).
Hopefully other classes will get this connection faster than we did! :)
Geneva
What is her real presence, who is she really? At first, this was kind of random and spuratic, but it made sense in the fact that we really had to work our 'compare one thing to another and seem if its the same' sort of skills. Kind of like a giant simlie for a movie. So anyways, we figured out a lot of things about Kay and her 'mysical side' as the Scarlet Woman. But in the end, the real answer to the question was Greek--not even Roman!
Kay or Kate=Derived from the name Hecate. Hecate was the god of Hell's gate. The Hecate Strait is the name of a chapter in The Golden Spruce. Grant Hadwin experiences a part of his interesting/mysterious/insane life in this region (well, based on what we are told by John Vaillant).
Hopefully other classes will get this connection faster than we did! :)
Geneva
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Geneva Week 4: Literary Feature Hunt
The Cat
Why is there a cat in the beginning of the film The Godfather? I believe that there is significance in the presence of the cat that single time. Furthermore, the Cat does not show up again after that one frame with Don Vito in the first few minutes of the movie. Attention is highly drawn to the cat because Don Vito is also fidgeting and playing around with the cat at the same time.
"They also kept cats around as a means of spiritual protection. In Puritan religion cats symbolized dark and demonic forces and were associated with the devil. Cats are often compared to femininity and womanhood. They are associated with intuition as well.Cats are also known to have the ability to transmute human discomfort or malevolent spiritual energies into a more benign force. " Cats can symbolize a lot of things, but it is evident that they represent the events to follow throughout the movie.
It could represent the following moments of spiritual protection, which could symbolize Don Vito's power and maybe his survival after the "five shots" (Coppola).
The Five Shots
I thought that the specific choice of the five shots was innherently interesting. Each shot could possibly represent one of the five families:
Why is there a cat in the beginning of the film The Godfather? I believe that there is significance in the presence of the cat that single time. Furthermore, the Cat does not show up again after that one frame with Don Vito in the first few minutes of the movie. Attention is highly drawn to the cat because Don Vito is also fidgeting and playing around with the cat at the same time.
"They also kept cats around as a means of spiritual protection. In Puritan religion cats symbolized dark and demonic forces and were associated with the devil. Cats are often compared to femininity and womanhood. They are associated with intuition as well.Cats are also known to have the ability to transmute human discomfort or malevolent spiritual energies into a more benign force. " Cats can symbolize a lot of things, but it is evident that they represent the events to follow throughout the movie.
It could represent the following moments of spiritual protection, which could symbolize Don Vito's power and maybe his survival after the "five shots" (Coppola).
The Five Shots
I thought that the specific choice of the five shots was innherently interesting. Each shot could possibly represent one of the five families:
- Corleone Family (residing in Little Italy)
- Barzini Family (residing in Midtown)
- Tattaglia Family (residing in Brooklyn)
- Stracci Family (residing in New Jersey)
- Cuneo Family (residing in Hell's Kitchen)
"According to the Bible, it is the symbol of the Man-God by the five wounds of the Christ on cross (for this reason, it is also considered as the number of the grace)." (http://www.ridingthebeast.com/numbers/nu5.php)
Interestingly enough, Don Vito got shot five times=sort of like Jesus, and their religion is Catholic so that might be a wierd religious tie.
Geneva
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Geneeva Week 4: The Human Condition
The power of love makes fools of us all. Both texts, The Twelfth Night and The Godfather Part I, illuminate power through three main literary features: characterization, foils and camera angles. The characterization of men with siginificant amounts of power forces the audience to ponder: does power make it easier for characters to manipulate others, or does it make it easier for the characters with power to be manipulated? Duke Orsino (a man of power in Twelfth Night) and Don Vito Corleone (a man of power in The Godfather Part I) both resemble positions of power through there characterization. Olivia and Viola are both high status women and self sufficient. These characters are fairly similar; however, extremely different. Viola is disguised as a man, Olivia is one of Illyria's most beautiful women. Differences between them highlight the theme of power and the powerful qualities that these women have or do not have. Vito Corleone's power is highly significant. Francis Ford Coppola's intentional use of camera angles illuminate the power. Portions of the movie are seen through the eyes of power, looking over the shoulder. These examples bring us to question if power makes people fools or if fools are given people power.
Geneva
Geneva
Geneva Week 4: Archetypes
I have just made a flurry of comments on the Monomyth wiki that pretty much map out what my perspective of Michael's Hero's Journey.
Geneva
Geneva
Geneva Week 4: Class Act
The Hero
People in general run into conflicts all the time, sometimes there are people who love creating conflicts because it "keeps life interesting". These different human characteristics provide and illuminate the hero's journey that exists within our existence. We live and continue with our lives, but the combination of the different types of people provides the different experiences of the Hero's Journey.
Francis Ford Coppola highlights the Hero's Journey through more than one character. The initial and most obvious is Michael Corleone. But there are others, The Godfather just highlights the different moments in each character's life. Vito and Santino Corleone are observed at the near end of their own Hero's Journey. Connie and Fredo are observed at the beginning, not yet the moments where they reach the call to action. Mama Corleone monitored silently and from afar. By example of her family, Mama Corleone's achievements, call to action, journey into the belly of the Whale and her return are highlighted in her past. We only see the ending of her Hero's Journey in The Godfather Part I.
Geneva
"You like the things you do because maybe you are hardwired to do that"-Mr. McGuigan
The theme of Heroes cam up in our Grade 10 year multiple times. This motif has run through the path that the Hero follows. This connection has really had a purpose of connection during our "rebellious teen years". As Joseph Campbell stated, its highly likely that each person is running through their own Hero/Heroine archetype.
People in general run into conflicts all the time, sometimes there are people who love creating conflicts because it "keeps life interesting". These different human characteristics provide and illuminate the hero's journey that exists within our existence. We live and continue with our lives, but the combination of the different types of people provides the different experiences of the Hero's Journey.
Francis Ford Coppola highlights the Hero's Journey through more than one character. The initial and most obvious is Michael Corleone. But there are others, The Godfather just highlights the different moments in each character's life. Vito and Santino Corleone are observed at the near end of their own Hero's Journey. Connie and Fredo are observed at the beginning, not yet the moments where they reach the call to action. Mama Corleone monitored silently and from afar. By example of her family, Mama Corleone's achievements, call to action, journey into the belly of the Whale and her return are highlighted in her past. We only see the ending of her Hero's Journey in The Godfather Part I.
Geneva
Geneva Week 3: Archetypes
The Journey of a Hero
Look at Classical and mythological allusions which reference the ideas that highlight significant events.
Are some things better than others? Yes
If some things are better than others there must be a best thing? Yes it is possible
What is the best something possible? Largest? Most Powerful? All knowing? God
Is it better for God to exist or not to exist? Depends
Take both things, is it better for gods to exist or not to exist? To exist
Therefore, if we believe that god is the best thing, then he must exist. Joseph Campbell takes it one step further. Everyone is on their own hero's journey. You may not know it but you are. You are the creator of every relationship with other people it must be of bliss and respect. All of us must be the creator. If this god is everywhere, then logically anyone and everyone is god. Myths explain our culture and our history.
This is just stuff that we used to stimulate our 'hero'. Maybe this lives inside us and thats why people keep on telling ust to remain confident and with tones of positive charisma. Maybe believing in a god keeps us in the positive realm. This sort of ability to continue reminds me of The Secret. The ideas are vaguely similar.
Geneva
Look at Classical and mythological allusions which reference the ideas that highlight significant events.
Are some things better than others? Yes
If some things are better than others there must be a best thing? Yes it is possible
What is the best something possible? Largest? Most Powerful? All knowing? God
Is it better for God to exist or not to exist? Depends
Take both things, is it better for gods to exist or not to exist? To exist
Therefore, if we believe that god is the best thing, then he must exist. Joseph Campbell takes it one step further. Everyone is on their own hero's journey. You may not know it but you are. You are the creator of every relationship with other people it must be of bliss and respect. All of us must be the creator. If this god is everywhere, then logically anyone and everyone is god. Myths explain our culture and our history.
This is just stuff that we used to stimulate our 'hero'. Maybe this lives inside us and thats why people keep on telling ust to remain confident and with tones of positive charisma. Maybe believing in a god keeps us in the positive realm. This sort of ability to continue reminds me of The Secret. The ideas are vaguely similar.
Geneva
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