On March 14, 1891, in New Orleans, Louisiana, 11 Italians found not guilty in a murder trial were dragged from their jail cells by a crowd estimated to be 5,000 strong, which promptly shot and hanged them. The victims of this massacre were memorialized on April 12, 2019, by that city’s current mayor, LaToya Cantrell.
Interestingly, nearly a century later, on March 14, 1972, another assault on Italian immigrants took place, but this time on a cultural level: The epic gangster movie The Godfather premiered at the Loew Theater in New York. It broke box-office records, set the standard for movie blockbusters, and is considered an American classic, replete with memorable quotes (“leave the gun, take the cannoli”).
The film will be rereleased nationwide on Friday, Feb. 25, as part of its 50th anniversary celebration.
But, wait a minute: How was The Godfather an “assault” on Italian immigrants?
First of all, before any rational discussion of The Godfather, two points have to be made.
Point No. 1 is very simple: Liking the film doesn’t make anyone a racist, or even anti-Italian. It is possible to appreciate the film’s craftsmanship, such as Gordon Willis’ famous burnished cinematography, without indulging in the kind of rabid hysteria which inflamed the 1891 New Orleans incident.
Point No. 2 is very important: When well-informed Italian Americans express disdain for the film, they are referring to its negative media image. That is all. In no way, shape, or form are they comparing a fictional Hollywood movie to the genuine historical sufferings of other racial or ethnic groups.
To get back to my main point: The Godfather is an assault not only on Italian immigrants, but on Italian culture, period. Film critic Stanley Kauffman of the New Republic, one of the few critics to pan the movie, pointed out why: “There’s no counterpoint to the Corleone family.”
Bingo! The Godfather is a cockeyed view of Italian culture.
What he meant is that there’s no balance. Everyone in the film – men, women, and children – are all “connected” to crime or criminal gangs. The only positive character is a non-Italian: Kay Adams, Michael Corleone’s wife. As a mathematician might put it: “Italians + crime = Italian culture.”
Sorry: Wrong equation.
As a former English teacher, I believe that words matter. My solution on how to combat the negativity of The Godfather is to reclaim the very words or phrases which it has cinematically –and unfairly – poisoned. To wit:
Godfather – America does have a real Italian godfather: Filippo Mazzei, the Tuscan political philosopher who gave his next-door Virginia neighbor, Thomas Jefferson, major input for the Declaration of Independence.
Five Families – These five Italian families transformed the American wine industry: Sebastiani, Sbarbaro, Gallo, Mondavi, and Martini. A salute!
Consigliere – Charles Manson was sent to prison in 1971 by lawyer Vincent Bugliosi, who was far from a My Cousin Vinny caricature.
Soldiers – Two of the most-decorated soldiers of World War II were Italian American: Ace fighter pilot Don Gentile (who received the Distinguished Service Cross from Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower) and Marine Sgt. John Basilone (who was awarded both the Navy Cross and a Medal of Honor).
Just Business – A.P. Giannini was to banking what Rockefeller was to oil and Carnegie was to steel – an American giant. And he was ethical to a “t.”
“Keep it in the family” (ethnic insularity) – New York Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia appointed Jane Bolin the first Black female judge in the nation (1939). And Barney Ales (Alessi) was hired by Berry Gordy to turn Motown into a powerhouse within the American music industry (1960s).
Mob Wives – Ella Grasso balanced motherhood while becoming the first female governor in the United States to be elected on her own, without succeeding a husband or being appointed (Connecticut, 1974). The same was true for Geraldine Ferraro (first woman selected as a vice presidential candidate for a major political party, 1984) and Nancy Pelosi (first female U.S. speaker of the House, 2006).
It’s time to remove the dark shadows created by The Godfather The blood, sweat, and tears of our immigrant ancestors deserve so much better. -BDC
[This opinion appeared on February 25th, in The Daily Herald, a newspaper serving Chicago’s surrounding suburbs.]
Bravo, and the bottom line is media matters! Regardless if The Godfather has cinematic merit, it has also caused a lot of damage by stereotyping Italian American culture and traditions.
We are not alone in this dilemma, and such is the power of media, and films in particular, that Leni Riefenstahl’s film Triumph of the Will fueled Nazi propaganda, to horrific ends. Likewise, DW Griffith’s film Birth of a Nation set Civil War reconstruction back to the Dark Ages and is still played today at white supremacist rallies.
Even at a more banal level one glib comment about Merlot grapes in the movie Sideways caused millions of dollars of Merlot grapes to be uprooted. I am certainly opposed to censorship, at the same time, people need to be educated to understand that films can be extremely evil and damaging tools. While it may open Pandora’s Box, a list of these films should be publicized and their impact noted…..let their actions speak for themselves, but it’s important too, to note how these actions have contributed to a specific outcome. Number one on my list would be Triumph of the Will, followed by Birth of A Nation. We are still living with the consequences of those two films….;
“Media matters!” So true. And yes, I always share with people how Birth of a Nation glorified the KKK, while Triumph of the Will glorified the Nazis. And yet, and yet:
Today’s critics have no problem separating the forms of those movies (art) from their content (racist). Not so with The Godfather because–well, Italians are like that, right?
Bill that was a great piece. Happy you shared it
Thanks! Kind words. But, if I may share a quick story: A reader from Chicago’s suburbs liked the piece but said I was being “disingenuous”; that is, he thought I was refusing to admit that “the mafia did and does exist.” I told him that bad people also exist in other groups (Black, Hispanic, Muslim, Asian, Jewish, et. al).
I then asked if he ever said such a thing when meeting any of them.
(Example: “Oh, you’re Muslim? Did you know that terrorists do exist?”)
Unsurprisingly, he didn’t respond back after that.
That, to me, is the true offense of the film: It domesticated anti-Italian prejudice.
The Coppola family knows how to play the game. They are not happy with just making movies disparaging Italians. They want to represent and epitomize being Italian, which reinforces the association Italians – M****.
They make wine for example. Also, they bought and restore an old palace in Basilicata (which is now a high-end hotel). Sofia Coppola got married in Southern Italian hometown of the Coppola’s grandparents. Ma con che faccia?
Unfortunately, most Italians in Italy are not aware of the damage of The Godfather. Growing up, my mother loved il Padrino for the music of maestro Nino Rota.