Godfather: Michael's Confrontation with the Devil
It's not personal Sonny. It's strictly business
Those were the words that a puffy cheeked Michael, battered from an altercation with a corrupt police captain operating under the wing of the drug kingpin Virgil Sollozzo, dropped amidst a silent room - a room incapable of taking him seriously just moments before. His past military service didn't change the fact that in the eyes of the families and, indeed, in the eyes of practically every viewer, Michael was just a boy at this point. This scene proves to be an incredibly intense and brilliantly crafted vehicle that marks a pivotal moment not only Michael's boyhood, but also his soul.
Background
Michael convinces the family to let him perform a hit on Sollozzo, who has already made an attempt to take the life of Vito Corleone (the acting Family Boss at this point). In what is framed to Sollozzo's side as a dinner to discuss peacemaking and business, Michael grabs a gun planted in the restaurant's washroom and puts and end to both Sollozzo and McClusky, the corrupt police captain.
The scene in the restaurant itself lasts about 5:19. Within those 5 minutes is packed a tightly wound narrative. Coppola crafts the scene such that this progression occurs in a relatively short time span, but it's presented such that the audience perceives something much more methodical and drawn out. Let's dive into a walk through of this scene and take a closer look at what Coppola does here! Below is the full scene:
One important part here is that Michael eventually stumbles and has to revert back to English to get his message across. There is a tension between the Italian and the English - a tension between the old world and the new, between the life of the Cosa Nostra and civilian life. This is a struggle that plagues Michael in his life and one that seems to be neatly represented here via a unique trick!
Michael fumbles around and manages to retrieve the gun and we then get this great "over the shoulder" shot above, from beyond the stall door. Although close in proximity, the stall door adds distance - in this moment, Michael feels remote. We as viewers feels further away from Michael than ever before as he's about to emerge from the washroom. Coupled with this distance, we also see Michael take a moment to gather himself. His hands go to his head, almost indicating a breakdown of sorts. But that quickly morphs into a slick setting of the hair. No lose strands left behind!
This helps us build to the next moment. Michael shows glimpses of being overwhelmed in this moment and the audience feels distant and helpless, left to watch from behind the stall door. Michael steps out of the washroom and we get an ominous turn from Sollozzo and McClusky. And Michael proceeds to.....
The Train Arrives
....smile and do politely sit down. Of course, if he was following Clemenza's plan, he would have come out of the washroom firing away. Has Michael got cold feet? Has he failed to follow through? Has the perceived boyhood innocence trumped? As Michael sits down, he is noticeably disoriented with his mind racing, and the audience is no doubt the same at this point. Pacino brilliantly does a wonderful dance with his eyes, bringing Michael's unrest to life. You can see starting at about 4:04 in the clip and it stretches to 4:34. Is it over the top? Ab-so-lutely. You bet Sollozzo would've thought something was up given that Michael's eyes are doing the waltz in front of him. However, does it do one HELL of a job at conveying Michael's emotions and scrambled thoughts? Definitely.
All the while Michael is being consumed with this decision (to kill or not to kill, to be or not to be), we get another brilliant sonic cue from Coppola. Sollozzo's continued stabs at business slowly get drowned out by the sounds of a train. It's racing down the track, whistle blowing at full steam, quickly approaching...
In these moments, we have unconsciously stepped into Michael's mind. The overdone shiftiness and the train whistles consume us and bring us into his frantic mind state. The train arrives and the moment reaches its climax as Michael, cold blooded and point blank, takes the lives of both of his dinner buddies. How rude. (Does he at least pick up the check?? That veal wasn't cheap)
____________________________________________
This scene marks a critical moment in Michael's arc and for the saga itself. Looking back on this scene, it's obviously the unofficial beckoning into the family business. However, it also marks a dark turn for his soul. There is a noticeable change in Michael's persona and world view from this point onward. He may be able to turn away from the blood smeared on the dinner table in this scene, but there is no turning away from a pact with the Devil that he has, perhaps unwittingly, made for himself.
The scene in the restaurant itself lasts about 5:19. Within those 5 minutes is packed a tightly wound narrative. Coppola crafts the scene such that this progression occurs in a relatively short time span, but it's presented such that the audience perceives something much more methodical and drawn out. Let's dive into a walk through of this scene and take a closer look at what Coppola does here! Below is the full scene:
*Pop* Goes the Wine Bottle...
Immediately, we kick things off a deafening but...slightly awkward squeaking laid over top a black screen. We fade into a shot of Michael and Sollozo at the table, but, coupled with their initial silence match, there is an immediate awkward unease in the air. It's a fitting reflection of what we can assume is Michael's mind state at this point - a young man plopped into a chair across the table from a cold blooded and calculating murderer for the first time. And naturally, this is all with the objective of turning the tables on that murderer by the end of the night.An Italian Veil
Next what we have is a very interesting directorial choice. Sollozo and Michael jump into a conversation in Italian...but Coppola intentionally decides to not include any subtitles to aid the reader. Does he expect everyone watching to be fluent in this particular dialect of Italian? (If so, I'm pretty sure I've been reading this movie incorrectly this whole time!) In this case, it's clear that what exactly Michael and Sollozzo are saying isn't important here - in fact, Coppola opts to strip away all of the extremities and noise of language. Could it be alluding to Michael's Italian heritage? In a sense after all, this scene is akin to a "true entry" into the way of his family and predecessors.One important part here is that Michael eventually stumbles and has to revert back to English to get his message across. There is a tension between the Italian and the English - a tension between the old world and the new, between the life of the Cosa Nostra and civilian life. This is a struggle that plagues Michael in his life and one that seems to be neatly represented here via a unique trick!
I Frisked Him...He's Clean
In frustration, Michael gets up to excuse himself to the bathroom. A naturally suspicious Sollozo checks Michael to no avail. Of course, we're fully aware of the plan and know what's supposed to happen next.... |
| Michael gathers himself in the washroom before exiting |
Michael fumbles around and manages to retrieve the gun and we then get this great "over the shoulder" shot above, from beyond the stall door. Although close in proximity, the stall door adds distance - in this moment, Michael feels remote. We as viewers feels further away from Michael than ever before as he's about to emerge from the washroom. Coupled with this distance, we also see Michael take a moment to gather himself. His hands go to his head, almost indicating a breakdown of sorts. But that quickly morphs into a slick setting of the hair. No lose strands left behind!
This helps us build to the next moment. Michael shows glimpses of being overwhelmed in this moment and the audience feels distant and helpless, left to watch from behind the stall door. Michael steps out of the washroom and we get an ominous turn from Sollozzo and McClusky. And Michael proceeds to.....
 |
| An over the shoulder shot of Sollozzo and McClusky, slowly turning towards Michael |
The Train Arrives
....smile and do politely sit down. Of course, if he was following Clemenza's plan, he would have come out of the washroom firing away. Has Michael got cold feet? Has he failed to follow through? Has the perceived boyhood innocence trumped? As Michael sits down, he is noticeably disoriented with his mind racing, and the audience is no doubt the same at this point. Pacino brilliantly does a wonderful dance with his eyes, bringing Michael's unrest to life. You can see starting at about 4:04 in the clip and it stretches to 4:34. Is it over the top? Ab-so-lutely. You bet Sollozzo would've thought something was up given that Michael's eyes are doing the waltz in front of him. However, does it do one HELL of a job at conveying Michael's emotions and scrambled thoughts? Definitely.
All the while Michael is being consumed with this decision (to kill or not to kill, to be or not to be), we get another brilliant sonic cue from Coppola. Sollozzo's continued stabs at business slowly get drowned out by the sounds of a train. It's racing down the track, whistle blowing at full steam, quickly approaching...
In these moments, we have unconsciously stepped into Michael's mind. The overdone shiftiness and the train whistles consume us and bring us into his frantic mind state. The train arrives and the moment reaches its climax as Michael, cold blooded and point blank, takes the lives of both of his dinner buddies. How rude. (Does he at least pick up the check?? That veal wasn't cheap)
____________________________________________
This scene marks a critical moment in Michael's arc and for the saga itself. Looking back on this scene, it's obviously the unofficial beckoning into the family business. However, it also marks a dark turn for his soul. There is a noticeable change in Michael's persona and world view from this point onward. He may be able to turn away from the blood smeared on the dinner table in this scene, but there is no turning away from a pact with the Devil that he has, perhaps unwittingly, made for himself.
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