The Godfather by Mario Puzo, A Comparison of novel and film Essay

The Godfather by Mario Puzo, A Comparison of novel and dissipate - Essay ExampleThere are legion(predicate) schools of thought on what made this novel and film appeal to the American public. Some critics are of the view that it was all about the timing. Firstly, Barra (4 & 5) argues that the novel lacked the literary moral excellence to warrant its popularity and goes on to base the novels success on the fact that it was produced at a period when easy-reading books, that he refers to as novelizations, were a hit. However, when it comes to the films, The GodfatherandThe Godfather Part II were gain in 1972 and 1974, which was a time that the US was experiencing much turmoil and change. Critics attribute the films leanings towards the New Left and its exposure of the hypocrisy of institutions of power, such as corruption in the police force and politicians, gave the public what they desired to see and hear. However, the base of operations that pundits agree on that may have contrib uted to the success of both the novel and the film was that the fiction was really about the experiences of American immigrant families, specifically Sicilian-Americans, adapting to their new environment. Barra (6) states that if we take away the gambling and the murder, the story becomes a straightforward depiction of how Italian-American families were assimilated into American culture. This we believe superseded the effect that it was the film that made the novel famous because historical data shows that the book had already sold millions of copies before the first film was released in 1972. This common theme therefore is what we believe to be bearing the underlying relevance of the both the novel and the films assimilation of immigrant families into the American society and its resultant consequences. The original plot and the film adaptations The Godfather novel is set in the 1940s and revolves around the family of a Sicily-American immigrant. Don Vito Corleone, the head of th e Corleone family is referred to as the Godfather because he embodies what every man aspires to be. He is strong, powerful, cunning and a loving family man. This is depicted where we see Amerigo Bonasera coming to him to seek justice for his daughters rape (Puzo 10) and also by Virgil Sollozo who seeks Vitos partnership to engage in the lucrative drug peddling business. The Don refuses to take up Sollozos offer, which leads the Turk to send assassins to kill the Don. Vito Corleone survives, but needs to stay away from the direct ravel of the family business. Sonny, his hot-headed son, takes up leadership of the Corleone family, convinces Michael, his younger brother to kill Sollozo and Captain McCluskey in vengeance for his fathers failed assassination attempt. This act results in a honest scale war between the five maffia families in New York. The all out mafia war leads to the death of Sonny and Michaels insurrection to the head of the family. Michael initially tries to legitim ize the Corleone business empire, but fails. Michael who erstwhile wanted nothing to do with the family business changes into a ruthless Don, who eliminates all the heads of the other mafia families in New York. He later sells all the Corleone property in New York and moves the family to Lake Tahoe, Nevada. In contrast to the novel, the movie is made of three sequels. The Godfather, Part I is the film whose plot most closely resembles the novels bar the elimination of several character backstories