The Godfather Trilogy as well as the book are more than just classic cinema and literature. These are movies and a book that a man can watch and actually learn something from. Before everybody gets all up in arms, I am not referring to killing people or aspiring to be a Mafia chieftain. There are real lessons in the Godfather franchise that can help a man through his whole life. Allow me to break it down for you.
Family:
“Do you spend time with your family? Good, because a man who doesn’t spend time with his family can never be a real man.”
-Don Vito Corleone
The Godfather trilogy is all about family to its very core. From the centuries old Sicilian traditions that hold together the Corleone crime family to the relationship Vito Corleone insists on having with his wife and children, this trilogy imparts upon us how important it is to be close to those you love. There are so many close relationships in the trilogy whether it is Don Vito and Michael or Connie and Sonny and we see how much they value each other. When Sonny sees that Carlo has hit his sister Connie again he gives him a beating. That’s what a big brother is supposed to do. And we can’t forget the relationship between Vito and his wife. This is a woman who stood by her husband through the ups and downs and respected what he had become because he did it for his family. In addition to the relationships there were the actions that Vito Corleone took to ensure his family would have every opportunity available. Vito was perfectly satisfied being a grocery store clerk. He was able to provide for his family and that was that. His first inclination wasn’t to become a criminal. He had been in the United States for years and there is no indication that he was anything but an upstanding citizen. Vito simply did what he had to do. He lost his job because of a neighborhood mob boss, lost his livlehood, so he took matters into his own hands. Being a criminal was better than his family starving. A real man always takes care of his family.
The following quotes only serve to reinforce how important family is to the Don:
“Give him a living but never discuss the family business with him.”
“Never tell anybody outside the family what you’re thinking again.”
When Michael took over, he echoed the sentiments of his father:
“Fredo, you’re my older brother, and I love you. But don’t take sides with anyone against the Family again. Ever.”
Article By: Jon DaBove
