Choose one of the following set of questions and elaborate in 3-4 well thought out sentences. Respond by Monday at 11pm so we can discuss it for Tuesday's class.
1-Sembroff Golden and Cortes give us a catalog of the stereotypes Italians have been given throughout history. They point out the disclaimer at the beginning of the film. Does the disclaimer reinforce that stereotype or raise a conversation about representation? Do you think we are presently better prepared to tell the difference between a stereotype and a “true portrayal”? How do news and other print media influence us in forming these stereotypes?
2-In an interview with Francis Ford Coppola, he says of the main character of The Godfather II: “Michael is America.” What do you think he meant by this?
2. Coppola describing Michael as America says a lot about Coppola's view of the country. In a sense, Michael is the American dream: he has power, wealth, and a "loving" family from his hard work and cunning. The fact that he gained all of this through murder, lying, extortion, torture, and just generally bad doings is Coppola's real point in my opinion. America is a ruthless country, doing whatever it finds necessary to come ahead in the end and claim victory, and so it finds a prodigal son in an American-born Sicilian named Michael Corleone.
ReplyDelete2. Coppola depict Micheal as an American dream. Micheal worked hard and focused, at end he gained a lot of respect and wealth.Despite the fact that he was into illegal activities, he followed his father foot steps and brought their "family business" into glory. It was Micheal hard work which made him godfather, which was in other words an American dream, respect and wealth.
ReplyDelete2. What Cappola meant when he said "Michael is America" is that he well loved by his family,he is wealthy, and he is a hard-worker. This shows that Michael is the perfect example of "The American Dream". Even though, he killed, lied, and punished people, he was still well respected. America is also known as the place that wont give up until it wins which describes Michael due to the fact he never gave up until he got what he wanted.
ReplyDelete2. By saying that “Michael is America,” Coppola was referring to that fact that Michael has pretty much lived the American dream to the fullest. His father came from Italy with literally nothing of value and started a business that has given his family immense wealth. Michael is continuing in his father's footsteps by growing the business and taking care of his family.
ReplyDelete1. It would seem that if a stereotype was not being enforced or encouraged, a disclaimer vehemently protesting the accuracy of the film to which it belongs would be unnecessary. Thus, the infamous disclaimer offered at the start of stereotype-ridden films does indeed reinforce a stereotype. These stereotypes are still enforced in film and media, and the effect of such reinforcement has blurred the line between stereotype and fictitious portrayal, as “self-portraits” lend themselves to the acceptance of such stereotypes. This reinforcement shows no signs of slowing, though the disclaimers have long since disappeared.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the disclaimer works more toward the end of raising a discussion about media influences and the presentation of stereotypes which the public should or should not accept.
ReplyDeleteIf this disclaimer had preceded a showing of a completely different film portraying a different group of people, it might have caused even more of an outcry than that of the one caused by the airing of The Godfather Saga.
In terms of "true representation"...does that even exist? Subjectivity and perspective cause us all to portray and perceive both ourselves and others in various ways...therefore the same form of representation could be considered utterly true or utterly false, depending on who you ask.
2. Coppola says "Michael is America" because he represents what Americans are. Michael's father lived the American dream of coming to America with nothing and accumulating great wealth. Michael is a second generation immigrant who is fighting to keep and expand the wealth of his family. America is composed of the children of immigrants who do whatever they can to be wealthy, and this is what Michael is.
ReplyDelete2) "Michael is America" that quote is as interesting and as complex as Michael Corleone himself. America is perceived throughout the globe as a nation seeking dominance and control. But are we exactly? My idea is a tone much less radical than the idea of us being imperialists. I think, as Michael showed throughout the Godfather, America is a country trying to legitimize itself. We are clouded by terrorism and war and when this film was made the same was happening in Vietnam. Everything Michael does goes wrong, he becomes more and more a Don of a crime family instead of a man of business. That is America in a nutshell, bloody business, and I think that is what Coppola meant.
ReplyDelete1. The fact that the disclaimer was included in the Godfather just reinforces the fact that there is stereotyping in the film. The inclusion of the disclaimer also makes the audience aware of the stereotypes when they may have been overlooked before. True portrayals of any ethnic group in narrative film is almost impossible. This is because the actor does things the way he thinks they should be done and this is often based on stereotypes even if the actor does not realize it. These stereotypes are formed in the various media outlets, a person can see someone act Italian on film automatically assumes that's how all Italians act thus forming the stereotypes.
ReplyDelete2. Michael is the embodyment of America because he comes from a family who immigrated into
ReplyDeleteAmerica like all the families who have established themselves here. America is also known as being a very corrupt country with a lot of violence. What Michael's "family" does is representative of what America and Americans do. They use violence to gain power. And money, which basically runs everything in America. He and his family show that people come over here willing to work and to do whatever it takes to be successful in America. Immigrants make America, and when they come to America, the country makes them corrupt.
The statement "Michael is America" could not only be refering to his success in America, but also that he is a first born (along with his siblings)immigrant. He is America because he represents the oppurtunities America can bring and since he was born their he can take full advantage of all things American. It could be possible that Coppola is suggesting that Vito andolini was not America/American but Michael is because he is a citizen and he succesfully made sure the family survived in the new country. This statement could show the shift of power between Italian, American, and Italian-Americans.
ReplyDeleteI feel that Coppola's statement refers to Michael as the personification of the nation of America itself, rather than the American Dream. Michael becomes distanced from his original heritage and loses cultural identity. This is demonstrated by his embrace of Cuba and Hymen Roth and rejection of Pantangelli and eventually even his own brother, an indication of Michael's shift away from Italian culture. This coincides with the American ideal of the "melting pot", diverse cultures coalesce to form a new culture, however, each individual's original identity is necessarily discarded. The ultimate consequence is portrayed at the films conclusion, Michael sits alone and isolated unable to relate to anything outside himself.
ReplyDelete1. The line between stereotype and a true portrayal can be quite close in many instances. For what seems to be many peoples true portrayals, stereotypes keep increasing. The media basically merged the two together where what we think of as true could have been implemented as a stereotype without us realizing. Let's face it, being an Italian-American immigrant was hard, just as being any immigrant in America for that matter. The ways people made their money was solely to survive, feed and house the family. It is true that some Italians went into the mafia, or the mob, possibly over exaggerated in the media, but nonetheless participated.
ReplyDelete1. The disclaimer indicates the influence of film on the public that does not know much culture related to the immigrants depicted. Because information travels easier in the digital age, such disclaimers are probably not necessary now, but are still used by cautious directors and producers. There is no such thing as a "true portrayal", just a portrayal that may (or may not) indicate a subculture of immigrants that is easily identified with certain traits.
ReplyDelete2. Michael is used as an allegory for what men desire to accomplish in America: To become powerful and influential regardless of the competition that gets in his way. Whilst not representative of all America's values, he represents the driving nature of American society, to "get ahead" even if it isolates him from his family.
2. When coppola said that "michael is america" this meant that his life is that of the ideal american way a immigrant coming to america would want to have. When he came to america he started with nothing and was able to change that and run his family business. Unlike many immigrants who come to america in hopes that the perfect or ideal life is just given to them, michael takes it upon himself to put effort forth in order to achieve being "America".
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