© 2021 by Tango Media Corporation All Rights Reserved. Michael Corleone: Well, that's something. She demands to know why, after so long a time apart, he now comes to her. Where Connie’s wedding features posy pink bridesmaids’ dresses, a performance from celebrity Johnny Fontane, and lots of dancing, Michael’s nuptials are quiet, small, and more serious, in the “Old World” fashion. I love music but he should finish what he started. She chose to live life with the man she truly loved and have a chance at reminding him of the love they once shared. I wouldn't bring another one of you sons into this world! When asked about Luca Brasi, Michael simply tells Kay that he “helps my father out sometimes.” Kay eventually pushes Michael to tell her the full story about Brasi and Johnny Fontane. That’s a true story. Michael Corleone: Fredo, you're nothing to me now. He's been sick, very sick. "it's not personal--it's strictly business". But when we love someone so completely, when they are our whole world. And to me, that makes Kay's choice not one made from stupidity —  but from sheer strength. See more ideas about godfather quotes, the godfather, godfather movie. Michael Corleone: Well, when Johnny was first starting out, he was signed to a personal services contract with this big-band leader. Here's the proposal scene again, in case it's been a while or you — like most of my family — and you need to see it again to hear him say "I love you": Kay is strong in her stance. Their wedding is a sacred, holy union, and while the couple and the bride’s family will soon celebrate, the religious sacrament is the undisputed focus of the day. Your email address will not be published. I don't apologize - that's my life - but I thought that, that when it was your time, that you would be the one to hold the string. It wasn't a miscarriage. It was an abortion. Something that's unholy and evil. By partaking in an intensely traditional wedding with an equally traditional Italian bride in a town that bears his family’s name, Michael is wedding himself to the Old World of his father’s generation and to the violent path that he had previously rebelled against. But then I watched the movie again with my family in the theater recently (it was re-released in select theaters) and I watched how Michael proposes to her. Michael: Don't ask me about my business, Kay. It was an abortion. I don't want to know you or what you do. Kay: Is it true? It's how she was able to push herself to say no, even though it hurt to hear him say so many things she's dreamed of. Nino Rota once said, about his work as a composer, Late in The Godfather, when Vito Corleone collapses to the ground and, The title of The Godfather is a surprisingly cunning one: ultimately it, The scene begins with the camera positioned at a low angle, hovering, In a film as eminently quotable as Coppola’s The Godfather, perhaps only, Many scenes in The Godfather—Connie and Carlo’s wedding, the baptism and assassination, Pop, Flash, Bang: Color Accents in The Godfather, A Family in Celebration, and in Transition: The Godfather’s Opening Wedding Scene, Hemmed In: Kay Adams and Her Changing Fashions, The Sound of Nostalgia: Nino Rota’s “Godfather Waltz”, “I’m With You Now”: Michael Corleone’s Journey to Become His Father’s Son, Ripeness Is All: The Death of Vito Corleone, Navigating Coppola’s Maze: Editing in The Godfather, The Murder of Luca Brasi: The Curiously Moving Death of a Henchman, “Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli”: The Hit Man as Family Man, Inhale, Exhale: Cigarettes and the Power of Michael Corleone, A Bitter-Suite Romance: Michael and Kay’s Hotel Scene, Mixing Business with Pleasure: Alcohol in The Godfather, Men of the House: Modes of Masculinity in The Godfather, “Till Death Do Us Part”: Michael’s Marriage to Apollonia and the “Corleone” Way, Coppola’s Reluctant Voyeurism: Gendered Violence in The Godfather, Never Let Your Body Show What You’re Thinking: Gesture and Masculinity in The Godfather, A Son’s Devotion to His Father: Michael and Vito’s Garden Scene, Office Space: Don Vito’s Home Office, and Michael’s. Michael Corleone is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's novels, The Godfather and The Sicilian.He is also the main protagonist of the Godfather film trilogy that was directed by Francis Ford Coppola, in which he was portrayed by Al Pacino, who was twice nominated for an Academy Award for his portrayal (Best … Biography. He is also rejecting Kay and the American way: due to the chain of events prompted by the attempt on his father’s life, Michael is on the road to becoming the new Don, and he will need support from a suitable wife. Until he flees to Italy, gets the thunderbolt, and marries Apollonia. Just like our marriage is an abortion. Michael walks with his bride through the town that has now become his home, not looking like an out-of-place foreigner, but like a man who has strolled these winding paths all of his life. Don Corleone: I never wanted this for you. In New York, the Corleones live luxuriously. The derelict buildings and sprawling countryside through which his father once walked are Michael’s new home: the ultra-modern, all-American man whom audiences were introduced to at the start of the film is now nowhere to be found. This is what Michael is for Kay, and it's nearly impossible not to give in when the object of our affections says those three magical words: "I love you." Kay Corleone: The sicker you get, the wiser you get, huh? - Michael Corleone: Oh. I didn't want your son, Michael! He loves music he wants his life to be in music.Michael Corleone: Well, music is great. The reception’s traditions are like valuable heirlooms, passed down from each new couple to the next; they join the community in a bond that matches the sacredness of the earlier ceremony, even though they are not religious sacraments. Connie and Carlo’s wedding is bright and loud. When Michael is brought over for a family picture, he insists Kay join in, perhaps subconsciously to associate himself more closely with her than with the Corleone family. I don't want to see you at the hotels, I don't want you near my house. You have to answer for Santino. By the time Michael marries Apollonia, he seems a completely different man than the one who attended Connie’s wedding. The differences between The Godfather’s two weddings suggest the materialism of American culture — how the opulence of “The Don,” a product of his success in America, has distanced him from the family-based Italian way and the poverty-stricken town of Corleone. Michael Corleone: I did what I could, Kay, to protect all of you from the horrors of this world. Kay Adams: But you're not like him Michael. Michael, you are blind. I thought you weren't going to become a man like your father. The very last thing he says after saying I need you, I care for you, our children, after saying every other thing he can think of, he finally relents and says, "I love you". An abortion, Michael. Michael and Kay are carefree and giggly when not discussing family matters, holding hands and sitting close together in their own little world like high school sweethearts. Nov 24, 2013 - Explore Hollye Peel's board "Godfather quotes" on Pinterest. ―Kay Adams "You won't take my children!" The The Godfather quotes below are all either spoken by Michael Corleone or refer to Michael Corleone. Apollonia and Michael are united by culture, tradition, and loving glances, their connection deepening slowly but fiercely. Kay is an independent, outspoken American woman—the opposite of the submissive female Corleones, most notably the delicate and powerless Connie. I didn't want your son, Michael! He shares a moment with the young flower girl: he smiles at her and she smiles back, as if acknowledging him as a welcome member of the family and the community. Michael has become a true Corleone (embracing both Italian culture and mob affiliation), and his marriage to Apollonia signifies Michael’s official acceptance of this change and what it means for his future. Aside from providing important commentary on the Corleone family and culture, the disparities between the two marriage celebrations highlight the many ways Michael has changed since the beginning of the film. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one: ). Immensely successful as a result of their illegal deeds, they are a family of wealth, but one somewhat isolated from the land and their community. She may have even thought she could bring back the love they once shared. Yet he renews his commitment to his family in his own way — and the terms of this commitment are signaled by the contrast between the two weddings in the film (Michael’s and Connie’s) and by the development of his character between the two ceremonies. Michael’s journey to Sicily is a journey back to his family’s roots, and this shot shows audiences just how different his home in America is from the region that gave the Corleone family their name. Michael has traded in the military uniform for a modest yet formal suit, looking dapper save for his badly bruised face. It clouds your judgement. Even as Michael says he needs her and he cares for her, she shakes her head. Just like our marriage is an abortion. Don't ask me about my business, Kay. And I couldn't help but be enraged and confused. A great memorable quote from the The Godfather movie on Quotes.net - [Connie has just accused Michael of having Carlo killed] Michael Corleone: She's hysterical. But in truth, he never did, not really. You’d think one would draw the line when it came to family, yet Michael crossed it and then some by ordering the hit on… The very things she dreamed they would have. Michael: Don't ask me about my business. The priest and the wedding ceremony, rather than the reception, take center stage, and Michael and Apollonia, though joyful, wear formal expressions. How he wanted them to have children together. It was an abortion. Something that's unholy and evil. I didn't want your son, Michael! You're faced with an impossible choice when you're suffering from unrequited love, and she chose her own happiness. Kay: Oh, Michael. The children still love you, though. Just like our marriage is an abortion. Kay moves in the opposite direction. Apollonia engages with her wedding guests through Sicilian traditions, her incredibly elaborate hairstyle and ornamental veil reflecting the monumental nature of the day in a way that the homely reception area does not. I dread you. Kay Corleone: Michael, is it true? Kay Adams : Is it true? ―Michael Corleone "They're my children too!" The Corleones showcase their prosperity and well-connectedness through the wedding, and Connie’s towering cake is the epitome of extravagance and excess. A part two to this paper regarding their marriage would be interesting. He wouldn't even say it over the phone when she was the only girl in his life, earlier in the movie, when he was surrounded by his family. Kay: No! The scenes of their celebration utilize warm, vivid colors and upbeat music accompanied by laughter, excited shouts, and singing, while Michael’s wedding looks muted and earthy, scored by a band playing a song that recalls the slow and almost mournful Godfather theme. It's Strictly Business. " Being kind to a fellow man is profitable, in every sense. with the support of Cal's Art of Writing and Digital Humanities programs. It wasn't a miscarriage. Others may fight it for a time, but all eventually give in. Thanks. At the ceremony, he genuflects reverently, then sweetly but solemnly offers his new bride his arm as they stand up. Anyone who has watched The Godfather (which honestly should be EVERYONE given the brilliance of this classic film) has issues with the relationship between Michael Corleone and Kay Adams which justifiably surrounded in controversy. It was a son Michael! I will make changes; I can. Michael, you are blind. Why It Doesn't Matter That Michael Corleone Says 'I Love You' In The Godfather, relationship between Michael Corleone and Kay Adams, She didn't know about Michael's first wife, when you're suffering from unrequited love, 12 Parisian Love Quotes That Live On Long After Bridge Locks Gone, 47 Inspiring Enchanting Love Quotes For The Person You Just Adore, 32 Of The Sweetest Loveliest Love Quotes For Married People. At his own wedding later in the film, Michael is much more serious and traditional, embracing both his family and his heritage. This is tricky. So when Michael comes back from America after the death of his loving Italian wife and proposes to Kay, I couldn't help but feel for Kay. At the hospital, Michael gets in an altercation with (and is physically assaulted by) a corrupt cop while trying to protect his already injured father from being “finished off” by hit men. From this moment on, both he and the family’s enemies view him not as an innocent bystander, but as an active participant in the Corleone family. Question: 0; 1; Never hate your enemies. It drove a knife right into the future of the Corleone family. The two weddings in The Godfather differ from one another greatly. Michael, you are blind. My husband was born in Italy and I so were my grandparents not Sicily and neither know what Appolonia was spooning out to guest as she went from chair to chair? Michael’s pre-Sicily relationship with Kay spoke to his rebellion against the “family business,” and when he trades Kay in for a more obedient model, Michael is no longer rebelling against, but rather fully embracing, his father’s lifestyle. As noted in the screenplay, Michael’s wedding is “the same in feeling and texture as it might have been five hundred years ago,” with “all the ritual and pageantry, as it has always been, in Sicily.” This deeply Sicilian wedding illustrates Michael’s complete immersion in the Sicilian culture. This emphasis on reverence and religion is not displayed at Connie’s reception, where young women are playing guessing games about the size of someone’s manhood and Sonny is having extramarital sex with a bridesmaid upstairs. That's what you told me. Michael… How he needed her. This reception is about family and community, about honoring the memory of those who came before by celebrating in the old way. Michael wants safety for his father and revenge against the Tattaglias who tried to assassinate “the Don,” and to ensure that safety, he becomes not just an active member of the family, but an active member of “the business” as well, volunteering to shoot and kill Sollozzo. Of all the betrayals that Michael endured, Kay’s was the worst. When Michael gets to the restaurant where the hit will take place, he is noticeably uneasy, but he doesn’t change the plan; his motivation is strong enough to neutralize his previous moral ideals. The scene where Michael shoots McClusky and Sollozzo was so famous that it even showed up in… Hysterical. I will!" And in its own way, that's truly inspiring. Michael Corleone: I know what it meant... and I'm prepared to make it up to you. An abortion, Michael. Michael gains the approval of Apollonia’s family and father before spending time with her alone, in customary Sicilian fashion. This video is from the movie "The Godfather Trilogy " where there are several things that one can learn from. For Connie’s wedding, Michael dons an American military uniform, signifying not only his alignment with America and its laws and customs, but also, and more notably, his history of risking his life to maintain them. Anna Hill Johnstone, the costume designer for The Godfather, knew how to make male antiheroes into, Nino Rota once said, about his work as a composer, “They reckon my music’s just a, The title of The Godfather is a surprisingly cunning one: ultimately it turns out to refer. I work my whole life - I don't apologize - to take care of my family, and I refused to be a fool, dancing on the string held by all those bigshots. She is American and not the Italian spouse his parents have always wished he'd have and she doesn't understand the family business — including when to stay out of it. In The Godfather, she does not consent to it, but neither does she strenuously object. (c) 2018, Anna Hill Johnstone, the costume designer for The Godfather, knew. Where Kay is white, nosy, and modern, Apollonia is Italian, submissive, and traditional. Project created by the students of "The Seventies" (UC Berkeley, Spring 2018) A … While Connie’s wedding features Sicilian traditions, like her wedding purse and songs sung in Italian, it does not diverge too sharply from a normal (though lavish) American wedding. Not in the way people write inspiring love quotes about or romantic fairy tales teach us. When Michael returns to America after his year of exile in Sicily in The Godfather, he decides to track down his old girlfriend, Kay, and propose to her.Years have passed since the beginning of the movie, when the couple dated, and this excerpt of dialogue comes from a discussion in which Michael tries to fill Kay in on all … When asking Apollonia’s father permission to court her, Michael uses his father’s power to his advantage in a way he never would have before, saying “My name is Michael Corleone. And with those magic words, she was able to convince herself it was out of love, that he truly did love her as he once. Michael’s earlier relationship with Kay is featured in dialogue-heavy scenes, but his growing bond with Apollonia is shown through montage, with smooth, orchestral music and almost no words shared between the couple. He seems comfortable in the Sicilian way and looks perfectly natural during the ultra-traditional wedding. I will make changes; I can. As Kay and Michael sit together, Tom Hagen informs Michael that his father is looking for him. Who's being naive, Kay?” Al Pacino - Michael Corleone Michael Corleone was born in the Hell's Kitchen section of New York City, New York in 1920, the son of Sicilian immigrants Vito and Carmela Corleone.He was the youngest son of Don Corleone, and he had no desire to join the family business, instead enrolling at Dartmouth College and starting a relationship with a non-Italian woman, Kay … Michael’s courting of Apollonia is patient, gentle, and traditional—much less modern and American than his previous romantic interactions with Kay. Instead, she ignores the truth, using her love for Michael … It was an abortion, Michael! The very violence he condemned at Connie’s wedding now his own, Michael goes to Sicily to hide. Born in 1920, to Vito and Carmela Corleone, Michael was deeply loved by his father, even prompting Vito to murder blackmailer Don Fanucci so he could support Michael and the rest of his family. Kay Corleone: But you became my horror. When Michael is brought over for a family picture, he insists Kay join in, perhaps subconsciously to associate himself more closely with her than with the Corleone family. Something that's unholy and evil. Michael, you are blind. “- Michael Corleone: My father is no different than any powerful man, any man with power, like a president or senator. And yet, in the beginning, he seems so in love with her that you can't help but root for their relationship. How they would spend the rest of their lives together. By marrying Apollonia, Michael accepts the Corleone name, and everything that comes with it. She knew he didn't really love her, not the way she loved him. Kay Corleone Quotes: Kay Corleone: Oh, Michael. Anthony.Anthony Vito Corleone: I'm going my own way.Michael Corleone… He thought he did - until he didn’t. Kay … When Michael marries Apollonia, he is wedding himself not just to her, but to Sicily and his father’s values. The strength to choose what she wants, to choose her happiness, even when she knew it was not going to be easy. ―Kay Adams Michael Corleone: My father is no different than any other powerful man, any man who … Unlike his sister Connie’s sumptuous and lighthearted reception, Michael’s marriage to Apollonia is old-fashioned and deeply Sicilian. It is only once he uses his very last resort and says "I love you" that Kay finally gives in and goes with him. Kay Adams: What was that? Only the important and influential are permitted to attend Connie’s New York wedding, but Michael’s Sicilian wedding invites the whole town to take part in tradition and festivity. The Story Behind This Site: Or, Can a Lecture Course Also Be a Publication Workshop? You're not a brother, you're not a friend. Michael Corleone : Don't ask me about my business, Kay. They isolate themselves from the rest of the party, only interacting with family members if they approach them first. As Michael continues to walk, it is increasingly apparent that he has become one with Sicily. When she aborted his son, she became an enemy of the family, and he kept her at arm’s distance - till Godfather III, when they reconciled momentarily. Could there be a more obvious sign of their clashing? Michael Corleone: I'm working for my father now Kay. We can … Then he goes back to Kay as an effort to hold on to the side of him that wasn’t associated with the family business. In the town of Corleone from which his family took its name, Michael is inducted into the Old-World life and the Sicilian way. But root for their relationship about my business Michael is inducted into the future of Corleone... 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