Filming Techniques

            In Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather, he decides to use many filming techniques; two of them including having background actors cut in front of the camera and the slow zoom in towards a character’s face. 

The first technique used makes the audience feel as they apart of this scene of the movie. One technique that Coppola used while directing The Godfather is to have background characters quickly pass in front of the camera fast enough so the audience doesn't get distracted, but for the audience to feel as they are in the scene. During the wedding reception, Michael Corleone was having a conversation with his girlfriend, Kay, about the Corleone's family business. While the audience is watching this scene, they may notice some background actors passing in front of and behind the conversation. From the audience's perspective, the passing of characters makes the scene much more realistic and convinces the audience they are apart of the scene, listening to the conversation. 

            The second technique that Francis Ford Coppola includes is the technique of zooming in closely to the characters’ faces. During the scene when Jack Woltz wakes up with blood all over his hands and legs and finds his horse's head in his bed, the director slowly zooms to Jack Woltz, which builds suspense as to what may happen next. Because of the slow zooming camerawork, audience members may also feel that they are  slowly walking towards Jack Woltz. 

           With the technique of zooming in closely and slowly into the characters, Francis Ford Coppola makes the scene much more suspenseful ,which sets the mood and uncertainty for this scene. 

Doors

The definition of “door” is “a hinged, sliding, or revolving barrier at the entrance to a building, room, or vehicle, or in the framework of a cupboard” (Wordreference). 

In The Godfather, Francis Ford Coppola uses doors as a motif and for foreshadowing. There are many scenes that are filmed through doors; they show the public and private events through an open or closed door. There are many scenes in The Godfather that are filmed through an open door. The way the scene is filmed makes the audience feel as they are a part of the scene. 

With an open door, the scene becomes public, where other characters could perhaps be involved. With a closed door, it becomes a private scene limited to the people who are in the room. One scene in The Godfather that shows this is when Michael Corleone is told that his father, Don Vito Corleone, was shot. He rushed to the phone booth and closes the door on Kay, showing a private scene between him and someone on the other end of the phone. Where his family life is concerned, the scene becomes private and excludes Kay. 

In The Godfather, doors are also used for foreshadowing. During one scene of The Godfather, the camera passes a door with a fish on it. The reason for the focus on fish on the door  is to represent that Don Vito Corleone was shot and was meant to “sleep with the fish”. Later on in the movie, Sollozzo sent a fish with a bullet proof vest to the Corleones, symbolizing how they tried to kill Don Vito Corleone to get him “to sleep with the fish.”

When is violence justified?- Writing Prompt

When is violence justified? I believe violence is only justified in order to stop violence, for self  defense, or for defending a country in war. 

Is violence justified in order to stop violence? If someone was trying to kill someone innocent, is it alright for the innocent person to kill the aggressor? This would create more violence; however, if someone is using violence as self defense, this is allowed. According to Canadian Law:“(2) Every one who is unlawfully assaulted and who causes death or grievous bodily harm in repelling the assault is justified if he causes it under reasonable apprehension of death or grievous bodily harm from the violence with which the assault was originally made or with which the assailant pursues his purposes” (Department of Justice).

People instinctively try to save themselves when put in a life-threatening situation. If violence comes into play, the opponent is going to use violence to try to save his or her life. 

When war is declared, people are trying to protect their ways of life and defend their people so others cannot take over their country. If a country is attacking where you live, people will often do anything to make sure they don’t get overpowered, which is where violence comes in. 

Violence can only be justified when trying to stop other violence, but violence is not justified if it is used for no particular reason. If it involves a life threatening situation to oneself or one’s country, I believe violence is justified.