I never saw it that way either. He was a soldier and a man that was primed for legitimate business. That is what he was supposed to be unto his family- the clean legitimate family businessman connection. He, nor his father, nor the rest of his family wanted him involved in the family business as it was. He only was involved because he felt that he was forced to. He and his father both felt that he was best suited to lead the family business thru crisis which meant that he had a responsibility to do so. Although he was extremely gangster and very good at it, I don't think that was his nature.
Michael Corleone can be seen as a tragic hero. People might say that he changed after the assassination attempt on his father, but in my perspective Michael was always this way. He just didn't realise it or know it, once his rivals attempted to assassinate his father, the side that Michael never knew he had came out. As with Vito Corleone, he was always a man of the people. Instead of being feared by everyone he was loved, too. But with Michael, he was feared, disliked by his family. In conclusion, Michael is an extremely tragic hero. He still has humanity in him, but it is very very little. Brilliantly written character and brilliant movies. My favourite of all time. Thank you for making this video Jay, I've been waiting for this one for a very long time.
You’re on point. He had that personality archetype the entire time but it was concealed, inactivated as there was no need to bring it forth. After the attempt on Vito’s life, that archetype was activated and revealed itself. Still, I believe he loved and was fiercely loyal to his father and family. He made the decision to be in the family business and eventually become the Godfather. After the emergence of his darker warrior archetype, he made the decision to be fully committed, to go all in.
There was something Vito said about his sons. He said that if he chewed them out about something they did, that Sonny would be angry. Fredo would sulk. And Michael would smile coldly and leave the room without saying a word, and not be seen or heard from for two weeks. 😐
Sure this shows their tendency but let's not forget that out of the three sons, Michael will stay out of trouble and will try to do the right thing most of the time. Michael might be apathetic but he's trying to fight his nature and environment as he tries to have a good life with nothing to do with the business. Meanwhile, both Sonny and Fredo has lavishly enjoyed their privileges. Sonny is a womanizer. Sure he got the guts to be in the business but he's the very person who introduced his sister's husband. To him, he's just another future member of the family and a subordinate. Fredo is just Fredo. Michael would recognize the darkness in a person as he would with himself. When he actually became tamed and would be away from the dangers of the criminal world, he was happy and peaceful untilvone of his "friends" betrayed him for no reason than being hired by another enemy family. He was dragged back to the person he doesn't want to be.
Michael was the master of mind games he knew how to get people to do what he wanted. His way of thinking was somewhere else and it disappointed Vito that he had to put his talent towards crime instead of something else. He had to be more stern because he was the college boy leading hardcore killers it was all about his image. Great commentary 👍👍
yea that makes him to move and use it for good cause he realize something that if did not fight for his family either his family will fall or one of the family will die one by one it might be him that will be next that comes from his mind so he had no choice but to turn himself to the most evil and darkest version of himself in order to protect and continue the sicillian culture...
If Micheal had put his skills towards something good and honest like law or charity he could have easily raked in millions and made the family rich in a good and moral way. It's a quite a shame he didn't.
@@justforrowHe wanted to, or maybe not even a millionaire. His storyline about his supposed future with Apolonia is mean to show what a good man Michael can be since he is trying to go through the process of proper growth as a man. But he was robbed of it and was reminded that he's a descendant of a criminal. Even in his younger years he only ever participated in the normal things. And he would enlist himself as a soldier to prove he can be away from the business and do his own thing. But his older brother insulted him for it. Fredo did show his support though. His father would also eventually pull some strings to prevent him participating in the front lines but that would only made Michael upset as he want to escape these kind of clutches from the Family.
Al Pacino was born to play Michael Corleone. No actor can play Michael Corleone the way Al did. Thank you so much, J. Wisdom, for creating a video topic, and analysis of Michael Corleone's dark psychology. By the way, do you think that you can do a video analysis, and topic of Frank Martin from The Transporter movies.
@@rucianapollard7098 robert de niro is great actor but there will never be a man that can play a role of michael corleone better than al pacino literally looks so charming but at the same time like someone who has no empathy but not just looks but the acting that is above the sky
Michael's story is truly phenomenal. That's why I don't understand why the third movie was not as liked as the first one because the third film is basically answering the question of what type of stress, anxiety and misery does a man like Michael end up with.
I also liked the Godfather III because of how it wanted to show the consequences of being "alone in the top" with all the corpses piling made to be his staircase. But the pacing and storylines in 3 is all over the place. There's the Vatican, the incestous cousins/Michael's daughter and the parent trap subplot. I don't think a movie can show all these in a single sitting without living the audience baffled with what just happened.
I think most people emphasized with Michael's attempt to try to protect others from evil. Most people wanted a peaceful end for his family as he takes the father's role and does everything he can to bring them out of danger.
They made a mistake trying to redeem Michael with a third installment. Part III isn't terrible but the ending to Part II is one of the greatest in all of cinema. Michael reigns in Hell. The penultimate scene is of his declaration to join the military rather than pursue a future determined by his father. Of all the brothers, only Fredo congratulates him. It's the stuff of Greek tragedy. Embracing evil to "protect my family," only to destroy your family.
I actually disagree. I think part 3 is not as well told as the first two but I like the idea that he really thought he could be redeemed. He had made the Corleone fully legitimate and thought he could eat his cake and have it but no the life got him still. Was the correct and more tragic ending
Michael never needed to be redeemed because he didn't do anything wrong. If he didn't marry Kate he would have had a much better loving life like vito. Fredo,Tesso, Carla, frank betrayed the family. He had no other choice but to get rid of them. Vito and sonny would have approved.
@@madjames2392 vito would not approve of killing his own son on orders of his son no less fredo could have been exiled but never murdered on vitos watch
@@Undone545 fredo was always going to be a threat to Michael and his family. Fredo was too easily manipulated and would easily help that next rival even if exiled. Ofcourse vito wouldn't want his son killed by his other son but vito would understand because Michael was just like vito
Part 3 isn't as good, but it makes perfect sense for Michael, many years down the line, to start feeling regrets, seeing more into the humanity behind the mask
I was just thinking about Vito and Michael Corleone, and how their respective characters match up and differ, and how they might be classified. My analysis led me to select Vito as something of an "anti-villain", because while he's a crime boss, and has taken himself and his family into an unapologetic life of crime, his methods are "acceptable" when judged by inter-personal standards, and he is a man of the people, at once loved and respected. Michael, on the other hand, strikes me as more of an "anti-hero"; as his stated goals throughout the "Godfather" series are to make the Corleone family "legitimate" one day, his methods are more on the side of "unacceptable" as far as a civilized society would allow, and he was a truly cold, calculating and feared "Don" inasmuch as what he was prepared to do to get himself and his family to that end. One of my favorite visions of all of the films is where Michael sits in his yard in Lake Tahoe, peerless, undefeated, but utterly alone, perhaps pondering what was, what got him here, and what's next.
One of the BEST written characters in cinematic history. And YOU are the first youtuber to cover him. Well Done. You really understand the motivations and your commentary is EXCELLENT. Michael starts off as a true patriotic, all-american. And he really values the blessing of having a peaceful country to call home. A safe place. His world view is optimistic. But, after Hitler's war. Michael comes home with a new awareness, and I think it makes him see his family business and all of its bad deeds, is just a part of how the world is. WWII had to make him see that if you don't fight, and if you don't have strong leadership - EVERYTHING will be taken from you. Then his father and brother are killed. He knows that all the blood flowing in the streets and all the blood flowing in the war - Its all the same thing. And if he doesn't stand up and fight, his family will be just as dead as the soldiers in the war. Its clear to him. He has to be that man for the rest of his life. Not just for him... but for the existence of life itself. Its all very black and white for him. He becomes a general. WWII had to change him. The sight of innocent people slaughtered. Boys, sent to their deaths by the leaders of their nations. He sees no distinction between himself, his deeds and all the rest of the chaos in the world. He now knows, that there are only 2 types of men. The ones Making the Laws and the ones following them. He is not a psychopath. He is a product of his environment. Now add race. He is Italian, in White America. Fresh off a war that murdered simply because of race. In Europe, the currency wasn't money. It's the Purity of Blood. Once an Ethnic person realizes that no matter what they do, the purebred whites are never going to respect you or let you in the club. You have no option. You must make your own game, rules, terms and define victory in your own way. Because THEY will NEVER accept you. Michael understood that. And he wasn't wrong. Because Respect and Power are never given. Especially if you play nice and fair. Its TAKEN.
In a way, throughout much of early human history, war and violence could come from just about anyone. There are still pockets throughout the world where an honor system demands you drop a person insulting your family. If humanity were to arrogantly embrace self-obsession, addiction to instant gratification and all were quicker to take offense from words, you could say the entire world could break into violence, especially if inflation, poverty and starvation are added into the mix. It's one way the world is predicted to end.
That is the genius of Mario Puzo to create such a realistic character (s) and afterwords Mr. Coppola the director of the saga which is so close to the book.
I think his personality is not a sociopath, nor a psychopath, but he is a Machiavellian. He is ruthless, and he sees relationship as just a means to his end.
I tend to hear a lot of people explain why Michael is evil, so it’s nice to hear you explain him, as an actual man. He’s not evil, he’s a man who is thrown into this. He is just doing what he needs to do, to protect his family.
@@letolethe3344I think that the murder of Fred is one of the biggest psychological and sociological aspects in the whole film, which determines "who Michael is" for the wider audience. actually, after my 50 years of life and watching the movie "The Godfather" at least 40-50 times, reading Puzo's book "The Godfather" 4 times, I think that Coppola, specifically that time, is playing a little with the viewers, and Puzo with the readers, allegedly not leaving them one possibility that they see Michael in a slightly different light than the one that shines on him in the movie and book spotlights, namely: that he is a villain who should not be pitied. The mastery of Al Pacino himself on the set shows a very third Michael Corleone, and that is what Al should be declared, if only for the movie "The Godfather 1" as the greatest actor of that moment in the world.
@@letolethe3344Fredo had attempted to betray Micheal and the entire Corleone family (his own family) once Hyman Roth manipulated him into doing it. This is a major disgrace and sin to Sicilian culture which places a big emphasis on "family and loyalty." By betraying his own family and Micheal, Fredo had sealed his own fate and his death was all but guaranteed.
Good video but one important aspect omitted. Michael was a decorated officer and saw combat in WW2. Besides college, that was his training and experience. His rise to power didnt have anything to do with being a psycho or sociopath. He executed a military operation. These are goal based and devoid of emotion. Famiky ties/alliance mean nothing. You are either on my side or an enemy. You eliminate weakness. You eliminate traitors/spies. You draw strength to you and exploit assets. His natural leadership and training helped him achieve his goals without his judgement being clouded by emotion.
He was a war hero in the worst theater of WW 2 the Pacific. He just took his heroism cunning and strength to the streets of NYC to protect his family.❤
He had no choice but to become evil because he was swimming surrounded by sharks ,they were ready-made to eat him at anytime so in order to survive he had to eliminate all of them ( kill order before killed)
I don't think he had any choice after his father was severely shot and was lying in a hospital which coincidentally, he just happened to stop by to see his father. He recognized, despite Sonny's sending his men to protect his father that those men were removed from the hospital making Michael upset and called Sonny right away. Luckily Michael stayed to do whatever he could to make sure no one would kill his father. He even used the wonderful Enzio, the baker, who stopped by to see Don Corleone and wish him well since the Don did him a favor to keep him in the USA since he wasn't supposed to be in this country. Enzio was grateful for Don's help and luckily Michael realized he wasn't anyone other than he claimed to be. Michael recognized Enzio was legitimate and glad he was there to offset those killers that were watching to see if the coast was cleared at the hospital. Michael made sure to be there until Sonny's men got there to guard his father. Michael, I don't think he wanted to be part his father's business but recognized that Sonny, his older brother, had a tendency not to think despite Tom's help with Sonny. No one could control Sonny and so the father knew Sonny would surrender to his fate. Leaving the family without any Don to follow in his father's footsteps so Michael was the only one capable since Fredo was useless even in protecting his father. Michael had the intelligence and strength of a powerful man to oversee his father's business and so he had no choice but to step into his father's shoes. I believe it was Michael's fate to be part of the business, despite his own concerns about his own wife and family. He had no choice but to take care of the entire business and his family too.
Excellent analysis though I would like to point out some things I slightly disagree on, just to share my views: - Michael is not a sociopath, at least, not yet in Part 1. Empathy is not a "1 or 0" thing, empathy could be for specific people or gained/lost at specific times. There's 1 person he definitely still had empathy for, and 1 who he arguably had empathy for. Vito and Kay. - I would think it's a little negative to say that Michael married Kay for his desires for manipulation. Kay is the metaphorical angel and Vito is the devil for Michael (not that he's evil, but because of his importance to Michael, Vito would inevitably draw Michael to the darker side). Michael's relation with Kay is symbolic of his wish to step back to the light, to be "clean" again. He wanted Kay to be his salvation, but their failed relationship became a further tipping point for him. - But Michael definitely had little to no empathy for Connie and Fredo (possibly even Tom). Hence he was able to kill Carlo and Fredo; this is something I believe Vito would not done, maybe expose and outcast but never kill someone in the family. Michael was also in the darkest period of his life, after Kay had left him he probably had no more empathy for anyone. - Tragically, Michael did regain empathy for Kay, their children, then later even for Fredo, hence his confession. But the death of his daughter shattered him again, and it was ultimately just to show him that despite there still being good in him, he doesn't get to have a happy ending for the actions he's done.
yep, told you from last vid that this is the best style for your vids. Why didnt you include part 3 of godfather though. I think there were some lessons there.
While your argument that he could've become a better person is definitely valid, I would argue that a better person wouldn't have survived in this situation. Michael seemed like an idealistic kid that was thrust into an evil environment and in order to survive he had to adapt, and he did. Stepping away might've been an option at some point, but that probably wouldn't guarantee the safety of his family, they knew too much and still posed a threat to other families even if they went legitimate. All in all, I think Michael was just thrown in the ocean with the sharks and he found the only way to stay alive is to eat them and he did that.
Michael has been sucked into his family situation. Keep in mind that a man without a father/family with money, power and power could not have made these kinds of decisions, but Michael had these resources at his disposal and expanded his father's kingdom into an empire. Seeing injustice has turned him into a monster. A monster with enough capabilities to eliminate his enemies who like to play dirty games.
He may be ruthless, but he's not really an emotionless psychopath who enjoys all the killing he does. He's just a great tactician, a very intelligent person who tries his best to use logic above his emotions.... Emotionally he knows that many of his actions will bring him down,.. But he uses a cool head and understands that if he doesn't carry out all his cruel strategies , he risks facing something even more painful.
The ages of Vito and Carmela at the time of their marriage is not given in any canon written by Mario Puzo. While other authors have taken up the Godfather mantle and wrote around Puzo's novels and screenplays, this topic has never been breached by Puzo himself. I don't consider Ed Falco's 'The Family Corleone' to be Godfather canon, despite it being written from an unreleased or unfinished screenplay by Puzo. Hence, even if the couple's ages are mentioned, and I'm not saying they are, there would no way to be certain if those details were written by Puzo or made up by Falco. Mark Winegardner's writings are disqualified out of hand as being canon, as Puzo himself had no hand in their creation.
Great Analysis of Michael Corleone's Character Manifest, and as I have discovered that; Michael and the Character of Anakin Skywalker has many parallels.
I'm new to your Videos as stumbled onto them through your snowfall analysis', and I absolutely love them. Noticing that your Godfather video is several months old. I would love to put in a request (that you have likely received countless amounts of) of Scarface to match the iconic work of Pacino gangster roles. Maybe a Goodfellas one, too.
Basically people can bring the worst n good out of you depending on the person. You learn about yourself with new situations. I thought I would handle a lot of situations different from a far until it became up close.
This decision would be so hard to make, mostly because, If you were Michael in this situation your first option would to be to pick the latter option. (Take matters into your own hands, join the family and use your intelligence to help). But ultimately this is the decision that could have initiated the said, butterfly effect. That would have ruined Michael Corleones life!
Michael was not a bad person to me. He felt a responsibility to his father and to his family to be a man and carry on what his father had built. This provided a life for many people, especially those closest to him. I think he truly believes he could make the family legit. That was his goal. But the ruthlessness of others forced him to become even more ruthless to accomplish his goal, ultimately resulting in him having to change (some would say evolve). He thought the only way he could succeed is if he nipped all of the issues he had in the bud, so at the Baptism, he had everything done as quickly and as cleanly as possible, hoping that his world would be made anew as a result. He thought his ruthless nature would result in everything he ever wanted, which was enough respect and fear from others to where he could finally take the Corleone family where he wanted them to go, into legitimacy. This didn’t work. It was a gamble that Michael calculated, but unfortunately he was wrong. Others like Hyman Roth weren’t new to the underworld and had most likely seen this type of thing before. They don’t get scared. They knew Michael was smart, but they were smart too and too proud to allow him the absolute win. This resulted in Michael fully turning. He had to stay a step ahead to protect the people he loved. He had to be willing to do drastic things. He had to be more ruthless than anyone he was in competition with. This was the smart thing to do. In that position, it’s arguably the most moral thing to do. There’s no getting out anymore, except through death. It’s a tragic story of circumstances. It’s a great story. I can’t wait until I get the itch to watch it again.
Michael simply did what was necessary to ensure the safety and well-being of his family. I don't blame him at all but we all pay for the things we do. Personally, I enjoyed the third Godfather film
He had control issues..he saw after Vitos attempted murder and the cop hitting him..he knew he had to take control. Many children of mob families walk away and maintain normal lives.
Michael ain’t even that evil….he put in work cuz ppl banged on his family, made sure he kept the family in tact and went legit once the beef died down….smart and calculative yes….evil ? No. He just a man doing what he gotta do
I see, he grieves and mourns he I would completely disagree that he had cognitive disadince. I'll just let people have their own opinion, but would it be better to just allow people you love to be lost? He also is truly honest when he says he wants to become completely legitimate as his actions in the third movie prove more. When he finds the Lord and tries to make a total 180, he suffers from the decision his father made to protect others. It wasn't a crime organization anymore than police would be. Was it not self protection also, he breaks down and suffers from every decision he makes. If anything totally decencitized him it was after the moment his daughter was killed.
Al pachino once said in an interview that he never saw Michael as a gangster.
What did he see him as?
In an interview he also said he really couldn’t see any flaw in him.
@@bigboicheese7365 a businessman probably
Strictly business
I never saw it that way either. He was a soldier and a man that was primed for legitimate business. That is what he was supposed to be unto his family- the clean legitimate family businessman connection. He, nor his father, nor the rest of his family wanted him involved in the family business as it was. He only was involved because he felt that he was forced to. He and his father both felt that he was best suited to lead the family business thru crisis which meant that he had a responsibility to do so. Although he was extremely gangster and very good at it, I don't think that was his nature.
Michael Corleone can be seen as a tragic hero. People might say that he changed after the assassination attempt on his father, but in my perspective Michael was always this way. He just didn't realise it or know it, once his rivals attempted to assassinate his father, the side that Michael never knew he had came out. As with Vito Corleone, he was always a man of the people. Instead of being feared by everyone he was loved, too. But with Michael, he was feared, disliked by his family.
In conclusion, Michael is an extremely tragic hero. He still has humanity in him, but it is very very little. Brilliantly written character and brilliant movies. My favourite of all time. Thank you for making this video Jay, I've been waiting for this one for a very long time.
Good insight bro🙏🏼 thank you for watching
@@JWisdom The pleasures mine bro, love your videos. I know you'll make a huge name for yourself.
That side of Michael was definitely always there, and Part 2 shows this quite well in its ending
You’re on point. He had that personality archetype the entire time but it was concealed, inactivated as there was no need to bring it forth. After the attempt on Vito’s life, that archetype was activated and revealed itself. Still, I believe he loved and was fiercely loyal to his father and family. He made the decision to be in the family business and eventually become the Godfather. After the emergence of his darker warrior archetype, he made the decision to be fully committed, to go all in.
He’s considered a villain though not a tragic hero. He’s one of cinema greatest villains ever
There was something Vito said about his sons. He said that if he chewed them out about something they did, that
Sonny would be angry.
Fredo would sulk.
And Michael would smile coldly
and leave the room without saying a word, and not be seen
or heard from for two weeks. 😐
So this means?
@@ilaypipefr6675Sonny is impulsive
Fredo is a crybaby
Michael is a cold mofo
@@ilaypipefr6675It demonstrates the 3 distinct types of personalities that each of his sons has.
Sure this shows their tendency but let's not forget that out of the three sons, Michael will stay out of trouble and will try to do the right thing most of the time. Michael might be apathetic but he's trying to fight his nature and environment as he tries to have a good life with nothing to do with the business. Meanwhile, both Sonny and Fredo has lavishly enjoyed their privileges. Sonny is a womanizer. Sure he got the guts to be in the business but he's the very person who introduced his sister's husband. To him, he's just another future member of the family and a subordinate. Fredo is just Fredo. Michael would recognize the darkness in a person as he would with himself. When he actually became tamed and would be away from the dangers of the criminal world, he was happy and peaceful untilvone of his "friends" betrayed him for no reason than being hired by another enemy family. He was dragged back to the person he doesn't want to be.
Summaries them perfectly. Michael would spend those two weeks analysing everything and learning from his mistakes.
“I….I never wanted this for you Michael”-Vito
Michael was the master of mind games he knew how to get people to do what he wanted. His way of thinking was somewhere else and it disappointed Vito that he had to put his talent towards crime instead of something else. He had to be more stern because he was the college boy leading hardcore killers it was all about his image. Great commentary 👍👍
yea that makes him to move and use it for good cause he realize something that if did not fight for his family either his family will fall or one of the family will die one by one it might be him that will be next that comes from his mind so he had no choice but to turn himself to the most evil and darkest version of himself in order to protect and continue the sicillian culture...
Thats because he is a Machiavellian I think
If Micheal had put his skills towards something good and honest like law or charity he could have easily raked in millions and made the family rich in a good and moral way. It's a quite a shame he didn't.
@@justforrowHe wanted to, or maybe not even a millionaire. His storyline about his supposed future with Apolonia is mean to show what a good man Michael can be since he is trying to go through the process of proper growth as a man. But he was robbed of it and was reminded that he's a descendant of a criminal. Even in his younger years he only ever participated in the normal things. And he would enlist himself as a soldier to prove he can be away from the business and do his own thing. But his older brother insulted him for it. Fredo did show his support though. His father would also eventually pull some strings to prevent him participating in the front lines but that would only made Michael upset as he want to escape these kind of clutches from the Family.
Al Pacino was born to play Michael Corleone. No actor can play Michael Corleone the way Al did. Thank you so much, J. Wisdom, for creating a video topic, and analysis of Michael Corleone's dark psychology. By the way, do you think that you can do a video analysis, and topic of Frank Martin from The Transporter movies.
Al Pacino's parents even came from Corleone.
Dude is such a beautiful actor man. He sets that expectation of “it better be worth me acting in”. You should watch the show hunters!
@@Jorvaskrr Really???
Robert Dinero lost to AL Pacino for the role of Michael
@@rucianapollard7098 robert de niro is great actor but there will never be a man that can play a role of michael corleone better than al pacino literally looks so charming but at the same time like someone who has no empathy but not just looks but the acting that is above the sky
Michael's story is truly phenomenal. That's why I don't understand why the third movie was not as liked as the first one because the third film is basically answering the question of what type of stress, anxiety and misery does a man like Michael end up with.
I also liked the Godfather III because of how it wanted to show the consequences of being "alone in the top" with all the corpses piling made to be his staircase. But the pacing and storylines in 3 is all over the place. There's the Vatican, the incestous cousins/Michael's daughter and the parent trap subplot. I don't think a movie can show all these in a single sitting without living the audience baffled with what just happened.
I think most people emphasized with Michael's attempt to try to protect others from evil. Most people wanted a peaceful end for his family as he takes the father's role and does everything he can to bring them out of danger.
They made a mistake trying to redeem Michael with a third installment. Part III isn't terrible but the ending to Part II is one of the greatest in all of cinema. Michael reigns in Hell. The penultimate scene is of his declaration to join the military rather than pursue a future determined by his father. Of all the brothers, only Fredo congratulates him. It's the stuff of Greek tragedy. Embracing evil to "protect my family," only to destroy your family.
I actually disagree. I think part 3 is not as well told as the first two but I like the idea that he really thought he could be redeemed. He had made the Corleone fully legitimate and thought he could eat his cake and have it but no the life got him still. Was the correct and more tragic ending
Michael never needed to be redeemed because he didn't do anything wrong. If he didn't marry Kate he would have had a much better loving life like vito. Fredo,Tesso, Carla, frank betrayed the family. He had no other choice but to get rid of them. Vito and sonny would have approved.
@@madjames2392 vito would not approve of killing his own son on orders of his son no less fredo could have been exiled but never murdered on vitos watch
@@Undone545 fredo was always going to be a threat to Michael and his family. Fredo was too easily manipulated and would easily help that next rival even if exiled. Ofcourse vito wouldn't want his son killed by his other son but vito would understand because Michael was just like vito
Part 3 isn't as good, but it makes perfect sense for Michael, many years down the line, to start feeling regrets, seeing more into the humanity behind the mask
Michael was a wartime Don. He was what the Corleone family needed after Vito's attempted assassination.
I was just thinking about Vito and Michael Corleone, and how their respective characters match up and differ, and how they might be classified. My analysis led me to select Vito as something of an "anti-villain", because while he's a crime boss, and has taken himself and his family into an unapologetic life of crime, his methods are "acceptable" when judged by inter-personal standards, and he is a man of the people, at once loved and respected. Michael, on the other hand, strikes me as more of an "anti-hero"; as his stated goals throughout the "Godfather" series are to make the Corleone family "legitimate" one day, his methods are more on the side of "unacceptable" as far as a civilized society would allow, and he was a truly cold, calculating and feared "Don" inasmuch as what he was prepared to do to get himself and his family to that end. One of my favorite visions of all of the films is where Michael sits in his yard in Lake Tahoe, peerless, undefeated, but utterly alone, perhaps pondering what was, what got him here, and what's next.
This breakdown needs to be a movie
I just found a hidden gem channel, keep going ur hardwork man I'm impressed how clever are you.
One of the BEST written characters in cinematic history. And YOU are the first youtuber to cover him. Well Done. You really understand the motivations and your commentary is EXCELLENT.
Michael starts off as a true patriotic, all-american. And he really values the blessing of having a peaceful country to call home. A safe place. His world view is optimistic. But, after Hitler's war. Michael comes home with a new awareness, and I think it makes him see his family business and all of its bad deeds, is just a part of how the world is. WWII had to make him see that if you don't fight, and if you don't have strong leadership - EVERYTHING will be taken from you. Then his father and brother are killed. He knows that all the blood flowing in the streets and all the blood flowing in the war - Its all the same thing. And if he doesn't stand up and fight, his family will be just as dead as the soldiers in the war. Its clear to him. He has to be that man for the rest of his life. Not just for him... but for the existence of life itself. Its all very black and white for him. He becomes a general.
WWII had to change him. The sight of innocent people slaughtered. Boys, sent to their deaths by the leaders of their nations. He sees no distinction between himself, his deeds and all the rest of the chaos in the world. He now knows, that there are only 2 types of men. The ones Making the Laws and the ones following them.
He is not a psychopath. He is a product of his environment. Now add race. He is Italian, in White America. Fresh off a war that murdered simply because of race. In Europe, the currency wasn't money. It's the Purity of Blood. Once an Ethnic person realizes that no matter what they do, the purebred whites are never going to respect you or let you in the club. You have no option. You must make your own game, rules, terms and define victory in your own way. Because THEY will NEVER accept you. Michael understood that. And he wasn't wrong. Because Respect and Power are never given. Especially if you play nice and fair. Its TAKEN.
This isn't the first video on RUclips talking about Michael
@@soraceant 😂fr
You can’t be serious... 🤦🏽♀️
Shoutout to J Wisdom 🔒 you broke it down and made me realize somethings about myself that I can change for the better.
In a way, throughout much of early human history, war and violence could come from just about anyone. There are still pockets throughout the world where an honor system demands you drop a person insulting your family.
If humanity were to arrogantly embrace self-obsession, addiction to instant gratification and all were quicker to take offense from words, you could say the entire world could break into violence, especially if inflation, poverty and starvation are added into the mix.
It's one way the world is predicted to end.
That is the genius of Mario Puzo to create such a realistic character (s) and afterwords Mr. Coppola the director of the saga which is so close to the book.
The best character in movie history.
I think his personality is not a sociopath, nor a psychopath, but he is a Machiavellian. He is ruthless, and he sees relationship as just a means to his end.
I don't think so he want to save his dad and his dad business that's what made him ruthless obsession and love destroyed him
Bro I love this! You got a new subscriber my g!
Appreciate it bro!!
"No love lost" means that there is dislike or animosity between two people. Not that they love each other.
What are you taking about?
I never understood how ppl thought Michael was evil, he's a mafia don & he's just handling business the way you got to.
I tend to hear a lot of people explain why Michael is evil, so it’s nice to hear you explain him, as an actual man. He’s not evil, he’s a man who is thrown into this. He is just doing what he needs to do, to protect his family.
Only al could play mike
What a crock. Fredo was no threat to him.
@@letolethe3344I think that the murder of Fred is one of the biggest psychological and sociological aspects in the whole film, which determines "who Michael is" for the wider audience. actually, after my 50 years of life and watching the movie "The Godfather" at least 40-50 times, reading Puzo's book "The Godfather" 4 times, I think that Coppola, specifically that time, is playing a little with the viewers, and Puzo with the readers, allegedly not leaving them one possibility that they see Michael in a slightly different light than the one that shines on him in the movie and book spotlights, namely: that he is a villain who should not be pitied. The mastery of Al Pacino himself on the set shows a very third Michael Corleone, and that is what Al should be declared, if only for the movie "The Godfather 1" as the greatest actor of that moment in the world.
@@letolethe3344Fredo had attempted to betray Micheal and the entire Corleone family (his own family) once Hyman Roth manipulated him into doing it. This is a major disgrace and sin to Sicilian culture which places a big emphasis on "family and loyalty." By betraying his own family and Micheal, Fredo had sealed his own fate and his death was all but guaranteed.
Good video but one important aspect omitted. Michael was a decorated officer and saw combat in WW2. Besides college, that was his training and experience. His rise to power didnt have anything to do with being a psycho or sociopath. He executed a military operation. These are goal based and devoid of emotion. Famiky ties/alliance mean nothing. You are either on my side or an enemy. You eliminate weakness. You eliminate traitors/spies. You draw strength to you and exploit assets. His natural leadership and training helped him achieve his goals without his judgement being clouded by emotion.
I like your analysis, pure thinking, pure logic, pure judgement.
This amazing presentation well done man…
He was a war hero in the worst theater of WW 2 the Pacific. He just took his heroism cunning and strength to the streets of NYC to protect his family.❤
He had no choice but to become evil because he was swimming surrounded by sharks ,they were ready-made to eat him at anytime so in order to survive he had to eliminate all of them ( kill order before killed)
I would love to see your thoughts on Cersei Lannister, from The Game Of Thrones.
He has changed after the hospital. Not after he learnt about his father's assassination.
Bro, you are damn good. I love the videos. Please keep going. You're changing many lives for better. I love you man
his life changed around when apollonia was killed back in italy, sicily, thats why he became so cruel and ruthless.
That’s a simpleton’s takeaway from one of the best written, complex male character in Hollywood.
@@lunamilo2065 great writer i cannot lie.
@@lunamilo2065 great actor i cannot lie."
Just keep on getting better!!!
❤️❤️❤️❤️
@@JWisdom agreed
You gotta do a part 2
I don't think he had any choice after his father was severely shot and was lying in a hospital which coincidentally, he just happened to stop by to see his father. He recognized, despite Sonny's sending his men to protect his father that those men were removed from the hospital making Michael upset and called Sonny right away. Luckily Michael stayed to do whatever he could to make sure no one would kill his father. He even used the wonderful Enzio, the baker, who stopped by to see Don Corleone and wish him well since the Don did him a favor to keep him in the USA since he wasn't supposed to be in this country. Enzio was grateful for Don's help and luckily Michael realized he wasn't anyone other than he claimed to be. Michael recognized Enzio was legitimate and glad he was there to offset those killers that were watching to see if the coast was cleared at the hospital. Michael made sure to be there until Sonny's men got there to guard his father. Michael, I don't think he wanted to be part his father's business but recognized that Sonny, his older brother, had a tendency not to think despite Tom's help with Sonny. No one could control Sonny and so the father knew Sonny would surrender to his fate. Leaving the family without any Don to follow in his father's footsteps so Michael was the only one capable since Fredo was useless even in protecting his father. Michael had the intelligence and strength of a powerful man to oversee his father's business and so he had no choice but to step into his father's shoes. I believe it was Michael's fate to be part of the business, despite his own concerns about his own wife and family. He had no choice but to take care of the entire business and his family too.
Greatest villian ever , greatest acting performances of alltime! 😊😊
Excellent analysis though I would like to point out some things I slightly disagree on, just to share my views:
- Michael is not a sociopath, at least, not yet in Part 1. Empathy is not a "1 or 0" thing, empathy could be for specific people or gained/lost at specific times. There's 1 person he definitely still had empathy for, and 1 who he arguably had empathy for. Vito and Kay.
- I would think it's a little negative to say that Michael married Kay for his desires for manipulation. Kay is the metaphorical angel and Vito is the devil for Michael (not that he's evil, but because of his importance to Michael, Vito would inevitably draw Michael to the darker side). Michael's relation with Kay is symbolic of his wish to step back to the light, to be "clean" again. He wanted Kay to be his salvation, but their failed relationship became a further tipping point for him.
- But Michael definitely had little to no empathy for Connie and Fredo (possibly even Tom). Hence he was able to kill Carlo and Fredo; this is something I believe Vito would not done, maybe expose and outcast but never kill someone in the family. Michael was also in the darkest period of his life, after Kay had left him he probably had no more empathy for anyone.
- Tragically, Michael did regain empathy for Kay, their children, then later even for Fredo, hence his confession. But the death of his daughter shattered him again, and it was ultimately just to show him that despite there still being good in him, he doesn't get to have a happy ending for the actions he's done.
Michael Corleone's eyes act themselves
Very nice video the way you explain the details is very encapsulating and attention grabbing feel's like watching a documentary
yep, told you from last vid that this is the best style for your vids. Why didnt you include part 3 of godfather though. I think there were some lessons there.
Mate, please continue. You got a gem here with your channel. Godbless brother!!
Thank you brother 🙏
Amazing video again
Thank you 🙏🏼
If you haven't yet watched The Sopranos, I highly recommend it. It's filled with nuanced little character details and stuff like this.
The Phrase "No Love Lost" mean 2 people hate each other not actually love them.
While your argument that he could've become a better person is definitely valid, I would argue that a better person wouldn't have survived in this situation. Michael seemed like an idealistic kid that was thrust into an evil environment and in order to survive he had to adapt, and he did. Stepping away might've been an option at some point, but that probably wouldn't guarantee the safety of his family, they knew too much and still posed a threat to other families even if they went legitimate. All in all, I think Michael was just thrown in the ocean with the sharks and he found the only way to stay alive is to eat them and he did that.
Excellent video 👌🏿
Thank you🙏
Just protecting his family like his father
Bro this edit is on point
Bro this the video I needed after watching the movies
Michael has been sucked into his family situation. Keep in mind that a man without a father/family with money, power and power could not have made these kinds of decisions, but Michael had these resources at his disposal and expanded his father's kingdom into an empire. Seeing injustice has turned him into a monster. A monster with enough capabilities to eliminate his enemies who like to play dirty games.
Amazing video! Superb content
Great video
He may be ruthless, but he's not really an emotionless psychopath who enjoys all the killing he does.
He's just a great tactician, a very intelligent person who tries his best to use logic above his emotions.... Emotionally he knows that many of his actions will bring him down,.. But he uses a cool head and understands that if he doesn't carry out all his cruel strategies , he risks facing something even more painful.
Well done
The ages of Vito and Carmela at the time of their marriage is not given in any canon written by Mario Puzo. While other authors have taken up the Godfather mantle and wrote around Puzo's novels and screenplays, this topic has never been breached by Puzo himself. I don't consider Ed Falco's 'The Family Corleone' to be Godfather canon, despite it being written from an unreleased or unfinished screenplay by Puzo. Hence, even if the couple's ages are mentioned, and I'm not saying they are, there would no way to be certain if those details were written by Puzo or made up by Falco. Mark Winegardner's writings are disqualified out of hand as being canon, as Puzo himself had no hand in their creation.
This video is 🔥
Thank you bro 🙏🏼
Nice editing
🙏🙏
hes not dark or evil. its business. not personal.
If you take a man hope and love. He just might become a devil himself.
Thanks for the video 📸📸
Great video breakdown and message.
I remember Stalin saying his last shred of empathy died along with his wife.
Great Analysis of Michael Corleone's Character Manifest, and as I have discovered that; Michael and the Character of Anakin Skywalker has many parallels.
great video brotha
Michael is like a CEO. Ruthles. So calculating
8:5
essendo italiano mi è piacuto molto sentire che hai lasciato il doppiaggio ita
i adored ur video
I wonder how Michael would react to the doctors trying to diagnose him....
I'm new to your Videos as stumbled onto them through your snowfall analysis', and I absolutely love them.
Noticing that your Godfather video is several months old. I would love to put in a request (that you have likely received countless amounts of) of Scarface to match the iconic work of Pacino gangster roles.
Maybe a Goodfellas one, too.
Do The Punisher (Frank Castle)
Good Vid.
He became a villain once he saw his wife Apollonia getting killed.
Basically people can bring the worst n good out of you depending on the person. You learn about yourself with new situations. I thought I would handle a lot of situations different from a far until it became up close.
I think he learned how to survive in a savage world. Don't trust your enemies.
You got to have it in you and bring it out when its needed#Havoc
This decision would be so hard to make, mostly because, If you were Michael in this situation your first option would to be to pick the latter option. (Take matters into your own hands, join the family and use your intelligence to help). But ultimately this is the decision that could have initiated the said, butterfly effect. That would have ruined Michael Corleones life!
At first he wanted to protect but then he started enjoying it
Michael was not a bad person to me. He felt a responsibility to his father and to his family to be a man and carry on what his father had built. This provided a life for many people, especially those closest to him. I think he truly believes he could make the family legit. That was his goal. But the ruthlessness of others forced him to become even more ruthless to accomplish his goal, ultimately resulting in him having to change (some would say evolve). He thought the only way he could succeed is if he nipped all of the issues he had in the bud, so at the Baptism, he had everything done as quickly and as cleanly as possible, hoping that his world would be made anew as a result. He thought his ruthless nature would result in everything he ever wanted, which was enough respect and fear from others to where he could finally take the Corleone family where he wanted them to go, into legitimacy. This didn’t work. It was a gamble that Michael calculated, but unfortunately he was wrong. Others like Hyman Roth weren’t new to the underworld and had most likely seen this type of thing before. They don’t get scared. They knew Michael was smart, but they were smart too and too proud to allow him the absolute win. This resulted in Michael fully turning. He had to stay a step ahead to protect the people he loved. He had to be willing to do drastic things. He had to be more ruthless than anyone he was in competition with. This was the smart thing to do. In that position, it’s arguably the most moral thing to do. There’s no getting out anymore, except through death. It’s a tragic story of circumstances. It’s a great story. I can’t wait until I get the itch to watch it again.
Clyde Barrow,real criminal, also not evil. Did what a man must do.
Great psychology! You must be a psychology major.
Thank you
Al Pacino has the best 2 characters ever Michael Corleone and tony Montana
You gotta do anton chigur from no country for old men
This man got me questioning if I’m straight 😤
You Should Do One On Kanan From Power.
Michael simply did what was necessary to ensure the safety and well-being of his family. I don't blame him at all but we all pay for the things we do. Personally, I enjoyed the third Godfather film
life will get you
He had control issues..he saw after Vitos attempted murder and the cop hitting him..he knew he had to take control. Many children of mob families walk away and maintain normal lives.
Can we have Elliot alderson from Mr robot
And mr robot himself
Do the narrator and tyler durden analysis
I feel bad for Michael.
He sacrificed his whole life for his family.
But got only betrayal.
Even his own wife misunderstood him.
Didn't Kanye West have a nice drop about the effects of apolloynia in a song?
hey man your sound mix is a bit loud and distracting from your essay.
Guy am not kidding this looks like my lifes story 😢
Michael ain’t even that evil….he put in work cuz ppl banged on his family, made sure he kept the family in tact and went legit once the beef died down….smart and calculative yes….evil ? No. He just a man doing what he gotta do
I see, he grieves and mourns he I would completely disagree that he had cognitive disadince. I'll just let people have their own opinion, but would it be better to just allow people you love to be lost? He also is truly honest when he says he wants to become completely legitimate as his actions in the third movie prove more. When he finds the Lord and tries to make a total 180, he suffers from the decision his father made to protect others. It wasn't a crime organization anymore than police would be. Was it not self protection also, he breaks down and suffers from every decision he makes. If anything totally decencitized him it was after the moment his daughter was killed.
Kay was the Monster, she had an abortion.
Michael should never got back with her.
Michael would have found happiness with his first wife.
He walks down the steps just Tony Montana
“An unexamined life is not worth living”. #Socrates 🔎
#MoralSelfRealization 🗝️
#ButterflyEffect 🦋
hes like tommy shelby
Can you do Arthur Morgan and Joel Miller?
The Godfavuhh
He Was A Man That Loved His Family Hard.
And,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Turned Evil,
By Protecting The Ones He Loved.
Do Marlo stanfield