Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese are two directors who have redefined American cinema numerous times, as their new wave films evoke not one form of destruction, but a rejuvenation of traditions and conventions, proposing a type of visionary cinema that Raymond Durgnat describes as a fusion of "the Hollywood experience with the authentic and edgy Americana, which has long been marginalized in Hollywood, although not completely banished" . Although what probably links the two directors so closely is their similar backgrounds and the resulting inspiration for their films, which has its roots in an understanding of Italian American culture. And since they are both of Italian descent, something that was most representative of America to them when they were growing up was the concept of gangsters. Therefore, it is their revival and reinvention of the gangster genre that keeps them so closely linked; two of their most notable films, The Godfather (1972) and Goodfellas (1990), carry a mutual interdetermination through their representation of this world distinctly Italian-American underground. . The figure of the gangster is deeply rooted in American cinema, and in particular in the cultural and physical landscape of New York. However, this character is not rooted in reality, but rather an artificially constructed idea of ​​a power figure. It's important to recognize this as we go further with this essay, because, despite both being nearly flawless films, The Godfather and Goodfellas show a different approach in their portrayal of the gangster; and this is largely due to the cinematic style and thematic approaches of Coppola and Scorsese. I will then explore the themes and styles of both films, showing their differences, similarities and how these influence the overall understanding of the film and our general idea of ​​gangsters. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Before anything else, it's important to point out that, although both representatives of the gangster genre, The Godfather and Goodfellas are two completely different films in terms of substance, tone and mood, which makes it quite difficult to compare them. As Carl Freedman reminds us, Scorsese and Coppola «examine the functioning of the mafia from two radically different points of view». So, one of the main reasons and obvious differences between the two films, which completely changes the context in which they should be read and understood, is that one focuses on the mafia, while the other deals with (real) gangsters; one focuses on a "van", the other is a Don; one portrays the untouchable, the puppeteer, the wire-puller, the other a criminal, the extortionist, the street fighter, the oppressor. Goodfellas offers a bottom-up view of the crowd, while The Godfather's perspective is from a higher level. Essentially, as Freedman argues, "Coppola's interest in the Mafia is macroeconomic (and macropolitical), while Scorsese's Good Fellas is more of a street film, with a keen interest in the microeconomics of organized crime." Therefore, their approaches to the genre also differ: The Godfather is a drama, a Shakespearean tragedy; Goodfellas is a dark comedy mixed with elements of action melodrama. Goodfellas works on irony, while The Godfather works on tragedy, things that will certainly play an important role in understanding the themes and style of the films, as we will see later. Likewise, both films are based on books. But while Coppola's film is an adaptation of a fictional story, Goodfellas tells the story and life of a real gangster. So even if The Godfather seems the most “authentic”, given itsseriousness, dramatic tones and thematic density, it is Scorsese's film that wins the battle of authenticity, introducing a level of realism to an otherwise imaginary genre. In their discussion of which is the best mobster movie, Jeff Labrecque and Kevin P. Sullivan agree that "Scorsese's film took away all the honor, glamor and splendor from the world Coppola created and instead served up a dish boiling with reality"; but also that "The Godfather is modern Shakespeare, while Goodfellas revels in the ugly underbelly of mafia life." Thus, Coppola approaches the gangster genre in an attempt to provide a profound commentary on American society, while Scorsese focuses on offering a more cynical and ironic critique of the individuals who populate this criminal world and their respective lifestyles. Additionally, The Godfather is the story of a real-life crime family, while Goodfellas is the story of a mouse and his openly violent friends. Thematically, the films follow relatively similar themes of power, loyalty, respect, the importance of traditions, and the study of masculinity, although Scorsese and Coppola approach them significantly differently. Goodfellas is primarily governed by the theme of power, violence, masculinity and bourgeois materialism, while The Godfather deals with the theme of family - more specifically, the implications of the patriarchal family - justice, revenge, morality, nostalgia, deception and lineage , as well as multiple conflicting binaries, such as the conflict between business and personal matters, public and private spheres. In many ways, Coppola's film presents a more universal set of themes, as it takes timeless themes typically used in nineteenth-century Italian works and adopts them into a context of starker danger. While Goodfellas works and builds its story on a much more distinct set of ideas, which, as mentioned before, apply more to an individual rather than a collective. In short, The Godfather deals with much broader topics, while Goodfellas deals with more specific issues. In Scorsese's film, the theme of power is inextricably linked to and generally expressed through the central ideas of money and violence. In the gangster world of Goodfellas, having money represents power, and power is often shown through violence. These sages are fundamentally fueled by greed, materialistic desires, and an appetite for destruction; they crave money-power-glory and violence is their way to get it. The gangsters in Goodfellas maintain the power they have because they are always willing and ready to exercise brute force and regress to violent behavior when necessary. In Goodfellas, violence is a ubiquitous part of these people's lives, and Scorsese uses it thematically to emphasize the vile and ferocious nature of the gangster. The film's depiction of violence is extremely direct and unapologetically graphic; it comes unexpectedly, impulsively, almost naturally to the scoundrels, who kill with such ease that it becomes terrifying. Richard Brody states that violence is a crucial part of their existence, as "the exercise of power in the mob sphere is overtly physical". He goes on to say that Scorsese "challenges viewers to enjoy these scenes of violence – and presents this violence in a way that is not at all judgmental or condescending but, rather, understands and shares the role of gangsters in the animal element of human life." ' On the other hand, the Godfather men also resort to violence and murder when taking care of business and solving their problems. While we never actually see our main characters enact violence compared to Scorsese's protagonists; Like thisas we rarely see the Corleones directly involved in or nearby any form of violence. And even if we do (for example: the baptism scene), it is depicted in such an operatic and glorious way that we are inclined to forget all its negative connotations. Since they are both gangster films, they will naturally address the theme of masculinity, considering that the figure of the gangster has always been linked to the idea of ​​male authority, as well as reflecting the 'changing' notions of virility for generations." Janani Harihar suggests that, in The Godfather, Coppola "equates masculinity with power", insofar as the film's male characters "use their bodies in different ways to secure their patriarchal position at the head of the family". The film emphasizes the idea of ​​the crisis of masculinity through the depiction of interactions between male characters, Harihar highlights how "Vito uses controlled body movements to exert influence", Sonny exercises his masculinity through "big, brash and impulsive actions", while Michael uses 'his intelligence and boldness to command authority.' In the world of The Godfather, masculinity is asserted through titles, rankings, and positions within the mafia family. For example, it is only after executing all the heads of the other mafia families at the end of the film that Michael's masculinity comes into its own. full potential; his "adversaries" have been removed, his masculinity has been fully restored, and so he is honored with the title of Don, on the other hand, masculinity is (not surprisingly) established through the brute force and violence, exposing a somewhat "old-fashioned" mode of ethnic masculinity, similar to that of Sonny. Noah Berlatsky argues that, in many ways, Scorsese's film acts as "a parable about the ugliness of masculinity", as being a man in the world of Goodfellas is equivalent to being “a murderous, conscienceless monster.” In other words, Scorsese pursues masculine aggression, whereas Coppola resorts to the predominant theme of The Godfather, however the family. Richard Combs identifies “family” as the thematic core of the film, the artistic foundation on which the entire Godfather trilogy was built, “the source of one of Coppola's acknowledged strengths, the creation of a rich human picture.” . The Godfather places so much importance on the idea of ​​family, its traditions and customs, that this loving attention and heady, nostalgic treatment of it all can easily turn the film into a highly romanticized portrait of the mafia. Goodfellas, however, places little importance on family values ​​and traditions, instead focusing on portraying Paulie's gang as the real family, whose customs should be respected and obeyed. While they prioritize more or less the same set of themes, stylistically the two films are poles apart. As mentioned at the beginning, the most obvious difference between the two is the way the directors depict the gangster's life. And since The Godfather deals with the mafia elite, and Goodfellas focuses on the life of a simple scoundrel, it stands to reason that the former would have a more elegant style and almost operatic quality, while the latter tell the story in a more pragmatic and visceral way. The most dominant feature of Goodfellas is the use of voiceover, as the story is told entirely from the point of view of our protagonist, Henry Hill. On a superficial level, this would make the film highly subjective, given how the narrative is filtered through Hill's vision of the crowd. Scorsese wants his audience to be inside the heads of the characters, so they can better understand their motivations and the driving force behind eachscene. We experience the film through Henry's eyes, or some sort of extension of his character, as the monologues that accompany the images make it seem like we are watching the footage alongside Henry himself. However, Scorsese puts us in the shoes of a conscious observer who soon "reveals himself to be a somewhat passive protagonist, detached from events even if implicated in them". What we see on the screen immediately after the opening credits is a shot of the prying eyes of 12-year-old Henry looking at "Paulie's taxi stand through his bedroom windows." And from that moment on, despite seeing Henry grow before our eyes, it is as if we had never left his head, more precisely his point of view; we're stuck in that childish, silly look the entire movie. The fact that it is the first shot in the film's narrative casts Henry's future actions as purely childish. But this first-person narrative, as Freedman carefully points out, is «balanced by a certain degree of objectivity that is possible to see beyond the perspective of the protagonists as well as from them. In his discussion of Goodfellas, Maurizio Viano cites Robert Kolker's observation that «Scorsese's films create a tension between two opposing cinematic forms: documentary and fiction. The documentary aspect offers the possibility of apparently objective observation of characters, places and events, while the other requires a subjectivity of point of view. He then goes on to add that Scorsese's stylistic imprint can be seen in the inability of this subjectivity to detach itself from the objective construction of reality. Therefore, Scorsese employs the use of documentary-style devices, such as voice-over narration or intertitles, as well as French New Wave cinematic techniques such as sharp editing, fast-paced framing, and breaking the fourth wall, all of which serve as a constant reminder that we are watching a movie. In this sense, we could say that Goodfellas is "a piece of documentary film, a sort of docudrama". With The Godfather, however, Coppola takes a more distant, clearly objective approach. The film is highly novelistic in scope and structure, behaving more like a novel than an actual film, its shot transitions smooth, softened through dissolves, emulating the delicate and intimate nature of turning pages. The Godfather is, therefore, aptly described as cinematic literature, emphasizing "sumptuous operatic ritual over plot and rapid action". Not only that, but Coppola's conventional filmmaking style echoes classical Hollywood, through its legacy of the "traditions of the novel, the theater, and especially the opera and cinema". Another important distinguishing feature of The Godfather's style is its shadow cinematography, which is quite absent in Scorsese's film, which uses more vibrant and saturated color palettes. Marcia J. Citron suggests that the film is visibly marked by "a contrast of light and shadow so operatic and so overtly symbolic as to perfectly express the fundamental nature of the material." In this way, seemingly simple conversation scenes (like the opening sequence) are given greater gravity and density, allowing viewers to find their own meaning behind each frame. Likewise, Coppola employs the use of sepia tones and gold lenses, which allude to a longing for the past, as well as signaling the story's possible romanticisation and glamorisation of the mafia. This “coloration,” however, is most evident in the Sicilian scenes, implying a longing not only for the past, but for a lost culture – which now appears to be 2019