The Godfather: How Vito Corleone Evolves

every family has an origin we can all trace back our family trees throughout history but there are moments some big some small that truly change the trajectory of our future for vito corleone that moment was right now this one gunshot this one decision triggered a cycle of violence that would continue for decades handed down from generation to generation [Music] so let's examine how vito corleone evolves throughout francis ford coppola's the godfather part one and two how he develops from an orphan to an immigrant to a father to a dawn when vito was just nine years old his father antonio was murdered for refusing to pay tribute to don cheech and now at his funeral veto's brother paolo was shot dead too after he swore to take revenge his mother pleads with don cheech to spare her son's life as he's just a young boy who cannot even speak yet but he refuses suspecting that one day veto will grow up to be a man and he too will seek revenge like his brother or rebel like his father [Music] at this moment his mother sacrifices herself so that vito can get a head start and run for his life with family friends placing him on a boat to new york city the godfather is a story about immigration of how you take a piece of your family your history your country wherever you go but it's also a story about the life cycle the rises and falls the patterns that emerge in our lives that perpetuate over generations vito corleone arrives on american shores with nothing no money no language no family when the immigration officer is signing him in he confuses vito's real last name andalini with his city of origin corleone and renames him vito corleone this small moment now permanently branding veto with the trauma of his past he is legally named after the city he came from the city where his parents and brother were murdered an entire family's legacy being attached to the idea of unfinished family business and revenge in new york vito grew up and became a father as an orphan who witnessed his own family's death his children his own flesh and blood are incredibly important to him he will do absolutely anything for them as he saw his family make the ultimate sacrifice for him he starts off making an honest living in a grocery store until the owner is intimidated by the local don don fannucci who forces the owner to fire vito and hire his nephew instead this sets vito on a trajectory of petty crime as his friend leads him into stealing an expensive rug this incident is what creaks veto's mind open to the possibilities of committing minor crimes in order to get by if this is the price he must pay to feed his family then he'll take that risk and make that sacrifice but then don fanucci hears of vito and his friend's work and wants a cut of it just like he wants a cut of everything in the neighborhood this is the same crossroads that his father antonio encountered and he knows that he refused to pay tribute to don cheech when vito talks to his friends about it they're all intimidated and are willing to pay two hundred dollars each to don fanucci as he requested but vito suggests that his friends only pay fifty dollars each and he'll volunteer to go talk and reason with him they're naturally skeptical as no one can convince don fanucci of anything he isn't one to negotiate no matter how far vito has come in life traveling overseas as an orphan becoming a father the same cycle continues there's always someone in town who bullies and intimidates everyone for cash so if you can't stop the cycle become a part of it on your own terms in this moment vito has his friends pay just fifty dollars a quarter of the original two hundred by making this choice he is now casting himself as the new dawn that this is just nature a younger more dangerous guy is willing to do the same work for a cheaper price it's just business not personal when vito sits down with don fannucci and gives him a fraction of the amount he was asked for he is emulating his father's refusal to bend the knee to don cheech it's not in his blood to get bullied around as he's seen how far these people will go if left unchecked witnessing his own mother's death up close is also what makes vito desensitized to killing it's been a part of him since just nine years old fannucci admires vito's guts and says he'll find him some work but fanuchi does not realize that he has become complacent vito senses weakness and tracks him home where he kills fannucci and takes his money clip in this moment vito is not just taking back control of the neighborhood and his own destiny but he's living up to his family name he sets up a legal business front that imports olive oil and takes care of the people in the neighborhood vito is not a callous man he was just protecting his friends and family from intimidation you see vito lives by a code that family is all that matters and as an adopted orphan he understands that family isn't just about blood it's about loyalty those that are looking out for you and he extends that to the neighborhood in some form that he'll look out for you as long as you look out for him it's not so much about extortion but favors creating opportunities for those he cares about as to vito business is just about feeding and protecting your family by any means necessary but now that he's on top now that he's stopped the cycle of his family being bullied and oppressed by local dons it's time for vito to return to his hometown to visit the man who murdered his family this was his fate from the moment he left he was to be killed due to his name so he fled to america where he was renamed but named after his hometown the location of his unfinished business so it would never leave his memory those haunting moments tattooed into his identity and now he gets to resolve his unfinished business [Music] he built his empire by supporting his community helping italian americans rise the social ranks of the city over the years he became a grandfather and a godfather valuing his immediate family's well-being over everything but as more and more families begin to control different corners of the city it becomes more competitive and the number of voices in the room becomes crowded everyone wants a bigger and bigger piece with more and more influence vito's vision for the future was that his business would become more legitimate that his son michael might become a senator so when he's offered the chance to get into the narcotics business he turns it down as long term this could jeopardize the prosperity of the community vito has always invested in the idea of building a better tomorrow for our children but this would be a step backwards he fears what could become of his city and of his reputation among his political contacts if he were to begin selling drugs what he considers a dirty business but in that meeting his firstborn sonny hints at having interest in the deal this one small gesture this hint is enough for a hit to be put out on veto [Music] he's shot while collecting fruit from his favorite grocery store part of his daily habits always remaining loyal to his roots although he survives a mob war is triggered and while he's still recovering his firstborn son is shot and killed look at a mask with my boy there's a unique devastation for vito to see his son's body as it echoes his own father antonio and his first son paulo being shot dead except now vito is alive to see his son pass the world around vito had changed his dreams of the perfect immigrant story from rags to riches from orphan to the head of a huge family from illegitimate dealings to aspirations of clean legitimate power no longer seemed possible in a world where everything is just business not personal vito had expected his personal values to prevent the business from growing but when you choose to stop adapting another young ambitious man with less to lose will take your place mirroring the same cycle that occurred decades earlier when he took out don fanucci the end of one cycle marks the beginning of another and time marches on having always valued family nature and his roots it is fitting that vito died chasing his grandson around italian tomato trees in the sun and as he departed he left the family business in the hands of his son michael never having to see his reign his betrayal of his values or his fall but the corleone name lived on a family tree forever tied to the principles of power loyalty and revenge and it all grew from the root of one man's will to survive vito angelini corleone well you've made it this far so you might as well like comment and subscribe to help get this channel to the next level you

Channel: Just an Observation

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Id: GoIqbv30EE8

Length: 11min 1sec (661 seconds)

Published: Wed Jun 09 2021