Blog #3

I chose to analyze the scene in The Godfather when Michael shoots Sollozzo and McCluskey. There is no musical score in this scene, except at the very end, after Michael shoots the 2 men. The only sounds that can be heard during the scene are key sound effects and voices. Coppola makes this choice to create immense tension, and to emphasize Michael’s emotional state. The scene begins quietly, with a medium close up of each character at the table. Michael excuses himself to go to the bathroom, and there is a long shot of the whole restaurant. We can see how empty and desolate the restaurant is, as well as the darkness outside. The restaurant itself has dark colors, and in the back bright neon red lights. This creates an eery feeling. As Michael walks towards the camera (the bathroom), we can hear a very loud train running on the tracks. This creates a feeling of anxiety, the sound of a train getting closer. As Michael enters the bathroom, the camera angle is from the stall. Michael anxiously searches for the gun in the tank of the toilet. We are wondering and hoping that he will find that gun that was planting there, and it seems like it takes forever. There is a shot of the men sitting at the table eating, waiting for MIchael to come back, not suspicious of what is about to happen. Finally, he finds the gun and we are relieved. We can again hear the very loud sound of the train coming again, as well as feel Michael’s nervousness before he exits the bathroom. There is an over the shoulder shot from behind Michael, looking at the 2 men. Michael sits back down at the table, and the men speak to him in Italian. There are no English subtitles. This has a very great effect in that we are not paying attention to what is being said, but how it is being said. We are forced to examine Michael’s body language and facial expression. Michael is trying to stay calm, but we can sense his nervousness. He was supposed to start shooting as soon as he came out of the bathroom, but instead he delayed the attack, and is thinking about whether to do it or not. The camera zooms closer to Michael’s face, as we can hear the train getting even louder and coming to a stop. Suddenly Michael leaps and shoots one of the men in the head. When Michael shoots the other man, there is a high-angle shot, showing Michael’s dominance. Then there is a long shot of the restaurant, as the table falls over and Michael’s stands there unknowing what to do next. He runs out of the restaurant, drops the gun, and then the music cues. The music signifies that the deed is done, and MIchael is not the innocent man we thought he was. Overall, editing as made a significant contribution to the story and feel of this scene. The train, the guns, the choice of no music until the end, the Italian dialogue with no subtitles, all contributed to the overall feel of anxiety, tension and eery feeling of the scene. The relationship between shots brings us from the restaurant to the bathroom, where we can follow Michael’s thought process and feel his emotions.