Godfather Blogging

So the Godfather is on.

Every time I watch it, I ask myself the same question: What is Michael Corleone's breaking point? At what moment does he make the spiritual transformation from idealistic war hero who doesn't want anything to do with the family business to "the don"?

I think there are arguments that could be made for nine ten moments:

-- When he kills Sollozzo and McCulskey in the restaurant.
-- When Sonny dies.
-- When Appolonia dies in the car bomb.
-- When he returns to America (and asks Kay to marry him).
-- When he takes over the family after Don Vito's semi-retirement.
-- When he orders the assassinations of Moe Green et al, during his nephew's baptism.
-- When he kills Carlo (foreshadowing Fredo's murder as the first intra-family killing).
-- When he lies to Kay about killing Carlo.
-- When the door closes on Kay at the very end.

The entire movie is, in one respect, about Micheal's fall from grace. I'm reluctant to say there is one moment of truth, as it were, that marks where the good Michael ends and the bad Michael begins, but I do think there is a point of no return where Michael acknowledges who he is and gives in to his fate.

For my money, I think this moment doesn't actually occur on screen. Right after Appolonia is car-bombed, Micheal finds Kay to ask her to marry him. She asks him how long he has been back and replies "over a year." Michael is dressed conspicuously different in this scene that he has been throughout the film. He's wearing black, head to toe, and a hat that makes him look more like a gangster. I'm fairly certain that Michael officially crosses over to the Dark Side during that missing year.

I'll probably end up watching it again next weekend and thinking something completely different.

MORE: I completely forgot a tenth moment: when Don Vito dies. In so many ways Vito was the only thing keeping Michael from unleashing his inner demons.