The Godfather

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola (1972)

Finally, I would highlight The Godfather (Directed by Francis Ford Coppola 1972) as visionary. The ‘Mafia film’ genre already existed, but why has the original film Scarface (Howard Hawks, 1932) not lasted? Its central villain is not multi-layered, whereas The Godfather introduced moral complexity. The Godfather, Vito Corleone, is an organised crime boss, responsible for bribery and murder, but the typical audience is not morally repulsed by him. This is because he bribes those already corrupted, his murder victims are ruthless and unethical men, and he is not amoral. Indeed, the mafia within The Godfather trilogy live by a moral code that is not the moral code of mainstream society (it promotes violent vengeance for example, and the withholding of information relating to any crime from the police), but it is nonetheless a moral code that can be understood. Furthermore, The Godfather elevated its primary criminal characters to a level of wealth and sophistication that still appeals to audiences. Vito and his successor Michael wear elegant but understated suits, and they speak to al- most everyone with calm respect. The trope of a US criminal with finer manners than a Senator, and a calm eloquence that belies the constant threat of violence, derives from The Godfather The award winning films of Martin Scorcese and Brian de Palma, or the hugely popular series The Sopranos, would never have been made if the visionary Godfather had not proved the wider fascination with the Mafia sub-culture.

To conclude, visionary cinema anticipates human fascination with themes and character traits that are not already established in a genre; their popularity creates a new sub-genre. These three films may not be the greatest movies ever made, but in the style of film they spawned, they were truly visionary.

Miya Amrouni