Movie Knows the Answer - Drawing Life's Strength from Dramatic Images

Author: Diantai / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-07-01
Features: Perhaps, since childhood, we have been inseparably linked with movies: sitting in the cinema, we experience the boundless world and the changes of mountains and seas. Dramatic images, like our lives, seem ordinary yet full of vibrant colors. The world in movies is complex and overwhelming! If we take the time to savor it carefully, we can easily discover that movies are actually an encyclopedia of life! They are filled with the philosophy of life, the wisdom of life, the nature of humanity, and the details of success. You need to understand everything within them with your heart! Just like the movies introduced in this book—every story can provide us with different levels of spiritual needs; every answer can let us perceive the essence of life from the dramatic images!
Title: The Godfather "Godfather" (1972)
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Main Cast: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, James Caan
Running Time: 175 minutes
Country: USA
45th Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay
Academy Awards All-Time Best Picture Ranking
Of course, there are many other people who encounter various troubles, and they will all coincidentally attend Miss Connie Corleone's wedding on the last Saturday of August 1945. This is a great opportunity for them to meet the only person they trust and rely on—the Vito Don Corleone. He is the most respected and revered "Godfather" in the hearts of everyone who knows him. The old Don Corleone, he is always willing to help anyone. He never makes empty promises or offers excuses for weakness, such as "There are forces stronger than me holding me back." Whether you are his friend or not is not the condition; whether you can repay him is also irrelevant. But there is one thing that is essential—you must acknowledge his friendship. As long as you do this, no matter how poor or weak you are as the person seeking help, the old man will surely put your pain and worries in mind. He will have no hesitation in alleviating your troubles. The repayment he receives may just be the more affectionate title of "Godfather," or you can send some ordinary gifts as a simple gesture of respect, such as a gallon of homemade wine or a basket of Italian pepperoni bread for the Christmas table. Both sides understand this unspoken agreement—it is not just a polite gesture. It also symbolizes the favor you owe the old man, and he has the right to ask you to do something small in return at any time.
Take a break, and let our minds temporarily step out of the story of the Godfather. After reading the above, you should not be surprised or doubt that such "Godfather"-like figures do indeed exist in the world, even though Vito Don Corleone is a character from Mario Puzo's novel. At that time, the young director Francis Coppola, full of ambition, adapted the top-selling book "The Godfather" published in 1969 onto the big screen. The film vividly depicts the rise and fall of the Corleone family, a powerful American mafia.
The earliest American mafia was actually a group of Italian immigrants who, out of necessity, were forced into criminal activities such as smuggling, gambling, drug trafficking, and murder. Later, they gradually established themselves in New York City and continued to grow through illegal businesses, their dark influenceing into every industry and field of the city, becoming an undeniable part of society. The novel was not entirely fictional but was based on real figures. The author changed his name and portrayed Vito Don Corleone, a seemingly mild but actually powerful figure. The Corleone family was the leader of the five major mafia factions in New York, and the head of the family, Don Corleone, was in his seventies. He had three sons and one daughter: the eldest son Sonny, tall and burly, fierce and brave but lacking wisdom, a perfect American version of "Meng Zhangfei"; the second son Fredo, physically frail and gentle but clearly lacking the commanding presence essential for a leader; the third son Michael, handsome, elegant, and gentle, who had just returned from the battlefield and was the old man's favorite son. His determined personality and stubborn temperament were also similar to the old man's. However, he showed no interest in taking over the family business.
Today is the big day for Don Corleone's daughter Connie Corleone, and the people mentioned above who sought the old man's help all sent gifts to celebrate. The old man warmly greeted everyone, whether rich or poor, powerful or unknown. He never showed any favoritism. This was his temperament, or perhaps one of the basic conditions of being a great figure: equality. At least on the surface, he was impartial. Because in this world, it often happens that a seemingly insignificant person, if they pay attention, can find opportunities to take revenge on those who seem invincible. Understanding this, the old man never lost his humble and cautious demeanor toward everyone. Of course, there were also a few untimely police officers parked nearby, watching the comings and goings at the wedding banquet and recording all the license plates parked at the entrance.
Facing Sonny's anger, the old man casually shrugged, "This street is not just mine. They can do whatever they want!" It seems that great figures always maintain the necessary calm in the face of anything, never showing their emotions. In society, there are often sudden insults that great figures must endure.
The wedding was in full swing, and Don Corleone found an opportunity to call his military and advisor Tom Hagen into his familiar office. He received one after another those who sought his help. This was a perfect chance to assess the old man's capabilities. Let's see how the old man handles it:
The first person Don Corleone received was the baker Nazorine. Not only because they were childhood friends, but also because every year on Easter, Christmas, or the birthday of anyone in the Corleone family, Nazorine would send fresh cream cakes and cheese as a sign of respect. The old man handed the baker a cigar, a glass of fruit punch, and placed his hand on his shoulder to encourage him to continue. This was clearly the old man's humanistic gesture. As a great figure, you must understand that everyone is the same. It takes great courage for one person to ask another to do something for them. After listening to the baker's story, the old man smiled and said, "Old buddy, no problem. I will eliminate all your worries!" He then told the baker the specific solution: "Liaise with and petition the local congressman to propose a special bill that would allow Enzo to become a true American citizen. This bill will surely pass in Congress." Of course, this would require some financial investment. The current going rate is $2,000. "I will cover this cost for you, as long as you are satisfied. How about that, old buddy?" Nazorine was overjoyed and moved to tears, knowing that the old man deliberately kept the price low—after all, passing a special bill in Congress would not be cheap.
After Nazorine left, Corleone frowned and said to Hagen, "This war is over, but there may be many more such problems. We should arrange for some people in Washington to handle these issues and try to keep the price from rising." The old man was indeed shrewd—he could solve a simple problem while finding a way to gain another benefit. And even when faced with great trouble, he remained calm and composed. Perhaps this is the characteristic composure of a great figure.
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