Why do you suppose the movie,The Godfather, is so popular after all these years?

What the Mona Lisa smile offers is repeated in the lyrics of a song, "I saw my unborn children in her eyes..." What da Vinci captured is that ineffable feminine mystique that reflects the eternal awareness of life and death, birth and growth. The theme of value is human life, the universal context is self evident.
If you ever watch The Godfather, maybe you'll understand its theme is the tragedy of human condition, and its universal context will then be as self-evident to you as it is to most other people already.
 
I'll never believe Mario Puzo gave theme a thought; he simply had some experiences with organized crime and glamorized the life. If THE GODFATHER has a premise at all its, protection & prosperity buy allegience.
 
If you ever watch The Godfather, maybe you'll understand its theme is the tragedy of human condition, and its universal context will then be as self-evident to you as it is to most other people already.

~~~

Ya disappoint me, kid; one can discover the 'tragedy of the human condition' from a million sources, some more poetic than others. I would choose Hemingway's, "The Old Man and the Sea". or even, "Islands in the Stream", long before I delved into Sicilian gangsters who were not welcome in their own homeland.

The Godfather is Pop Culture, Andy Warhol style, I thought better of you and still do: I think you just stooped to include yourself in those opposing my viewpoint.

The Greeks saw the 'heroic' in the human condition, even if it was flawed men and flawed Gods, they still strived to assimilate that which is 'good' in man; not accentuating the dark side of human nature.

It may be too late in your life to change your sense of life and world view, but for anyone else reading, I would suggest Ayn Rand's "The Romantic Manifesto" (if memory serves), as a primer on how one could and ought view human existence.

Life is all we have, my distant friend, and it is short at best and there are many who see it as a losing struggle against overwhelming odds and penultimate ignorance.

If you have any idea of just what da Vinci portrayed in the Mona Lisa, or what Rodin said in some of his works, or Monet or Manet or Turner...and a few, a very few others...who saw the joy and the beauty of existence, the fragile matrix of love and life and nurturing, if you just knew...you would run as fast as you could from the purveyors of the 'human condition' as you stated.

I do not make the effort to compose this to berate you or chastize you or anyone else; rather, I offer, in my long years of searching, a path for some to perhaps put aside the tragic human condition so many live by, and discover a road less traveled to the essence of the joy of life and the values that make it possible.

There is no God, no religion, no recipe to follow, no instant gratification, just the tools to use your mind, perceive reality and understand that you and each and every human ever alive is innately endowed with purpose and the right, if not the obligation, to pursue happiness and fulfillment in the life we have.

I am going to copy, paste and email this to my youngest daughter, whom I named, 'Calamity Jane', because she came into this world, red faced, kicking and screaming and to this day, 26 years later, (gads, I hope I got that right), is still the only one of my eight children who has even a clue to what I am all about.

What I think, what I have written, may not make a lasting impression on her or you, or anyone else; but it is what I think, what I am, and that suffices as a summation for the moment. It will not change, ever, but it may be expanded as reality teaches me just as the seasons come and go.

I remain...

Amicus Veritas

:rose:
 
The Greeks saw the 'heroic' in the human condition, even if it was flawed men and flawed Gods, they still strived to assimilate that which is 'good' in man; not accentuating the dark side of human nature.

That must be why Oedipus Rex is universally regarded as the pinnacle of Greek theatre.
 
FLAG ON THE PLAY!

'There is no God, no religion, no recipe to follow," AMICUS BLOVIATORCUS

AMICUS doesnt know, in fact, if there is or isnt a God. Not unless he has perfect, infallible knowledge.
 
FLAG ON THE PLAY!

'There is no God, no religion, no recipe to follow," AMICUS BLOVIATORCUS

AMICUS doesnt know, in fact, if there is or isnt a God. Not unless he has perfect, infallible knowledge
.

~~~

Throw all the flags you want ya Zebra, Amicus does KNOW and he does not have perfect infallible knowledge, go figure!

Here be a little formula for ya, even if you are mathematically challenged, heh!

Man acquires absolute knowledge of reality through his sensory perceptions which are then perceived in non contradictory terms by his brain; conceptualized and abstracted, (for better filing purposes to be recalled upon request), as a means, the only means, of coexisting with the natural reality of existence.

In all of man's perceptions, from the beginning of sentience, man has never observed a God, a supernatural occurence, a burning bush or the parting of the seas. These things exist only in the mind, without reference to reality, i.e. that which exists.

Up until about the 14th or 15th centuries, there could be some doubt as to where God resided because the entire Universe revolved around the Earth, which God created, at his pleasure, and man, the slave, was only to honor God and pray several times a day for forgiveness, like modern day Ragheads.

But gee whiz, golly darn, some arrogant man made a telescope and theology has never been the same...such a shame!

As man's ability to 'know' anything, rests entirely on his ability to accurately perceive reality, 'that which is', and since no man has ever seen a God of any gender or form, then, the rational conclusion is to state that there is no God.

That is knowledge James; that is how man has always and will forever gather facts about the reality we live in, be it the Periodic table of elements or the 28 day lunar cycle of a woman's menstrual period.

It is not a 'leap of faith' James, it is the mental acuity to make the connection between concrete reality and abstract or conceptual knowledge by which man functions and can predict, for the next ten thousand years, the position of every planet in the solar system.

I am not arrogant in my knowledge you old fart, 'knowing' is just the first step to acquiring knowledge. You need to hurry up you old shit before time runs out on you! I need all the help I can get to confront those who know nothing and are proud of it!

Amicus....I harvested tomatoes and cucumbers today, string beans are next)

:cool:
 
Gotta love The Godfather. The Godfather II was introduced to me (and probably most of the rest of my class...) in my senior year film class. I went home and watched the first, second, and third movies all in a row.

Good memories.
 
Why anyone would find value in celebrating the lives of murderers, gangsters, drug addicts, prostitutes, was beyond me until I read parts of the following review:

How many times do you need to be told that this is NOT what the film is? It is beyond you because YOU HAVEN'T EVEN WATCHED THE FILM.

A lack of intellectual curiosity could be defined as stubbornly persisting with a certain view despite all evidence to the contrary. Sound like anyone we know?
 
~~~

Throw all the flags you want ya Zebra, Amicus does KNOW and he does not have perfect infallible knowledge, go figure!

Here be a little formula for ya, even if you are mathematically challenged, heh!

Man acquires absolute knowledge of reality through his sensory perceptions which are then perceived in non contradictory terms by his brain; conceptualized and abstracted, (for better filing purposes to be recalled upon request), as a means, the only means, of coexisting with the natural reality of existence.

In all of man's perceptions, from the beginning of sentience, man has never observed a God, a supernatural occurence, a burning bush or the parting of the seas. These things exist only in the mind, without reference to reality, i.e. that which exists.

Up until about the 14th or 15th centuries, there could be some doubt as to where God resided because the entire Universe revolved around the Earth, which God created, at his pleasure, and man, the slave, was only to honor God and pray several times a day for forgiveness, like modern day Ragheads.

But gee whiz, golly darn, some arrogant man made a telescope and theology has never been the same...such a shame!

As man's ability to 'know' anything, rests entirely on his ability to accurately perceive reality, 'that which is', and since no man has ever seen a God of any gender or form, then, the rational conclusion is to state that there is no God.

That is knowledge James; that is how man has always and will forever gather facts about the reality we live in, be it the Periodic table of elements or the 28 day lunar cycle of a woman's menstrual period.

It is not a 'leap of faith' James, it is the mental acuity to make the connection between concrete reality and abstract or conceptual knowledge by which man functions and can predict, for the next ten thousand years, the position of every planet in the solar system.

I am not arrogant in my knowledge you old fart, 'knowing' is just the first step to acquiring knowledge. You need to hurry up you old shit before time runs out on you! I need all the help I can get to confront those who know nothing and are proud of it!

Amicus....I harvested tomatoes and cucumbers today, string beans are next)

:cool:

MAN HAS NEVER OBSERVED ULTRAVIOLET OR INFRARED LIGHT OR GAMMA RAYS OR ATOMS OR MOLECULES. THERE REMAINS ALL KINDS OF CRAP WE HAVE NO IDEA OF.
 
Was it because it had a good cast, a good script, or just good luck?

Like Casablanca and Star Wars, it was one of those perfect storms of artistry ... the right story, the right script, the right director, the right music, the right cast. And good luck ... Coppola fought like hell to film his vision of the book, while Paramount wanted a quick-and-dirty (and cheap) gangster movie.

And, like Casablance, there are so many great lines that stick in your mind:

"I'll make him an offer he can't refuse."

"Leave the gun. Take the cannoli."

".... and a man in my position can't afford to be made to look ridiculous!"

"I frisked him. I've frisked a thousand young punks ..."
 
Amicus, you really should watch it, think about it, pick it apart. Then decide.

I have a friend who can break down any movie into an "All it is..." statement, even if if that really isn't the case. For instance, Braveheart: "All it is... is a bunch of guys in skirts hitting things with swords."
 
[...]I have a friend who can break down any movie into an "All it is..." statement, even if if that really isn't the case. For instance, Braveheart: "All it is... is a bunch of guys in skirts hitting things with swords."
He must be confusing it with "300". Or "Might & Magic: Heroes III" :D
 
MAN HAS NEVER OBSERVED ULTRAVIOLET OR INFRARED LIGHT OR GAMMA RAYS OR ATOMS OR MOLECULES. THERE REMAINS ALL KINDS OF CRAP WE HAVE NO IDEA OF.[/QUOTE]

~~~

Weak argument James. Man has never seen electricity or gravity either, yet both are settled science concerning the basics but open for non contradictory expansions of knowlege.

And, yes, all kinds of discoveries yet to be made and they will all be made the same way, with reason, logic, rationality and focused thought on objective, observable phenomena.

You put a cucumber seed in the ground, guess what comes up? You need not 'guess' because you know.

Amicus
 
Was it because it had a good cast, a good script, or just good luck?

Dunno, haven't ever seen it. Maybe a scene here or there through the years, but never the entire movie. Just not anything of interest to me.


:cool:
 
This popped into my mind as I wondered why the movie stays popular. I'm not sure I put it into the right words; it came to me as a minor epiphany, which was long on truth, but short on words.

In this movie, Vito Corleone is the embodiment of the American Spirit. Vito starts out in America as another immigrant seeking a better life.
He takes as good care of his family as possible, he is loyal to his friends, and he helps the weak. He establishes himself as an olive oil merchant. Vito does favors for people and has a good reputation. As years go by, Vito prospers in his adopted country.

He lives by his own rules in the framework of his own code of honor; a free man in a free country. Most men would like to be like Vito and most women wish they had a man like him. This is my opinion of why the movie has retained its popularity.
 
Well it's certainly not because anyone sees Diane Keaton as a sex object.
 
This popped into my mind as I wondered why the movie stays popular. I'm not sure I put it into the right words; it came to me as a minor epiphany, which was long on truth, but short on words.

In this movie, Vito Corleone is the embodiment of the American Spirit. Vito starts out in America as another immigrant seeking a better life.
He takes as good care of his family as possible, he is loyal to his friends, and he helps the weak. He establishes himself as an olive oil merchant. Vito does favors for people and has a good reputation. As years go by, Vito prospers in his adopted country.

He lives by his own rules in the framework of his own code of honor; a free man in a free country. Most men would like to be like Vito and most women wish they had a man like him. This is my opinion of why the movie has retained its popularity.

What you say, plus no one escapes justice within Vito's world. If you think about it a little, Americans respect specific cohorts more than others: Indians, Confederates, gangsters, athletes, Marines, cowboys, and a few others; people who walk the walk....actors, too, cuz theyre a metaphor for what American's value.
 
But not "Robin Hood."
Yes. Robin Hood uses Longbows and Greatstaffs, limited to the Ranger and Cleric classes respectively. Both classes may wear skirts, but the Ranger can also wear Tights.

Did you know "Tights of the Moosetoe" confer +15 Charisma on the wearer?
 
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