Bjorn Rombach and Rolf Solli, from the Goteborg University of Sweden, present, in this paper, an essential argument that, using The Godfather as a tool for reflection, is quite useful to be able to see how exactly leaders react in films.  They begin with defining the three basic concepts of this mafia movie, which include “family, business, and violent crime,” while specifying that these should not be mixed.

Don Vito Corleone is the most significant character to be analyzed in the paper, and his actions are considered extensively with regards to the manner in which he leads.  He is thoughtful, reprimanding, accusing, and forgiving.  These are the qualities attributed to Don Vito that make him successful.  His strength and ability to be stern make him a formidable opponent, all the while, a well-liked and well respected character because of his consideration for others and great emphasis on family values, old-fashioned and sexist though they may be.  One of his greatest strengths is how well he knows people, which allows Don Vito to be more than a common gangster and a far better businessman, able to manipulate his opponents.

The article places great emphasis on decision-making with regards to the success of a leader.  In Don Vito’s case, they use a model of rational decision making, as well as some specific examples, that depict Don Vito and very rational in his thought process, weighing the potential positive and negative outcomes of a given situation.

One of the more notable aspects of The Godfather is its rather slow pace in development.  As this paper expresses, generally people appreciate quick paced films, but in this case it is the very slow movement that characterizes the film.  This pace is underscored by the slow decision-making by Don Vito.  The fact that he thinks things through, ultimately, makes him a better leader, and incredibly successful in the end as a result.  By this film, slow pace and slow decisions are revered and rewarded as characteristics in a leader.

In defining crime, this article sites The Godfather as a film that not only was wildly successful in its own right, but one that also sparked a crime craze in terms of the manner in which violence was portrayed and consumed by the public.  While it does not attempt to claim that this movie somehow created interest in crime, because this is something the article suggests if very innate to human beings, but rather questions how human beings justify their interest in violence and how definitions of crime vary between cultures.  Finally, the article seeks to answer the question as to whether or not this film somehow changed beliefs about crime and violence.

In order to consider these questions, and prove The Godfather, both as a film and a novel, is representative of a new morality regarding crime, the authors proceed by comparing the structures of this film to the structures of novels and films in the past.  The first aspect of the movie that is considered is the usage of the word “family,” specifically given its historical usage in Italian, which is symbolically used as a replacement for the mafia, or organized crime.  The use of the word family as well as the parallel structures drawn from the Corleone family itself to that of the organized crime unit changes how one views the crime family, making it more complex that simply a group of gangsters out to commit crimes.

A second important factor in the view of crime put forth by The Godfather, is the way in which violence is romanticized and justified in the film.  As the article suggests, we then understand Don Vito’s choices and become sympathetic to him as a character.  As Michael understands him, we too accept his violence.

The article also discusses how a scientific and social approach to crimes had arisen, and places this as a third way in which beliefs about violence were changing.  There was a movement, as depicted in this film, away from morals and religion, which were traditionally associated with crimes.  Therefore, a new belief system had arisen along with new entertainment.