In 1969, Mario, an Italian-American, retired from the U.S. military.
Mario, who ended his military career, turned the direction of his life to literature and began his own literary creation.
Mario is Italian, and has listened to the story of the "Italian Mafia" since he was a child, in Mario's mind: the real mafia big man should not be full of flesh, but should have an elegant temperament and a domineering side leaky personality. In this way, it is the "great Sicilians".
With this concept of character, he began his own novel.
Mario combined mafia knowledge with the current politics of the time, originally only to satirize the bond between power and gangsters, but inadvertently composed an immortal story: the "Godfather" trilogy
The trilogy of "The Godfather" is "The Godfather", "The Godfather Returns", and "The Godfather's Revenge".
The trilogy tells the story of the feud and ideological collision of three generations of an Italian gangster family, telling the story of the family from its peak to glory, then to its decline, and finally in the face of the times, disintegrating in the torrent of history.
The "Godfather" trilogy, all adapted into movies, were put on the big screen.
Two of them won the Oscar for best and were selected for the "American Centennial 100 Classics".
This shows the classics of Mario's "The Godfather" series.
Director Francis, who is also famous in the world film industry, is known as the "man behind the godfather".
How popular was "The Godfather" back then?
Before the filming of "The Godfather", Francis was just an ordinary director in the United States, marlon Brando and Al Pacino could only be considered Hollywood second- and third-tier stars...
After the release of "The Godfather", Francis became a world-class director, Marlon Brando and Al Pacino, a World War I god, and an "Oscar winner".
There are even rumors that after the release of "The Godfather", there are often mafia bosses who visit Marlon Brando and ask him to teach him how to be a successful godfather...
"The Godfather" has been released for 43 years, and now on a foreign platform, there are still zero bad reviews, and the domestic Douban score is also as high as 9.3 points.
Some people say: "The Godfather" is a "man's bible", a classic that men must read once in a lifetime.
Such an evaluation is not high, but it is surprising that such an exaggerated description has not been refuted.
What kind of magic does "The Godfather" have to get so many awards?
Far from talking, just look at the success of Victor Don Corleone, you can get a glimpse of the leopard and know the greatness of "The Godfather".
Why only talk about Victor and not about the more successful Mike?
The reason is simple: in my mind, there is only one real godfather, and that is Victor Don Corleone, Mike is very successful, but Mike's success is always based on Victor. Just like Wang Sicong is very good, but his excellence is based on the foundation laid by Wang Jianlin in his early years.
As I have seen a very classic film review: "The Godfather 2" is the most wonderful, but if you want to understand "The Godfather 2", you must first watch "The Godfather".
What's more, Mike's career is very successful, but his family is a mess, in contrast, Victor not only started from scratch, his career is successful, and his family is also so happy that people are envious...
Never discuss business at the dinner table
Men who are not willing to spend time with their families are not men at all.
These two rules of doing things are the key to making Victor's family happy and becoming a good man, a good husband, and a good father in the eyes of the world...
So, what kind of life principles do Vittor's career success rely on?
After watching the movie many times, I realized these 3 tricks that made Victory Victory victory for Victory!
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="55" >01, never underestimate the big role of small people</h1>
There are many successful works in the world, but in my impression, the only one who portrays small people as "surprising victories" is "The Godfather".
The "law of two and eight" is known to many people, but almost everyone's focus is on the top of two, thus ignoring eight.
As everyone knows, no matter what the situation, it is always "eight" that is greater than "two".
This point is vividly portrayed in "The Godfather".
The old godfather, Vido, lived in Sicily when he was young, and in his early years, he gradually grew up with small businesses such as selling oil, and eventually established the Corleone family, becoming the famous "godfather".
After Wido became the godfather, he did not forget the help given to him by the little people at the bottom.
Therefore, after becoming the godfather, in addition to talking to the big people and having accidents every day, more often, he exists as an umbrella for the little people.
The film begins with the godfather accepting a plea for help from a small person (the funeral home owner).
Film reviews begin in a pitch-black cabin where the funeral home owner hopes the godfather will help avenge his daughter, and he is willing to pay.
The Godfather said: What is it about me that has offended you so much that you have humiliated me so much... You don't even want to shout the Godfather...
Under the explanation of the godfather, the scene of spending money to let people help get revenge became an exchange of friendship.
When the funeral home owner was willing to admit that Vido was the godfather, the godfather assured the funeral home owner:
Now we are friends, so this matter will be left to me to deal with, maybe in the future, I also have your help, I hope that when the time comes, you are willing to help this friendship, of course, maybe I will never make this request...
Provide protection for the weak, only to hope that in the future, when they need it, the other party will provide help for themselves within their own capabilities, and the seemingly unequal exchange of friendship will make Victoria turn the danger into a disaster many times!
Speaking of this, I have to mention the sense of the lens of "The Godfather", which is really used too much, and it is clear that a "very ordinary" "negotiation" is wonderful.
At the same time, Francis's portrayal of details also makes people clap their hands.
The play "The Godfather" has many characters and grand scenes, but Francis let some small characters connect the story lines, without affecting the direction of the film, but also inadvertently, echoing the Godfather's purpose of life.
This narrative technique, this detailed portrayal, this lens use...
"The Godfather" is not only a "man's Bible", but also a "director's Bible", but where domestic directors apply these techniques of the Godfather, they will not make those inability to spit on the divine dramas...
Back to the point, how much help did Victor's friendship exchange with the little people bring to him?
Two brief descriptions:
At the beginning of the film, the godfather's daughter gets married, and many small people who have received the godfather's favor send blessings in their own way, such as the cake shop owner, who sent a big cake for the godfather... Here, it is said that the Godfather was deeply respected.
In addition, the son-in-law of the cake shop owner also "saved" the life of the godfather, and when the old godfather was injured and hospitalized, Mike was worried that someone would be unfavorable to Victor, and just happened to run into the son-in-law of the cake shop owner who came to visit the old godfather... So, Mikel joined the other and acted as a bodyguard to guard Vido. Fooled into the eyes of those who want to be against the old godfather again...
There is also the funeral home owner who asks for the help of the godfather at the beginning of the plot, and he later provides friendship help to the godfather. The second time the boss showed up, he was helping Sonny sort out his remains.
……
There are many similar details, and there are many examples.
These details are portrayed, so that the plot is full of coherence, but does not affect the direction of the plot, and I have to admire Francis's narrative ability.
At the same time, these detailed portrayals also describe the wisdom of the godfather from the side, these seemingly inconspicuous little people who need the protection of the old godfather can always offer their friendship to the godfather at a critical moment and help the godfather turn the crisis into safety.
The first factor in the success of the Godfather: Never underestimate anyone's abilities.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="90" >02, be closer to your friends, but closer to your enemies. </h1>
If we want to talk about the success of the Godfather, we must not ignore this wise saying:
Get closer to your friends, but be closer to your enemies, make your friends underestimate your strengths, let the enemies overestimate your shortcomings, and the biggest natural advantage in the world is that the enemy overestimates your flaws.
The Godfather's words were given to Mike and Sonny at the same time, so that they could learn how to behave in the world.
The two brothers, the degree of recognition of this law is different, and the final outcome is also different!
Sonny disagreed with this and eventually paid the price for his arrogance.
Mike took it as truth and eventually became the heir to the old godfather, Victor, leading the family to a new peak.
Why was Sonny, a figure who made Sorasso and the five families jealous, so easily ambushed?
Because Sonny overestimated his brother-in-law's shortcomings, underestimated his brother-in-law's ambitions, and thought that he could easily teach each other...
Sonny never imagined that her brother-in-law might betray the Corleone family and join the five families.
In the end, Sonny paid the price and was ambushed by Sorasso and beaten into a sieve.
On the other hand, when Mike helped his father avenge, Mike took the initiative to approach Solaso, narrowing the distance between himself and the enemy, making the other party overestimate his shortcomings and relax his vigilance. As a result, Mike wins a blow and successfully avenges his father.
Mike's easy success is in stark contrast to Sonny's failure, because the two are similar.
Sorasso has always believed that Mike has never been exposed to the family business, so the risk factor is very low, and it is difficult to cause any harm to himself.
And before Sonny was ambushed, he also had such a mentality towards his brother-in-law...
It can be seen from this that this sentence of the Godfather can be regarded as the most reasonable saying, which can be used at any time and in any region.
At one time, I really thought that the way of dealing with the world is only Chinese used, and foreigners will not play tricks on what they say.
But after watching "The Godfather", I learned:
The world is a human being, and where there are people, there are rivers and lakes, and if there is a human heart, there will be humanity, there will be humanity, and there will be a human nature, and it is necessary to live in the way of dealing with the world.
So here to complain: getting along with foreigners is very simple, there is no need to twist and turn the way of dealing with the world, such a value, in the end, who passed on.
Getting closer to your friends and letting your friends underestimate your strengths can make your friends feel superior, so that they will not resent you.
Like the godfather, he is always respected, and it is difficult for anyone to be dissatisfied with him, even at the meeting of the five major families, the presiding officer said: He is too modest...
And closer to the enemy, let the enemy overestimate your shortcomings, often can be unexpected, attack it unprepared!
For example, Mike always launched an offensive attack inadvertently by the enemy, hitting the other party by surprise, so it was so, so it was true when attacking the five major families.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="111" >03, always keep a cautious state</h1>
The old godfather, Victor, greeted his youngest son, Mike, after a meeting with the five families.
In the garden, the old godfather Victor talks to Mike.
Here, it is not just the "handover" of the old and new godfathers. It was also the last instruction when Victor passed on his life's experience to Mike.
Victor passed it on to Mike, just one sentence: It took me a lifetime to learn to be careful, and women and children can be careless, but men can't.
From an ordinary Sicilian teenager, Verdo went from step to peak and eventually became the "Great Godfather".
Although the hardships and hardships of this road are not mentioned in the film, after becoming the godfather, he is still in danger and ambushed, so it can be seen that his road to success must be full of ups and downs and dangers.
Therefore, the Godfather was careful throughout his life.
Obviously, the care of the old godfather is useful:
On Christmas Eve, the godfather and the second son Fredo went to buy peace fruits, encountered an ambush, in the moment of walking out of the fruit shop, Vido sensed the danger, quickly rushed to the side of the car, Ferredo was frightened and could not even hold the weapon, when he saw his father collapsed in a pool of blood, he could only cry helplessly.
I have to say that the narrative technique of "The Godfather" is simply textbook-level.
This paragraph alone is perfectly carried forward from top to bottom, and several details are integrated.
The godfather's three sons have different personalities, the eldest son Sonny is grumpy, but he is very good to his family, the second son, Fredo, is timid and afraid of things, and it is difficult to become a big instrument, and the younger son Mike, most like himself, has courage and strategy, and has also joined the army...
So the Godfather has always cultivated Sonny to be his successor, hoping that Mike can become a politician in the future, and as for the timid and fearful Fredo, under Sonny's protection, it is enough to live a stable life...
When the Godfather was ambushed, Ferredo's weapon fell directly to the ground, completely unable to provide firepower assistance to the Godfather.
This makes a more significant depiction of Ferredo's "uselessness".
At the same time, this description not only inherits Ferredo's timidity, but also shows the vigilance of the godfather: when Vido sensed that something was wrong, he ran back in time to avoid the "beheading" of the assassination operation, although he was seriously injured in the end, but he saved his life.
After being taken to the hospital, the doctor said: "It is a miracle that he is still alive."
This also laid the groundwork for The Hero of Victor to give Mike the final advice when he was late.
The godfather's lifelong successful experience has only two words: be careful
The Godfather was very cautious and careful throughout his life, so he avoided most of the dangers and finally died well.
In fact, if you look at the "Godfather" trilogy coherently, you will find that the "law of caution" of the Godfather also echoes the rebellion of Mike in his later years...
In life, everything you do, you should be careful, cautious, there is always nothing wrong with it.
This is the godfather's survival law, and with the ability to survive, the godfather can go to the peak.
【Summary】:
The life of Victor Don Corleone is a legend.
So in my opinion: it is not so much that the Godfather is the Bible of men, but rather that the old Godfather is the "textbook" of men.
Just "never talk about business at the dinner table" is enough for many people to study for a lifetime...
Wei Duo is like the wine sword immortal in "The Legend of the Immortal Sword", just by teaching Li Xiaoyao a style of royal swordplay, Li Xiaoyao can become a second-rate master in the world.
If the world can learn the old godfather's one-and-a-half moves, only to be afraid, they can have extraordinary achievements.