Italian-ness

Below is a discussion I wrote for my Screening Cosa Nostra class on a scene from The Godfather.

The link to the scene is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKBcRU5tPco

In this scene, Michael appears to be conflicted with his relation to his Italian-ness. Two lines highlight this, as well as elements of mise-en-scene such as figure behavior and setting. The first line is when Sollozzo says "I'm gonna speak Italian to Mike," in which Michael complies by responding in Italian. However, his responses are short and eyes alert, with Michael's figure behavior being very stiff. We start to see his stray from Italian-ness when he speaks in English again, asking for a guarantee. He wanted to make sure the Captain also heard him assert some dominance at the table, and perhaps prove that he is not so similar to his Italian family.

The second line is also by Sollozo, when he says "you're Italian just like you're father." This line seemed to trigger a conflicted reaction, while also calling out the discomfort Sollozo notices in Michael. The audience knows it too given his clean record, history of staying out of the family business, and military experience. The loud sound effects in the background at this point, running through Mike's mind, highlight this even more. Michael may have been uncomfortable with his position and killing people outside of the military, perhaps because he felt disconnected from the act of murder rather than the protection of the country. He must have been reconsidering the commitment he made to the family business, which explains the long pause he took after leaving the bathroom. He sits back down at the table and waits- a choice he made instead of obeying his Italian family's orders. His time in the bathroom seemed frantic and angry, not only at Sollozo and McCluskey but also with his family and himself. He appears to simultaneously hate and accept his Italian-ness at this moment, but a shift occurs when he drops the gun after killing the men. At that moment, his walk and mood nearly embrace his new role and accept his Italian-ness. The setting being an Italian restaurant re-enforces this acceptance, as Michael likely felt comfortable with the murder taking place there.