深圳市新安中学高二(9)班 陈昀 指导老师 邓健 汤颖

Hollywood movie “The Godfather” is as much about family as it is about crime. I have seen it four times and want to share my thoughts about it.

Vito Corleone is the head of the most powerful New York mafia family of the late 1940s. He is called the “Godfather” or “Don Corleone” by those who know him. His favorite son, Michael, who is not interested in the family “business,” defies his father by enlisting in the Marines to fight in World War II and returned as a captain and war hero. He attends his sister’s wedding with his girlfriend. He has been away for a long time so his father is overjoyed to see him.

The following Christmas, a drug trafficker asks the Godfather for aid, but the Godfather is morally opposed to selling drugs. The drug trafficker joins forces with other mafia families to try to assassinate the Godfather. The Godfather is shot and left in a critical condition.

After saving his father from a second assassination attempt, Michael persuades his hotheaded eldest brother Sonny, family advisor Tom Hagen and commander Sal Tessio to let him take revenge. After murdering a corrupt police captain and the drug trafficker, Michael flees to Sicily. He spends several years on the island as war rages between Mafia families in New York.

Michael marries a local girl who is later killed in a failed assassination attempt on him. Sonny is also murdered. When the Godfather regains consciousness, he whispers, “Where is Michael?”

Michael comes back after his father engages in successful peace talks with his rivals. His father becomes his mentor. After his father dies, Michael takes power and carries out revenge attacks on the family’s enemies.

We can learn a lot about life through this movie. Sometimes, we have to make sacrifices for family, friends, society and ourselves. There are always obstacles, and some may be impossible to overcome.

I often turn to this movie during times of trouble. And the sequel is even better.