Michael Corleone is the greatest character in all of film. I watched The Godfather Part II this evening, and I contemplated this as I watched.
No single character undergoes as much turmoil (both internal and external) throughout their films as Michael. Originally, Michael rejects the business of his family. He is purely idealistic, so much so, that he leaves the firm who recently hired him to instead serve as a marine during The Second World War. He places a higher value on his country than his family. Upon his discharge, he enters a relationship with a non-Italian woman, and begins a new life separate from his family’s.
However, fate does not allow this to happen. Michael has the family business thrust upon him when it becomes clear that only he can steer the family through the attempted assassination of his father, Don Vito. When Sonny is killed, Michael is the only legitimate candidate for the next Godfather. Despite his, and his father’s wishes, he must carry the burden of overseeing the family. Michael sets asides his desires for an honest living, in order to protect the respect of his family, which he now values above all else.
Unlike his father, this burden always weighs on Michael. He is never able to escape from the feeling that he must sacrifice in order to preserve the lives of those he cares about. Neither is he able to cope with the separation, which is a necessity, between himself and his wife. Eventually Michael is overtaken by his fatal need for vengeance. When need arises, Michael is ruthless, using his supreme intelligence and strategy to destroy all of his adversaries. During these times, Michael’s ideals and actions are in direct opposition with each other. He constantly relies on criminal action in his attempt to legitimize the family. Ultimately, he is never able to reconcile this difference, which is the great tragedy of his narrative.
Michael is a character of seemingly infinite depth. The only rival I could think of would be Rick from Casablanca. However, at least in my book, Michael sits above even the great romantic of Casablanca as the greatest character in all of film.
What are your thoughts?
6 Comments
I think Michael is a far more nuanced character than Rick. Just sayin’.
At first glance, I always thought Rick was fairly straightforward as well. However, the more times I watch Casablanca, the more depth I see in his character.
Specifically, in his opinion towards the war, and his willingness or reservations about joining the cause at various points in his life. Also, we never know for sure exactly what his feelings are towards Illsa at the end (or hers for him for that matter).
Despite the fact that Rick is the king of shallow one-liners, he hides his depth well, and it comes out more every time I rewatch the movie.
I think Jean Valjean from Les Mis is a pretty complex character, it was also a movie… so i hope that counts. I also think that Blondie from Good, Bad and the Ugly deserves a mention, Billy Costigan from the departed, Pvt Joker from Full Metal Jacket, or even shindler from shindlers list. Personally i love all those character minus Billy Costigan, but i think Shindler was the most deeply troubled by circumstance.- Ok maybe blondie doesn’t deserve a mention, but he was an amazing character anyways.
Valjean doesn’t seem too complex to me, if memory serves. He was sent to jail for a crap reason and mistreated, so he wants revenge on those that condemned him in the first place.
Billy Costigan is a great character.
Valjean, in my opinion, was trapped between two worlds. A world of responsibility and a world where he could just be free. He was always trying to escape his criminal past, while trying to live up to the man the abott (the guy that gave him the silver, wanted him to be). This all occured while he was trying to live his own life or the little bit of his own life that he had. This is the movie version which elongates Valjeans part a little more than the Play, which extensively focuses on Cossette and Marius as well.
Billy Costigan was a good character, i just thought he was a whiney little bitch in parts of the movie. Something that the other characters i mentioned werent.
I agree with you on Schindler. I only saw parts of Full Metal Jacket, so I can’t make full judgment on that one. I still need to see The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (even though there is a poster of it in my basement). Didn’t really like The Departed as much as most people, but I need to watch it more than once.
I’ll let Les Mis stand as the play, rather than the movie.