Class Act November 28th

Reflect on class conversations providing relevant feedback: this is your chance to add your comments if we missed you in class.

The conversations we had during class were very useful in order for us to get a better understanding about the movies and process what was going on. The conversations we had made us realize and look at things we may have missed if we were not discussing it.

One of the discussion we had was about the amount of times Don Corleone was shot. He was shot 5 times and this showed to be somehow tied to Jesus Christ, he was christened five times and came back to life. The discussion helped us make a connection to religion and the story of Christ and how the amount of times Don Corleone was shot related to that. Some people also look at Jesus Christ as god and this could also connect to the fact that Don Corleone’s character had some characteristics that ‘God’ might have. By this I mean his character had connections of all sorts and was feared and admired by many. God is also feared in many religions since of a Judgment Day of some sort and he is admired, worshipped as well. He is also respected by a lot of people and he demands respect as well.

Another discussion we had in class was about the color of the dress of Kay Adams, Michael Corleone’s girlfriend. In all the scenes so far, she is shown wearing a bright red colored dress. It really makes her stand out and shows that she is somewhat like an outsider. The color of the dress could be described as bright, red, maroon but in our class discussion we have come to the conclusion of the color scarlet. We made a movie to text connection and therefore discussed the name the Scarlet Women. I went on to research more about it and it may refer to A prostitute, The Whore of Babylon, a figure in the Book of Revelation Babalon, a figure in Thelema. This makes me questions the motives of Kay Adams and makes me think more critically about her character rather than just looking at her as the pretty face that is always with Michael when she is seen. It raises questions such as Is she unfaithful or dishonest? Not only relationship wise but maybe she is connected to the Coleones rivals the Solatzos. Or perhaps her character really approves of that color. However we know that twice is a considence and three times is a pattern. I will have to continue watching the film to find out.

Another topic we discussed was the role of Clemenza. He is shown reciting to Michael how to cook some traditional Italian meals. Also teasing him about telling his girlfriend he loves her. He is shown slowly mentoring Michael with his interest in revenge on the Sollazo’s and McCluskey with the special gun that is untraceable. Clemenza shows him how to use it and is guiding him with the gun. The gun was also extra noisy and the ultimate killing machine and according to Joseph Campbell’s theory, it would go under The Magic Weapon or The Special Weapon.

The conversations we had in class helped us look at the movie more critically and analyze it. If we were to watch it outside of an academic topic and for recreational purposes, we may have missed out on some of the tircks and literary devices the writers and director used in the film.