Power and liturgy in the movie «The Godfather»

Abstract

The movie «The Godfather» (entitled «O padrinho» in Portugal, and «O poderoso chefão», in Brazil) is a «gangster» movie, about a Mafia family, about a power formed outside the law. The conquest, maintenance and defense of the power are done using the violence, including murder. The subject I propose to expose and defend in this article is that the Corleone’s power is not a despotical one, but a highly controlled power, conducted by a code of honour, kinship, friendship. That’s right for one hand, and otherwise, that the practice of this power has a strong symbolical component, a liturgical component, as I am going to demonstrate.