"I believe in America. America has made my fortune. And I raised my daughter in the American fashion. I gave her freedom but I taught her never to dishonor her family. She found a "boy friend," not an Italian. She went to the movies with him. She stayed out late. I didn't protest. Two months ago he took her for a drive, with another boy friend. They made her drink whiskey and then they tried to take advantage of her. She resisted. She kept her honor. So they beat her. Like an animal. When I went to the hospital her nose was broken. Her jaw was shattered, held together by wire. She couldn't even weep because of the pain. But I wept. Why did I weep? She was the light of my life. A beautiful girl. Now she will never be beautiful again." A lot of people just quote the first line of The Godfather's opening speech, but we think you need the whole thing for the full effect. In Bonasera's heartbreaking story of his daughter, we see both the promise and the inherent ugliness of the American dream. There's an implicit understanding that the ultimate goal is to get ahead, and whatever unsavory actors required are to be overlooked. Under these conditions, organized crime is able to thrive. The irony here is that the very system that failed to protect Bonasera's daughter is the same thing that, through its negligence and corruption, will allow the Godfather to avenge her.
Audrey Fox is an ex-film student, which means that she prefers to spend her days in the dark, watching movies and pondering the director's use of diegetic sound. She currently works as an entertainment writer, joyfully rambling about all things film and television related. Add her on Twitter at @audonamission and check out her film blog at 1001moviesandbeyond.com.
