How the Godfather Movies Used Opera Music

The Godfather movies are considered some of the best films ever made. But did you know that the music played a huge role in setting the tone for the movies? In this blog post, we’ll explore how the Godfather movies used opera music to create an unforgettable experience.

The Godfather

It would be hard to overestimate the effect of The Godfather on American popular culture. The Godfather movies are some of the most popular and well-known films of all time. They are also responsible for making opera music more popular with a wider audience.

The use of opera in The Godfather

The Godfather trilogy is renowned for its brilliant use of music. From the very first scene in which Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) is shot, then cradled in his daughter’s arms to the strains of Sonny Bono’s “I Got You Babe”, to Michael Corleone’s (Al Pacino) reflections on his life set against ‘Nel blu dipinto di blu’ (‘Volare’) by Domenico Modugno, the music heightens the drama and tells us things about the characters that they cannot or will not say themselves.

One of the most striking and memorable uses of music in The Godfather is the inclusion of several scenes in which opera is playing. These scenes serve a number of purposes: they show us that the Corleones are cultured and sophisticated (in contrast to their violent activities), they contrast sharply with the brutality of the gangster world, and they provide a commentary on the action that is taking place.

In one particularly memorable scene, we see Michael Corleone at an opera performance with his new wife, Apollonia. As they watch Verdi’s Rigoletto, Michael begins to cry; we later learn that he is thinking about his father and how Don Vito had once taken him to see Rigoletto when he was a boy. The music thus serves as a reminder of happier times and a symbol of Michael’s lost innocence.

The operatic scenes in The Godfather are not simply there for decoration or atmosphere; they play an important role in conveying both character and plot information. By paying close attention to these scenes, we can gain a greater understanding of both the characters and the world in which they operate.

The Godfather Part II

The Godfather Part II is a 1974 American crime epic that expands on the Original film. The sequel was directed by Francis Ford Coppola and stars Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, and Robert De Niro.

While The Godfather told the story of Don Vito Corleone’s (Marlon Brando) rise to power, The Godfather Part II presents the backstory of his son Michael Corleone (Al Pacino).

In flashbacks, we see a young Vito Corleone (Robert De Niro) arriving in America in 1901 after his family is murdered in Sicily. We also witness Michael’s ascension to power following his father’s retirement. In the present day, we see Michael as an old man (Pacino) struggling to hold on to power as his family begins to crumble around him.

One of the most memorable aspects of The Godfather Part II is its use of operatic music. In particular, the film features several excerpts from Giuseppe Verdi’s opera Il trovatore.

The first time we hear Il trovatore is during the flashback scene in which Vito Corleone arrives in New York City. We see him disembarking from a ship and making his way through a crowd of people. As he does so, we hear the opening bars of “Anvil Chorus” from Il trovatore playing on the soundtrack.

Later in the film, we hear “Anvil Chorus” again during a montage sequence in which we see Michael expanding his criminal empire. This time, however, the music is played at a faster tempo and with a different instrumentation, giving it a more sinister feeling.

The use of “Anvil Chorus” in these two scenes helps to establish a connection between Vito and Michael Corleone. Both men are presented as powerful and ruthless leaders who will stop at nothing to achieve their goals. The music reinforces this idea by emphasizing their similarities instead of their differences.

The Godfather Part III

The Godfather Part III is a 1990 American crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola from a screenplay by Mario Puzo and Coppola. It completes the story of Michael Corleone, a Mafia kingpin who attempts to legitimize his criminal empire.

The film includes several operatic scenes, and the use of opera music serves to underscore various dramatic moments throughout the film. One such moment occurs during a key scene near the end of the film, when Michael visits his sister Connie (Talia Shire) and her family. As he watches Connie’s young son Anthony performing in an amateur production of Cavalleria Rusticana, Michael is reminded of his own youth and his father Vito’s criminal past. The poignant music in this scene underlines both Michael’s nostalgia and his sense of regret for the choices he has made in his own life.

Other operatic scenes in The Godfather Part III include a performance of Aida at the Metropolitan Opera, and a fictional opera called Il Padrino, which is based on the events of the first two Godfather films. The use of opera music throughout the film creates a sense of tragedy and grandeur, which fits with the film’s themes of family, loyalty, and betrayal.

Other movies that use opera

The Godfather movies are not the only ones that have used opera music. In fact, many movies have used opera music to great effect. Some of these movies include The Untouchables, Titanic, and The Pianist. Let’s take a look at some of these other movies and how they used opera music.

The Untouchables

The Untouchables is another movie that uses opera to great effect. In this 1987 gangster film, which is set in the Prohibition era, opera is used to contrast the violence of the characters with the beauty of the music. In one scene, for example, two gangsters are gunned down in a hail of bullets, while in the next scene, an opera singer performs an aria from Puccini’s Madame Butterfly.

Goodfellas

Opera music also plays an important role in Goodfellas. Martin Scorcese’s film tells the true story of Henry Hill, a small-time gangster in New York who rises through the ranks of the Mafia. In one scene, Hill (played by Ray Liotta) is waiting to meet his boss, Paulie Cicero (played by Paul Sorvino), at an Italian restaurant. As he waits, he fantasizes about what it would be like to be a made man—a full member of the Mafia. He imagines himself sitting at a table with other made men, surrounded by luxury and abundance. And as he imagines this scene, we hear the aria “Nessun dorma” from Puccini’s opera Turandot playing in the background.

The Sopranos

The use of opera in the “The Sopranos” helped create one of the most iconic television shows of all time. The Godfather movies are not only some of the greatest films ever made, but they are also great examples of how music can be used to create a certain mood and feeling. In the first film, Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) is introduced to opera by his future wife, Apollonia (Simonetta Stefanelli). He is immediately entranced by the music and its ability to transport him to another world. This is such an important moment in the film because it helps establish Michael’s character. He is a man who is drawn to beauty and culture, but who is also capable of great violence. The use of opera in the Godfather films helps create a rich and textured world that feels real and grounded, despite the often fantastic things that happen within it.

Opera also plays an important role in “The Sopranos.” In one memorable scene, Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) attends a performance of “La Bohème” with his family and friends. As he sits in the audience, he has a vision of his late mother, Livia (Nancy Marchand), sitting next to him. This vision is so powerful that it leads Tony to believe that his mother is trying to send him a message from the other side. The use of opera in this scene helps underscore the emotional power of Tony’s relationship with his mother, as well as the intensity of his grief over her death. It also serves as a reminder that, despite all of the terrible things he has done, Tony is still capable of feeling great love and compassion.