Communication In The Godfather Essays - English-language Films

Communication In The Godfather Vito Corleone is one of the main characters in the movie The Godfather. Throughout the movie Vito gives numerous speeches to the men who work for him, do business with him, and ask favors of him. His style is unusual for a man with all of his power, but it is very effective. His style could be a good example to anyone who is in a management position working with subordinates as well as anyone working in sales or any other position where there is contact with potential business partners. In this paper I will be analyzing Vito's speaking style. First, I will discuss a brief history of Vito Corleone's life to put his speaking into perspective. Next I will discuss his speaking style in different situations. Finally I will look at the reactions to his speaking and his overall speaking effectiveness. Vito Corleone was born with the last name Andoline. He was born in Corleone, Sicily, in the early 1900's. When Vito was twelve-years old his family was murdered and fearing for his own life he immigrated to the United States. Young Vito did not want to be discovered so he did not give the immigration officer on Ellis Island his last name. The officer had to put some name down so the officer choose to use the town that Vito was from as his last name. After hiding out for a few years with relatives, Vito went to work in a grocery store in New York's Hell's Kitchen. At the age of eighteen, Vito married an Italian girl who had just arrived from Sicily. Vito continued to work at the grocery store until a local offshoot Mafia member made the grocery store owner give Vito's job to his nephew. Until that point Vito had never done anything illegal. Out of a job, Vito reluctantly helped a neighbor hide some illegal guns for a few dollars. Vito eventually made friends with his neighbor Peter Clemenza, and his neighbor's partner Tessio. A few weeks later Vito reluctantly agreed to high jack a truck with Clemenza and Tessio. Each of them cleared at least a thousand dollars from the heights. The local smalltime Mafia leader who had cost Vito his job heard about the truck heist. This local Mafia leader demanded a cut from the three young men. Vito, Clemenza, and Tessio were torn between paying the money that they worked so hard for, or keeping the money and becoming an enemy of the leader. Vito decided to hold out and not pay the amount the Mafia leader was asking. Clemenza and Tessio reluctantly agreed to let Vito handle the situation. Vito Corleone, after a clever discussion with the Mafia leader, used an ambush to kill the Mafia leader. Vito was still not interested in organized crime, he just had wanted to keep all of his money. Clemenza and Tessio were noticing that no new Mafia member had taken over now that the original leader had been killed. Clemenza spoke to Vito saying, Nobody is collecting from the store owners. Nobody is collecting from the card games and gambling in the neighborhood. Tessio then said, We could take over his customers. They would pay us. Vito shrugged, I have no interest in such things. Slowly Vito realized that his neighbors viewed him differently now. Vito was treated as a man of respect by everyone now. When a widow had a problem with her landlord kicking her out, she surprising came to Vito for help. When he spoke to the landlord at the widows request, the landlord was rude and insulted that Vito would even step into his personal business. Vito remained polite and as he was leaving said, Do me this service, eh? I won't forget it. Ask your friends in the neighborhood about me, they'll tell you I'm a man who believes in showing his gratitude. The landlord immediately made inquiries about Vito Corleone. He visited Vito that vary night, assuring Vito that it had been a dreadful misunderstanding and he not only let the widow stay, but he reduced her rent. The landlord was so afraid that he stayed out of town for a few weeks. Vito Corleone was reputed to be a member of