How do you watch the movies? What do you remember after the credits fade away? Do you remember “Take the gun, leave the cannoli”, or think how did it happen that Michael died as a lonely, forsaken man? Are you horrified by a headless horse, or by an enormity of senseless killing one man can carry out in his lifetime? If you are the latter viewer, I want to talk to you about the Murano family saga.
The Godfather trilogy is my favorite epic. A masterpiece from an every angle. 9 Oscars, when the award still meant something. I watched it several times, and each time I discovered something new. I see it as a tragedy showing how much destruction can one set of morals bring about to the people around. The Corleone family gets the power and uses it to gain even more. All this at the enormous cost. At the end, Vito’s and Michael’s life is marked with dead bodies of not only their enemies, but also of their closest family members. They both leave a path of destruction after selling their souls to the devil of power.
The Murano family saga is different.
Dr. Jack Murano fights his demons with the only goal to keep the family together. To the point of endangering his professional position, and even risking his health and life. And, at the end, after a heroic effort, he fights not only put them back together, but even grows his clan.
The difference is between chaos and build up, forces of destruction and recreation, death and a new life. Between making a pact with the Devil and fighting him.
At the end, while Michael Corleone dies a lonely death, Jack Murano enjoys a rich family life.
Having given a choice, would you rather be Michael Corleone or Jack Murano?
