Michael+Corleone

=Michael Corleone= By Brady Knight

Michael Corleone is a major character in the Godfather series of books and movies. He becomes the head of the Corleone family of the Mafia. Despite his ostensible goal of legitimizing the family business, by the end of the first movie, he has gained a reputation for being even more cutthroat than his predecessor, his father. Over the course of three films, he only kills 2 people personally; however, he orders the assassinations of 14 other people (7 in the first film alone), most notably his own brother, Fredo. Despite being the protagonist of The Godfather, he is vicious, ruthless, and heartless. He claims to want to "clean up" the family business, yet he strikes down opposition without hesitation. Even Fredo, whom he professes to love, is killed for siding with an enemy of the Corleone family. As head of a criminal syndicate, Michael is also indirectly involved in other crimes such as drug dealing and racketeering, crimes that make him rich.

Quote: "If anything in this life is certain, if history has taught us anything, it is that you can kill anyone." - Michael Corleone, The Godfather: Part II

This picture shows Michael just before murdering a rival and a police chief. It reveals several things about his character:
 * Obviously, he is aiming a gun at his opponent, showing his willingness to kill.
 * Furthermore, it is a snub-nosed revolver, renowned among criminals for being small and easy to conceal. This means that Michael prefers to strike suddenly, unexpectedly, and lethally. It also shows some planning for the murders, as he brought a gun that was small enough to conceal easily.
 * The look on his face is serious, but calm, indicating that he has no qualms about what he is about to do.
 * The scene occurs in a restaurant, a public place. There is even a witness behind Michael (to the right of him in this picture), showing that he is not afraid of witnesses.
 * His carefully-combed hair and nice suit and tie indicate that he considers crimes such as murder to be a dignified way to solve problems.

Video clip (20 seconds long - I hope that's okay): media type="youtube" key="8VJL1Z1-F54" height="344" width="425"