The Godfather: A Movie Classic Full of Life Lessons for Men

This is a movie that everyone has seen or at least have heard off. It has given us so many cultural & iconic scenes that permeate our culture even to today despite being released over 50 years ago. 

We learn terms like: 

“Going to the mattresses” which means preparing for battle and going to war with your rivals.

 "Leave the gun, Take the Cannoli"  which according to folks at FilmFood means leave the past behind (The gun is the awfulness of the past) and look into the future (the cannoli is the anticipation of a sweet future).

Or the much repeated quote: 

“It’s not personal, it’s business.” Something many people say when they do something awful. But it is also a good frame. Remove emotion for your decisions. And do not lose your temper and head. Something that I’m still learning. Losing your cool can be fatal as what happened to the elder brother Sonny. 

But I love the family drama, it’s a classic American story with the only difference being that this is an American gangster family. Of loyalty and treachery. And vendetta and plenty of violence. And ultimately it’s about power. 

Yet the themes that stick out to me really are about the importance of family and loyalty to the family. You do whatever it takes to help and protect your family. Family first and always. As Michael Corleone tells his brother Fredo: 

“Don’t ever take sides against the family ever again. Ever.” 

I appreciate how the Corleone’s stress old traditional masculine virtues as well. 

“You spend time with your family? Good. Cause a man that doesn’t spend time with his family can never be a real man.”

So many gems. Don Vito Corleone in one of his last conversations with his youngest son and successor, explains why he did all the things he did in his criminal syndicate life: “I worked my whole life, I don’t apologize, to take care of my family. And I refused to be a fool, dancing on the strings of all those big shots. I don’t apologize, it’s my life.”

Can’t agree with this more. And you don’t need to be a mob boss to follow this still highly relevant wisdom in modern day life.