"There's no honor among thieves" is a well-known proverb. But, in The Godfather's world, there's at least a little honor among thieves. Don Corleone's attitude toward drugs is a fair example (even if he's mainly doing it so he won't lose his political connections).
For the most part though, these criminals are pretty deceitful. Michael's bodyguard, Fabrizio, tries to assassinate him, murdering Michael's wife instead. The Corleone family's henchman, Tessio, turns traitor and sides with their rival, Don Barzini. Carlo, Connie's husband, helps lead Sonny into a death trap. Lies and deceit are everywhere in this movie.
Questions about Lies and Deceit
- Which characters use deceit to their advantage, and which ultimately destroy themselves through deceit? What do they do differently?
- Can you get away with lying? Or does it inevitably come back to haunt you? In other words, can you successfully deceive your way to the top and stay there?
- Is deceit ever justifiable? In what circumstances? How about in the movie?
Chew on This
"The only form of lying that is absolutely beyond reproach is lying for its own sake."—Oscar Wilde
"Well, when I was younger, I lied all the time, because once you understand the power of lying, it's really like magic because you transform reality for people."—Louis C.K.