“I’ll make him an offer he cannot refuse” Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) in The Godfather I Telling the compelling story of an Italian crime family, the Corleone Family, named after the town of its Sicilian origination, the Trilogy of The Godfather has become one of the greatest sagas in movie history. Written by Mario Puzo and directed by Francis Ford Coppola, the 10 hour epic narrates the story of eight-year old Vito Andolini (Brando), escaping from the town of Corleone out of a deadly threat of a local mafia killing. Being sent to New York at the break of the 20th century he makes his way to the top of the five New York mafia families. Now feared and respected, Don Vito is known by all as the Godfather. In the course of the trilogy the aging Don rules his empire with the aid of his four sons: quick-tempered Sonny (Caan), weak Fredo (Cazale), Ivy League-educated Michael (Pacino) and adopted Tom Hagen (Duvall), nearly each of which comes to a death tragically connected to the heritage of his father. As the next generation Don of the family, “Commendatore” Michael grabs for the power and expands the business beyond the US national borders becoming the ruthless and fiercely powerful head of a conglomerate of drug and gambling businesses, backed by top-level corruption, killings and betrayal. Distinct to common gangster movies, the often colliding interests of old friends, business partners and enemies makes this movie a fine tuned masterpiece on the complexity of friendship, trust, honor and politics. For the purpose of this paper, prior knowledge of the movie eases the understanding of the sometimes long reaching and fine notions in the characters actions. Nonetheless the presented background information on the course of actions will be sufficient to enable the reader to fully understand the implications of each analyzed move. Subject of this analysis will be the Don’s reach for the control for an international business conglomerateImmobiliare.Several parties are striving for this position in the third part of the epic, often using third parties for their moves, following different but not always mutually exclusive objectives. [...]
Table of Contents
1. Background
1.1 History
1.2 Parties and Interests
1.2.1 Michael Corleone
1.2.2 International Immobiliare
1.2.3 The Vatican Bank
1.2.4 The Other Families
2. The Players
2.1 Michael Corleone
2.2 Don Altobello
2.3 Archbishop Gilday
2.4 Don Lucchesi
3. Negotiations
3.1 Michael's Preparation
3.2 Issues
3.3 Strategy of the Vatican Bank
3.4 Strategy of Don Lucchesi
3.5 Public Legitimacy
3.6 The Banker's Vote
3.7 Keeping Rivals Out of the Deal
3.8 Negotiation Outcomes
4. Lessons
Research Objective and Topics
This paper examines the complex negotiation dynamics surrounding the acquisition of the international conglomerate "Immobiliare" as depicted in The Godfather Part III, analyzing how the protagonist, Michael Corleone, attempts to legitimize his family business while navigating competing interests and betrayals.
- Strategic negotiation and the pursuit of corporate legitimacy
- Game theoretical analysis of trust, betrayal, and conflict resolution
- The influence of criminal power structures on high-stakes business deals
- Conflict management between competing interest groups (The Vatican, Mafia families, business entities)
- The impact of communication failures on achieving Pareto improvements
Excerpt from the Book
Keeping Rivals Out of the Deal
The blood bath at the Atlantic City meeting unveils the existence of a new, very powerful opponent for Michael. So far Joey Saza, a “small time enforcer” has distracted Michael’s attention from the real enemy. Don Altobello’s retirement to Sicily indicates the storm clouding the horizon. Altobello has always kept the peace between the Sicilian and American families. Altobello advises Michael to retire and to get out of the Immobiliare deal. Now Michael understands that Altobello has crossed his back and switched sides to a more powerful party. Michael still offers his friendship (“What do you know about the new people in Italy?”) and invites him to walk side-by-side (“You still have your fingers on the strings. Let’s see more of each other in Sicily.”) This is a smart move, since Altobello has no reason to fear Michael. He thinks that Michael still has no clue. Therefore he falls for Michael’s nephew Vincent who pretends to betray Michael. Vincent is Michael’s agent in this game, spying on their moves and giving Michael the chance to be ahead.
Summary of Chapters
Background: Provides an overview of the narrative context from The Godfather trilogy and identifies the primary parties (Michael, Immobiliare, the Vatican, and other crime families) involved in the central conflict.
The Players: Profiles the key actors involved in the negotiation, detailing their strategic motives, relationships, and roles within the power struggle.
Negotiations: Analyzes the specific tactical maneuvers, legitimacy-seeking efforts, and the breakdown of communication that leads to the disastrous conclusion of the Immobiliare deal.
Lessons: Reflects on the negotiation process using game theory, emphasizing how the absence of trust and the persistence of criminal strategies destroyed potential value for all stakeholders.
Keywords
Negotiation, Immobiliare, Michael Corleone, The Godfather, Game Theory, Legitimacy, Vatican Bank, Conflict Resolution, Strategy, Power, Trust, Business Ethics, Mafia, Stakeholder Management, Pareto Improvement.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper focuses on analyzing the negotiation processes and strategic maneuvers within the film "The Godfather Part III," specifically regarding the acquisition of the international conglomerate Immobiliare.
What are the primary themes discussed?
The main themes include strategic negotiation, the struggle for institutional legitimacy, the impact of broken trust on business agreements, and the dynamics of power in both legal and criminal worlds.
What is Michael Corleone’s ultimate goal in these negotiations?
Michael aims to distance himself and his family from their criminal past by securing the legitimate Immobiliare conglomerate, thereby ensuring his children's future and achieving personal peace of mind.
Which scientific framework is applied to this case study?
The author uses a game-theoretical perspective to interpret the behavior of the parties, analyzing the failure to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes as a breakdown in cooperation and trust.
What does the main body cover?
The main body examines the specific "players," their conflicting strategies, the steps taken to achieve public legitimacy, the negotiations with the Vatican, and the ultimate failure to prevent violent escalation.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include negotiation, Immobiliare, game theory, legitimacy, trust, and stakeholder management within a high-stakes, quasi-corporate, and criminal environment.
Why did the acquisition deal eventually lead to tragedy?
The tragedy resulted from the incompatibility of interests, the inability to establish a zone of possible agreement, and the persistent betrayal by key partners like Altobello and the Vatican, which made conflict inevitable.
How does Michael attempt to build legitimacy with the Vatican?
Michael attempts to establish legitimacy through a massive donation of 100 million dollars to the poor of Sicily, which is processed through the Vatican Bank to signal his status as a wealthy, responsible benefactor.
- Quote paper
- Markus Bruetsch (Author), 2005, Strategies and Processes of Negotiations, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/57937
