Francis Ford Coppola In The Godfather (Photo Credit – Instagram)

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Francis Ford Coppola approached The Godfather with a bold vision. He didn’t always stick to the plan, which made all the difference. While certain rules were set for the shoot, especially around how the camera should move and what it should show, Coppola knew when to bend those rules and, more importantly, when to ignore them completely.

How Coppola Broke the Rules for Vito Corleone’s Shooting Scene

One major example comes during the attempt on Vito Corleone’s life. Most of the film was shot at eye-level, which served as a perfect choice to pull viewers straight into the rooms with the Corleone family.

According to Screenrant, this approach came from cinematographer Gordon Willis, who wanted the audience to feel like quiet observers inside the mafia world. However, Francis Ford Coppola had something else in mind for the moment when Vito gets shot. He insisted on showing the scene from above and captured the action from high above the street.

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