The Godfather
EST V ACT domestic box office revenue
$119 – 131MM V $136MM
Mythosis universal quests used
3
Audience appeal
28.8 – 32.0%
Script Score
1.01
Mario Puzo’s best-selling novel was made into a blockbuster crime film by Francis Ford Coppola. The Godfather’s Plot Structure is set into motion by Don Vito’s stance against drugs which threatens to destroy his family. Don Vito’s quest mirrors that of Demeter from Greek mythology. Don Vito’s refusal to Solozzo’s proposal is a mirror of Demeter’s refusal of Hades’ proposal and the trigger to separation, loss and recovery of a loved one.
1. The invisible plot structure of The Godfather
1A. The script of Godfather borrows 94% of its events from 4 mythological tales
Don Vito’s quest is driven by the desire to protect loved ones. The quest borrows events from the tale of Demeter in Greek mythology. Both Demeter and Don Vito embark on saving their abducted loved one.
Barzini’s quest is driven by the desire to dominate others. The quest borrows events from the tale of Circe in Greek mythology. Both Circe and Barzini create a façade to take control.
Michael‘s quest is driven by the desire to be in a safe environment. The quest borrows events from the tale of Odysseus in Greek mythology. Odysseus and Michael navigate their way back through hostile environment.
Sonny & Tom mirror the quest of Family & Honour but both the quests are underdeveloped.
NOTE: Detailed mirroring of each character’s primary quest to their respective mythological tales is in section “3A. Quests of characters and their mythological counterparts”
Mythosis plot structure
# 17,971
Tales interweaved
Circe, Demeter & Odysseus
I. How does interweaving mythological tales lead to infinite story plots?
II. Can the pursuit of a Desire have more than one quest?
2. The potential of Godfather’s plot structure: $119 – 131MM
The interweaving of 32 mythological tales can generate a billion unique stories. By using these 32 tales, we can extract the plot structure of any story across various genres. Our study of blockbuster, hit, and flop plot structures led to the discovery of the Mythosis Code, a set of principles for creating compelling stories. The plot structure of a story is analyzed to see how well it adheres to these storytelling principles.
2A. Plot structure evaluation of The Godfather
- All Blockbusters have at least 3 universal quests. The Matrix uses 3 universal quests of Power, Family & Tranquillity.
- In Blockbusters, each universal quest is mirrored by ONLY ONE character. In The Godfather, Don Vito mirrors the quest of Family. Barzini mirrors the quest of Power. Michael mirrors the quest of Tranquillity.
- Every Blockbuster character borrows at least 35% of the universal quest. In The Godfather, the depth of all quests is below the threshold. Don Vito borrows 38% of the quest of Family. Barzini borrows 34% of the quest of Power. Michael borrows 38% of the quest of Tranquillity.
- Blockbusters have a quest interweaving threshold of 0.5. Interweaving occurs when events of 2 quests occur simultaneously in the story. The Godfather has a perfect quest interweaving score of 1.
An example of interweaving the quests of Don Vito & Barzini:
2B. Box office revenue estimation of The Godfather
The Godfather uses 3 universal quests where each universal quest is mirrored by ONLY ONE character. Every character borrows at least 35% of events from their quest. Lastly, all the quests are interwoven to create a tight plot structure.
The Script Score measures a plot structure’s adherence to the four principles of Mythosis Code. We use the Script Score to estimate a movie’s audience appeal & revenues. Blockbuster plot structures have a score of at least 0.64 and appeal to 20% of the audiences.
Script Score
1.01
Audience appeal
28.8 – 32.0%
I. How is Mythosis Code used to estimate revenues?
II. Aren’t box-office revenues influenced by several factors beyond just the story plot?
3. The ideal plot structure of The Godfather
We have identified 32 mythological tales, the superset of all tales across cultures. The quests of these tales have also recurred over time periods. They represent human behaviours that are deeply embedded in our shared memories. Each tale is the richest expression of the pursuit of a human desire. The tales have a unique pattern of events spread over 5 major arcs.
Mapping a character’s quest to the relevant mythological tale reveals the gaps in their quest, if any. Plugging these gaps with the missing events deepens the character quest. The missing events also provide an opportunity for interweaving the various quests. These events strengthen the story and unlock its hidden potential.
3A.Quest of characters and their mythological counterparts
Quest 1: Don Vito mirrors the universal quest for Family
Don Vito’s desire for Family stems from the need to confront offenders. The tale of Demeter from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Family.
Quest 2: Michael mirrors the universal quest for Tranquillity
Michael’s desire for Tranquillity stems from the need to be in secure surroundings. The tale of Odysseus from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Tranquillity.
Quest 3: Barzini mirrors the universal quest for Power
Barzini’s desire for Power stems from the need to dominate others. The tale of Circe from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Power.
3B.Gaps in the current plot structure
In Godfather’s plot structure, we discovered the first principles of storytelling.
3C.Unlocking the hidden potential
The plot of Godfather is a subset of Mythosis plot structure # 17,971. It emerges from interweaving the tales of Circe, Demeter & Odysseus.
Contact us for The Godfather’s plot structure # 17,971.
Tags: Odysseus, Tranquillity, Demeter, Family, Circe, Power, Francis Ford Coppola, Mario Puzo, Paramount Pictures, 1972