--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: 'The Godfather' is the talismanic giant…" description: "\"'The Godfather' is the talismanic giant that hangs over everything in the gangster genre.\" — James Watkins" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d80/james-watkins-20702_everything_the-godfather-is-the-talismanic-giant-th_2198491.jpg" --- # 'The Godfather' is the talismanic giant that hangs over… ![“'The Godfather' is the talismanic giant that hangs over everything in the gangster genre.” quote by James Watkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d80/james-watkins-20702_everything_the-godfather-is-the-talismanic-giant-th_2198491.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d80/james-watkins-20702_everything_the-godfather-is-the-talismanic-giant-th_2198491.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d80/james-watkins-20702_everything_the-godfather-is-the-talismanic-giant-th_2198491.jpg) > “'The Godfather' is the talismanic giant that hangs over everything in the gangster genre.” [James Watkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-watkins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The Godfather film stands as the ultimate reference point that defines the gangster genre for all other works. **In simple terms:** The Godfather is the benchmark for gangster stories. Key Takeaway Study its influence on the genre. Themes film genre benchmark influence Mood analytical critical Type critical contextual When to use this quote - film analysis - scriptwriting - genre evolution Key Concepts cinema studies gangster archetype cultural impact Questions to Reflect On - What elements make a film a genre benchmark? - How can new works differentiate from a dominant influence? A Different Perspective It may downplay other significant contributions in the genre. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Everything](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everything/) [Gangster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gangster/) [Gangster Genre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gangster-genre-3985453/) [Genre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genre/) [Giant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giant/) [Godfather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/godfather/) [Godfather Talismanic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/godfather-talismanic-4819224/) [Over](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/over/) [Talismanic Giant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talismanic-giant-4819225/) ## Related quotes > [I've always been interested in the gangster genre, so to play Mickey Cohen was a real thrill. It's always fun to do your take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-fischler/i-ve-always-been-interested-in-the-gangster-genre-so-to-play-mickey/) [Patrick Fischler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-fischler/) > [I love the gangster genre, but how many gangster movies are there? If I get a good gangster movie script, I'll do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-king/i-love-the-gangster-genre-but-how-many-gangster-movies-are-there-if-i/) [Graham King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-king/) > [I am totally inspired by 'Godfather,' one of the greatest films made. Also, I am fascinated by the thought of how someone becomes a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thiagarajan-kumararaja/i-am-totally-inspired-by-godfather-one-of-the-greatest-films-made/) [Thiagarajan Kumararaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thiagarajan-kumararaja/) > [People love stories about the mafia: 'The Godfather,' 'American Gangster.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-statham/people-love-stories-about-the-mafia-the-godfather-american-gangster/) [Jason Statham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-statham/) > [“Looking back, I wonder why a gangster movie kidnapped my life. The Godfather had nothing to do with me. I was a feminist, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/looking-back-i-wonder-why-a-gangster-movie-kidnapped-my-life-the/) [Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) > [We want 'McMafia' to be a tense gangster story but also a family story. It's a collusion of those two worlds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-watkins/we-want-mcmafia-to-be-a-tense-gangster-story-but-also-a-family-story/) [James Watkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-watkins/) > ['The Godfather' illustrated the family values - the reality that it was really a family thing, honor and tradition. It wasn't just a single-dimension…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-vincent/the-godfather-illustrated-the-family-values-the-reality-that-it-was/) [Frank Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-vincent/) > ['The Godfather' changed the way gangsters acted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-vincent/the-godfather-changed-the-way-gangsters-acted/) [Frank Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-vincent/) > [It's ironic that at age 32, at probably the greatest moment of my career, with The Godfather having such an enormous success, I wasn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-ford-coppola/it-s-ironic-that-at-age-32-at-probably-the-greatest-moment-of-my/) [Francis Ford Coppola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-ford-coppola/) > ['The Godfather' has been a film which has influenced me a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-gopal-varma/the-godfather-has-been-a-film-which-has-influenced-me-a-lot/) [Ram Gopal Varma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-gopal-varma/) > [International affairs is very much run like the mafia. The godfather does not accept disobedience, even from a small storekeeper who doesn't pay his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/international-affairs-is-very-much-run-like-the-mafia-the-godfather/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [He knows I rip him off every day. He's the godfather for me. Nobody can say they aren't influenced by what Stevie Wonder has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-mcknight/he-knows-i-rip-him-off-every-day-he-s-the-godfather-for-me-nobody-can/) [Brian McKnight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-mcknight/) > [I was fortunate in the last century to be in the two biggest hits film-wise, 'Godfather I' and 'Godfather II,' and 'Lonesome Dove.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-duvall/i-was-fortunate-in-the-last-century-to-be-in-the-two-biggest-hits/) [Robert Duvall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-duvall/) > [I'm the Godfather of Boxing. Everything is out in the open with me. What you see is what you get.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-lamotta/i-m-the-godfather-of-boxing-everything-is-out-in-the-open-with-me/) [Jake LaMotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-lamotta/) > [I'm not saying 'The Godfather' trilogy was bad - because it was brilliant - but that was fiction. It was based on reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-vincent/i-m-not-saying-the-godfather-trilogy-was-bad-because-it-was-brilliant/) [Frank Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-vincent/) ## More by James Watkins > [If you think about the traditional mafia stories we grew up on, it is always about the death of criminal organisations - things like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-watkins/if-you-think-about-the-traditional-mafia-stories-we-grew-up-on-it-is/) [James Watkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-watkins/) > [The opportunity to be able to tell long-form character stories is something that TV affords and is therefore a terrain that a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-watkins/the-opportunity-to-be-able-to-tell-long-form-character-stories-is/) [James Watkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-watkins/) > [We want 'McMafia' to be a tense gangster story but also a family story. It's a collusion of those two worlds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-watkins/we-want-mcmafia-to-be-a-tense-gangster-story-but-also-a-family-story/) [James Watkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-watkins/) > [We think criminality is something that exists in somehow another world to us. But actually, there is an invisible criminal web in which we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-watkins/we-think-criminality-is-something-that-exists-in-somehow-another/) [James Watkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-watkins/) > [People like to see their lives mythologized in some way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-watkins/people-like-to-see-their-lives-mythologized-in-some-way/) [James Watkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-watkins/) > [As a screenwriter, you are so used to things going in directions that you wouldn't have taken, so to be able to say, 'This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-watkins/as-a-screenwriter-you-are-so-used-to-things-going-in-directions-that/) [James Watkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-watkins/) > [Directing is an act of interpretation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-watkins/directing-is-an-act-of-interpretation/) [James Watkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-watkins/) > [Parents fear for their children. Absolutely, I think it's a deep and troubling theme to explore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-watkins/parents-fear-for-their-children-absolutely-i-think-it-s-a-deep-and/) [James Watkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-watkins/) > [There are a lot of horror films out there that are nasty, but what's nasty isn't necessarily scary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-watkins/there-are-a-lot-of-horror-films-out-there-that-are-nasty-but-what-s/) [James Watkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-watkins/) > [If you look at 'The Sopranos,' there's this notion of a criminal element on its last legs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-watkins/if-you-look-at-the-sopranos-there-s-this-notion-of-a-criminal-element/) [James Watkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-watkins/) > [If you look around in London, there is a lot of dirty money. People see it as a safe haven: a bolthole to rely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-watkins/if-you-look-around-in-london-there-is-a-lot-of-dirty-money-people-see/) [James Watkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-watkins/) > [Television is ever more ambitious, more akin to the Victorian novel with multiple narratives and more discursive material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-watkins/television-is-ever-more-ambitious-more-akin-to-the-victorian-novel/) [James Watkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-watkins/) > [I don't really watch a load of 'Game Of Thrones.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-watkins/i-don-t-really-watch-a-load-of-game-of-thrones/) [James Watkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-watkins/) > [There's nothing worse in television than what I call 'poor man's Jerry Bruckheimer.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-watkins/there-s-nothing-worse-in-television-than-what-i-call-poor-man-s-jerry/) [James Watkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-watkins/) > [I've got lots of friends who would just think, 'Horror movies - they're crap, aren't they?' I think there's a cultural snobbery more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-watkins/i-ve-got-lots-of-friends-who-would-just-think-horror-movies-they-re/) [James Watkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-watkins/) [Explore all 30 James Watkins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-watkins/) ## More Everything quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [My parents were not musical, and they were not effervescent people; everything was very quiet. The music that I played was loud; it used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-mclean/my-parents-were-not-musical-and-they-were-not-effervescent-people/) [Don McLean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-mclean/) > [If you think you're doing everything right, then you have a tendency to stand pat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stockton/if-you-think-you-re-doing-everything-right-then-you-have-a-tendency/) [John Stockton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stockton/) > [The Fringe is by far my favorite time of year; I like everything about it. But there are people I know who are much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-horne/the-fringe-is-by-far-my-favorite-time-of-year-i-like-everything-about/) [Alex Horne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-horne/) > [You can't force people to feel in a certain way, and the sooner you understand that,the better. I feel everything has its way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidharth-malhotra/you-can-t-force-people-to-feel-in-a-certain-way-and-the-sooner-you/) [Sidharth Malhotra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidharth-malhotra/) > [Of everything I have done, 'The Archers' always gets the most excitement; there's a sort of uncontrollable joy from fans of the program.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/of-everything-i-have-done-the-archers-always-gets-the-most-excitement/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [That's one of my idols, I really look up to Pacquiao. This guy is everything I would want to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-garcia/that-s-one-of-my-idols-i-really-look-up-to-pacquiao-this-guy-is/) [Ryan Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-garcia/) > [The talk shows in the States want celebrities, not authors. In France, it is different; writers are called upon to comment on everything. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/the-talk-shows-in-the-states-want-celebrities-not-authors-in-france/) [Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/) > [Everything I write is highly personal, but put in such a way that it's not dropping everything in someone's lap. Although sometimes I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-siberry/everything-i-write-is-highly-personal-but-put-in-such-a-way-that-it-s/) [Jane Siberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-siberry/) > [Everything I have experienced and learned in football led me towards one day becoming a coach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-carlos/everything-i-have-experienced-and-learned-in-football-led-me-towards/) [Roberto Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-carlos/) > [It's funny, everything is so much easier when you do it yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carine-roitfeld/it-s-funny-everything-is-so-much-easier-when-you-do-it-yourself/) [Carine Roitfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carine-roitfeld/) > [Everything affects hip-hop. The question is, how does it affect the money that corporations are going to invest to put out different kinds of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-i-am/everything-affects-hip-hop-the-question-is-how-does-it-affect-the/) [will.i.am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-i-am/) > [If God is first, and you kind of center everything else around Him being the main focal point, you really can make decisions that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aj-michalka/if-god-is-first-and-you-kind-of-center-everything-else-around-him/) [AJ Michalka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aj-michalka/) [Browse all 13,134 Everything quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everything/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "'The Godfather' is the talismanic giant that hangs over everything in the gangster genre.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Watkins" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-watkins/the-godfather-is-the-talismanic-giant-that-hangs-over-everything-in/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Everything" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-watkins/the-godfather-is-the-talismanic-giant-that-hangs-over-everything-in/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d80/james-watkins-20702_everything_the-godfather-is-the-talismanic-giant-th_2198491.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d80/james-watkins-20702_everything_the-godfather-is-the-talismanic-giant-th_2198491.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d80/james-watkins-20702_everything_the-godfather-is-the-talismanic-giant-th_2198491.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“'The Godfather' is the talismanic giant that hangs over everything in the gangster genre.” — James Watkins", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "James Watkins", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-watkins/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "'The Godfather' is the talismanic giant...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-watkins/the-godfather-is-the-talismanic-giant-that-hangs-over-everything-in/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-watkins/the-godfather-is-the-talismanic-giant-that-hangs-over-everything-in/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```