Watching Movies - Family Ties

On Succession & The Confines Of Legacy

John Noire

May 27, 2024

Author’s note: Spoilers for Dune Parts One & Two, The Godfather Trilogy and all seasons of Succession

I. Family Matters

“There’s things you’re able to do that I can’t…maybe.” – Kendall Roy

These are the words from a son to a father, a fledgling prince to an ailing king.

It’s been over a year since I saw Succession’s series finale and the story of Kendall Logan Roy still lingers with me. It’s the story of a person born into a world that they are not equipped to handle, a cautionary tale for any child that wants to follow in their parent’s footsteps.

You don’t get to choose what you inherit from your parents. You can have every privilege known to man but you might not have the tools to make the most of it. You might lack the talent and conviction necessary to build on a foundation made out of grit and gold.

Despite his better judgment, despite the pleas of his loved ones, Kendall continued to strive for a goal that would forever be beyond his grasp, a corporate Tantalus stuck in a Sisyphean doom loop of trauma and wealth.

II. Meet The Corleones

“I told you I can handle it, I’ll handle it.” – Michael Corleone

These are the words between two fathers, one starting his journey and the other about to finish it.

It’s been more than fifty years since The Godfather debuted in cinemas and its themes still resonate as strongly as when they first appeared on-screen.

In the words of Roger Ebert, The Godfather is an “[epic] of immigrant achievement”, one that would be “an inspiration for us all” if it were not concerned with the consolidation and resurgence of a fictional New York crime family.

Like any second-generation immigrant, Michael Corleone’s story represents the impossibility of escaping your roots. His attempts to assimilate with American society are completely upended the moment his father is gunned down in a street filled with fruits and shards of shattered invincibility.

Throughout the Corleone saga, we witness Michael become more ruthless in his drive towards ‘legitimacy’. Michael’s increasingly brutal tactics to launder the sins of himself and his father is, arguably, his way of trying to retrieve what he lost, the life he could have had, the incinerated aspirations of a prodigal son who never wanted to come back home.

III. 3:16 In Arrakis

“Father, I found my way.” – Paul Atreides

These are the words from a man to his ancestor, briefly free from the confines of legacy and destiny.

It’s been less than three months since the release of Dune: Part Two and the machinations of House Atriedes has become my latest obsession. From the gorgeous cinematography to the exquisite sound design to the raw kinetic energy that pulsates through a significant portion of Denis Villenueve’s filmography, Dune: Part Two is one of the best cinematic experiences that I have had in decades.

However, underneath all the spice and stillsuits, is an allegory about freedom and colonialism, charismatic leaders and false prophets, justice and vengeance.

In Aesychlus’ Oresteia, the titular character is torn between duty and love, free will and fate. Several millennia after, his distant descendant is stuck in a similar scenario.

The story of Paul Atreides is the story of a person put into impossible circumstances, a chronicle of cursed inheritance that interrogrates whether one can retain their humanity in the face of depravity. To survive in the land of the wolves you must become one and the consequences of such a transformation is something that you can never come back from.

Further Reading

[1] Frank Jacob, Jihad in Outer Space: The Orientalist Semiotics of Frank Herbert’s Dune and the Image of Lawrence of Arabia, War in Film: Semiotics and Conflict Related Sign Constructions on the Screen

[2] Michael Sragow, The Godfather and The Godfather Part II, The A List: The National Society of Film Critics’ 100 Essential Films

Further Watching

[1] Lawrence Of Arabia: The Tragedy Of A Conqueror, Empire of the Mind

[2] The Godfather: How Michael Corleone Evolves, Just an Observation

[3] Succession – The Tragedy of Kendall Roy, Just an Observation

[4] What Was Succession All About?, J.R.R. Talkin’

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