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Anx1etyD0g t1_jda3xt7 wrote

Reply to comment by freedfg in TIL that Al Pacino boycotted the 45th academy awards in 1973, because despite having more screen time than Marlon Brando, he was nominated for best supporting actor and not best actor. by VengefulMight

Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) is on the cover, and on posters with the title. He is Godfather for a large amount of screen time. A significant element of the story is how large of a figure Vito is, and his shadow looms over Michael after becoming Godfather. Take into account Brando's huge career before that, and it makes sense for him to be considered the lead.

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the_killer_cannabis t1_jdake6z wrote

From a story structure standpoint, Vito is in no way shape or form the lead. This is simply industry respect and politics. Forget screen time, measuring that is pointless. Red has the most screentime in Shawshank but Andy Dufrane is very clearly the protagonist of that story. Theory wise (and in practice), the best way to identify the protagonist of a story is to see which character has the strongest desire and acts on it. Now, they doesn't necessarily make them the lead too, but in the case of Michael/The God Father it does.

The reason he was nominated for best supporting is the same reason Timothy Hutton was put up for best supporting actor in Ordinary People when he was very clearly the lead there as well.

The academy/industry has a habit of pushing an actor to supporting when nominating because they think they'll have an easier time winning that category or because they have another actor in the film they'd prefer to nominate for best actor. It's that simple.

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Level3Kobold t1_jdapibx wrote

>Theory wise (and in practice), the best way to identify the protagonist of a story is to see which character has the strongest desire and acts on it.

Bilbo isn't the protagonist, Thorin is

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underthingy t1_jdaxqw7 wrote

Actually by that metric the ring is the protagonist.

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Sad-Faithlessness377 t1_jdb4ui1 wrote

Actually by that metric Sauron is the protagonist.

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underthingy t1_jdb593k wrote

Nah, he just sits there doing nothing.

The ring actually imposes its will on the ring bearers and makes them act how it wants.

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jerebare t1_jdb2ni0 wrote

I mostly considered it from what point of the view the story is mostly being told by. Reading the hobbit the protagonist would be Bilbo, but watching the movie versions it does go to Thorin, then Gandalf, Bilbo, Legolas, etc.

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Level3Kobold t1_jdb36nt wrote

Intriguingly, that would mean that the count of monte cristo is not the main character of the count of monte cristo

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pinkheartpiper t1_jdalkbq wrote

I'd say putting Vito Corleone on posters was an obvious marketing choice. His is an instanlty more interesting and iconic image than Michael's. Also, Brando was a big star, Pacino wasn't. I don't think it counts as who the protagonist is. It's clearly Michael.

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