Why The Godfather's Michael Never Really Loved Apollonia (2024)

The Godfather’s Michael Corleone may have loved many things, but his first wife Apollonia wasn't one of them. The pair were wed in Sicily in the mid-stages of the groundbreaking 1972 Francis Ford Coppola film, not long after Michael took refuge there after murdering police captain McCluskey and Virgil Sollozzo. Their marriage was a short-lived one, with Apollonia killed in an explosion that was intended for Michael. The film paints the event as the true tragedy that it is and Michael does express a certain degree of horror over the botched assassination, but this doesn’t convey how the future Godfather truly feels about her.

Love is a challenging theme to pin down throughout the complete Godfather trilogy, and in particular, Part I. Whereas many of the characters do things out of what they feel is a projection of their love, these acts typically manifest themselves through violence, intimidation and murder. In other words, what the characters within The Godfather see as love is not comparable to what regular citizens who are not associated with organized crime see as love. What’s more, the concept of love is all too often conflated with power, particularly in the case of Michael. As he rises to an all-new status after the murders, Michael makes it clear that he is completely consumed by the idea of power.

Michael's Marriage To Apollonia Was About Power

Understandably, without a strict adherence to power, there can be no Michael Corleone. His role is entirely suited to holding and maintaining power over every aspect of the Corleone crime family. From the moment he killed McCluskey and Sollozzo, Michael was overwhelmed by the concept of power. He wasn’t interested in spending time in Italy after the murders – partly due to having to leave home, but also because it was now clear to him that he was different. Eager to exercise this newfound power, Michael found the perfect target in the dusty Sicilian village where he was stuck: Apollonia.

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There’s no doubt that Michael was struck by Apollonia’s beauty, but that does not indicate love. He threatened Apollonia’s father in order to meet her, throwing around who he was and what he was capable of. He clearly relishes this and when Michael does meet with Apollonia for the first time, he simply gives her an expensive gift rather than a genuine expression of his feelings. Even when they walk together and she briefly stumbles, Michael catching her can be seen as a metaphor for exercising control. Later, in The Godfather Part III, Michael has a flashback about Apollonia. While he states that he loved her, it isn’t clear if that is actually an honest admission.

The Godfather Never Shows A Genuine Moment Between Michael & Apollonia

Early on when The Godfather's audience is introduced to Kay, it’s clear that Michael is willing to share with her certain aspects of his life, but he’s still keeping her at arm’s length. This is forgivable, considering that Michael’s world is not one that should be readily shared with just anyone. Given how Michael came to meet Apollonia, it’s easy to conclude that she was aware of his association with organized crime. That knowledge creates a sort of bond between the two, but not one that indicates love. In fact, it argues more for the understanding and respect of the power that has brought them together.

The only time that The Godfather shows anything resembling a genuine moment between Michael and Apollonia is their wedding night. However, this can be viewed as Michael finally securing the trophy he set out to win. Sex does not necessarily equal love, and it could just as easily be argued that Michael’s experiment with his newfound power worked. Apollonia’s death is a shock to him, but he returns to New York a much more emotionally devoid character, willing to fully commit to the power that he wields throughout the remainder of The Godfather series.