Not a single detective or thriller does without the participation of a gray cardinal. The meaning of phraseologism we will examine today to understand what kind of figure this is.
Alexander Dumas, father and Cardinal Richelieu
Everyone who read the Three Musketeers novel knows that there was such a historical figure as Cardinal Richelieu (1585–1642), he was also called the Red Cardinal because of the color of his clothes. But few people know that he had the right hand - the monk Joseph, who, according to historical sources, enjoyed the favor of the cardinal. It was precisely Richelieu’s assistant who was called the Gray Cardinal (the meaning of phraseology will be a little later). Joseph received such a nickname, since the color of his cassock was gray, and he himself kept in the shade. This servant of the Lord must have enjoyed the role that he consciously chose. The irony of fate is that, in turn, the Red Cardinal was considered gray, because he had a considerable influence on the king of France, Louis the Thirteenth.
Value
A gray cardinal is one who, without having an official status or any legitimate, legitimate authority, nevertheless determines the events and phenomena of the world. The discerning reader himself will easily and casually recall examples even from recent Russian history.
Of course, the meaning of the phrase “gray cardinal” is mostly applicable to political phenomena, but not necessarily. In a broad sense, the gray cardinal is the puppeteer who pulls the strings, and such figures are eternal and international. If only the powerful of this world are not strong enough in spirit to manage something on their own.
The Godfather trilogy and the expression "gray cardinal"
The Godfather trilogy, in principle, is based on the fact that the main villain is not the one who seems to them at first glance. The films of the series are made so that the characters play combinations that are very difficult to perform and dramaturgy, and all the strength and heaviness ultimately falls upon someone whom the viewer is completely unaware of at the beginning of the action.
In the first part - this is Don Barzini. It can be called a gray cardinal. We already know the meaning of phraseologism, therefore we can safely use it. Here, of course, there is a certain mistake in terms. You can’t say that the powerful don Mafia has no power. No, right, she is. But Don Tattaglia comes to the forefront, to the forefront, and Barzini himself goes into the shadows.
In the second part, Hyman Roth plays the same role. But we will not paint here all the moves of the film, for the scriptwriters have done it much more talented. We do not mention the third part at all, so that the reader, if he watches the trilogy for the first time, enjoys at least some pleasure.
Our task is to explain the phraseology “gray cardinal”, as it seems, we coped with it. How successful? Let the reader judge this.