The climax of the godfather, juxtaposing shots of the church ceremony in which al pacino's character is taking part as the godfather at his infant nephew's baptism with shots of brutal violence taking place at the same time ordered by him to consolidate his power as a godfather in the mafia, is a powerful modern example of
a. inside/out editing patterns.
b. outside/in editing patterns.
c. ironic montage.
d. thawed frames.

The correct answer is C) ironic montage

By juxtaposing many scenes that wouldn’t have connections – religion and crimes – Francis Ford Coppolla exposes the duality of Michael Corleone. This scene is at the end of the movie, and it shows the ascension of Michael as the family Godfather, after the death of his father. Mixing scenes that show the baptism of Michael’s nephew in a Catholic Church with scenes of his opponents' murder, Coppolla glimpses the next steps of the Mafia Clan.

Their new leader isn’t completely comfortable with his new position. He carries the burden of taking care of his family, but also with his hands dyed by many deaths. And the ironic aspect is that the cuts between the baptism and the assassinations. They’re connected by the Catholic liturgy, with the Priest voice in the background, returning to Michael renouncing his sins.

Explanation:

The Godfather is one of the Hollywood masterpieces, considered one of the best movies ever made. In a sequence of three movies, and based on Mario Puzo’s novel, Coppolla creates a narrative of the assumption and the decline of Corleone Clan. Michael wasn’t a Mafiosi per se, he had an ordinary upper-class life, supported by his dad's illegal fortune, and wanted to build a comfortable life for his family.

This scene can be considered Michael’s coronation as the Clan Godfather – how the clan leader was referred – as kings are coronated in churches. The baptism is a metaphor, as in Catholic rituals, the Godfather will be the person responsible by the child's religious guidance. How ever, bloodshed is carried out in other scenes, and they were Michael’s designations.  

Differently from his father's devotional figure, Michael is an average man that fights agains his human nature. He has dualogical conflicts as he fears his destiny and want to be safe by God’s will, but also have sins. He regrets his orders, but also thinks that they’re his duty.