Film of the Week #40 - The Godfather

Karl Hungus

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068646/

Yep, it was going to show it's head here sooner or later, and I'm sure many people are a little suprised that it wasn't FotW sooner, but better late than never I guess.

It's just one of those films that everyone's seen, so there's not much to say at all. I definetly have to get around to getting it on DVD though, and I've been meaning to nab it for some time.

Anyway, discuss!

Wacker

This is the ultimate masterpiece in filmmaking. From the opening line ("I believe in America") to the closing ("Don Corleone", as the door closes on Kay), it doesn't put a foot wrong. I'll talk firstly about the characters.

The Don, Vito Corleone: Masterfully played by Brando, he is a man who requests nothing for his services beyond a favour to be repaid at some point in the future, and that they be requested with respect. His methods, on the other hand, are horrific. A studio head (essentially the equivalent of Harvey Weinstein) that won't acquiesce to him awakes to find his horse’s head at the foot of his bed, over what was essentially a trivial matter. Consider the many nuances of the performance: as he says to Johnny Fontane that a man must spend time with his family, he turns and looks directly at Santino, revealing that he was well aware of Sonny's marital infidelity. Also, the tear that ran down his cheek when Michael tells this that he is now with him - was that a tear of happiness, or was he really sincere when he later tells Michael that he never wanted that life for him?

Michael and Kay: It was criminal that Brando and De Niro both got Oscars for the Godfather films, when they both really should be Pacino's. I'm lumping these two lovebirds together as the best way to view Michael's descent into evil is in terms of his relationship with Kay. Notice how close the two are during the wedding; Michael would not allow the family photo to be taken unless Kay was in the shot. At this point, he is ashamed of his family: “That’s my family Kay, it’s not me.” Later, before Michael goes to the hospital, he is embarrassed to say that he loves her in front of Clemenza, and he is positively tight-lipped even when they’re alone together. After his full immersion into the ‘dark side’, he makes no effort to get a message to Kay, and he marries someone else. After the deaths of both Apollonia and Santino, he is so emotionally vacuous that he returns to Kay and marries here, even though at this stage he is a shell of a man running on instinct and paranoia. The closing image of the film, the door closing on Kay, sums it all up.
Just like with Brando’s performance, the devil is in the detail. Notice how his hands don’t shake outside the hospital when Enzo can’t even light a cigarette. Also, you can actually see him making up his mind to abandon his previous life in the restaurant with Sollozzo and McCluskey. During the christening, there is no guilt over the hypocrisy of rejecting the works of Satan as he has the family heads killed, as there is no longer in Michael the capability of feeling guilt.

Santino: The hothead. People complain about the end of the Godfather dragging; I think the reason for this is that after Santino’s death, one does not get the sporadic adrenaline shots that Caan’s fury brought to the show. It was this ‘act first, think later’ that messed everything up in the first place. By tipping his hand to Sollozzo (that he liked the look of the deal), Sollozzo realized that if they removed Vito then eventually Santino would play ball. Sonny’s predictable fury was also his downfall; Carlo knew exactly what Sonny would do if Connie was beaten up again, and thus he was able to arrange his murder.

Tom Hagen: “I’m as much a son to him as you or Mike.” Was he though? For those of you that have seen the deleted scene where Vito visits Genco in the hospital, Hagen was absent, and the Don still said that he brought all his sons. He gives off the impression of being the diplomat, but he was working as hard as anyone to find out where Michael would meet with Sollozzo and McCluskey – conspiring to murder. It was his advice that got Woltz’s horse chopped up. His biggest regret was that he wasn’t good enough at it.

Sollozzo (and McCluskey): An amazing adversary for the family. He was able to see the disaccord between Sonny and Vito over the drugs, and exploited it masterfully. It was pure bad luck that foiled his plan (the Don surviving, and the emergence of Michael). His decision to ally himself with McCluskey was supposed to make him invulnerable, but in fact it did the opposite. It was because McCluskey was from a different world that he never took the precautions Sollozzo would make, and thus the Corleones could find out where the meeting was. Notice how McCluskey brushed off Michael going to the bathroom, and Sollozzo was immediately on edge, frisking Michael again.

That’s all for now. I’ll add more later.

Gillie

What a movie. I have the three on Video which is a bit of a pain but i'm sure that some day i'll get the DVD set!

GhostInTheRuins

Thank god Coppola decided to leave out the parts about Lucy Mancini and her vagina operation.

Wacker

D.T. Jesus wrote: »

Thank god Coppola decided to leave out the parts about Lucy Mancini and her vagina operation.

Indeed. The book is full of rubbish really.

That_Guy

An absolute cracker of a movie. I wish I could watch it for the first time again.

johnny_ultimate

I could argue again that I just don't 'get' this film, but as myself and the few other dissenters learned last time a Godfather thread arose, this film will be violently defended by alot of people who claim that you can't like film if you don't like this film. I think this is one of my problems with the film - it's been placed on this throne and for many people is untouchable. No film is untouchable though, and I for one found this film a chore to follow, and I despised Brando's performance.

I dunno - maybe it was the fact I saw all the imitators that followed, but even in the gangster genre there are plenty of films which I feel have surpassed this in the three decades since release - Goodfellas, Hana-Bi and The Sopranos are just three examples of films (and one TV show) that have tackled the subject of organised crime more effectively in my opinion.

I suppose the Godfather did lay the foundations for these works (and many others) but yeah - I for one just don't think the Godfather is all it is made out to be. I have threatened to rewatch it for a while, and I may do one day I have six hours free (have the sequel to first time watch too).

faceman

While i can understand and sympathesise that some people find it hard to be able to have an open debate the merits of what are considered classic films without someone getting nasty, i personally dont believe it can be put in the same league as the sopranas or goodfellas. For a start, it tells a different tale and has a different approach.

Goodfellas to me, was good but i didnt empathise with those characters. They werent intended to be liked. Similarly with the sopranos.

The Godfather to me does 2 things. It takes a mafia family and really has you empathising with them. In fact, at times you find yourself supporting them and are forced to ask why. The other thing it does, extremely well, is shows the demise of a good man, michael. And boy, does pacino achieve something that has very rarely been done convincingly and with such restraint! We like michael in the first film, but by the end of it (and certainly by the end of part 2, we hate him BUT we want to watch the story in the hope that he will redeem himself)

in of my favourite scenes in all the movies i have seen is in the Godfather. Where michael officially "turns", the scene in the restaurant. Everything about that scene is magnificent. The acting, the framing, the editing, the music and sound effects. (watch the scene again and listen to the background noise as the scene progresses). You really felt the impact of what michael was about to do and the consequences of doing it.

I really do feel that "they dont make em like that anymore" with this flick.

Slightly off topic but its often argued that the sequel is the better film. (de niro is truely excellent) however i prefer (only just!) the first film as it really plots the demise of a man very rarely seen in a film.

Anyway just my 2c. all you new age MTV generation who want quick cuts and glamourised mafia flicks that are cool to quote, feel free to shoot me down!

GhostInTheRuins

faceman wrote: »

Slightly off topic but its often argued that the sequel is the better film. (de niro is truely excellent) however i prefer (only just!) the first film as it really plots the demise of a man very rarely seen in a film.

As brilliant as the first one is, for me part II is better by a hair. The scene where

they're in the nightclub in Cuba and Michael realises that Fredo has betrayed him is one of my all time favourite scenes. And you can't forget the scene where Kay tells him she had their child aborted because she didn't want another Corleone son brought into the world, emotional stuff!

A lot of people don't give part III a chance. For all it's flaws it's still a fantastic film.

The final scene on the steps of the opera house is, quite simply, amazing. Pacino's silent screams are probably the best piece of acting he's ever done.

Wacker

D.T. Jesus wrote: »

And you can't forget the scene where Kay tells him .....

Spoiler tags, for the love of jeebus!!!

Incredible scene though. The look of rage on Michael's face once made me genuinely terrified of my TV!

GhostInTheRuins

Wacker wrote: »

Spoiler tags, for the love of jeebus!!!

Incredible scene though. The look of rage on Michael's face once made me genuinely terrified of my TV!

Good point

faceman

Sorry D.T. but i despise part 3, especially the final scene!!! the which is better argument, part 1 or 2 will rage for many a decade me reckons!

i will be very careful how i say this to avoid spoilers. the final scene, in fact final shot in the Godfather part 2 is genius. Again another scene where no dialogue is needed.

michael sitting alone on a bench in the autumn time. The leaves falling off the trees symbolising how everything is falling down and decaying around michael. A lonely man of his own making

you will never see a hollywood film with a similar ending nowadays!

Did you know that when coppola was making the Godfather movies, he couldnt speak italian? :eek: