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The Godfather (1972)
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Cast overview: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino
Running time: 175 minutes
This is an iconic film. It's perhaps the most iconic film in history - both for the sheer impact it had on film-making (not limited to its two sequels), and the amount of memorable scenes and lines within. The film opens in a dark room, and that symbolises the film as a whole: this is a dark film, yet there is also a sense of innocent beauty that I feel comes from Nino Rota's wonderfully crafted score. Perhaps it's the 1940s setting that seemed innocent. However, innocence is something far from this film.
One thing I have to comment on is the acting. It's flawless, absolutely flawless. You truly believe you're amid the plot, witnessing the characters interacting and the events unfolding, and it's incredibly powerful here with such a good novel to rely on as the film's inspiration. Brando is perfect as the head of the family, but I think Pacino is as good as Michael Corleone, the Don's youngest son who has returned from fighting in World War Two. I also think John Cazale is very underrated as Fredo, the weakest of the Corleone brothers and the one who struggles to follow in his father's footsteps. As with everything he was in, Cazale is subtle and can use facial expressions as well as speech in projecting his character's emotions. All the acting is so believable and serious that it'd be a travesty to give that particular aspect lower than a perfect score.
The cinematography and direction equally cannot be faulted, and the whole film is engrossing from start to finish. I say I've never watched it before, and I haven't, although my dad had it on in the past and, although my attention was elsewhere, I found what I saw boring. I couldn't have been more misguided. This is a film that is far from boring, with some of the best writing and directorship I've seen. It's not my favourite movie, but it's certainly one of the best and most accomplished I've watched, and Ford Coppola's talent for directing films in the crime genre is most apparent here.
Quotes
Michael: My father is no different than any powerful man, any man with power, like a president or senator.
Kay Adams: Do you know how naive you sound, Michael? Presidents and senators don't have men killed.
Michael: Oh. Who's being naive, Kay?
Michael: [speaking to Carlo] Only don't tell me you're innocent. Because it insults my intelligence and makes me very angry.
[Tessio brings in Luca Brasi's bulletproof vest, delivered with a fish inside]
Sonny: What the hell is this?
Clemenza: It's a Sicilian message. It means Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes.
Trivia
Marlon Brando wanted to make Don Corleone "look "like a bulldog," so he stuffed his cheeks with cotton wool for the audition. For actual filming, he wore a mouthpiece made by a dentist; this appliance is on display in the American Museum of the Moving Image in Queens, New York.
In 1974, The Godfather (1972) premiered on NBC over 2 nights - Saturday November 16th, and Monday November 18th, from 9-11pm. Both nights, at 11pm, New York City's Municipal Water Authorities had some overflow problems from all the toilets flushing around the same time.
At the meeting in the restaurant, Sollozzo speaks to Michael in Sicilian so rapid subtitles could not be used. He begins with: "I am sorry. What happened to your father was business. I have much respect for your father. But your father, his thinking is old-fashioned. You must understand why I had to do that. Now let's work through where we go from here." When Michael returns from the bathroom, he continues in Sicilian with: "Everything all right? I respect myself, understand, and cannot allow another man to hold me back. What happened was unavoidable. I had the unspoken support of the other Family dons. If your father were in better health, without his eldest son running things, no disrespect intended, we wouldn't have this nonsense. We will stop fighting until your father is well and can resume bargaining. No vengeance will be taken. We will have peace. But your Family should interfere no longer."
Trailer
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Cast overview: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino
Running time: 175 minutes
This is an iconic film. It's perhaps the most iconic film in history - both for the sheer impact it had on film-making (not limited to its two sequels), and the amount of memorable scenes and lines within. The film opens in a dark room, and that symbolises the film as a whole: this is a dark film, yet there is also a sense of innocent beauty that I feel comes from Nino Rota's wonderfully crafted score. Perhaps it's the 1940s setting that seemed innocent. However, innocence is something far from this film.
One thing I have to comment on is the acting. It's flawless, absolutely flawless. You truly believe you're amid the plot, witnessing the characters interacting and the events unfolding, and it's incredibly powerful here with such a good novel to rely on as the film's inspiration. Brando is perfect as the head of the family, but I think Pacino is as good as Michael Corleone, the Don's youngest son who has returned from fighting in World War Two. I also think John Cazale is very underrated as Fredo, the weakest of the Corleone brothers and the one who struggles to follow in his father's footsteps. As with everything he was in, Cazale is subtle and can use facial expressions as well as speech in projecting his character's emotions. All the acting is so believable and serious that it'd be a travesty to give that particular aspect lower than a perfect score.
The cinematography and direction equally cannot be faulted, and the whole film is engrossing from start to finish. I say I've never watched it before, and I haven't, although my dad had it on in the past and, although my attention was elsewhere, I found what I saw boring. I couldn't have been more misguided. This is a film that is far from boring, with some of the best writing and directorship I've seen. It's not my favourite movie, but it's certainly one of the best and most accomplished I've watched, and Ford Coppola's talent for directing films in the crime genre is most apparent here.
Quotes
Michael: My father is no different than any powerful man, any man with power, like a president or senator.
Kay Adams: Do you know how naive you sound, Michael? Presidents and senators don't have men killed.
Michael: Oh. Who's being naive, Kay?
Michael: [speaking to Carlo] Only don't tell me you're innocent. Because it insults my intelligence and makes me very angry.
[Tessio brings in Luca Brasi's bulletproof vest, delivered with a fish inside]
Sonny: What the hell is this?
Clemenza: It's a Sicilian message. It means Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes.
Trivia
Marlon Brando wanted to make Don Corleone "look "like a bulldog," so he stuffed his cheeks with cotton wool for the audition. For actual filming, he wore a mouthpiece made by a dentist; this appliance is on display in the American Museum of the Moving Image in Queens, New York.
In 1974, The Godfather (1972) premiered on NBC over 2 nights - Saturday November 16th, and Monday November 18th, from 9-11pm. Both nights, at 11pm, New York City's Municipal Water Authorities had some overflow problems from all the toilets flushing around the same time.
At the meeting in the restaurant, Sollozzo speaks to Michael in Sicilian so rapid subtitles could not be used. He begins with: "I am sorry. What happened to your father was business. I have much respect for your father. But your father, his thinking is old-fashioned. You must understand why I had to do that. Now let's work through where we go from here." When Michael returns from the bathroom, he continues in Sicilian with: "Everything all right? I respect myself, understand, and cannot allow another man to hold me back. What happened was unavoidable. I had the unspoken support of the other Family dons. If your father were in better health, without his eldest son running things, no disrespect intended, we wouldn't have this nonsense. We will stop fighting until your father is well and can resume bargaining. No vengeance will be taken. We will have peace. But your Family should interfere no longer."
Trailer