Hey.. Even if you don't make a reaction video.. Atleast make sure to watch it in your own time.. The Series called "The Offer".. It's a biographical series about the making of "The Godfather".. And my God.. The drama behind the scenes are almost as intense as the scenes.. It's a must watch..
The Godfather movies are the most misinterpreted in the history of cinema. It helps a lot to review Shakespeare's King Lear. The people who misinterpret the first two movies are usually the the same people complaining about Part 3. Part 3 does an outstanding job of clarifying the first two films to the point angering a lot of people who misinterpret the first two.
That is not the line, though. Correct quote: "Or if he's struck by a bolt of lightning, then I'm going to blame some of the people in this room...and that, I do not forgive.
Always rubbed me the wrong way that he thought that would work. You kill Sonny's father, but then you're going to try and get Sonny to work with you? Who's known as one of the biggest hot heads in the Corleone family? Maybe Solozzo was planning on forcing Sonny, but again, how? Lol.
I've always thought that Sollozzo would have tried to take out Vito regardless of Sonny's interest. Once Vito refused his deal, it was necessary to eliminate him.
@Stogie2112 yup He probably figured somny would linitially want war but when the other famloes backed him up sunny would make peace....everyone underestimated sonny...even barzini. That's why barzini had to find his weak spot
@@scottaznavourian3720yes, I agree, I think Solazzo was counting on Sonny backing down having to go to war with more than one Family and they underestimated Sonny also. While he was a hot head in the book he was an excellent war time Don and was actually winning the war. That was why the other families eventually singled him out to assassinate.
Fun Fact: Marlon Brando is only on screen for 40 minutes in total, making his performance the 8th shortest ever by screen time to ever win the Best Actor Oscar. By contrast, the recent Best Actor Oscar-winning performance (Cillian Murphy for OPPENHEIMER) is actually the 3rd LONGEST ever by screen time (surpassed only by Charlton Heston (BEN-HUR) and Daniel Day-Lewis (THERE WILL BE BLOOD)).
I think the killing of Sonny shaped up like this: Carlo was already disgruntled that he hadn't been placed at the top of the Corleone family when he married Connie. Apparently, Barzini got wind of this, and someone in his organization saw Sonny beat up Carlo and told Barzini about it. Barzini figured if Carlo beat Connie again, she would call Sonny, and Sonny be enraged and would come out in the open. The direct route to the city, where Connie lived, was across that causeway. Barzini told Carlo to start a fight with Connie. He had some woman call and tell Connie she wouldn't be able to meet Carlo that night, so Connie would think Carlo was cheating on her. She flew into a rage, Carlo beat her, she called Sonny, and Sonny was enraged and went to the causeway as Barzini had hoped he would. The ambush was waiting for him. The setup - the fight between Connie and Carlo - is what Mike meant when he referred to "that little farce you played with my sister." Anyway, this is how I see it.
I read the book 50 years ago, and I don't remember anything in it. However, someone commenting on another reaction said that in the book Carlo was a plant by Barzini from the beginning. That could be true. However, just looking at the film I would agree with your analysis. Even if Carlo was a plant, if he had been given some role in the family business he might have allied himself with the Corleones. But in the film he was clearly frustrated by being sidelined and that led to his betrayal.
@@UnderDriven17 No, there wasn't anything about Carlo's being a plant in the book. In fact, it's even more obscure. During Carlo and Connie's fight, the narrator merely says Carlo is getting drunk, his eyes have a crazy glint in them, and Connie is afraid. On the other hand, the narrator states specifically that a member of the Tattaglia family witnesses Sonny's attack on Carlo and goes to a telephone. The narrator also says Carlo is disgruntled at not being a big man in the family.
@@UnderDriven17 Carlo was was a small-time criminal "punk", Vito was not happy that Connie chose to marry him, also Carlo wasn't full Sicilian. Vito told Tom that Carlo would never know about the family's inner workings. So Carlo was only given small rackets to operate, which clearly Carlo was mad about.
@@garrettkopu9191He could not even do that properly, no wonder the Don did not want that fool in his inner circle. Carlo was even less capable than Fredo😂
The actor who played Luca Brasi was actually a low-level enforcer with the Colombo mafia family (several of the actors and other staff had connections to the real New York Mafia) but had never acted before and was so starstruck at working with Marlo Brando he flubbed the lines by mistake. Since Brasi is supposed to be slightly scared of the Godfather anyway Coppola decided that it actually worked and kept that take in, adding the scene of Brasi practicing outside to drive the point home.
I think Brando was also making faces at him (sticking his tongue out, since the camera wasn’t on him) so that caused him to be even more flustered getting his lines out
This is a film where every word, every gesture, is important. Everything fits into the whole. It is a masterpiece. When Clemenza says, "Hello, Carlo," you know; you just know. In the book you find out that Clemenza was Sonny's godfather, so it was Clemenza's duty to take care of Carlo.
Agreed. The contrast was brilliant when the camera showed how nervous the baker was afterward when he was trying to smoke a cigarette, but how Michael’s hand holding the cigarette lighter was not shaking at all.
For Marlon´s Brando character in this movie, Don Corleone, Francis Ford Coppola put a jaw prosthesis in his mouth and a gauze, to give him that particular face. Brando was relatively young in this film, and Coppola pretended to age him and look more threatening.
This movie was rated R. Which meant my father had to take me to see it. In those days, scenes from the films were included in the lobby. When my dad saw the photo of Sonny Corleone's bullet ridden car, he was at first hesitant to let me watch the movie. Thankfully, he made the decision in my favor. He later told me that since I'd already seen "A Fistful of Dollars" and "For a Few Dollars More", I was probably able to handle that "Godfather" scene. Great reaction.
I always thought the only mistake Vito Corleone made was sending Luca Brasi undercover. As well known as Luca's loyalty to Vito was no one was going to believe he would betray Vito
In the book, Vito didn’t blindly send him to try and be buddy-buddy with the Tattaglia’s. He had Luca play the long game by contacting Sollozzo’s men for months, and then frequenting the nightclub that the Tattaglia’s run. At the clubs he’d “complain” to certain associates that the Corleone family doesn’t appreciate him or recognize his full talents. That’s when the Tattaglia family approached him. They had multiple meetings and they seemed to be going well until Luca showed his hand at one meeting by saying that he’ll never go against the Godfather. That’s when they knew that they had to kill him because of the upcoming hit on Vito.
Here is a translation of what they say in Italian in the restaurant: Sollozzo: I'm sorry. Michael: Leave it alone. ( or ) Forget about it. Sollozzo: 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 that I am a man of honor. Michael: I understand those things. I know them. Sollozzo: You do? You must understand that I helped the Tattaglia family and once I make a deal, I seek nothing but peace. Leave aside all this nonsense. Michael: How do you say? [Then Michael returns to speaking English.] [After Michael returns from the bathroom] Sollozzo: 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. Michael sitting back down seems to me that he was considering the deal until he hears that last line
I agree with everything except the last sentence. Michael isn't even listening to Sollozzo, he's listening for the elevated train and dealing with his nerves prior to committing murder (heck, committing a crime) for the first time. It's even been discussed in regards to the sound design of the scene, by Coppola.
I’ve always thought Michael considered the deal until he realized that Sollozzo wasn’t the mastermind of the hit. Michael was a decorated Marine in The Pacific. He’d killed before so his hesitation was because he realized that killing Sollozzo wouldn’t end the attempts on Vito. Just my thought
A lot of younger reactors (especially) seem perplexed by the deliberate omission of subtitles in the restaurant scene. The dialogue here is unimportant--I think the director wanted the audience to focus instead on the actors' facial expressions and the rising tension, as reflected in the sounds of the approaching train. Distracting the audience with subtitles would have diminished the effectiveness of the scene.
When the movie-director cusses Tom out, he uses a string of anti-Italian slurs (assuming he is Italian), when Tom corrects him saying he's German-Irish, the director responds with exactly one more slur for each ethnicity :D As for Connie, the book goes a little more into detail, short story is - Sonny is the only one to ever truly care about her, truly; even the Don and her mother kind of shrugged it off - in the movie you hear the mother say "Don't interfere" which is like an old fashioned Italian thing, Connie is essentially expected to stop getting beat, by behaving better or something; even Michael refers to her abuse as "a farse" when confronting her husband, and punishing him for getting Sonny killed.
Michael was absolutely not shrugging off Carlo's treatment of Connie. The "farce" (meant insultingly, because Carlo thought he was so clever and would get away with it) is the scheme that Carlo cooked up, to use his mistress to goad Connie, thereby providing Carlo with an excuse to beat the crap out of her, knowing she would call Sonny and he would hot-headedly come to her rescue, allowing for his assassination on the Ocean Parkway.
Carmela Corleone respected the long tradition of never interfering in another marriage - even her daughter's. The husband and wife were expected to settle it in private. It's also why no one actively interfered with Sonny's cheating on his wife. It was between Sonny and his wife. In the book, women were virtual chattel. Once a daughter is married off, she becomes "the property" of her husband. That comes straight from the novel. Aside from killing her, a man could do almost anything he wanted to his wife. Also in the novel, Vito put much more constraints on Carlo after he started beating Connie. He kept Carlo busy and kept a keen eye on him.
I think the point of no subtitles during McClusky’s and the Turk’s assassination was because Michael wasn’t paying attention to what Virgil was saying. The camera was focused on Mikey as he was preparing for the right time to pull the trigger. So, I’m sure there are videos that’ll translate it, but for storytelling sake, it didn’t matter what Sallozzo was saying: he was a dead man talking (and that dirty cop, a dead man chewing) the moment Mikey grabbed the gun.
None of the official versions translate that Italian. I suspect the point is Michael's "Flight or Fight" response has triggered and his brain is concentrating on more relevant stimuli and no longer wasting processing power on interpreting his words.
When Coppola doesn't use subtitles is because he wants to put u in the actor's head.. So everything else is blockedx out. *FFact - the baby used for the baptism was his newborn daughter Sofia Coppola.
Trivia: the actor who played the movie mogul had been led to believe that a realistic prop horse head would be in that bedroom scene. Without his knowing, a real freshly (humanely) killed horses head and real horse blood was used instead. His reaction when he saw it was a REAL horse head was 100% real horror and disgust waaaaaaaaaaay beyond his planned acting delivery. This was what Coppola had hoped for - acting as if the horse head was real - because it was - and genuine not faked horror - because the actor was NOT ready - and he got it, and it stayed in.
Im new to your channel. Johnny Fontaine is Frank Sinatra. At the time Sinatra had lost his voice for several years due to polyps in his throat. He was dating movie star, Ava Gardner who pushed for Sinatra to get the movie part, but the studio would not give it to him. Remember, Johnny Fountaine said the part was perfect. The movie was, “From here to Eternity “. Sinatra got the part of Magio. Sinatra won an oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
@paulf2123 : ""Sinatra had lost his voice for several years due to polyps in his throat." What calendar years specifically are these "SEVERAL YEARS"? Nonsense, because his voice was NEVER incapacitated for "SEVERAL YEARS". His brief throat problem (circa 1953) was due to a vocal chord hemorrhage, not "polyps".
@@meyerhave Umm, you act like you know so much. How about you watch the the comprehensive A&E documentary called the Rat Pack which details ALL the members.
@@paulf2123 Stop your dodging. AGAIN, what calendar years specifically are these "SEVERAL YEARS" when you claim Sinatra "lost his voice?" You're going to come up emptyhanded - ZERO - with any evidence or facts supporting that farcical claim, Paulie boy.
@@paulf2123 ... and you obviously still won't (because you can't) fess up to your total lack of "facts" with this - in your head only - imaginary claim of Frankie's "several years" loss of voice, you "laughing so hard" hyena.
The times when the Italian language was NOT being translated is when it was not important to know exactly what was being said. The focus in those instances is to be on the actors’ faces or their body language, or sound fx, or visual details- those explain what is going on inside the person or what the overall experience is, or the atmosphere being established. In the restaurant scene, just before the shooting- the focus is not on what the Italian guy is saying (because we realize Michael is not even hearing that;) his eyes (along with the train sounds in the background) show that he is tense and getting ready to do something which will totally change the rest of his life. Dialogue is translated when it is needed to further the story or reveal a character.
Fun fact : the little baby being baptized as Connie and Carlo’s son is actually a little girl, none other than Sofia Coppola, daughter of the director, Francis Ford Coppola. She went on to portray Michael and Kay’s daughter in Godfather III, and went on to be a very talented and respected director in her own right with a string of hits, The Virgin Suicides, Marie Antoinette, Lost In Translation, Somewhere, and The Beguiled. Also, Talia Shire, who played Connie, is Francis Ford Coppola's sister. While he wasn't involved in any of the Godfather movies, the actor Nicolas Cage (real name Nicolas Coppola) is the nephew of Francis Ford Coppola and Talia Shire.
A series I cannot recommend more strongly is The Offer! It's a fictionalized retelling of how The Godfather was made and how then inexperienced producer Al Ruddy had to maneuver Hollywood, Paramount studio execs, and even the Columbo Crime Family itself to get this masterpiece made!
The "missing italian dialogue" in the diner/double murder was a director decision done on purpose. It's does a few things: 1.)it's puts us in Police Captains POV: he is an outsider, just like us, and so doesnt understand the conversation, he just knows that it's important and that he has front row seats....and, like him, we get the gist of what HAS to be discussed, even if we dont know HOW it's discussed 2.)It let's US, the audience focus on the what's REALLY important: the assassination and Micheal's focus. As an audience, we're thinking "Does it really matter what you're saying, Sollozo? You're a dead man and dont even know it. Do you really think you're going to live to see desert?" 3.)Without civilzied language, we get to watch these two apex predator size each other up, with eye contact and body language. You get to focus on how Mike's broken jaw and zygomatic bone force himt o lock his jaw....so while he may actually BE in pain, he could also be in a FURY, with a death's head smile. Furious at this man who upheaded Mike's entire life: trying to kill his dad, draggin him into the family business, having to leave the country for a year. We also get to focus on how dangerous Sollozo actually LOOKS. His look is polished, sleek, and deadly: sharkskin silk suit, dead eyes, cunning face. He's got SUCH good instincts that when Mike asked to use the bathroom he KNEW something was up, he just wasnt able to figure it out b/c Mike's planning is better than his. i LOVE the TWITCH of suspician in his face when just one eye squinches up while looking at Mike. Solllozo KNOWS....he just doesnt know the details. Would translations have helped? Would it have been nice? Sure. Would it have mattered? Not really BUT....taking them OUT.....let's us focus on what we're REALLY focused on. Will the war hero break bad at the moment of truth?
the real Mafia had so much control over this movie, they were the one who decided what was in the movie out, also many mafia guys got small cameos in the movie
Some bosses like Carlo Gambino was said to not like the idea this movie was being made . As it brought attention onto their organization . But tolerated it because they were getting a piece of the profit .
Yeah and that was Vito’s bodyguard (who was suspected of being bribed to call in sick) that got shot. It can be difficult to figure out on the first watch. Sonny never specifically says to kill him just “I don’t want to see him again”
The moment where Michael says to his father in the hospital, "I'm with you now..." is the switch where Michael went from observer to participant in the family business. He was the son that had the temperament and the smarts to take over. Sonny was too hot-headed and Fredo was weak. I think you will like the next movie. That's when you get to see DeNiro.
I'm probably more your parents' generation in age and I always love to see the younger generation of movie fans and cinephiles appreciate the older masterpieces so much. You may think what you want about the third part, I think it's good, even if it can't hold a candle to its predecessors, but if you're done with this trilogy, I definitely recommend "A Bronx Tale" (1993) in this genre or because you have the references from "The Godfather I-II" and hopefully a few other old mafia films, the parody "Jane Austen's Mafia!". (1998), which really only makes sense to watch if you already know the classic you've just seen and its sequel.
Marlon Brando was considered a washed up has been in Hollywood in 1971> The head of paramount, Charles Bluedorn, fought Coppola tooth and nail. He wanted Richard Conte, who played Barzini, to play Vito Corleone.
....btw, your are ABSOLUTELY CORRECT in your comment at 9:37 regarding using this song in Tom and Jerry! (I swear, I thought I was the only other person who knew this! Lol). The song is called "Manhattan Serenade" (which I find kind of ironic, because the song is being played while Tom is visiting Hollywood, CA, but whatever), but , yes I'm a Tom and Jerry fan too and remember the episode! :) Good reactions, btw :)
Looks like I'm the same age as your mom...I was also born the same year this film came out. I was probably 15 years old when I saw the movie, after I had read the novel by Mario Puzo. I adore both. - Johnny Fontane and the movie he was perfect for was loosely based on Frank Sinatra and the film From Here to Eternity (1953), for which Sinatra won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar. He was at a lull in his career, and had ticked off a lot of execs in Hollywood. That film put Sinatra back on top, and there were always rumors that Sinatra had ties to organized crime. So, when the novel and then the movie came out, Sinatra tried to flex his power to stop the film. Only after Francis Ford Coppola promised that they would cut down the role of Johnny Fontane did Sinatra relent...but still hated the movie...and partly the reason was Brando himself. Sinatra and Brando did the movie musical Guys and Dolls together, and Sinatra wanted the role of Sky Masterson (who sings "Luck Be a Lady", a song Sinatra had a big hit with), instead...Sinatra played Nathan Detroit, and Brando (who really was not a singer) played Masterson. Brando and Sinatra were taking snipes at each other a lot afterward. - This and the sequel films definitely get better and richer with repeat viewings. - Connie Corleone was played by Talia Shire, younger sister of Francis Ford Coppola. Talia's biggest film roles were Connie and Adrian in the Rocky franchise. She is also the mother of Jason Schwartzman (from many films), Robert Schwartzman (Princess Diaries and front man of the band Rooney), aunt of Nicholas Cage (whose real name is Coppola), and aunt to director-writer Sofia Coppola (The Virgin Suicides, Lost In Translation, Marie Antoinette). - There is a really good, if less than accurate, limited series about the making of The Godfather on Paramount Plus called The Offer. Miles Teller (Top Gun Maverick) plays producer Albert S. Ruddy, Dan Fogler (Jacob Kowalski in the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them films) plays Francis Ford Coppola, and Matthew Goode (Downton Abbey) plays Paramount chief Robert Evans. It is about 8 or 10 episodes, but it's a lot of fun. An interesting snapshot of Hollywood in the early 1970s.
Nice reaction. This is interesting. Moe Green, played by Alex Rocco. was a real east coast gangster and part of the Whitey Bulgur Winter Hill Gang back in the day before heading out to the west coast to act...
Disagree about Michael "not knowing what he's doing" (yet). Moving his father was a very smart thing to do on the fly, given that there was no one to protect him, the police captain was on Sollozzo's payroll and there to make sure that Vito didn't come out of there. Then, knowing that protection would never get there in time, he bluffed the hitmen who pulled up, making them think he was ready for them. Not bad for a civilian war hero who stayed out of the family business.
Yeah, I was like, "girl, you are not following what's going on." Michael saved his father's life at the hospital! He did everything right - and he had no weapons and no backup (except for the baker who showed up).
My take on the subtitles is that they're not provided in some parts of the film because you don't really need them. As you'll probably notice more on second watch, it's pretty clear what they're talking about even without the exact verbiage.
Enzo the baker was the Italian POW that the Don arranged to stay in the US rather than being sent back to Italy. That night in the hospital, Enzo paid his debt to the Don.
Johnny Fontaine was based on Frank Sinatra , who tried to stop the movie from being made, the mafia got involved, big mess. Theres a show called the Offer, making of the Godfather. Good stuff
It helps to know that the Godfather films were designed by Puzo and Coppola as a masculine version of Shakespeare's "King Lear". People who don't understand Shakespeare or King Lear usually misinterpret Part 2 and become very lost during Part 3. Michael obviously begins Part 1 as Cordelia, proving his love for Vito as the child on the outside, but ends up taking the role of Lear. Instead of daughters, Vito plans for the future of his family and kingdom with his sons. Part 2 develops the primary theme of emotional/moral blindness that is usually associated with King Lear and Gloucester. Part 3 uses the King Lear model to complete the narrative thread with a definitive ending and a clear moral to the story common to the Shakespearean tradition, but missing in the first two films.
@@janeathome6643 They didn't take anything from the life of the Caesars or Bonaparte. The synchronized killings at the end go back to something that Alexander the Great would do to any of his generals who plotted against him. Other real life inspiration would be the Kennedy's. JFK fought in WWII, like Michael, despite his dad being an isolationist, like Vito. JFK became a war here, like Michael. JFK also had a dominant older brother, like Sonny, who died violently, leaving JFK to take over leadership of his family, like Michael. The Corleone compound is modeled after the Kennedy compound, with the entire family living close together in their own homes with high security.
As a Sicilian American from the Bronx, I can say that they really got everything right. Many of the New York scenes were shot on location--I've been to many of them. The hospital Don Vito was in, for example, was supposed to be the hospital I was born in (which was closed by the time the film was shot, so it had to be filmed in another NY location). Corleone, Sicily really looks like that as well (my grandfather was from a Sicilian town not far away)
Never has violence looked so beautiful! I often use the baptism scene in my classes as a great example of crosscutting (and irony). This is a landmark film from what I consider perhaps the greatest decade for film.
Funny papers were cartoon comic strips in the newspapers every day and in the Sunday paper, there were several pages and in color. Something from my youth.
@indianCalypso your microphone must something really special, its late night watching this and 3 times it sounded like someone is breaking into my room through the window 39:19
"The Woltz Mansion". It is actually the former estate of William Randolph Hearst, known as Beverly House (or the Hearst Estate) at the time. He bought it from the original owner, a banker, named Milton Getz who It was built for originally in 1926. It was also used in "The Jerk and "The Bodyguard".
I think two things worth some attention on a rewatch are: The dialogue is a lot more meaningful that it might seem at first. For instance, when Sonny speaks up at the meeting with Sollozzo, he shows that there is disagreement in the Corleone family over the drug deal. That is valuable information to Sollozzo and his partners. The other thing is that when these people talk to each other, they are always studying each other and looking for weaknesses. An example is when the movie producer shows Tom his expensive racehorse. This producer is saying no to Corleone but he's also telling Corleone's representative that this horse is an extremely valuable asset to him. He is unwittingly giving valuable information to Tom, which Corleone can then use against the producer.
Loved this watchalong with you. It's one of those gems that I wouldn't necessarily ask someone to do a video post for, when all they would rather do is get encompassed with the movie instead of feeling like they have to comment about things. So I'm glad you'll view it again on yer own, for you. And after you finish all the flicks, I hope you try 1990's The Freshman, also starring Brando in a is he/isn't he That Don role. View it as a refreshing after dinner mint to cleanse yer palate 😂
Most of the Italian has subtitles, by for the restaurant scene the director intentionally left it blank. "Right now, Michael isn't even listening. What matters is what's happening in Michael's eyes"
the cut the scene, but Mike asked his dad, "what about Sonny, what about Sicily," Vito said I wore I wouldn't break the peace, Mike asked "won't they take that as a sign of weakness" Vito replied "it is a sign of weakness"
Johnny Fontaine is loosley based on Frank Sinatra. The war picture role they discuss parallels the role of Maggio in "From Here to Eternity". That solidified Sinatra's career as a serious actor. It made his film career.
Your mum was born in 1972? Egad. I remember watching this in a movie theatre in Delhi as a college student. It was huuge, and sparked an interest in this kind of plot line (family, crime, clan) in Bollywood over the next few decades. Respect to your dad and mum, and best of luck to you in your endeavour to discover the world of classic movies your dad has gotten you into. Terrific reaction, btw. Or, rather, terrific reaction, first and foremost! A fresh emotional perspective, somehow, different from many of the other reactors.🙇 PS: Massive respect for being Gen Z and recognizing a tune from a Tom & Jerry toon from nearly 90 years ago.
This is a great movie. So well acted and dressed and directed and photographed. The story is a fairy tale about the mafia. 9:30 That song is "Manhattan Serenade" written by Lewis Alter in 1928. It forshadowed the big band music of the 1930's and 40's.
9:29 "They used this tune in Tom & Jerry?" This is Manhattan Serenade written in 1928, and was a popular tune all during the '30s and '40s when this was set. While the Godfather films themselves have been referenced throughout media and culture, the references to the tune itself in other media are often independent of it, due to it recalling the glamor of the golden age of Hollywood, and or sunny California, entertainment, and this period of the early 20th century, as it is used here denoting the scene change of Tom flying out to deal with Woltz.
Great reaction once again, l im glad you enjoy this masterpiece of cinema its one of my favourites its becouse of this movie that Coppola and Pacino got their careers famous in some Hollywood. some fun-facts about this movie, Lenny Montana, who played Luca Brasi, was a professional wrestler before becoming an actor. He was so nervous delivering his lines to a legend like Brando during the scene in in this movie study that he didn’t give one good take during an entire day’s shoot. Because he didn’t have time to reshoot the scene, Coppola added a new scene of Luca Brasi rehearsing his lines before seeing the Godfather to make Montana’s bad takes seem like Brasi was simply nervous to talk to the Godfather. The horse head in the movie producer’s bed wasn’t a prop. The production got a real horse’s head from a local dog food company. The line in the script only had actor Richard Castellano as Clemenza say “Leave the gun” after the hit on the mobster who ratted on the Corleones. He was inspired to make the addition after Coppola inserted a line in which the character’s wife asks him to buy cannoli for dessert. The cat was not a planned supporting actor in the film. That cat just wandered onto the set and Marlon Brando, as a well trained method actor, just responded as Vito Corleone would. That cat's participation in the scene actually caused a tremendous amount of technical problems for the sound engineers. Marlon, as Vito, made the cat so happy it was purring quite loudly. Some have said that is why It is difficult to hear Marlon in that opening scene. The story goes that there was a stray cat around at the time. Anyone who has ever been around a cat would probably know that strays wouldn’t be as gentle and agreeable as the one that Brando plays with in the scene, Coppola was an exacting director, mapping out scenes and dialogue to the utmost degree. But he also allowed for concessions. Brando was famously averse to learning his lines, and cue cards were strategically placed out of camera view to allow him to recite the proper dialogue. The presence of the cat, and Coppola’s quick thinking, led to a brilliant new facet to a scene that was already overflowing with tension. Keep up the good work.
Basically what happened with the hospital was the crooked cop had everyone cleared out, and then pulled his own men out so the place would be dead-empty when the assassins show up to do their business. After calling Tommy for backup, Michael and the Baker stood outside posing as Corleone's guards. When the car of assassins rolls up, they see two "guards" outside, and assume that there must still be a whole gang of guards inside as well, and this is enough to make them nope out of the whole thing because they were expecting an empty building. After they take off, the crooked cop comes back in, upset that Michael screwed up the plan and made him look like a fool.
Watching this beautiful woman of obvious Indian descent talking with an Irish accent reminds me of the time I was treated in South Texas by an Asian doctor who spoke with a Southern drawl. Just unexpected, that's all. One of the things that makes life interesting.
The only way I follow New Reactors on CZcams is when they react to my all time favorite film The Godfather. Loved your reaction and glad you enjoyed this film. Must watch 2. People will say don't watch 3 but I say you should, to close out the story.
I'm still very impressed with the special effects of the time that they used for Luca Brasi being strangled. I learned they sprayed a fine mist with a dark pigment on his face during the scene, and it only showed up when it settled on his face. So you see his face getting darker with in camera effects. Compare that to more modern methods like in LotR when Boromir dies and they use CGI to make him go paler as he dies from blood loss. It looks very good, but when I watched it I just thought "Oh, you have it too easy now compared to the 70s." Speaking of the 70s and what you said in the intro - Three masterpieces came into the world that year: Your mom, this movie and me. ;)
Many reactors when they think of Al Pacino movies , they think of " The Godfather " & " Scarface " . Although they forget about the rest like : Dog Day Afternoon - Serpico - Sea Of Love - And Justice For All - Dick Tracy . Those are a few of many more.
You would absolutely love the miniseries The Offer on Paramount +. It stars Miles Teller from Top Gear Maverick, and it’s about all it took to make The Godfather. Dealing with the Colombo Crime Family, the politicians, and the studio! Btw, Luca Brasi was a soldier in the Colombo Crime Family, when he got the job for Luca Brasi after the first choice died before shooting the film.
An interesting side note. In the novel, Michael's first wife, Apollonia, was pregnant when she was murdered. The movie is essentially about a family. Yes, it is a crime family, but the movie is essentially about their relationships and their lives.
Definitely worth reading (or listening, available on YT) the book, while some things were changed, it fills in so much that this movie of course could not fill, unless they wanted a 10 hour movie lol.
"Gun to the head Luca" - in the book there's a little bit of Luca's backstory, and a gun to the head is far from the scariest thing he's done. He's the Don's enforcer. I highly recommend watching the second film. It alternates between showing how Vito became who he is, and showing what happened to Mike after the events of the first film. The third film isn't bad in itself, but IMO it doesn't quite measure up to the first two. Other films you might like are Goodfellas, Casino, and Billy Bathgate (Dustin Hoffman plays real life gangster Dutch Schultz and is very convincing).
For next movie, I would definitely love for you to dive into more Christopher Nolan movies. I especially recommend TENET, which is now officially my favorite Nolan film upon rewatch since it managed to handle the exposition just right in addition to impressive filmmaking which was a massive step up from his previous movies IMO. Structurally, it is actually very similar to OPPENHEIMER (there is even a clever J. Robert Oppenheimer reference in TENET too)!
After watching second Godfather, consider reading the book. There is a lot of extra character development. For instance, if you knew what Luca Brasi was or what he was capable of! Wow! Also, there are some things that are included from the book, but not explained in the movie. For example, Michael's bruise. He still has it in Greece, even thought months have passed. In the book, it's explained that Michael has a bone break that healed wrong in the face and that cause issues like permanent bruising. He had it fixed when he returned to US.
Mo Green in real life is Benny (Bugsy) Seigle, founder of modern day Las Vegas with the 1st hotel casino in Vegas " The Flamingo" If u want to know more i recommend the movie "Bugsy".This is not how and why Bugsy Seigle was killed in real life
Great movie. Some people say that Godfather 2, a kind of sequel, is even better. It gives you background on Don Corleone and how he grew to be so powerful.
I was very young when this movie came out, didn't see this until decades later, but the one thing that did filter down to me was the horse's head in the bed. Total meme, before memes existed. Tons of people making jokes about it.
Definitely need a second watch to this movie so excuse my memory 🤣🤣 let me know what else I should watch next👇🏼
Watch ..Dog Day Afternoon...another big Pacino movie from the same period.
Glad you enjoyed it. To be truthful you can watch this multiple times and notice small things each time. Its a classic!
If you see this before a re-watch; look out for oranges. They are often connected to death in this movie and also in part two.
Hey.. Even if you don't make a reaction video.. Atleast make sure to watch it in your own time.. The Series called "The Offer".. It's a biographical series about the making of "The Godfather".. And my God.. The drama behind the scenes are almost as intense as the scenes.. It's a must watch..
The Godfather movies are the most misinterpreted in the history of cinema. It helps a lot to review Shakespeare's King Lear. The people who misinterpret the first two movies are usually the the same people complaining about Part 3. Part 3 does an outstanding job of clarifying the first two films to the point angering a lot of people who misinterpret the first two.
"if he gets struck by a bolt of lightining,i will blame some of the people in this room,and that,i do not forgive"
coldest line in any movie ever
That is not the line, though.
Correct quote:
"Or if he's struck by a bolt of lightning, then I'm going to blame some of the people in this room...and that, I do not forgive.
Yep. Also: "You have to answer for Santino Carlo". Michael's eyes were ice cold when he said that.
Because Sonny spoke in the Solozzo meeting showing interest in the deal...this inspired Solozzo to kill the godfather and make the deal with Sonny
Always rubbed me the wrong way that he thought that would work. You kill Sonny's father, but then you're going to try and get Sonny to work with you? Who's known as one of the biggest hot heads in the Corleone family? Maybe Solozzo was planning on forcing Sonny, but again, how? Lol.
I've always thought that Sollozzo would have tried to take out Vito regardless of Sonny's interest. Once Vito refused his deal, it was necessary to eliminate him.
@Stogie2112 yup
He probably figured somny would linitially want war but when the other famloes backed him up sunny would make peace....everyone underestimated sonny...even barzini. That's why barzini had to find his weak spot
@@scottaznavourian3720yes, I agree, I think Solazzo was counting on Sonny backing down having to go to war with more than one Family and they underestimated Sonny also. While he was a hot head in the book he was an excellent war time Don and was actually winning the war. That was why the other families eventually singled him out to assassinate.
@nataliestclair6176 technically he fought the other famlies to a stalemate but thanks to vitos tactical blunder he didn't have luca brazi to use...
Fun Fact: Marlon Brando is only on screen for 40 minutes in total, making his performance the 8th shortest ever by screen time to ever win the Best Actor Oscar.
By contrast, the recent Best Actor Oscar-winning performance (Cillian Murphy for OPPENHEIMER) is actually the 3rd LONGEST ever by screen time (surpassed only by Charlton Heston (BEN-HUR) and Daniel Day-Lewis (THERE WILL BE BLOOD)).
because Brando was very sick during the shooting of this movie
I think the killing of Sonny shaped up like this:
Carlo was already disgruntled that he hadn't been placed at the top of the Corleone family when he married Connie. Apparently, Barzini got wind of this, and someone in his organization saw Sonny beat up Carlo and told Barzini about it. Barzini figured if Carlo beat Connie again, she would call Sonny, and Sonny be enraged and would come out in the open. The direct route to the city, where Connie lived, was across that causeway.
Barzini told Carlo to start a fight with Connie. He had some woman call and tell Connie she wouldn't be able to meet Carlo that night, so Connie would think Carlo was cheating on her. She flew into a rage, Carlo beat her, she called Sonny, and Sonny was enraged and went to the causeway as Barzini had hoped he would. The ambush was waiting for him.
The setup - the fight between Connie and Carlo - is what Mike meant when he referred to "that little farce you played with my sister."
Anyway, this is how I see it.
I read the book 50 years ago, and I don't remember anything in it. However, someone commenting on another reaction said that in the book Carlo was a plant by Barzini from the beginning. That could be true. However, just looking at the film I would agree with your analysis. Even if Carlo was a plant, if he had been given some role in the family business he might have allied himself with the Corleones. But in the film he was clearly frustrated by being sidelined and that led to his betrayal.
@@UnderDriven17 No, there wasn't anything about Carlo's being a plant in the book. In fact, it's even more obscure. During Carlo and Connie's fight, the narrator merely says Carlo is getting drunk, his eyes have a crazy glint in them, and Connie is afraid. On the other hand, the narrator states specifically that a member of the Tattaglia family witnesses Sonny's attack on Carlo and goes to a telephone. The narrator also says Carlo is disgruntled at not being a big man in the family.
@@ernestitoe Thanks for the clarification! Does the book explain why Don Corleone kept Carlo out of the family business?
@@UnderDriven17 Carlo was was a small-time criminal "punk", Vito was not happy that Connie chose to marry him, also Carlo wasn't full Sicilian. Vito told Tom that Carlo would never know about the family's inner workings. So Carlo was only given small rackets to operate, which clearly Carlo was mad about.
@@garrettkopu9191He could not even do that properly, no wonder the Don did not want that fool in his inner circle. Carlo was even less capable than Fredo😂
The actor who played Luca Brasi was actually a low-level enforcer with the Colombo mafia family (several of the actors and other staff had connections to the real New York Mafia) but had never acted before and was so starstruck at working with Marlo Brando he flubbed the lines by mistake. Since Brasi is supposed to be slightly scared of the Godfather anyway Coppola decided that it actually worked and kept that take in, adding the scene of Brasi practicing outside to drive the point home.
I think Brando was also making faces at him (sticking his tongue out, since the camera wasn’t on him) so that caused him to be even more flustered getting his lines out
@@silversailer Yeah that probably didn't help!
The Actor who played Luca (Lenny Montana) was also a well known Professional Wrestler.
This is a film where every word, every gesture, is important. Everything fits into the whole. It is a masterpiece.
When Clemenza says, "Hello, Carlo," you know; you just know. In the book you find out that Clemenza was Sonny's godfather, so it was Clemenza's duty to take care of Carlo.
The thing to remember when you say this had a typical Mafia story line, this film defined the typical Mafia story line!
Michael saving his father at the hospital was brilliant, and he kept his cool.
Agreed. The contrast was brilliant when the camera showed how nervous the baker was afterward when he was trying to smoke a cigarette, but how Michael’s hand holding the cigarette lighter was not shaking at all.
In the novel by Mario Puzo, the reader finds out how Michael earned the title of a war hero. His experience overseas prepared him for such a task.
Tom is the best. You can yell right in his face and he does not even flinch.
He above anyone else in the Familia knew where all the bodies were buried.
The dialogue is one of the best I've ever experienced in a film. It's flawless. Every line in every scene is poignant.
For Marlon´s Brando character in this movie, Don Corleone, Francis Ford Coppola put a jaw prosthesis in his mouth and a gauze, to give him that particular face. Brando was relatively young in this film, and Coppola pretended to age him and look more threatening.
Correction, Duck Smith put the jaw appliance in Brando. It went in like a partial dental appliance.
Funny papers is the old time terminology for the comics page in the newspapers.
I remember reading the funny papers in the Sunday edition of the Newark Star-Ledger oh so long ago.
This movie was rated R. Which meant my father had to take me to see it. In those days, scenes from the films were included in the lobby. When my dad saw the photo of Sonny Corleone's bullet ridden car, he was at first hesitant to let me watch the movie. Thankfully, he made the decision in my favor. He later told me that since I'd already seen "A Fistful of Dollars" and "For a Few Dollars More", I was probably able to handle that "Godfather" scene. Great reaction.
I always thought the only mistake Vito Corleone made was sending Luca Brasi undercover. As well known as Luca's loyalty to Vito was no one was going to believe he would betray Vito
In the book, Vito didn’t blindly send him to try and be buddy-buddy with the Tattaglia’s. He had Luca play the long game by contacting Sollozzo’s men for months, and then frequenting the nightclub that the Tattaglia’s run. At the clubs he’d “complain” to certain associates that the Corleone family doesn’t appreciate him or recognize his full talents. That’s when the Tattaglia family approached him. They had multiple meetings and they seemed to be going well until Luca showed his hand at one meeting by saying that he’ll never go against the Godfather. That’s when they knew that they had to kill him because of the upcoming hit on Vito.
Here is a translation of what they say in Italian in the restaurant:
Sollozzo: I'm sorry.
Michael: Leave it alone. ( or ) Forget about it.
Sollozzo: 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 that I am a man of honor.
Michael: I understand those things. I know them.
Sollozzo: You do? You must understand that I helped the Tattaglia family and once I make a deal, I seek nothing but peace. Leave aside all this nonsense.
Michael: How do you say? [Then Michael returns to speaking English.]
[After Michael returns from the bathroom]
Sollozzo: 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.
Michael sitting back down seems to me that he was considering the deal until he hears that last line
I agree with everything except the last sentence. Michael isn't even listening to Sollozzo, he's listening for the elevated train and dealing with his nerves prior to committing murder (heck, committing a crime) for the first time. It's even been discussed in regards to the sound design of the scene, by Coppola.
@@janeathome6643agreed. Michael was never considering the deal.
I’ve always thought Michael considered the deal until he realized that Sollozzo wasn’t the mastermind of the hit. Michael was a decorated Marine in The Pacific. He’d killed before so his hesitation was because he realized that killing Sollozzo wouldn’t end the attempts on Vito. Just my thought
@@janeathome6643exactly!
A lot of younger reactors (especially) seem perplexed by the deliberate omission of subtitles in the restaurant scene. The dialogue here is unimportant--I think the director wanted the audience to focus instead on the actors' facial expressions and the rising tension, as reflected in the sounds of the approaching train. Distracting the audience with subtitles would have diminished the effectiveness of the scene.
When the movie-director cusses Tom out, he uses a string of anti-Italian slurs (assuming he is Italian), when Tom corrects him saying he's German-Irish, the director responds with exactly one more slur for each ethnicity :D
As for Connie, the book goes a little more into detail, short story is - Sonny is the only one to ever truly care about her, truly; even the Don and her mother kind of shrugged it off - in the movie you hear the mother say "Don't interfere" which is like an old fashioned Italian thing, Connie is essentially expected to stop getting beat, by behaving better or something; even Michael refers to her abuse as "a farse" when confronting her husband, and punishing him for getting Sonny killed.
Michael was absolutely not shrugging off Carlo's treatment of Connie. The "farce" (meant insultingly, because Carlo thought he was so clever and would get away with it) is the scheme that Carlo cooked up, to use his mistress to goad Connie, thereby providing Carlo with an excuse to beat the crap out of her, knowing she would call Sonny and he would hot-headedly come to her rescue, allowing for his assassination on the Ocean Parkway.
Carmela Corleone respected the long tradition of never interfering in another marriage - even her daughter's. The husband and wife were expected to settle it in private. It's also why no one actively interfered with Sonny's cheating on his wife. It was between Sonny and his wife.
In the book, women were virtual chattel. Once a daughter is married off, she becomes "the property" of her husband. That comes straight from the novel. Aside from killing her, a man could do almost anything he wanted to his wife.
Also in the novel, Vito put much more constraints on Carlo after he started beating Connie. He kept Carlo busy and kept a keen eye on him.
No, the "farce" was the beating arranged to draw Sonny away from his protection and acting out of anger instead of thinking.
I think the point of no subtitles during McClusky’s and the Turk’s assassination was because Michael wasn’t paying attention to what Virgil was saying. The camera was focused on Mikey as he was preparing for the right time to pull the trigger. So, I’m sure there are videos that’ll translate it, but for storytelling sake, it didn’t matter what Sallozzo was saying: he was a dead man talking (and that dirty cop, a dead man chewing) the moment Mikey grabbed the gun.
None of the official versions translate that Italian. I suspect the point is Michael's "Flight or Fight" response has triggered and his brain is concentrating on more relevant stimuli and no longer wasting processing power on interpreting his words.
I remember seeing the translation somewhere and If i remember right they basically say the same thing they did in English more or less
When Coppola doesn't use subtitles is because he wants to put u in the actor's head.. So everything else is blockedx out.
*FFact - the baby used for the baptism was his newborn daughter Sofia Coppola.
Correct!!
The "funny papers" are the comic strips in the newspapers.
She might not even know what a newspaper is.
Trivia: the actor who played the movie mogul had been led to believe that a realistic prop horse head would be in that bedroom scene. Without his knowing, a real freshly (humanely) killed horses head and real horse blood was used instead. His reaction when he saw it was a REAL horse head was 100% real horror and disgust waaaaaaaaaaay beyond his planned acting delivery. This was what Coppola had hoped for - acting as if the horse head was real - because it was - and genuine not faked horror - because the actor was NOT ready - and he got it, and it stayed in.
Im new to your channel. Johnny Fontaine is Frank Sinatra. At the time Sinatra had lost his voice for several years due to polyps in his throat.
He was dating movie star, Ava Gardner who pushed for Sinatra to get the movie part, but the studio would not give it to him.
Remember, Johnny Fountaine said the part was perfect. The movie was, “From here to Eternity “. Sinatra got the part of Magio. Sinatra won an oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
@paulf2123 : ""Sinatra had lost his voice for several years due to polyps in his throat."
What calendar years specifically are these "SEVERAL YEARS"?
Nonsense, because his voice was NEVER incapacitated for "SEVERAL YEARS".
His brief throat problem (circa 1953) was due to a vocal chord hemorrhage, not "polyps".
@@meyerhave Umm, you act like you know so much. How about you watch the the comprehensive A&E documentary called the Rat Pack which details ALL the members.
@@paulf2123 Stop your dodging.
AGAIN, what calendar years specifically are these "SEVERAL YEARS" when you claim Sinatra "lost his voice?"
You're going to come up emptyhanded - ZERO - with any evidence or facts supporting that farcical claim, Paulie boy.
@meyerhave so sorry abt ur pathetic life 😂 I am actually laughing so hard. Bro
@@paulf2123 ... and you obviously still won't (because you can't) fess up to your total lack of "facts" with this - in your head only - imaginary claim of Frankie's "several years" loss of voice, you "laughing so hard" hyena.
The times when the Italian language was NOT being translated is when it was not important to know exactly what was being said. The focus in those instances is to be on the actors’ faces or their body language, or sound fx, or visual details- those explain what is going on inside the person or what the overall experience is, or the atmosphere being established.
In the restaurant scene, just before the shooting- the focus is not on what the Italian guy is saying (because we realize Michael is not even hearing that;) his eyes (along with the train sounds in the background) show that he is tense and getting ready to do something which will totally change the rest of his life. Dialogue is translated when it is needed to further the story or reveal a character.
39:51 “funny papers”
American slang for sections in newspapers that have what’s universally known has “comic strips.”
In my house, we shortened it to "the funnies". I taught myself to read via the funnies and the TV Guide...😁
Fun fact : the little baby being baptized as Connie and Carlo’s son is actually a little girl, none other than Sofia Coppola, daughter of the director, Francis Ford Coppola. She went on to portray Michael and Kay’s daughter in Godfather III, and went on to be a very talented and respected director in her own right with a string of hits, The Virgin Suicides, Marie Antoinette, Lost In Translation, Somewhere, and The Beguiled.
Also, Talia Shire, who played Connie, is Francis Ford Coppola's sister. While he wasn't involved in any of the Godfather movies, the actor Nicolas Cage (real name Nicolas Coppola) is the nephew of Francis Ford Coppola and Talia Shire.
PART 2 is considered equal if not better by everyone. Its another masterpiece in every sense.
A series I cannot recommend more strongly is The Offer! It's a fictionalized retelling of how The Godfather was made and how then inexperienced producer Al Ruddy had to maneuver Hollywood, Paramount studio execs, and even the Columbo Crime Family itself to get this masterpiece made!
Look how they massacred my boy
That line always gets me
The "missing italian dialogue" in the diner/double murder was a director decision done on purpose. It's does a few things:
1.)it's puts us in Police Captains POV: he is an outsider, just like us, and so doesnt understand the conversation, he just knows that it's important and that he has front row seats....and, like him, we get the gist of what HAS to be discussed, even if we dont know HOW it's discussed
2.)It let's US, the audience focus on the what's REALLY important: the assassination and Micheal's focus. As an audience, we're thinking "Does it really matter what you're saying, Sollozo? You're a dead man and dont even know it. Do you really think you're going to live to see desert?"
3.)Without civilzied language, we get to watch these two apex predator size each other up, with eye contact and body language. You get to focus on how Mike's broken jaw and zygomatic bone force himt o lock his jaw....so while he may actually BE in pain, he could also be in a FURY, with a death's head smile. Furious at this man who upheaded Mike's entire life: trying to kill his dad, draggin him into the family business, having to leave the country for a year.
We also get to focus on how dangerous Sollozo actually LOOKS. His look is polished, sleek, and deadly: sharkskin silk suit, dead eyes, cunning face. He's got SUCH good instincts that when Mike asked to use the bathroom he KNEW something was up, he just wasnt able to figure it out b/c Mike's planning is better than his. i LOVE the TWITCH of suspician in his face when just one eye squinches up while looking at Mike. Solllozo KNOWS....he just doesnt know the details.
Would translations have helped? Would it have been nice? Sure.
Would it have mattered? Not really
BUT....taking them OUT.....let's us focus on what we're REALLY focused on. Will the war hero break bad at the moment of truth?
Funny papers are the comic strips found in newspapers. Like "Peanuts."
the real Mafia had so much control over this movie, they were the one who decided what was in the movie out, also many mafia guys got small cameos in the movie
@JimJack-ng9yi Nice fairy tale, Sparky. Time for you to permanently retire the pipe.
Some bosses like Carlo Gambino was said to not like the idea this movie was being made . As it brought attention onto their organization . But tolerated it because they were getting a piece of the profit .
Classic line from the movie, ‘Leave the gun, take the cannoli.’ 😊
Yeah and that was Vito’s bodyguard (who was suspected of being bribed to call in sick) that got shot. It can be difficult to figure out on the first watch. Sonny never specifically says to kill him just “I don’t want to see him again”
The moment where Michael says to his father in the hospital, "I'm with you now..." is the switch where Michael went from observer to participant in the family business. He was the son that had the temperament and the smarts to take over. Sonny was too hot-headed and Fredo was weak. I think you will like the next movie. That's when you get to see DeNiro.
I'm probably more your parents' generation in age and I always love to see the younger generation of movie fans and cinephiles appreciate the older masterpieces so much.
You may think what you want about the third part, I think it's good, even if it can't hold a candle to its predecessors, but if you're done with this trilogy, I definitely recommend "A Bronx Tale" (1993) in this genre or because you have the references from "The Godfather I-II" and hopefully a few other old mafia films, the parody "Jane Austen's Mafia!". (1998), which really only makes sense to watch if you already know the classic you've just seen and its sequel.
Godfather 1 &2 two of the greatest movies ever
Godfather is amazing.
Godfather 2 is even better!👍
Marlon Brando was considered a washed up has been in Hollywood in 1971> The head of paramount, Charles Bluedorn, fought Coppola tooth and nail. He wanted Richard Conte, who played Barzini, to play Vito Corleone.
18:41 The nurse in the hallway and the woman in Cole's hallway (The Sixth Sense) are two of the best jump scares. 😱
....btw, your are ABSOLUTELY CORRECT in your comment at 9:37 regarding using this song in Tom and Jerry! (I swear, I thought I was the only other person who knew this! Lol). The song is called "Manhattan Serenade" (which I find kind of ironic, because the song is being played while Tom is visiting Hollywood, CA, but whatever), but , yes I'm a Tom and Jerry fan too and remember the episode! :) Good reactions, btw :)
Looks like I'm the same age as your mom...I was also born the same year this film came out.
I was probably 15 years old when I saw the movie, after I had read the novel by Mario Puzo. I adore both.
- Johnny Fontane and the movie he was perfect for was loosely based on Frank Sinatra and the film From Here to Eternity (1953), for which Sinatra won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar. He was at a lull in his career, and had ticked off a lot of execs in Hollywood. That film put Sinatra back on top, and there were always rumors that Sinatra had ties to organized crime. So, when the novel and then the movie came out, Sinatra tried to flex his power to stop the film. Only after Francis Ford Coppola promised that they would cut down the role of Johnny Fontane did Sinatra relent...but still hated the movie...and partly the reason was Brando himself. Sinatra and Brando did the movie musical Guys and Dolls together, and Sinatra wanted the role of Sky Masterson (who sings "Luck Be a Lady", a song Sinatra had a big hit with), instead...Sinatra played Nathan Detroit, and Brando (who really was not a singer) played Masterson. Brando and Sinatra were taking snipes at each other a lot afterward.
- This and the sequel films definitely get better and richer with repeat viewings.
- Connie Corleone was played by Talia Shire, younger sister of Francis Ford Coppola. Talia's biggest film roles were Connie and Adrian in the Rocky franchise. She is also the mother of Jason Schwartzman (from many films), Robert Schwartzman (Princess Diaries and front man of the band Rooney), aunt of Nicholas Cage (whose real name is Coppola), and aunt to director-writer Sofia Coppola (The Virgin Suicides, Lost In Translation, Marie Antoinette).
- There is a really good, if less than accurate, limited series about the making of The Godfather on Paramount Plus called The Offer. Miles Teller (Top Gun Maverick) plays producer Albert S. Ruddy, Dan Fogler (Jacob Kowalski in the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them films) plays Francis Ford Coppola, and Matthew Goode (Downton Abbey) plays Paramount chief Robert Evans. It is about 8 or 10 episodes, but it's a lot of fun. An interesting snapshot of Hollywood in the early 1970s.
Nice reaction. This is interesting. Moe Green, played by Alex Rocco. was a real east coast gangster and part of the Whitey Bulgur Winter Hill Gang back in the day before heading out to the west coast to act...
Disagree about Michael "not knowing what he's doing" (yet). Moving his father was a very smart thing to do on the fly, given that there was no one to protect him, the police captain was on Sollozzo's payroll and there to make sure that Vito didn't come out of there. Then, knowing that protection would never get there in time, he bluffed the hitmen who pulled up, making them think he was ready for them. Not bad for a civilian war hero who stayed out of the family business.
Yeah, I was like, "girl, you are not following what's going on." Michael saved his father's life at the hospital! He did everything right - and he had no weapons and no backup (except for the baker who showed up).
@@i_love_rescue_animals Exactly!
The "funny papers" were the part of the newspaper that had the comic strips in it.
My take on the subtitles is that they're not provided in some parts of the film because you don't really need them. As you'll probably notice more on second watch, it's pretty clear what they're talking about even without the exact verbiage.
Clemenzas killing Carlo was Karma. Clemenza was Sonny’s Godfather.
Enzo the baker was the Italian POW that the Don arranged to stay in the US rather than being sent back to Italy. That night in the hospital, Enzo paid his debt to the Don.
Johnny Fontaine was based on Frank Sinatra , who tried to stop the movie from being made, the mafia got involved, big mess. Theres a show called the Offer, making of the Godfather. Good stuff
The "funny papers" are the section of a newspaper with the comic strips.
It helps to know that the Godfather films were designed by Puzo and Coppola as a masculine version of Shakespeare's "King Lear". People who don't understand Shakespeare or King Lear usually misinterpret Part 2 and become very lost during Part 3. Michael obviously begins Part 1 as Cordelia, proving his love for Vito as the child on the outside, but ends up taking the role of Lear. Instead of daughters, Vito plans for the future of his family and kingdom with his sons. Part 2 develops the primary theme of emotional/moral blindness that is usually associated with King Lear and Gloucester. Part 3 uses the King Lear model to complete the narrative thread with a definitive ending and a clear moral to the story common to the Shakespearean tradition, but missing in the first two films.
It's definitely very Shakespearean. I read they also took a lot from Suetonius' Lives of the Caesars and the life of Napoleon Bonaparte.
@@janeathome6643 They didn't take anything from the life of the Caesars or Bonaparte. The synchronized killings at the end go back to something that Alexander the Great would do to any of his generals who plotted against him. Other real life inspiration would be the Kennedy's. JFK fought in WWII, like Michael, despite his dad being an isolationist, like Vito. JFK became a war here, like Michael. JFK also had a dominant older brother, like Sonny, who died violently, leaving JFK to take over leadership of his family, like Michael. The Corleone compound is modeled after the Kennedy compound, with the entire family living close together in their own homes with high security.
As a Sicilian American from the Bronx, I can say that they really got everything right. Many of the New York scenes were shot on location--I've been to many of them. The hospital Don Vito was in, for example, was supposed to be the hospital I was born in (which was closed by the time the film was shot, so it had to be filmed in another NY location). Corleone, Sicily really looks like that as well (my grandfather was from a Sicilian town not far away)
Never has violence looked so beautiful! I often use the baptism scene in my classes as a great example of crosscutting (and irony). This is a landmark film from what I consider perhaps the greatest decade for film.
Funny papers were cartoon comic strips in the newspapers every day and in the Sunday paper, there were several pages and in color. Something from my youth.
@indianCalypso your microphone must something really special, its late night watching this and 3 times it sounded like someone is breaking into my room through the window 39:19
The Woltz mansion was used in filming another masterpiece, Fletch
It was for rent in Beverly Hills , some years back. I forget what the monthly payments were but it was a lot ...
"The Woltz Mansion".
It is actually the former estate of William Randolph Hearst, known as Beverly House (or the Hearst Estate) at the time. He bought it from the original owner, a banker, named Milton Getz who It was built for originally in 1926.
It was also used in "The Jerk and "The Bodyguard".
You should also watch Bram Stoker’s Dracula, it’s also made by Francis Ford Coppola.
I laughed so hard when you said boom shaka laka lol. I love your reactions
I may start using that phrase myself. 🙂
Sollozzo: "All I want is a truce."
IC: "M-kay."
Phenomenal film. Great reaction. Subscribed! :)
5:22 not writing tickets, but taking down license plate numbers so theyll know whos at the wedding.
Part 2 is even better.
I think two things worth some attention on a rewatch are: The dialogue is a lot more meaningful that it might seem at first. For instance, when Sonny speaks up at the meeting with Sollozzo, he shows that there is disagreement in the Corleone family over the drug deal. That is valuable information to Sollozzo and his partners. The other thing is that when these people talk to each other, they are always studying each other and looking for weaknesses. An example is when the movie producer shows Tom his expensive racehorse. This producer is saying no to Corleone but he's also telling Corleone's representative that this horse is an extremely valuable asset to him. He is unwittingly giving valuable information to Tom, which Corleone can then use against the producer.
Marlon Brando was 47, only 16 years older than Al Pacino, when this movie was made.
Loved this watchalong with you. It's one of those gems that I wouldn't necessarily ask someone to do a video post for, when all they would rather do is get encompassed with the movie instead of feeling like they have to comment about things. So I'm glad you'll view it again on yer own, for you. And after you finish all the flicks, I hope you try 1990's The Freshman, also starring Brando in a is he/isn't he That Don role. View it as a refreshing after dinner mint to cleanse yer palate 😂
Most of the Italian has subtitles, by for the restaurant scene the director intentionally left it blank. "Right now, Michael isn't even listening. What matters is what's happening in Michael's eyes"
the cut the scene, but Mike asked his dad, "what about Sonny, what about Sicily," Vito said I wore I wouldn't break the peace, Mike asked "won't they take that as a sign of weakness" Vito replied "it is a sign of weakness"
Johnny Fontaine is loosley based on Frank Sinatra. The war picture role they discuss parallels the role of Maggio in "From Here to Eternity". That solidified Sinatra's career as a serious actor. It made his film career.
My favorite movie ever.
Your mum was born in 1972? Egad. I remember watching this in a movie theatre in Delhi as a college student. It was huuge, and sparked an interest in this kind of plot line (family, crime, clan) in Bollywood over the next few decades. Respect to your dad and mum, and best of luck to you in your endeavour to discover the world of classic movies your dad has gotten you into. Terrific reaction, btw. Or, rather, terrific reaction, first and foremost! A fresh emotional perspective, somehow, different from many of the other reactors.🙇 PS: Massive respect for being Gen Z and recognizing a tune from a Tom & Jerry toon from nearly 90 years ago.
This is a great movie. So well acted and dressed and directed and photographed. The story is a fairy tale about the mafia. 9:30 That song is "Manhattan Serenade" written by Lewis Alter in 1928. It forshadowed the big band music of the 1930's and 40's.
By all means be excited to see part II. Don't expect too much of part III though, I don't want you to be disappointed.
Awesome reaction of my favorite movie!!!!!😊😊😊😊😊😊
Great reaction 💯
Godfather II is my favorite of the three!!!
True Masterpiece, thanks for that reaction!
9:29 "They used this tune in Tom & Jerry?"
This is Manhattan Serenade written in 1928, and was a popular tune all during the '30s and '40s when this was set. While the Godfather films themselves have been referenced throughout media and culture, the references to the tune itself in other media are often independent of it, due to it recalling the glamor of the golden age of Hollywood, and or sunny California, entertainment, and this period of the early 20th century, as it is used here denoting the scene change of Tom flying out to deal with Woltz.
Michael exerts quiet and calm but menacing at the same time.
Great reaction once again, l im glad you enjoy this masterpiece of cinema its one of my favourites its becouse of this movie that Coppola and Pacino got their careers famous in some Hollywood. some fun-facts about this movie, Lenny Montana, who played Luca Brasi, was a professional wrestler before becoming an actor. He was so nervous delivering his lines to a legend like Brando during the scene in in this movie study that he didn’t give one good take during an entire day’s shoot. Because he didn’t have time to reshoot the scene, Coppola added a new scene of Luca Brasi rehearsing his lines before seeing the Godfather to make Montana’s bad takes seem like Brasi was simply nervous to talk to the Godfather. The horse head in the movie producer’s bed wasn’t a prop. The production got a real horse’s head from a local dog food company. The line in the script only had actor Richard Castellano as Clemenza say “Leave the gun” after the hit on the mobster who ratted on the Corleones. He was inspired to make the addition after Coppola inserted a line in which the character’s wife asks him to buy cannoli for dessert. The cat was not a planned supporting actor in the film. That cat just wandered onto the set and Marlon Brando, as a well trained method actor, just responded as Vito Corleone would. That cat's participation in the scene actually caused a tremendous amount of technical problems for the sound engineers. Marlon, as Vito, made the cat so happy it was purring quite loudly. Some have said that is why It is difficult to hear Marlon in that opening scene. The story goes that there was a stray cat around at the time. Anyone who has ever been around a cat would probably know that strays wouldn’t be as gentle and agreeable as the one that Brando plays with in the scene, Coppola was an exacting director, mapping out scenes and dialogue to the utmost degree. But he also allowed for concessions. Brando was famously averse to learning his lines, and cue cards were strategically placed out of camera view to allow him to recite the proper dialogue. The presence of the cat, and Coppola’s quick thinking, led to a brilliant new facet to a scene that was already overflowing with tension. Keep up the good work.
Basically what happened with the hospital was the crooked cop had everyone cleared out, and then pulled his own men out so the place would be dead-empty when the assassins show up to do their business.
After calling Tommy for backup, Michael and the Baker stood outside posing as Corleone's guards.
When the car of assassins rolls up, they see two "guards" outside, and assume that there must still be a whole gang of guards inside as well, and this is enough to make them nope out of the whole thing because they were expecting an empty building.
After they take off, the crooked cop comes back in, upset that Michael screwed up the plan and made him look like a fool.
Watching this beautiful woman of obvious Indian descent talking with an Irish accent reminds me of the time I was treated in South Texas by an Asian doctor who spoke with a Southern drawl. Just unexpected, that's all. One of the things that makes life interesting.
The only way I follow New Reactors on CZcams is when they react to my all time favorite film The Godfather. Loved your reaction and glad you enjoyed this film. Must watch 2. People will say don't watch 3 but I say you should, to close out the story.
I'm still very impressed with the special effects of the time that they used for Luca Brasi being strangled. I learned they sprayed a fine mist with a dark pigment on his face during the scene, and it only showed up when it settled on his face. So you see his face getting darker with in camera effects. Compare that to more modern methods like in LotR when Boromir dies and they use CGI to make him go paler as he dies from blood loss. It looks very good, but when I watched it I just thought "Oh, you have it too easy now compared to the 70s."
Speaking of the 70s and what you said in the intro - Three masterpieces came into the world that year: Your mom, this movie and me. ;)
What a Masterpiece
Many reactors when they think of Al Pacino movies , they think of " The Godfather " & " Scarface " . Although they forget about the rest like : Dog Day Afternoon - Serpico - Sea Of Love - And Justice For All - Dick Tracy . Those are a few of many more.
First video I've watched of yours. I'll watch some older ones waiting for part two.
You would absolutely love the miniseries The Offer on Paramount +. It stars Miles Teller from Top Gear Maverick, and it’s about all it took to make The Godfather. Dealing with the Colombo Crime Family, the politicians, and the studio! Btw, Luca Brasi was a soldier in the Colombo Crime Family, when he got the job for Luca Brasi after the first choice died before shooting the film.
no subtitles for Solozzo because what he says doesn't matter
The time from the hit on Vito Corleone to Michael hitting the heads of the five family’s was 10 years.
You see Michael’s evolution throughout the movie.
Great reaction and excellent video editing! I can't wait until you react to Part 2. Many believe that it is better than the original (Part 1).
Great reaction.
An interesting side note. In the novel, Michael's first wife, Apollonia, was pregnant when she was murdered. The movie is essentially about a family. Yes, it is a crime family, but the movie is essentially about their relationships and their lives.
Definitely worth reading (or listening, available on YT) the book, while some things were changed, it fills in so much that this movie of course could not fill, unless they wanted a 10 hour movie lol.
awesome reaction Calypso, its cool u like old school storytelling ,u remind me alot of Mediterranean women strong and loyal to the family 😇
"Gun to the head Luca" - in the book there's a little bit of Luca's backstory, and a gun to the head is far from the scariest thing he's done. He's the Don's enforcer.
I highly recommend watching the second film. It alternates between showing how Vito became who he is, and showing what happened to Mike after the events of the first film. The third film isn't bad in itself, but IMO it doesn't quite measure up to the first two. Other films you might like are Goodfellas, Casino, and Billy Bathgate (Dustin Hoffman plays real life gangster Dutch Schultz and is very convincing).
Aish😁 let me make you an offer you cant refuse😁 great review👍 thank you...
For next movie, I would definitely love for you to dive into more Christopher Nolan movies. I especially recommend TENET, which is now officially my favorite Nolan film upon rewatch since it managed to handle the exposition just right in addition to impressive filmmaking which was a massive step up from his previous movies IMO. Structurally, it is actually very similar to OPPENHEIMER (there is even a clever J. Robert Oppenheimer reference in TENET too)!
You need to watch part 2 as soon as possible and then see the first one again to really see the whole picture.
You need to add the series, the offer to this list, it actually shows how this film was made
After watching second Godfather, consider reading the book. There is a lot of extra character development. For instance, if you knew what Luca Brasi was or what he was capable of! Wow! Also, there are some things that are included from the book, but not explained in the movie. For example, Michael's bruise. He still has it in Greece, even thought months have passed. In the book, it's explained that Michael has a bone break that healed wrong in the face and that cause issues like permanent bruising. He had it fixed when he returned to US.
The Mission.. a beautiful film based upon a true story. DeNiro, Jeremy Irons and a very young Liam Neeson. Definitely worth a review on your channel!
Mo Green in real life is Benny (Bugsy) Seigle, founder of modern day Las Vegas with the 1st hotel casino in Vegas " The Flamingo" If u want to know more i recommend the movie "Bugsy".This is not how and why Bugsy Seigle was killed in real life
Inspired by. Bugsy Siegal was a lot smarter.
As was Hyman Roth was to Meyer Lansky
Great movie. Some people say that Godfather 2, a kind of sequel, is even better. It gives you background on Don Corleone and how he grew to be so powerful.
I was very young when this movie came out, didn't see this until decades later, but the one thing that did filter down to me was the horse's head in the bed. Total meme, before memes existed. Tons of people making jokes about it.