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    		•

    FILMS

    The Godfather Trilogy

    The Godfather, Part I (1972)
  • Starring Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Robert Duvall, Richard S. Castellano, James Caan, Talia Shire, Richard Conte, Al Lettieri, Abe Vigoda, John Cazale

  • Directed by Francis Ford Coppola


    • What can be said about The Godfather that already hasn't been said? It's a classic. The story is tight, the acting superb, the directing capable and translucent. There's no real need for me to bother with a plot synopsis as there's so much within this single film. It's about family, crime, tough-guys, business, and the never-ending circle of revenge.

    (Warning: Spoilers will follow. If you haven't seen any of the The Godfather's yet, you should probably stop reading.)

    It was only over a year ago that I had realized I had never actually seen The Godfather. I like most movies, and I love good movies. This was a classic. Why had I not seen it? Twenty five years old and I had never seen The Godfather. A crime unto itself. So, I went out to the local video store and rented all three—watching them in two days. The first one blew me away. My sister-in-law gave me the DVD box-set trilogy as a gift this past Christmas. A few weeks ago I watched them again, back-to-back over two days. It had only been a year, and they still amazed me.

    A horse's head as a bloody alarm clock; "I'll make him an offer he can't refuse"; Marlon Brando playing with a pussycat; Al Pacino almost unrecognizable as Al Pacino because he's so unbelievably young; same with Diane Keaton; Sonny's death on the toll road; Luca Brasi's rehearsed entrance, and the famous note send after his death; oranges; "Fredo ... don't ever take sides with anyone against the family again"....

    Just a few memories of an outstanding film that is unforgettable.

    I'd have to say that my favorite character from the first film is Tom Hagen, played by Robert Duvall. There's something incredibly honest and endearing about the even-tempered Hagen, acting as "consiglieri," ready to dispense business advice to Don Corleone (Vito or, later, Michael)... I don't know...it's reassuring to you know there's at least one voice or reason somewhere among the revenge-hungry family.


    The Godfather, Part II (1974)
  • Starring Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, Robert De Niro, John Cazale, Talia Shire, Lee Strasberg, Michael V. Gazzo, G.D. Spradlin, Richard Bright, Gastone Moschin, Tom Rosqui, Bruno Kirby

  • Directed by Francis Ford Coppola


    • When I first watched this trilogy back-to-back, this was my least favorite of the three. Since my second viewing, I think this has moved up one place. From favorite to least favorite, I'd have to go with the order in which they were made.

    My problem with this one the first time around was confusion. I was confused at the plot. Was Michael really with Roth or against him. (I think part of the confusion comes from the scene where Danny Aiello strangles a guy, saying, "Michael Corleone sends his regards!" Apparently Michael didn't actually order that hit. It was meant to confuse.) When I thought they were in Miami, they were in Cuba—which makes a helluva a lot more sense. Nothing is really spelled out for the audience in this one, and it is hard to follow the first time around. But like the first installment, The Godfather, Part II is just as enjoyable in its second viewing. (And I'm sure it'll be even better on a third viewing.)

    This one is divided into two parts. One, in the present, covers Michael's deals and murders and government testimonies. The second one, and arguably the more interesting one, takes place in the past. It's the story of young Vito Corleone (or rather, Vito Andolini) as a young boy immigrating to America—basically because his entire family has been hit. De Niro plays young Vito and is pretty darn amazing in it. He starts the rise of the Corleone crime family by whacking the NY neighborhood heavy. Very cool.

    If I were to pick my favorite character in The Godfather, Part II, I'd have to go with John Cazale's Fredo (older brother to Michael). He's somewhat of a thickie. Or rather, not necessarily a thickie, he's just a normal guy. (But compared to others in the film, he's oblivious to the rules of Michael's world.) He's like you or me. He's not a crime boss. He's just a guy. Naive, yes—but he didn't mean to set up Michael on purpose. (At least I don't think he did.) The scene where he's yelling at Michael that he got "passed over" is one of the most touching scenes. There's something about him screaming, "I'm smart!" that says he's not. And he knows it. It's sad.

    What's even more sad is Fredo's last, lonely fishing trip. At this point, I lost a lot of respect or sympathy for Michael. But the movie's over...


    The Godfather, Part III (1990)
  • Starring Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, Andy Garcia, Eli Wallach, Joe Mantegna, George Hamilton, Bridget Fonda, Sofia Coppola, Raf Vallone, Franc D'Ambrosio, Donal Donnelly, Richard Bright, Helmut Berger

  • Directed by Francis Ford Coppola


    • And then we come to the third Godfather flick. It's much weaker than the other two installments but is still better than many other gangster films out there. This one is world-spanning, involving the Vatican and European conglomerates and big-time hits on Important People.

    I have to say that one of the real big problems I have with this movie is Sophia Coppola, who plays Michael's daughter, Mary. I find her awkward and silly. Granted, she is playing a teenager, so perhaps she's supposed to be awkward and silly. Maybe I wouldn't be so hard on her if she wasn't the director's daughter. It's hard to believe that Francis Ford Coppola thought that his daughter was the best actress available to fill the role. I can only conclude that it's a nasty case of nepotism, typical of Hollywood, and I'll move on.

    That's the problem with the actress—I also have a problem with her character who seems to find her first cousin Vincent (Andy Garcia) extremely attractive ... and gets together with him. Which makes Vincent a little less credible at the end of the flick when he takes on the mantle of "don." Problematic, but maybe that's just a hang-up I have with incest and getting involved with young girls. Maybe someone else sees this differently. I see them as incredibly bad decisions.

    Truth be told, Mary's character annoyed the crap out of me and I was pretty much happy when she's kicks it on the opera house steps. I know, I know. I'm a cold-hearted bastard. But she was just so annoying!


    A few final thoughts:

    Oranges. Oranges are interesting in this trilogy in that they always precede death or a close call. Someone will eat one or handle one and the bam! Dead, dead, deadski. It's a neat gimmick for the first flick, however, by the second installment becomes a "Where's Waldo" bit. By this I mean, you see someone holding an orange or you see a bowl of fruit, you look for the oranges—and then you wait for something bad to happen. Kinda lame after a while. Is there some literary or some symbolic connection between death and oranges? Or is it just an arbitrary connection the director draws? Could it just as easily have been candy canes or pot roast? I don't know.

    Religion and murder. It's a strange relation how each film is book-marked by religious events and murders. Part I opens with a wedding and ends with a baptism, which is happening at the exact same time as the heads of the Five Families are being whacked. Part II opens with Michael's son's first communion and ends, more or less, with Fredo saying a Hail Mary before he's murdered. Part III opens with Michael being given a high distinction from the Catholic Church, and ends with multiple murders, not the least of which is the new Pope. A strange relation that these films draw between religion and murder. Of course, most wars have been fought over religion, why not make the connection in film?

    Having said all of this, I really want more. When I finish the first flick, I need to watch the second. After finishing the second, I'm ready for the third. After the third, I still want more. I want to know what happens to Vincent and the family. I want to know more about young Vito and the rise of his organization. I'd like a little more about Fredo and Sonny and most of the family (though I don't really need any more of Talia Shire's Connie).

    If you're into ganster flicks and you haven't seen this before, shame on you. It's a classic. Get your ass out there and rent this. If you're not into ganster flicks I'd still recommend The Godfather trilogy because it's a good story about family and relationships. Twisted and abusive family, but family nonetheless.