Don Vito was a great man. He knew how to come off just threatening enough without outright threatening anyone while also reaffirming how peace would be the best option for everyone, and even after his indirect threat, he quickly decides to be the one to offer the suggestion of peace and takes a sworn oath to not be the one to violate that peace. Even his enemy, Tataglia, is moved by his words.
During that entire scene, Vito was scrutinizing Tattaglia and Barzini. He saw that Tattaglia was always looking to Barzini for support and validation. Vito knew right then that it was Barzini pulling the strings all along.
That, and the fact that Barzini is quick to dismiss Tattaglia's concerns about Vito's growing power and desire for vengeance. It's almost as if he's saying "I don't need you anymore, be quiet!"
00:47 when Brando looks toward Duvall and gives a subtle hand gesture, Duvall jumps up almost as if the moment was ad libbed by Brando. The little details in this film are amazing.
>Navigating the Shark Tank Vito Corleone: I have a lot of friends in politics, but they wouldn't be friendly very long if they knew my business was drugs instead of gambling. And for that reason, I'm out.
Going by a deleted scene at hospital about discussing Michael's future (followed up later), I tend to wonder if Don Corleonewas largely motivated by wanting to forge a pathway for Michael in politics, hence wanting to avoid bring affiliated with "dirty business" that could undermine said pathway
This speech in the book: “But let me say this. I am a superstitious man, a ridiculous failing but I must confess it here. And so if some unlucky accident should befall my youngest son, if some police officer should accidentally shoot him, if he should hang himself in his cell, if new witnesses appear to testify to his guilt, my superstition will make me feel that it was the result of the ill will still borne me by some people here. Let me go further. If my son is struck by a bolt of lightning I will blame some of the people here. If his plane should fall into the sea or his ship sink beneath the waves of the ocean, if he should catch a mortal fever, if his automobile should be struck by a train, such is my superstition that I would blame the ill will felt by people here. Gentlemen, that ill will, that bad luck, I could never forgive. But aside from that let me swear by the souls of my grandchildren that I will never break the peace we have made."
I am so glad that Coppola didnt use this bullshit exactly like its written in the book. This scene is so impressive because it is like it is. If he was talking about some bad will and bad luck bullshit, it would be far less impressive.
Michael expresses it well in the book, “Accidents don’t often happen to men who take accidents personally.” The Don’s exercise of his control over his family was so complete that everyone took care to minimize even the remotest chance of a mistake ever happening. Thereby, the betrayals were easy to spot because coincidence was so rare a thing in Vito’s operations (e.g. Paulie just happening to be sick the day the Don was shot). Great book, great film.
@Tolu Ojo he was suspicious and his suspicions were confirmed when they checked in with their guy at the phone company. The don shut sonny up in the meeting from speaking out so it didn’t reflect poorly on the godfather or show any weakness other than his children are his weakness. It taught sollozo that sonny reacts emotionally.
@@whitehorse8558 I can understand that Vito steps down so that Michael could start a war as a new don, but what has Hagen to do with that? I alwayes understood this scene so that Michael wants to protect his foster brother.
@@plrc4593 It's not a poor theory. That is exactly why Tom was left out. Vito had I high sense of honor and keeping his word. Vito's people in the room with him when he made that oath were bound by it also. That sense of honor is also why Michael couldn't act until Vito had passed. Michael didn't start a war when Vito stepped down. He had to wait until the previous Don had passed. Vito and Michael planned everything out long in advance. There are other reasons, but that is the main one.
@@wilsonblauheuer6544 Michael just seemed like an easy target. A new don, no experience, ivy league kid, it just makes sense to get rid of him and replace him with one of your own people.
@@SimicFishCrab Indeed. It’s also why Tessio betrayed Michael, because at that point the Corleones looked(keyword, there) weak between Vito’s retirement and death and Michael being an unknown commodity. They wouldn’t have tried moving against Sonny like that had he still been alive because they knew how good of a fighter he was and how smart his advisors were. All Michael had done at that point was assassinate Barzini and McCloskey, whereas Sonny had the war with the Tataglias and the earlier war when he was younger and filling in for an injured Vito.
This scene is classic and remarkable in the Godfather :the performance of Marlon Brando was fantastic and the darkness room give to the scene something melancholy. The director Franco Francis Coppola was fantastic. The scene was amazing and beautiful
I love it how a subtle gesture like rising his pen towards Barzzini from Don Corleone to talk , indicates the pecking order of who's the real Alpha in the room .Masterpiece
@@nephastgweiz1022 In the Director's Cut Don Vito had Tom Hagen push a button in his briefcase and everybody at the table looked glowingly at each other and smiled, then started tapping their fingers and nodding their heads to the beat and the scene evolved into a full blown good natured musical montage. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-tXsxvdF481I.html
I was lucky enough to tour Sicilian filming locations for “The Godfather” a few years ago and the tour guide pointed out that if you watch the scenes where someone dies or discussions take place from which someone will die, then you will see an Orange somewhere in the that scene near to the person who is going to be the victim. The orange is associated with death in Sicilian culture, apparently. In this scene there is an orange placed very prominently in the close up of Tattaglia at the beginning. When Don Corleone is attacked he is buying fruit and oranges are knocked into the street as he falls. When he dies he is using an orange to make monster teeth to play with his grandson. It’s a fun thing to look for when you watch this masterpiece of cinema again.
I couldnt work out where the orange was for Paulies foreshadowed demise. It’s actually at the beginning of the movie during the wedding scene. Clemenza is dancing and tells Paulie to give him a pitcher of wine, when he does it has orange slices floating in it.
Interesting how different colors are associated with death or mourning in different cultures. In Japan, you're expected to wear white to mourn, whereas in the U.S. that's the color for brides and it's black that is for mourning or, to a lesser degree, red being associated with the actual dying part.
Don Corleone didn’t swear that his son wouldn’t take vengeance. He kept his promise, and once he was dead, Michael took vengeance on the 5 families. A plan that was heavily masterminded by Don Corleone, that would go into effect once he was gone. Don Corleone checkmated Taralia and Barzini once again. Tricky fellow, Don Corleone. He managed to read the situation that it was Barzini all along, while setting things up for the downfall of the 5 families once he was gone. He got more done in one meeting, then was acccomplished in the years since the war started after he was nearly shot to death by the Turk.
Keep in mind that a big part of this scene is the Godfather used it to find out that Barzini was the one who really had Sonny killed. He says so in the car ride home. And who tried to have the Don killed.
The Godfather really means it when he says 'is vengeance going to bring back my son'. He is an imminently practical man. Though he is sitting across the room with his son's killers, he realises that Sonny is dead and nothing he does on that account is going to bring him back. He wants to focus on things he still has and that is Michael. So he uses forgoing of Sonny's revenge as a bargaining chip. Yes they do ultimately avenge Sonny but it has more to do with power projection that you cannot cross the Corleone family without payback. It is more to do with striking fear in the heart of your enemies.
warrcc c He didn’t whack them all. In the book, he only took out Barzini and Tattaglia. Stracchi claimed neutrality after the war while Cuneo was the one who found Fabrizzio and alerted Michael to his whereabouts. Even though he murders them all here, the other bosses weren’t involved and Michael couldn’t or wouldn’t kill them. Fredo was under the protection of Molinari in the west, it was Tramonti who helped Michael open ties with Cuba and later assisted him against Hyman Roth, Zaluchi was an old friend of Don Corleone and was the only Don outside of New York to align himself with Vito, Forlenza in Cleveland controlled the majority of gambling throughout the USA, even in Vegas, so Michael couldn’t take him out without suffering consequences to the casino. The Corleone Family had absolutely nothing to do with Boston, so Panza wasn’t even a factor. Falcone, however, met his end when Mike tried to silence Gerachi. But that’s another story
Vito was waiting to die so Michael could avenge Sonny for him meaning he'd technically have kept his promise. Avenging dead loved ones has nothing to do with trying to bring them back because they know they won't come back. It's about making sure the people who killed them don't go unpunished for it and don't do it to anyone else. That's why I hate it when a character goes "Don't kill so and so. It won't bring "insert relative here" back to try and talk another one out of getting revenge. It's so cliche. The "revenge is empty" cliche is annoying too.
I love the gestures of corleone. Like putting the pencil up to silence barzini when he wants to talk. Or when he wants to stand up he signs to hagen to pull the chair. Thats authority right there
Although the film plays with time a bit, and although in a deleted scene there is a glib line from son Michael that the vow not to break the peace did not apply to Michae [note that this scene was pointedly deleted from the theatrical release print]l, I think Don Vito kept his word because he added a proviso : "aside from that". This one exception to breaking the peace was that his son Michael not be harmed. Should anything happen to his son Michael, "if he should be struck by a bolt of lightning . . . that I do not forgive." Yet in Sicily there was an assassination attempt on Michael (the explosion of the car that kills Apollonia). It occurs earlier in the film but it is ambiguous as to when it happened. It could have happened in Sicily after the Don Vito made his vow in New York not to break the peace. If so, there was the "out"; his son Michael has been targeted. Moreover, in the scene in the garden between Vito and Michael, father Vito warns his son that he will be approached by a traitor who will arrange a meeting at which Michael will be assassinated. Again, Vito was aware that Michael was being targeted, which was the one express exception Vito made to keeping the peace; that no harm befall his son. That wish was clearly violated by the other mafia chieftains. This would be the clear exception to the vow of peace that would allow Don Vito to break the vow and thereby break the peace.
Tataglia had the look of, "I gotcha!". And he very nearly did! Knowing Don Corleone was a man of his word, Tataglia knew he was free to strike at the Corleone family at his leisure.
Siskel and Ebert, when revisiting the film many years ago, made an astute observation about Vito Corleone and his family. In the corrupt, murderous world of the Mafia families and their crime organizations, in their insulated universe, Vito was the "good guy". We saw Vito as the honorable Godfather, protecting his family from the "bad guys", and we mourned when he died.
Carl Schwamberger oranges are a symbol of bad luck, the don gets shot and, my cousin got pelted with oranges the way sonny was killed after he was out cold drunk
What's interesting though is the shot where we see Corleone's hand obstruct the sight of the oranges with the peace offering, to indicate a LACK of Death in this particular scene.
@@Carlschwamberger1 They could ^_^ A film that will both entertain and spark conversation for years to come - a real Masterpiece. Suspect I'll have to re-watch it in full this weekend now - "life's terrible" :)
Don Corleone always has another card up his sleeve. His is poker faced through out, all the while realizing it was ‘Barzini all along’. He has a meeting with the heads of the 5 family and within the meeting realized Barzini was the one orchestrating everything. This was something that alluded Sonny and Tom Hagen in the months or years since the war started. He is also started thinking about killing the heads of the 5 families while appearing to make peace. Did it all while completely misdirecting Barzini and the other heads of then 5 families. There was a reason he was the top Don! They vastly underestimated Don Corleone cunning. They were being lured into a trap.
@Alex I want to isolate and emphasise the most important piece of the dialog from my perspective. It contrasts with what others think is most important. A communion of minds through the internet, we share what is interesting with each other. It is a social meditation on the cultural influences we experience, even though we will never meet as people.
Corleone was in a weak position: Sonny dead, Micheal in hiding; at Vito's age, recovering from gunshot wounds takes a toll, the war with the other families going poorly, traitors surrounding him. He had to cut his losses and find a truce, get Micheal back. What is surprising is that the other families agreed to the truce.
They needed Don Corleone connections with LE to operate the drug cartel. Remember the war started because Vito wanted no part of it, but Sonny thought it was a good idea.
I swear on the souls of my grandchildren, that I will not be the one to break the peace we made here today.. and he didn’t lie, it wasn’t him, it was Michael. Masterpiece.
@@rchrdhzl Director Coppolla didnt want to direct part 3 , - these are words of Michael Franzese , Bob Duvall didn't play there , even if he was available , some parts of the movie are disrespectful to the other two , and statement that anyone would "pay" for anything here is ridiculous .
@@alneri8327 He swore on the souls of his grandchildren....just connecting the dots....one grandchild was murdered in utero by its mother and another died by gunshot blast
when Tattaglia stands up almost crying after Vito makes his promise of not taking revenge, that was masterful acting. You end up kinda moved by the whole scene when they embrace and people clap, only to see Vito a few seconds later dismiss him as a "pimp"
His warning about his son’s safety was terrifying! I’m sure they all indeed took him seriously! This time, he wouldn’t forgive! Plain and simple! If they only knew the son would kill them all!
Not a single tough guy of the Hollywood mold in the room. Just a bunch of late-middle-aged Italians. And yet Coppola, with help from an excellent script and the incomparable Brando, infuses the scene with a sense of menace a deep-sea diver might feel when he senses a large dark shadow above him.
If you ever feel unloved and useless, just remember..........no one in that room ever thought of killing Fredo nor did Vito even consider his life was in jeopardy.
In a deleted scene, Michael told his father something in the way of he never gave the heads of the other families his word about not breaking the peace like Vito did.
“For if he’s struck by a bolt of lightning, I’m gonna blame some of the people in this room” holy shit. If that didn’t send a clear message, nothing will.
"Accidents don't happen to people who take accidents as a personal insult.” Corleone, Michael From: "For the second time he saw Michael Corleone's face freeze into a mask that resembled uncannily the Don's. - Tom, don't let anybody kid you. It's all personal, every bit of business. Every piece of shit every man has to eat every day of his life is personal. They call it business. OK. But it's personal as hell. You know where I learned that from? The Don. My old man. The Godfather. If a bolt of lightning hit a friend of his the old man would take it personal. He took my going into the Marines personal. That's what makes him great. The Great Don. He takes everything personal. Like God. He knows every feather that falls from the tail of a sparrow or however the hell it goes. Right? And you know something? Accidents don't happen to people who take accidents as a personal insult. Damn right, I take that broken jaw personal; damn right, I take Sollozzo trying to kill my father personal."
Someone once said that I shouldn't take things personally, and I used some of that quote as my inspiration for my response, in which I said I take everything personally.
Godfather I - Godfather promises on his grandchildren's soul, his side won't break the peace. Godfather I & II - New Godfather breaks the peace. Godfather III - Godfather's grandchildren die..
In a perfect world… Michael becomes the new Don Tom becomes Consigliere Sonny becomes senator, offering the family legitimate political power Connie has a life outside of crime Fredo becomes the hit-man, kills Sollozo and moves to Italy.
What's really Unbelievable that this great movie was almost not made. Just think of all the generations that have seen this spectacular movie. 50 Years> 3/22
Notice how he says "some of the people in this room", instead of addressing it to the murderer of Sonny. To make sure that anyone thinking about playing families out against each other by killing Michael, knows that he'll make sure he gets the ones who are actually responsible.
In this Scene you see how much "Smarter" Tom Hagen was than Sonny. He listened, as the Brits say "He Kept Schtum" he also knew that deep in his heart he was tolerated but not accepted because he wasn't a Sicilian. Also he knew that some of the Folks may have indirectly blamed him for not handling Sollozzo properly knowing he was bad news from Day One with The Drugs. Even Sollozzo called Tom on it saying he was beginning to "Slip".
I agree with this, because even as respected he was as a counsiglieri, some of the families called Corleones an Irish gang, although behind their backs, because Tom wasn't a siccilian. I would like to agree with Michael on this one: "You are not a war time counsiglieri, Tom". Tom was more suited to administering, keeping books and being a lawyer for the family. Good in peaceful times and "slipping" when the pressure mounts.
@@Guchzaurz Exactly! Even before he became The Lawyer he made his Bones in a reputed Law Firm to get proper training. Tom was Ivy League and conservative while the Dons worked their way out of the Street.
In some deleted scenes from this movie and the book Vito is shown to be plotting to kill all these guys with Michael. He only promised that HE wouldn't take revenge, he always intended for Michael to do it.
This is the peak of... Tom Hagen life, sure he had his small little time being the man who directly pressed the buttons. But when Don Michael made the family reached more into the dark side, Tom Hagen lived in fear, although he could bull bigger strings, such as make Frankie killed himself in a Military base where no hitman dare to touch.
