@@williamshelton4318 What are talking about? Generals call more shots than all “captains” of industry. Even the end shows that Michael had his father’s mind, not his heart. General not CEO.
Disagree. Michael also is a family man. At the beginning he tells the senator: "We're both part of the same hypocrisy. But don't ever think it applies to my family." And the fact that his motivation for becoming a don in the first place (saving his family) is what ultimately drives his family away makes the ending even more tragic.
The actor who played Hyman Roth was Lee Strasberg, who was arguably the most influential acting teacher of the 20th century. He is considered the father of "method acting" and his students included Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Paul Newman, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Jane Fonda, Dustin Hoffman, and countless others. He only acted in a handful of films, and Godfather 2 was his first film in 20 years.
I studied Lee Stasberg and Stella Adler's acting techniques in college a little bit. On another note it's interesting how Michael goes to Cuba in part 2 and the next gangster role Al Pacino played was Tony Montana; almost as if he was unintentionally preparing for a role he would play almost 10 years later.
In my opinion, Al Pacino's performance between Godfather 1 and 2, showing Michael's change from a wet behind the ears WW2 veteran who originally wanted no part of the family business, to a ruthless Machiavellian Mafia boss who kills his own brother, is without a doubt the greatest character transformation I've ever seen put on film.
100% ! For me, G1 and G2 are more a movie about a family than a movie about crime/mafia. You’ve done a great job articulating the descent of Michael…from fighting for his country to killing his own brother; incredible
"killed his own brother"? he betrayed him! if my brother almost got me killed like that it wouldn't be a clean shot in the head if anything he was nice about it
@@imalittletoxicjustalittle Fredo was dim-witted, and Michael and everyone else knew this. Unlike Michael, he acted not out of diabolical cunning, but out of anger and humiliation. What he did is akin to two brothers fighting on a street, and the younger brother is getting the best of the older, so the older kicks his brother off and the younger brother ends up in the street, narrowly avoiding a direct hit by a car. No one would argue the older brother was trying to kill the other. He was humiliated that his brother was getting the best of him, and he let his humiliation blind him to the danger around them. Fredo did not intend Michael to be killed. He did not directly participate in the botched hit. He supplied information that made him a pawn in a diabolical plot he could not clearly see. Michael should have been more understanding of his brother's limitations. Killing him was just insanity!
You didn't show it, but one of my favorite scenes in all of film lol idc what anyone says it's one of the most romantic things I've seen... is when Vito returns home after being fired and rejecting the basket of food, with a single pear that he sits on the table, and his wife says "what a nice pear!" DeNiro smiles, removes his jacket. They sit to eat and he grabs her hand and they kiss. CHEF's KISS
I think one thing you missed is that Vito was the one who was smart enough to figure out that Fanucci WASN'T a Don, but rather a neighborhood thug who pretended to be hooked up (Vito's comment about the bookies he knew who didn't pay was the tip off). Had Fanucci actually been part of the Black Hand, Vito never would have survived killing him, especially after it became the start of his rise to prominence in the neighborhood. Fanucci was running a con. After killing Fanucci, Vito ran a long game.
Exactly. There's a deleted scene (that I really wish they would have kept in) where Vito sees Fanucci attacked by two teens in an alley and his throat slit. Vito knows then that Fanucci is full of it because a real Don would have a bodyguard and that both those boys would have been killed immediately.
@@wwoods66 He my have been trying, but was attempting it using fear only instead of organization. He had no one on his side in the neighborhood (Vito's comment about his bothering other Italians), nor anyone backing him up (as evidenced by Vito's survival).
Thanks! I feel like I'm always the only one to point that out, too... Fanucci wasn't a made man, not even connected... He literally took advantage of the immigrant mentality and their ignorance and fear of being newcomers to America... Not only did he not have bodyguards ever, but he made threats involving calling the police rather than "street punishment"... Vito tested him by purposely not giving him the money he wanted and could see his weakness in Fanucci accepting the lower amount... If you include the fact that Vito noted Fanucci didn't take payments from two bookies, he'd already figured Fanucci was just a local thug like you said... Bottom line, Vito figured out he was on same footing as themselves
As an italian, I can confirm: we say "mamma mia" all the time, it's not a cliché. 😂👍 It's as common as "wow" in the USA... spend a day in my country and you'll hear it one hundred times.
Ma'ma Mia is like saying Oh my Goodness. When your child gets in trouble Ma'ma Mia, When your sister put too much salt in the pasta - Ma'ma mia. IT just rolls off the tongue. I love it. In the Caribbean my mom would always say, "ThisKissMeAssBoy" You gotta love Immigrant parents.
@@lethaldose2000 Yeah, and the double "m" in "mamma" is very important (english speakers struggle a bit with the concept of double consonants, so it often becomes "mama mia"). The double "m" forces you to slow down and put more emphasys, as if you're having second toughts while pronouncing it, but you say it anyway. That caribbean expression sounds absolutely crazy 😂
Ah, you mother worshipping Catholics. I don’t know if there’s an equivalent in Italian, but there’s some strong curses in Mexican Spanish that revolve around mother worship. A fucked up situation or big mess is a “desmadre”. And one of the strongest things you can say is “puta madre”.
@@catoblepag One of my favorite things about Italian is the double consonants. Makes reading it so much easier. English has no rules. My least favorite thing about Italian is "gli". That one took me a long time.
@@fakecubed About "gli", I can imagine... some specific sounds must be very difficult if you're not learning them at a very young age (most italians struggle with the english article "the", it often comes out as "de"). I guess "gn" - as in "ragno", "spider", could be problematic too, but it's very similar to the spanish "ñ".
Fun fact, the screenplay was mostly written by Mario Puzo, who also wrote the Godfather. His first two movie scripts. He also wrote the Godfather novel before the movies. Years later, he decided it wouldn't hurt to learn writing theory so he bought a well regarded book about how to be a good writer. He opens it and starts on the first chapter that deals with story structure. The first thing the book says is "Story structure: Watch The Godfather"
Well, yes and no. Puzo actually sold the movie rights to The Godfather before it was finished - that money essentially allowed him to finish the novel. Coppola and Puzo worked pretty much equally on the screenplay for the first movie, writing separate drafts in parallel before merging them into a second and third draft. And while Puzo’s novel was a bestseller in 1969-70, and you might well study Puzo to learn about story structure and plot, the quality of his writing in expressing that plot is not really very good.
@@markhamstra1083 Yeah, Puzo was brilliant in terms of story structure and setting up scenes, but the quality of his writing is actually very pulp novel-esque. He gets bogged down in irrelevant descriptions, details, and trashy side stories like the size of Sonny's penis. Coppola really trimmed the fat from the novel and elevated the dialogue.
@@brandonb.5304 wrt Sonny Corleone’s cock size, Coppola managed to “show, not tell” in a manner acceptable to the MPAA ratings committee. 😉 Or maybe you thought Sandra Corleone was talking about the size of a fish she caught?
@@MarcosElMalo2 Have you ever read Puzo's novel? He goes on for pages about Sonny's dick size. Like I said, Puzo was not a great writer. He had great overarching story ideas and knew how to structure the overall story, but he was routinely bogged down in trashy, meaningless minutea.
@@brandonb.5304 I have read the novel more than once. I find the side stories interesting and it all ties together. Sonny's sex life, the bridesmaid, the doctor who solves her problem, solves the singers problem and fixes Michael's face fits all together. I liked the book but I probably don't have a sufficiently sophisticated literary expertise to make such a comment. I liked the 2 movies too and wish there had been another book for the rest of the story
Michael was always the outsider of the family. You are made to realize it at the end of the movie where everyone got up to greet Vito C.and Michael stayed at the table with his thoughts.
At Ellis Island, they were checking young Vito's eyes for parasites. This has special meaning to me because of my family history. My Grandfather was born in America but when he was about 12 his father fell ill and the family returned to Italy. After my great grandfather died, my grandfather convinced his mother they should go back to American. Mussolini was in power and things were getting crazy. They sailed back but at the immigration intake center, they found that my great grandmother had eye parasites. She had to go back with the younger children (2 boys and 2 girls) but my 17 year old grandfather decided to stay. A family friend vouched for his character and helped him out a little to start out. A few years later he had his brothers come over - they had also been born in America so were citizens. My grandfather supported them and put them through college as he worked as an auto mechanic. His younger sisters had been born in Italy and they stayed in Italy with their mother and had to ride out WWII in Naples. During the war, my grandfather, who was an excellent mechanic worked for the War Production Department troubleshooting problems at munitions factory. One brother was in the Army Corp of Engineers. His youngest brother served in the army and was an interpreter for General Patton during the Italian campaign. When the Americans took Naples, he was finally reunited with his young sisters. We have a photo that they had taken together, he in his dress uniform, the girls in their best Sunday dresses. In the middle of bombed out Naples they managed to find a professional photography studio!
It is so cool that your family history was successfully passed down to you. I hope that if you have children you drill this into their heads. A time will come they are thankful they remember it.
I think we both had the same Grandfather, lol. Was a Ford/Lincoln/Mercury specialist for at least 50 years. Was still working on cars in his 80's. I hope I still have my physical strength like he did at that age. Every stereotype you can think of, lol. Snuck into America a few times. The last time, they asked what could they do to keep him from trying to sneak in? "Let me stay" was his response. Lost him last year at 90. Lived SUCH a full life.
@@rsvp9146 some great memories there! Sadly, my grandfather passed from cancer in his mid 60s. But I spent a lot of time sitting with him when he was sick, and he told me lots of stories about his life.
@@annaclarafenyo8185 Dog Day Afternoon is an amazing film and you're right, Pacino easily could've done something incredibly over the top and stereotypical, especially considering it was the 70s. A really ballsy move.
Frank’s brother wasn’t brought in as a threat. Frank’s brother Vincenzo is a Sicilian Mafia member whose presence was to remind Frank of Omertà. Just Vincenzo’s presence and that look he gave Frank is enough to do this.
The guy who played Freido John Cazale appeared in about 5 movies and all 5 won best picture or were nominated. He was a well known stage actor as well. Actually engaged to Meryl Streep but unfortunately died young from Cancer
32:15 That's gotta be my favorite scene in the movie. John Cazale is SO GOOD! This time, Fredo isn't holding anything back, screams all of his frustrations at Michael. But he can't even get up from the chair, and he shrinks back after every sentence, afraid of what Michael will say. Or that Michael may scream back at him, but Michael doesn't. He just keeps up his icy calm.
For the duration of that scene, the movie becomes Fredo’s Story, no? All the stuff that made him unsympathetic flips around and you really feel for him and his tragic story.
If I recall, it was Cazale's idea to use that chair for the scene, to make Fredo appear all the more pathetic (and add to the contrast with Michael's cold assuredness).
Apolonia building a life with Michael would have definitely suited Michael much more. Since she was from Sicily she would understand the organized crime life much better and would stand by Michael like a woman in that position would do. Her death unfortunately robbed him of all of that. Kay always wanted to change Michael to get him out of the criminal business, have him go legal, but Kay failed to see that legal businessmen and politicians were the most corrupt of all. For that Apolonia would have understood Michael in a way Kay never could.
@@jckdnls9292 I don’t think so, in the movie at least, she was described as a Greek “type,” that is, her beauty/facial features _looked_ “more Greek than Italian”.
Michael always wanted to not follow his family, he chose to join the army, he chose to date an American girl, he hated the "business". He felt he needed to go through it to protect his family and he lost them all
Who Michael married was ultimately irrelevant. Yes, Apollonia would have been a more compliant wife. But either way, the woman would only have been a vessel for producing a male heir.
The actor playing sister Connie’s boyfriend Merle Johnson is 60’s heartthrob Troy Donahue (A Summer Place, Parrish). Troy’s real name: Merle Johnson. Johnny Ola is played by Dominic Chianese (Uncle Junior on The Sopranos).
Great reaction guys :) Communion is a blessed sacrament. First Holy Communion refers to the time, usually around 7 or 8 years old (these days) when a child first receives the body of Christ (Holy Communion). Confirmation would be more considered a coming of age thing when a person receives the Holy Spirit and is confirmed in faith.
In the most simple terms for non-christians: it's the first time a person can eat the little "cookies" they give during a mass. You're not supposed to eat them until you do a preparation course, and when you're finally allowed to, it's a whole mass for the children and their families. And yes, after the First Communion ceremony, families will go on their own to have a party/lunch to celebrate it.
In some Protestant denominations the sharing of the "bread and wine" is pretty infrequent and the sharing is just "in memory of" the Last Supper. In others (Lutherans, Episcopalians) more frequent. In Catholicism every Mass includes the celebration of the Eucharist, the literal taking in of the Body and Blood of Christ in the form of a bread wafer for the body and a sip from a chalice of wine. The latter is often foregone, especially now in the age of Covid. Catholic children undergo religious instruction and their first Confession around 7 or 8 and then are allowed to go up to the altar and eat the wafer for the first time. Confirmation at 12 or 13 is more like a Bat Mitzvah.
@@pliny8308 So if Michael is symbolically baptized as Godfather in the first movie, and takes communion in the second, shouldn’t there be a symbolic Confirmation in the third? Maybe the ceremony to honor his work/generosity to the Catholic Church?
You go to your first confessional and receive your first communion. Eating the bread- the body of Christ, and drink the wine - the blood of Christ. Accepting Jesus as your savior.
I heard somewhere that Robert De Niro prepared for this role, not only by learning Italian, but by spending something like a year in a small Sicilian village so the accent and dialect would be correct for the character. So, yes, De Niro can speak Italian quite well.
DeNiro always goes above and beyond in preparing for his roles. Raging Bull, he learned to box and fought in legit boxing matches winning a couple of them, In Taxi Driver, he got his taxi license and worked as a cabbie in NY and a passenger recognized him and said didn’t you win an academy award (for godfather part 2) why are you driving a taxi? Lol
@@pliny8308 Yeah, De Niro is by far the worst italian speaker of the trio Corleone-Tessio-Clemenza. He sounds very unnatural and wooden, almost to a comical extent. The actor who plays Tessio is very natural, and Bruno Kirby does a fantastic job (he just sounds a little slow in some parts, as if he's a little drunk).
@@cjmars822 Well, I can say he got the sicilian "musicality" right, and that probably makes him sound quite legit to the american audience. 😉 Al Pacino had an advantage in the first movie: he portraied an italian american who never talked his native language, so we expected him to sound a bit clumsy (like when he struggles to find the right words talking with Sollozzo in the restaurant).
Of all the great actors in this film I just want to mention Bruno Kirby who plays the young Clemenza (Guy who asks Vito to hide the bag of guns). He was such a fine actor and was in so many great films, he died to young at the age of 57.
Two films that Coppola directed in 1974 were nominated for best picture at the 47th Academy Awards ceremony...The Conversation staring Gene Hackman & The Godfather Part 2. Godfather Part 2 won best picture that year, along with Best Director going to Coppola, and Best Supporting Actor going to De Niro. You guys should absolutely watch The Conversation, it's also a classic
I watched The Conversation for the first time very recently, and I can confirm that it is indeed a good movie. And I also recognized the actress who played Gomer Pyle's girlfriend Louann Poovey!
@@jamesoblivion - it was very sad that Cazale passed away so young. He was the "that guy" for so many amazing films from the 70s...Dog Day Afternoon, The Godfather films, The Deer Hunter, The Conversation. Joe Spinell is the other "that guy" of 70s and 80s films. From a small part in Taxi Driver to the Godfather Part 2 to the gangster who employs Rocky in the movie Rocky to the killer in Maniac. Another amazing actor with an unconventional appearance in super famous films.
In case you missed the connection, Vito's partner in Italy with the jug of olive oil who gets shot after Vito kills Don Ciccio was Don Tommassino, the guy in the first movie who walked with a cane and harbored Michael in Italy.
I recommend you watch the third movie too, and see it for what it is and what it isn't. It's basically an epilogue to the story, not the third movie in a trilogy. Writer and director didn't even want it to be called The Godfather Part Three, but the studio insisted, probably to sell more tickets. It had a few problems in production. Mainly a severely cut budget and some of the cast not being able to do it, so they threw in some actors that maybe shouldn't have been there. What it is though, is what you wanted; a conclusion to the story and some closure. It's not a bad movie, only inferior to the first two, but so is 99% of what is shown in theatres anyway.
Agree with this 100%. Parts 1 and 2 are masterpieces. Part 3 is just a pretty good movie. That contrast understandably makes it difficult to appreciate, but if you go into it prepared then it's a worthwhile epilogue.
The actor playing Fredo - John Cazale - only appeared in 5 movies, all of which were nominated for the Oscar for best picture. The two first Godfather movies, A Dog Day Afternoon, The Conversation and The Deer Hunter. He died in 1978 before The Deer Hunter was finished. Absolutely fantastic actor. He was only 42 when he died; such a talent.
Fun fact: the landlord trying to open the door was improvised. The door was rigged in secret to be opened only by removing a nail, as a joke on the landlord's actor, Leopoldo Trieste, since Coppola wanted to see this comedic ator improvise his way through the scene. That's why you see Genco's actor almost laugh at the landlord's efforts.
So, to further clarify, the Mass consists of the opening Liturgy (Kyrie, Credo, Gloria etc), then you have the Sacrament, then you have the end of the Liturgy. A child's First Communion is a big deal because it represents the first time a Child is allowed to participate in the Mass.
Robert De Niro took home the Oscar that year for his portryal of young Vito. De Niro had just burst onto the the scene the year before with the psychotic performance in, "Mean Streets" , Scorsese's first real movie
"I mean you don't kill family right? I mean blood related." I LOVE people watching this movie for the first time thinking Michael has limits. He doesn't. He's the devil. And it's perfect because that's the downfall of his personal family while it helps his mafia family become an empire.
Well, for one, you also don't betray family, which is what Fredo did - to the point of almost getting Michael and Kay killed. So I'd argue that Michael wasn't the one who "started it". Also, the whole "business" was getting more brutal and harsh than during Vito's time. As much as I loved Vito, I'd actually agree with Solozzo on one point - he was "slipping", wasn't up for the changes and would have lost everything sooner or later. Michael was "cold enough" for the changed times. He _was_ trying to get out of the business and becoming legitimate, it just never worked out (Moe Greene was the main problem in that regard in the first movie for example).
The only times Michael had killed "family" - Carlo and Fredo - were people who had betrayed the family first. And in mafia, betrayal is the most severe crime. Answering betrayal with mercy sends the message that you are weak, and tells your enemy that they could get away if they try to betray you and fail.
The scene at the end with him at the absolute hight of his power, all his 'enemies' vanquished... and completely alone. PS. Looks like you missed the 'dead look' he gives his bodyguard while embracing Fredo at the funeral and the guard's face going from smiling, like everyone else, to empty as he recognizes his Don's intention. Killing Fredo was the step too far for Michael. After that there was truely no chance of redemption for him.
If you liked the role playing between Michael and Fredo, check out "Dog Day Afternoon". Based on a real incident and directed by the wonderful Sidney Lumet. Al Pacino and John Cazale just top notch!
Several years ago, HBO had a special showing of The Godfather which was edited so that the story was done chronologically. Starting with the opening scenes in Sicily and ending at the end of The Godfather II. I haven't seen it around in several years. Great reactions. You guys are fun to watch.
That was originally done on NBC TV back in the late 70s as an NBC Novel for Television. A lot of deleted scenes are reintroduced in the miniseries including the revenge hit on Fabrizio for Apollonia's death.
I love how the three sons take after Vito in their own ways. Sonny got the willingness to fight. Fredo go the heart. Mike got the brains. None of them could take their father's place. I think you're right. That Coppola kid may have a bright future.
Theatrical cut of Part III please! The new coda cut tweaked a few tiny things, but butchered the ending. It's not as bad as you're going to be told, it's just not perfect like the first two. Sofia Coppola is NOT an actress, No Tom, but it finishes the story well
Yeah, III is definitely worth a look but expectations should be adjusted. As I recall, Coppola was on top of the world when he made II and could make the movie as long as he wanted, with a time-jumping narrative which was an argument every step of the way, but by the time III rolled around he REALLY needed the cash so he went into the arrangement without the power he had when he made II. The studio had one of their big holiday movies fall apart and they wanted "Godfather III" to replace it in the calendar but this meant that Coppola had to conceive, direct, and deliver the movie in like eight months or something ridiculous rather than the extended period of time he had for II. He begged the studio for a few more months to nail down the script with Mario Puzo, telling them it would make all the difference to the movie itself, but they wanted it for Christmas, he had agreed to their schedule when he signed on and he was not in a position to fight them and win this time. So Coppola gave it a good try, and it's true that not everyone came back but NEARLY everyone came back. One of the most enjoyable things about III is all the secondary characters from the first two movies who show up all over the place. It sucks not having Robert Duvall but I'm not sure what his character would have had to do, and I'm not sure if that's because they rewrote when Duvall said no to deemphasize the character or if Tom Hagen never had anything to do in it and that's why Duvall said no. Sofia is... regrettable, and it would be so nice if Coppola hadn't cast her, but there it is. Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Andy Garcia, and the great Eli Wallach are all kinds of fun though. The director's commentary on III is worth it for Coppola's rundown of what he and Mario Puzo were playing with for a "Godfather IV" that they assumed would have been on the cards had III done better than it did. Could've been amazing!
@ 18:06 Don't feel bad Simone as both Godfather movies take a couple of viewings at least to catch all the nuance. @ 19:29 You're right George, he was framed. Next time you watch it notice Al Neri was hiding in the bathroom nearby. @ 37:00 Did you notice Tommasino getting shot, carried off and in the wheelchair later? He's the older guy with the crutches helping Michael while hiding in Sicily in Part 1. I saw your Goodfellas video and now that you've done the two Godfathers do "Casino" (1995) also with Robert De Niro, and Joe Pesci. It's like a combination of them all. ✌😎 BTW, nice mustache on the thumbnail Simone. Yours is glued, mine's only painted. 🥸
I really hope you finish out the series with the third film (either the theatrical or "Coda"). It may not reach the same excellence as the first two, but it's still worth the watch to conclude the saga.
I think it’s judged too harshly, but it’s very far from a “must see so you can conclude the saga”. Hell, watch Pritzi’s Honor instead. That will give you better closure, if you need closure.
11:10 like every stereotype, it's wrong when it's out of context, and became famous like a normal exclamation. "Mamma mia" means "oh dear mother", something common in every language. It's not so common anymore, but we say it to metaphorically seek help for a bad situation, just like in the "opera" in the movie.
The Godfather, Part 2 is undoubtedly my favourite movie of all time, and I’m old enough to remember watching both movies in the theatre when they were first released. Part 3 didn’t impress me, but if you want to see the story to the end it wouldn’t hurt you to see it.
Yeah, that shot at the doorway inside the house with Bruno Kirby pointing the gun at the silhouette's head is the most gorgeously designed shot in any film that I can remember. It instantly takes the breath of almost anyone watching the movie.
John Cazale, who plays Fredo, died young and was only in 5 films. All 5 were nominated for Best Picture. They are: The Godfather The Godfather Part II The Conversation Dog Day Afternoon The Deer Hunter.
Hey George and Simone, you guys need to watch another incredible Coppola flick, "Apocalypse Now" (1979) and PLEASE watch the original 1979 theatrical release for your first viewing, and not the redux version made in 2001 until after to compare. The redux version is slower and about 3-1/2 hours long! The original is 2-1/2 hours, and be looking for a Coppola cameo in it! ✌😎
@@stevemccullagh36 Agreed. Two and a half hours is not short, but the story gets told with economy. Redux is 1 hour of digression. I wouldn’t watch it again. A much better suggestion is to watch the documentary Hearts of Darkness after you’ve seen Apocalypse Now!
Vito's Flashbacks were all in the original novel... And when his wife asks him to help her friend keep her apartment, it shows -without outwardly stating it - that she understood Vito's position as someone with influence/power... And when she tells Michael "... family is the most important thing..." he understood he couldn't harm Freddy while she alive, and so waited until she passed away before he had Freddy killed...
They did show the Godfather saga on TV a long time ago, the two movies together with their deleted scenes, but in a time-line starting with Vito as a child in 1901thru Micheals reign in 1959.
@@krwawyrzeznik McLeod is correct. Brando and DeNiro WERE the only actors to win an Oscar for playing the same character until Ledger and Phoenix joined them for both winning Oscars for playing the Joker.
The character of Frank Pentangeli was supposed to be Clemenza. However, the actor who played Clemenza and his agent demanded that they have total control over all the characters dialogue. Of course, Coppola said no way and he wrote Clemenza out of the film and created the character of Pentangeli. I should say that the wife of the actor has always disputed Coppola's claims
It would have made a great movie even more intense if Pentangeli was Clemenza. Michael did away with Tessio in the first movie and if had been Clemenza in the second, he would have also offed the other of his father's two closest friends.
I remember hearing (although I could be wrong, so please correct me if I'm wrong) that the character Pantangele was supposed to be Clemenza, but there was an insurmountable clash with the original actor so they went with a new character. 11:07 - here's another thing that may blow your mind. People in France genuinely say 'Ooh la la'. That's not a joke, either.
33:33 "Would you kindly identify for the committee..." That's Roger Corman, the director and producer who gave so many other directors their start, including Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard, Peter Bogdonavich, Monte Hellman... He also made some good films of his own (particularly think of the ones with Vincent Price in the early '60s, like "Masque of the Red Death," and "X: Man with the X-Ray Eyes").
Yours was definitely the best reaction to this film so far. Everyone elses is like 'oh its over..it ended like THAT? that was so depressing' ect ect. To me, that was the perfect ending, that close up of his hardened, haunted face in comparison to him with his father as a baby, and the doe eyed, idealistic patriot at the dinner table. But like you, I didnt want it to end.
The best part of this movie is going back in time to the rise of Vito Corleone, how as a young child his family was murdered & then coming to America, changing his name and his soft spoken but excellent negotiating skills & rise of power. It's like what he did was not wrong, "senators have people killed!" I absolutely loved it and Godfather 3 hopefully is not to far out... You both were fun, thanks...
Epic tragedy. We see the start, when Vito built it all up to protect his family and provide for them. We also see how Vito's choice to go into crime made the whole foundation of it rotten to the core. Michael's time is when that rot starts to manifest. He had his own plans for his future but he was doomed before he was born. Coppola also made Apocalypse Now. That's three all time classics in the history of movies. It's amazing. He also made a movie called The Conversation which I think is outstanding.
My family actually came here from Italy through Ellis Island just like Vito does in this movie. The depiction is very accurate and my last name was actually changed through immigration because the guy who filled in the paperwork spelled it wrong. One of my great-grandmas was also kept there for a few weeks as a precaution because she was a little sick. I don't remember if pink eye was one of the things they checked for but I know they checked for lice. For the question at 4:10 - Communion is the part during church services when a christian gets the tiny bread loaf, the "body of Christ", and a tiny sip of wine, the "blood of Christ". It's basically symbolic of the Last Supper when Jesus said that to his disciples and the priest straight up quotes to story while blessing the food. First Communion is the first time a young catholic gets to take part in that. These days the wine is optional, though I don't remember if the First Communion required it. The three rites for catholics from birth to adulthood are Baptism, First Communion, and Confirmation. They showed Baptism in the first film so now I'm curious if they have a Confirmation in the third one. Confirmation is when a teen decides on their own to live a catholic life instead of just being made to go to church by their family. Most teens go through with it but I knew a few people who said they weren't ready to make that decision and they were allowed to say no.
They have confirmation in the Lutheran church as well, difference is you're not allowed to take first communion until after confirmation. I was confirmed at the end of 8th grade, not sure how old I was, 12 I think. I was not given a choice, my parents were highly religious, mom was Lutheran and dad was Catholic but I was raised Lutheran in parochial schools where confirmation and religious training was a big part of the curriculum. They could have saved a lot of money on Lutheran schools and all the confirmation nonsense if they had been able to accept the fact that I had been atheist since before 3rd grade, never really believed any of it but just went along with it because it would have been worse if I had declared myself an unbeliever. I was around 40 when I told them I didn't believe in any gods, my mother never got over it but my father revealed to me later that day that he no longer was a believer either and hadn't been for some time but he made me promise that I never tell anyone as long as he was still alive. My mother and some of our large family would have turned on him. I told my brother after dad passed but he didn't believe me anyway, said I was a liar as all atheists are liars and evil, lol. There's no hate like Christian love, people that turn their back on family just because you don't believe the same fairy tale nonsense as them are despicable. I'm lucky, my family mostly accepts me and those who have animosity keep it to themselves.
When Micheal tells Tom that all his men are businessmen and their loyalty is based on that. Means they could all be bought off. So it could be anyone. Micheal kept Tom shut out of some of the dirtier family business to keep him clean and to avoid him getting corrupted. And because of that he knows Tom is the only one he could completely trust. Since he wasn't in on a lot of the goings on. The Hyman Roth stuff. Remember when Micheal asked him to step out and the camera stayed on him. He was shut out. Clean. Only the family lawyer. His brother. Not bought off since he knows little.
My grandma's family comes from the region where the Corleone dialect comes from. She enjoyed this movie because she very clearly understood hearing her mother tongue on the big screen.
What I love about this movie is that it shows how Vito built his empire out of loyalty and respect, while Michael builds his empire through fear and force. Also, Michael did warn Fredo not to take sides against the family ever again.
Machiavelli said there were two ways for a ruler to be successful. You can get everyone to love you or you can get everyone to fear you. Love and loyalty may be more pleasant but they are harder to maintain. Even Tessio fell to greed over loyalty.
Coppola also released The Conversation this same year, which is an outstanding slow-burn thriller and character study. Gene Hackman is the lead, but Cazale and Duvall are in it, too, along with a very young Harriaon Ford.
The Godfather wasn't ahead of its time. It was of its time when American film was finally straying away from the classical way of making movies that it had been doing for decades.
After many, many viewings I noticed that when Senator Geary is in the brothel explaining what happed, the dead woman's face is in the mirror behind him. Such a little detail that the youngster Coppola arranged.
@@LA_HA ...for clarity, I personally count trilogies that tell one continuous story as one movie. So, I dont count Star Wars, and LoTR 2nd movies as a sequel when having 'best sequel' discussions. That just may b me tho
Now you must watch The Offer, a ten part drama about the making of The Godfather. Based on the producer Al Ruddy's memoirs (who incidentally is Canadian and still alive today aged 92). It's brilliant.
I've visited Ellis Island, the processing port of all incoming Immigrants on the Atlantic side to the American shores. It was amazing to visualize that for 100 years or so most incoming Immigrants passed through Ellis Island to start their American dream. I myself came through the Miami airport and trust me it was quite similar to Vito's experience at Ellis Island. Except I had to get my shots before they would even let me in the country and rightfully so. And the Statue of Liberty being placed at the mouth of New York harbor must have given so many hope that their fortunes could be changed in this new place.
You guys are very sharp and observant, following the motivations as you do in real time. It took me at least 67 viewings before I followed the plot as closely as you two.
Yes, Italians do say, "Mamma Mia", although with foreigners making fun of it, some younger people not as much. They also say, "Madonna", for Mary the Mother of God. Moral of the story: Italians, good and bad, love their mothers. Don't try to get between most Italian men and their mothers! Seriously, if you look at religious art throughout Europe, most countries focus on Christ, Christ the teacher and healer, the suffering Christ on the Cross, the triumphant Christ after the Resurrection, etc. In Italy, it's dominated by representations of the Madonna and Child.
I've been noticing that a lot Europeans across the board have become so politically correct that they don't want to be so-called stereotyped. German single women for example don't want to be referred to as Fraulein because it's now considered an insult. I took 4 semesters of Spanish over a decade and a half ago and now I'm hearing that they're trying to get rid of the masculine and feminine conjugations in Spanish. Young people in Europe have become too politically correct. I've never made fun of the term Mama Mia because I've always loved my mother and was raised to respect her. Thank God for old school rearing.
In that same year, Francis Coppola also directed The Conversation, which also features John Cazale (Fredo in Godfather). It's a small personal picture, the kind that Coppola actually prefers making.
Don't listen to the jagoffs who shit on Part III. It's *really* not that bad. It's definitely not in the same league as these first 2, but that's like faulting Mt. Kilimanjaro for not being Mt. Everest. Give it a chance.
Man, Pacino does so much acting with his eyes in this film. Watch it again and take note of how many beats have no dialogue but just draw you to what his eyes are saying.
I really think you should watch the third part. It might not be as brilliant as the first two, but I think it is absolutely crucial as a conclusion for Mikes story.
Not as good as the first 2, still in my top 100. I think it's a great film, though it feels quite different and removed from what happened before. It's more like it's own thing rather than a straight up sequel. I still love it for what it is.
I love that you guys fell as hard for this movie as a lot of people have over the years. Not many younger generation reactors "get it" and want more immediately afterwards. A+ in my book, great reaction!
You need to watch the third one. It isn't the quality of the first two, but you need to see the arcs of these characters completed. Everyone focuses on Michael and Vito, but Connie's arc through the three movies is one of my favorite parts of the entire trilogy.
Smallpox is actually a decent explanation for the adult Vito's voice, both played by De Niro and Brando. Smallpox creates scablike sores on the skin and even down your throat, making it agonizing to breathe. If you don't die from Smallpox, there's bound to be a LOT of scar tissue. Vito might have actual throat damage from his illness. LOL I just realized this because of your reaction, so that's pretty cool.
A lot of people hate the third movie but its worth seeing Michael act like the original Godfather. After living life alone he's had time to reflect. Its a sad movie and a lot happens but its interesting how both vito and michael ended up with the same personality, with vastly different paths through the mob.
In case no one has said this: The scar on Fanucci's neck is from a deleted scene where Vito is delivering/carrying food and sees Fanucci getting jumped by three young hoods and they cut his neck up..Vito hid and didn't wanna help Fanucci..probably hoping they kill him
I'm trying to remember if the Young Vito stuff was in the book, I seem to recall this incident being in the book, and it helping to reinforce to Vito that Fanucci wasn't invincible. I thought the actor who played Fanucci was a great bit of casting, real scary and menacing, had the physical presence of a scary grinning villain cat character from a Disney film. Like how the Sollozzo actor was a great find in the first film.
@@championskyeterrier the only part from the book mentioning him ( could be more but it's been a while since I've read/listened to it) is when a young Sonny tells Vito that he saw him kill Fanucci cause he followed him when he went to kill him ..I believe Sonny says " I saw you that day kill Fanucci"
Just a note of cast trivia: the U.S. Senate panelist who asks Robert Duval the identity of the mysterious man who followed Frankie into the hearing is played by the legendary indie Producer/Director/Distributer Roger Corman. Corman's alumni (he gave Coppola some of his earliest work) were sometimes fond of putting him in small roles. Joe Dante gave him a cameo in The Howling (80) and Jonathan Demme used him in Silence Of The Lambs (91).
15:20 - Hyman Roth, as played by Lee Strasberg, actor, director, teacher, practitioner of method acting, cofounder of the Actors Studio. This is the guy who helped build the school that Brando, Pacino and De Niro made famous. Also, the line about Arnold Rothstein is significant, because in the canon of the Godfather, Roth takes his name from the IRL gangster and bookmaker Arnold Rothstein, who did indeed fix the World Series.
17:00 - there's a whole bunch of video essays and whatnot debating what Michael knows and when, who he trusts and why, but the main takeaway is that he's playing, as the tropers say, Xanatos Speed Chess - whichever way things go, he's ready to take advantage.
It had some very stiff competition for best picture that year - Lenny, Chinatown, The Towering Inferno, and The Conversation (also directed by Coppola)
We often say "Mamma mia" as an exclamation (or an interleave) even here in north of Italy. Spanish people say "Madre mia" (madre is the same of mamma, in Spanish and Italian, they have the same meaning than "mother" and "mom" in English)
A true true masterpiece. Like the Star Wars saga tracking Anakin’s transition from good to evil, the first two Godfather’s perfectly capture Michael Correleone’s same transition. The second movie perfectly shows how Vito does what he does for his family and spends time with them. Michael says it’s for the family, but spends no time with his and is willing to kill anyone who gets in his way. He says it’s for the family, but it is really for his own accumulation of power. I love how at the end , the flashback shows how it truly once was a family, and now it’s just a criminal enterprise and Michael is all alone. EPIC.
There is a comedy movie based on these 2, called Jane Austen's MAFIA! The scene were little Vito is brought into immigration, an older boy pulls a knife on him... He strikes a bargain with the boy, if he can confuse him, he'll let him go...Vito asks him, "If a rooster lands on a roof and lays an egg, which side will the egg roll down?" The older boy is so confused, "Left...no, right...no left...huh?" Little Vito repsonds, "Neither side, roosters don't lay eggs" this joke had me laughing so hard.
After this, if you watch Martin Scorsese's film Casino (which is like an older sibling movie to Goodfellas), you'll then be able to watch a very silly and funny spoof of the gangster genre called Mafia!, which is in the same comedy stylings as Airplane!
Confirmation is more like the Catholic version of a bar mitzvah. It happens around 12 or 13. First communion is simply when you’re allowed to eat and drink the Eucharist at mass (the bread and wine that’s meant to be the body and blood of Christ.) That happens somewhere between 9 and 11.
Michael was never threatening Franks brother. His brother was old school and Frank did not want to rat out Michael in front of his brother because it would be dishonorable in his eyes.
When Michael kissed Frado, that act is referred to as bacio della morte or in english "The Kiss of Death". It means you're a marked man, apparently they only do it if you were a member of the family and you're going to be killed
Fun bit of trivia. Robert De Niro won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role here. It marks the first time two different actors won an Oscar for playing the same role in different movies. Looks like it will happen again this year if the actress who plays Anita in West Side Story ends up winning and you could argue that it happened with Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix but it is kind of a stretch because while they both play Joker, they are completely different interpretations and not in the same universe.
Michael's heart died with Apollonia. She was the love of his life. Her death cemented his resolute desire to serve his father, and forego whatever 'plans' he may have had for his own future. From that point on, he had an unquenchable thirst for revenge. (His wife, Sonny, Fredo's betrayal.) He literally becomes the man in the parable: 'What does it profit a man, to gain the world entire, at the expense of his soul.' Michael Corleone is a completely tragic character.
I love the Godfather II. It's top ten for me BUT I think 1 is better structurally also there's a monent in GII that if you're not paying attention you miss a major plot point which is when Michael figures out who the traitor is. I've see a number of people not realize what's happened.
I actually think the structure of Part II is genius. Layering the stories of Michael and Vito between each other, Michael's fall from grace and Vito's rise, is absolutely brilliant. Part I was just a standard narrative whereas Part II was much more complex and layered.
@@brandonb.5304 No, I agree it is genuis. Just in comparisons with the first, I think the first is better. Straight forward narrative is a little misleading as if it that narrative form is some how inferior. There can be complexities/parallels/layers in the straight narrative, and there are in the Godfather I. I'm just reacting to what I've seen from reactions to Godfather II. Perhaps it is too complex, (and imo there is such a thing if an audience consistently gets lost). Again, this is minor-nitpicking because they are both Classics.
@@willgenre If people consistently say (audiences and critics) that Part II may be better than Part I and Part II is the greatest sequel ever made, I don't think the narrative is too complex. It wouldn't be one of the most highly regarded films ever if people didn't understand it. I just think first time watchers may be more drawn to Part I initially because it's a story structure they're more accustomed to, not that Part I is necessarily the better film. Coppola had full creative control over Part II, and I think it shows because every last detail is well-thought out and meticulous, unlike Part I where it's clear Coppola had to bow to the studio's wants in places.
“Young Lad Coppola”. Godfather was made in 1972. Francis Coppola was the co-screenwriter for the 1970 Oscar winner, “Patton” You should ADD that movie to your Watch List.
Thanks for bringing the fun when you react to these movies, shows and games you two! Keep them coming and find fun and happiness in your lives as well.
Carlo Gambino was also a major player in the Mafia and while he ran the Gambino Crime Family he lived in a small home with his wife and children. No frills.
There is a brief scene, after Vito has killed the Black Hand, where Vito goes to a fruit stand and picks out a nice little fruit. He motions to pull money out, but the vendor refuses his money. Vito thanks the man, and tells him to visit him if he ever needs anything. The brief scene shows how Vito grew in power. He was the strong man who protected his community.
There's a mobile drain cleaning service around this area called "The Rodfather" who have their van painted up with a modified version of the 'puppet strings' movie logo...
Just a couple of comments. I love the reaction. I wasn't expecting the words "fleshlight" and "erection" to be used in the context of this movie, but then again, I'm a boomer. At the end when George says that in the first movie "The Don's" use of power was "restrained" I thought of how "restrained" it was to cut off a horse's head. Then again, I'm a boomer.
One of the BEST things about GF1/GF2 that no one talks about is the SFX. The footsteps, creaky chairs, shuffling articles, are constantly interwoven into the dialog adding to a hyper realism few movies have achieved. That's why some scenes feel just so alive!
ITS ONE OF (THE) BEST MOVIES OF ALL TIME---BEEN SAID MANY TIMES. People dump on part three but still worth seeing - most who have seen part one and two HAVE to see part three just to see the end of the whole story. I saw these movies when they came out and they stayed at the theater for almost a year, dont see that today
What a freaking FANTASTIC reaction. Best I've yet seen for this movie (although Shelby Nave and ReactWithMike are also excellent in case YOU want to watch some reactions to these movies!). The fact that you know the history of Cuba (among other things) makes this a huge plus. George, I believe you're the only reactor I've seen realize that they're literally cutting up Cuba when they're eating the cake! /"Mama mia" WAS a sort of stereotype of the Italians; I think Coppola intentionally puts that in the movie to show it's origin./The Godfather movies are so good, you don't even notice you're watching actors you know. The guy who plays "Cheech", the bodyguard for Frank Pantangelli is the same guy who plays Rocky's bookie boss in the first "Rocky", which you just saw. It took me years to notice Danny Aiello, Bruno Kirby, Harry Dean Stanton and Roger Corman all appear in this movie!
