The cat was a stray that took a liking to Marlon Brando. It unexpectedly jumped up in his lap during the scene. Brando just went with it. Oddly, the cat added unintended depth to his character; that scene showed a tender side to the don.
I heard commentary by Francis Ford Coppola saying it was a studio cat, placed in Brandi’s lap by Coppola. He said the actor could incorporate anything into a scene and make it work.
I loved that stray kitty. Before I knew the cat was a stray, I thought having a cat on set was planned to sort of enphasize the fact that maybe the Don's wife or daughter Connie had a family cat or two, and the cat just happened to come into the office before he had the meeting with the funeral director guy.
Little known fact, When he pet the cat, he developed allergies which caused his cheeks to swell up which is why he talks the way he does. I know this because I was that cat.
The song the old man is singing is about a girl who asks her mother to find a husband for her. Mother says if she finds her a carpenter, he’ll nail her; if she finds a fisherman, he’ll hook her; if a plumber, he’ll give her some pipe. It’s a dirty song for sure.
In the early 1920’s Rudy Valee did a remake of the sons with cleaned up lyrics. It was called the Butcher Boy. In the 1940’s the Andrew Sisters also recorded the Butcher Boy. The original was a Sicilian sailor’s song. It wasn’t so much it was dirty, more suggestive. That’s what makes it funny.
Paulie called out "sick" on the day that Vito was shot. That aroused suspicion. And, in the book, they were able to get information from the phone company showing Paulie was taking calls from another Family. But honestly, just the call out would probably have been enough to earn his death, he was the Don's driver and he wasn't there when he needed to be...they would have killed him just to be sure he wasn't a traitor to the Corleones.
Appolonia was the love of his life. When he returned to the US, he married Kaye on the rebound. It was more of a marriage of convenience. Michael also needed Kaye for status because she was from a respected New England family. This would give him leverage for the family business. In the deleted Directors' cut, the death scene is traumatic for Michael. The baptism scene is the traditional Roman Catholic Rite of Baptism.
100% The trick of this movie is that they make Don Vito sympathetic and honorable. Michael starts out sympathetic, forced by circumstances to join the family. But they are violent criminals and so are the people who work for them. They use violence and the threat of violence to get what they want. The minute they want something that is yours, friendship goes out the window and they’ll take it. And you never want to be perceived as disrespectful or as a threat. If they think there’s even a chance of you being a threat, just move far far away. If you live in a gangster neighborhood, make friends with the gangsters’ grannies, but never with them. Be the guy that shovels snow of the granny’s front sidewalk, mow her lawn, help her with her groceries, but never get mixed up with the gangsters themselves. If some shit goes down anyway, you’re the grandmother’s friend and that might save you from trouble.
The little explosive blood-pack used to simulate a gunshot wound in movies are called “squibs”.The scene where James Caan (Sonny) gets gunned down at the toll booth held the record for the most squibs used on one person for decades. Caan said in an interview that while the stunt guys were putting them all over his body he was surprised at the way they just kept adding them and adding them, so he asked the stunt coordinator “Hey these things are safe, right?” And the guy answered “Sure……probably…..to tell the truth I’ve never seen so many used at once, but I think it’s okay.”
Why wasn't the whole family at the hospital? There was a war going on. They hired guards to protect Don Corleone, but they'd have been taking a big risk to all be together in a public place. Michael was an exception because, at that point, he was still a "civilian." The reason they started for New Jersey and then did a U-turn at the bridge was to make sure they weren't being followed.
That and they also didn't anticipate the involvement of the police who are typically neutral or involved for public interest. The police were not supposed to be involved but instead they forcibly dismissed anyone else that was there to protect him.
It took me a while to get it too, but when they made that U-turn going to the restaurant, they did it right after the bridge, making it impossible for anyone following not to do the same thing and reveal themselves. It's a classic trick to either reveal or get rid of anyone following you in traffic.
If memory serves me well, then the scenes with Paulie at the wedding - getting told off after grabbing the wine and eyeing the bag of cash - were meant to show his motive for turning on the family and putting Vito at risk.
Trust me, you'll LOVE part 2. I'm not sure if you picked up on ALL the things that make this (and part 2) ultra top tier film making. The casting, acting, screenwriting, music score, cinematography, directing, and production are all about as perfect as can be achieved in one movie. What's truly remarkable is they duplicated that total perfection in the 1974 sequel. (I wish I could say the same for part 3)
OMG so many parallels between your cat and Brando’s cat, despite the energy your cat has. I find it only fitting you have such a cute kitten in your video about The Godfather. Well done!
The baby boy being baptized was portrayed by a baby girl, Francis Ford Coppola's daughter Sofia (who is a filmmaker in her own right). In my opinion, her portrayal of a baby boy was one of the greatest dramatic performances of the 20th century.
I always considered the baptism scene one of the best examples of storytelling through editing. Definitely watch Godfather II. It's rightfully held up as one of the few sequels that matches or exceeds the original.
Carlo not only beat her, he set up her brother Sonny. After the first time they knew Sonny would rush off to find Carlo if he beat her again, probably without waiting for his men, so they told Carlo to beat his pregnant so they could set up the ambush, and he did it. Killing him wasn't punishment enough, imo. Fwiw, I don't think he loves Kay the way he fell in love with Apollonia, but he wanted a family with a good, loving, faithful woman, and Kay fit the bill.
I waited over 20 years to see this movie! Simpsons and other comedies made a bunch of references over the years and they flew over my head. I reached my breaking point and decided to watch it. A year or two after that, I saw Zootopia in theaters and laughed so hard!
"Leave the gun. Take the Cannoli." He was just supposed to say "Take the gun." He adlibbed the 'Take the cannoli' line. Also, the cat was just a lot cat that was hanging around the studio and Brando befriended it and used it as a prop. The Godfather: Part 2 is the best of the Godfather movies. Even better than this one and this one is a masterpiece.
My grandfather was a rum runner during prohibition. He also did cement shoe burials. To understand the Godfather you have to know and understand the Italian/Sicilian community and culture of the time.
27:50 They were not looking for his reaction. They correctly assumed they were going to be followed, so they jumped over a curve to make a U turn in the middle of the traffic, impossible to follow. They never told the Corleone family where the meeting was going to take place. They found because they had an informant with the police. Before cell phones, the police chief had to provide a phone to reach him in case he was suddenly required. The informant found about it and called Sonny.
How did he know Paulie was the traitor? They don't mention it in the film, but in the book the Don had an advantage that very few knew about: he had a friend in the phone company who could tell him what calls were made and received at any particular phone -- and Paulie had lots of suspicious phone calls to Barzzini and his men.
I appreciate that you're watching all those old movies, that are unknown to your generation. They are a look on our past, and surely help to broaden the mind, something that z generation often refuses to do. And, for God's sake, certainly 'The Godfather' or 'The Bad, The Ugly and The Good' are in every sense superior to 99% of today's productions. When we were young, without Internet, we spent time watching movies of 30', 40, 50', so we knew Fred Astaire or Clark Gable, even if they were a lot before our time; I get that today is different, but at least some milestones like this one, need to be known by people born after 2000
Exactly. The film was released in 1972 and starts set in 1946. That's a 26 year difference, or the same difference as today and the release of "Twister" and "The Rock". Seeing a hospital from 76 years ago is jarring to those growing up today, who can't imagine just how "primitive" facilities were back then. The desk at the end of the hall? They didn't have "Call Buttons". A nurse needed to be nearby listening for a patient in distress, and that is where she sat. - "She", there weren't any male nurses in the 40's.
I was born in 2004 and I love The Godfather pt 1 and 2, I also love the Dollar Trilogy since my Great Uncle is a fan of westerns, I'm glad Clint Eastwood is still alive and making movies, lotta respect for that man! Every time I went to my Great Uncle's home I would put Fox Classics (one of those premium channels) or TCM and watching classics from the old Hollywood to vary from the most recent productions that were repeated on cable, since most of them are not at the same level of quality. Most of my favorite movies and music is from decades ago. Back in the 70s, 80s and 90s, many classic movie stars were still alive and interviewed (including those from silent era), most of the actors who began their careers in those decades are legends now, many are already in their 50s or close to 60s like Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt (my Mom's generation, she loves Brad), while new Gen Z stars who are in their 20s are rising. There are still very good movies today made by amazing (and newer) directors and actors, but you have to look beyond the most popular blockbusters like Marvel, Transformers or Fast and Furious (style over substance), I feel that even blockbusters from 80s, 90s and even 2000s had more love in their productions, which is rare to see today (cough Top Gun: Maverick).
The most remarkable part about this movie it that everything, from the color palatte, to the music, to the acting, to the camera movement and story pacing seems so effortless, like you are just a by-stander to real life.
Lots of questions you ask. Tessio, the eventual traitor, and Clemenza, the short fat guy, were Vito’s two oldest friends and directly beneath him in the family business. Why did Connie stay in her abusive marriage? Because in the 1940s & 1950s divorce was not an option, especially for Italian Catholic families. Back then a woman couldn’t get credit and in some states even own property without a male relative to sign for her. The priest breathed on the baby because that was part of the old baptismal ritual used at the time.
I've never seen Lord of the Rings but I know Sir Ian McKellen played the party of this "Gandolf" character. In The Godfather, the actor playing the part of Woltz (the film director) is not Sir Ian McKellen.
This novel is amazing. Part 1 and Part 2 of the films complete the story of the novel, though even as good as they are they have to leave out a few details. There is SO much material in these films that they are even better on the 2nd watch, when you are aware of the story and it's easier to pick up on the characters and the details. I look forward to you reacting to Part 2!
You should check out the mini-series the Offer on Paramount +. It is a miniseries based on how theGodfather was made and all the difficulties they had to overcome to make that film. Stars Miles Teller as Al Ruddy, the producer of the Godfather.
If you read the book, you wouldn’t feel too bad about Luca Brasi getting killed: The way he’s written, he’s a real vile character, real nasty psychopath stuff. (The book is great by the way, and well worth a read even if you’ve seen the movies - it fleshes out more characters and adds explanation).
For Paulie, it's in the extended cut. Sonny had a contact in the phone company to check Paulie's phone records. He had several phone calls at the phonebooth across the street from the office. Every time he had a phone call, he called in sick. The day the Don was shot, Paulie got a phone call that day. The hitmen also knew the Don's routine of going to the fruitstand before he goes home.
I would've called your accent British English the point of the baptism scene is that there IS good and evil...but the psychopath doesn't recognize the difference.
The more I see this film, the more I appreciate it. Michael never wanted this destiny. His father didn't want this for him. He was being groomed to be the "respectable" Corleone - Much like Joe Kennedy groomed his son(s).... This film takes so much mid 20th century folklore & urban legends (the Frank Sinatra 'From Here to Eternity' saga etc) and weaves it into a modern Game of Thrones. Puzo's book was juicy & salacious. Coppola's screen treatment was nothing short of epic. This deserves its reputation as a screen classic. Everyone involved did some of the best work of their careers.
It's really not hard to fig it out unless your a motor mouth not paying attention. Fredo says he called out and the Don happens to get shot and Sonny knew also by it
You didnt understand some points in the movie: 1) carlo beat his wife sunny sister to trap sunny on the toll traffic... 2) michael suspect about but didnt was 100% sure so the question who contact him tataglia or barzini was a trap question to carlo and he falled when he aswered.
The Godfather is one of the masterpiece in 1974. Filmmaker, Francis Ford Coppola did not want to make that film, but luckily, George Lucas and Walter Murch convince Francis and George said “ Francis, we need the money, the sheriff department are going to lock the doors, in our production company, you gotta do it.” Not for nothing but Coppola owe money from Warner Bros. in one of his film called the Rain People. So it wasn’t Francis passion project even though that he was doing it to pay off debts but he is still one of the greatest artists in the 20th century and he’s the Godfather of Cinema and Culture🎥
Michael learns that business IS personal despite everyone saying the opposite. Part 2 is also great. Part 3 suffers by comparison to the other 2 movies, but it is worth watching to see what happens at the very least. The baby, Sophia Coppola, at the Baptism is played by the daughter of the director, who also plays Michael & Kay's daughter, Mary, in Part 3.
The funny bit about this movie, and I don't know if it's emphasised in the book, is that we're told right at the start that Michael is a returned US Marine, having done at least one tour in combat. He's the youngest in the family but he's probably killed more men and seen more bloodshed than any of Vito's soldiers, even Luca.
In the book, it said that the reason Solotzo went after the Godfather is due to Sonny showing interest in the deal at the meeting. So, if they killed the Godfather, they figured they could make a deal with Sonny when Sonny becomes the Godfather. Also, in the book, they found It was Paulie because Sonny traced all the calls from Paulie's phone to the enemies phone number. They found out it was him that way.
The old guy who turned out to be the traitor was Sal, who was a longtime friend and partner of Vito's from the old days. Vito, Sal, and Clemenza (the guy who was showing Micheal how to shoot and how to make spagetti) were the original three partners when Vito was setting up his gang.
Blue: ".. I would like a mafia family.." My reaction: No, Miss Blue, you don't want a mafia family. You won't be used as a soldier in their mafia, you'll just be a whole, in their family. Trust me, you don't want a price tag on your ass. 😁
How did they know Paulie sold out the Godfather? The book explains, and there's even a deleted scene where Sonny explains it to Michael. They had contacts inside the phone company who looked at the records, and every time Paulie called in sick he called from the same pay phone, and every time he did, a couple of minutes before he called there was a call placed to that phone from the same number. So somebody was calling him and finding out where Don Corleone was going to be, then Paulie would call in sick so he wouldn't be there when they made the hit. That's how they knew it was him.
Your review was great as usual! Just a few points that might help: 1. The evidence against Paulie can be found in the book. He kept vanishing on days when bad things would happen to the family and was getting calls from the other Families. It really helps to read the book with dense, complex films like this one and 'The Shining,' for instance. 2. Sollozzo was indeed selling heroin, and getting into that business actually did contribute to the downfall of the mob in real life. 3. "We hit Bruno Tattaglia" meant they killed him. 4. Enzo, the baker was always on the Family's side. At the beginning, Nazorine the master baker asked the Don for help getting his daughter married (to Enzo) and Enzo his citizenship, so he owed the family a lot. 5. I agree with you about Carlo! As a woman especially I felt his death was RICHLY deserved. But it would have been very hard indeed for Connie to leave. Women in the 1940s did not leave their husbands. They did not get divorces, especially in Catholic circles. If a man beat his wife, the attitude was 'it's between them and none of our business' because a man's home was his castle and you didn't interfere. There was no sense of protecting women and children. Also, women in the 1940s could not own property, could not have bank accounts, could not work in many professions. Connie could have only done one thing and that's retreat to her father's house. Which probably would've been better than staying with that scum fuck.
Great comment, just one small inaccuracy. By 1900, every state had passed legislation modeled after New York's Married Woman's Property Act of 1848, legally granting women the right to keep their own wages and to own property in their own name. The state where the Corleone Family lived was the pioneer in pushing this through, and by the time of the setting of the film it had been the law for more than 100 years. That said, the portrayal of Connie by Talia Shire was so incredibly accurate of battered women I've known. I worked security in a shelter for many years, and you see the behavioral patterns that battered women take so long to break and recover from in her character to a scarily accurate degree. Leaving Carlo simply wasn't something Connie was emotionally capable of doing. Michael knew that and simply removed the choice from her hands to protect her and to avenge Santino's death. He was truly acting as a Godfather to her baby Victor by protecting him from the violence and treachery of Carlo.
The horse head threat was the best. Not only did they say, "We can kill things close to you fast, it also said we got close enough to put a horse head in your bed while you slept and you never knew.
Living in NYC there are still echoes of the mafia era. Two blocks from where I live was the "Social Club" of Carmine Persico. I am not sure the exact storefront, but ITHINK it might now be a children's dance studio. There are still social clubs in the Gambino territory. Some neighborhoods still have a real mafia presence, even though they are much weaker than they were. The actor who played Luca Brasi was actual mafia. And he really was nervous. They caught on camera him rehearsing his lines and kept it in.
Lol, nobody trusts Enzo the baker! In the beginning of the movie, there's 2 fathers in suits begging the Don for favors, one *without* respect, the other *with* - the second one is asking for his baker's apprentice Enzo to marry his daughter, and stay in America - and the Don obliges! Enzo has been given: A wife and a life in America, by the Don! You can take Enzo to the bank! You can trust Enzo with your life! "If there is trouble, I elp! For your fada, for your fada!" then shitting himself with the cigarette afterwards, Enzo is the biggest *dude* in the entire story!
I love your reactions usually, but you talked so much over the dialog in the first 20 minutes that you missed some points that were necessary for understanding events later. It was so frustrating to listen to you asking questions when the answers had been given in dialogue that you missed because you talked through the beginning of the movie. I still loved the reaction, but I feel protective toward this movie. I'll leave you one question. They say that titles of artistic works are always thematic. So what's the significance of the title of this movie? Who is the star? Whose story is it? Who is the godfather? Brando's performance is incandescent, but I think this is Michael's movie: the making of a godfather.
When you said "I want to be in that family. I'd do anything." it reminded me of the old song by Meatloaf - "I'd do anything for you. But I won't do that."
The u turn on the bridge was to lose anyone following them. The last time we saw Connie's husband beating her up was a set up to get Sonny out of the house to kill him on the causeway.
Like the wedding an Italian American celebration is a huge thing. We had a hog roast of epic proportions, the hogs were put into a pit in the ground and slow cooked from the night before till lunch, long tables with side and main dishes and deserts were lined up, an ice table for the cold stuff, the hog at the beginning and everyone lined up to go down the line. The other hog was timed to be done at supper later that night, beer and pop was unlimited, a wooden dance floor and jukebox, bocci ball and volley ball, and all done in the cow pasture next to my house. It went on for 40 years till the property got sold. It was my grandpas and my grandma who came to America from Italy, both sides of the family and all the branching families, about 200-250 people in all. I miss that, I miss the feeling of being surrounded by Italian family.
you can find the Proof that Paulie was a traitor among the deleted scenes circulating on You Tube. Francis Ford Coppola was under a lot of pressure to shorten the playing time and several very good scenes were left on the cutting room floor, the "was it Paulie or Clemenza?" scene was among the cut scenes
No that was not Godalf. The actor who played Gondolf was Ian McKellen. The actor who played Jack Woltz was John Marley. The parts he played were usually more rough-spoken guys.
You have to read the book to understand how they knew Paulie was a traitor. Don Corleone had a guy in the phone company who checked the telephone calls received by all the important people in his Family. They saw Paulie received calls from people in the Tatagglia Family.
It is a testament to director Francis Ford Coppola that he makes us identify so strongly with a family that murders people. One of the greatest films ever created.
Great reaction! I'm happy you finally got to see this film. Definitely, watch Godfather 2. It is a masterpiece as well. Imo, you can skip part 3 and keep the treasured memories of watching parts 1 and 2 and how great they were. In other words, part 3 is like Spiderman 3 minus the dancing and singinig numbers.
Hey, there’s singing in Part III. 😝 Or at least I think there was. I saw it once a long time ago, but never again. I’ve seen parts I & II probably 20 times each. From what little I remember, the writing was just a mess. I remember there being a lot of criticism of Sophie Coppola, but I don’t remember her being terrible in it.
47:12 - No, that's not it. Michael let him off easy for betraying the family. THAT was for what he did to Michael's sister. The ethical difference that Michael has drawn between the two is for us to sort out ourselves. 47:53 - "She has problems. Staying in a relationship like that?" Ummmm.... yeah...... listen, I have some personal experience in this, as the son of such a woman, and.... yeah, listen, it's horribly more complicated than that. 48:10 - Yep. And that one moment defines the entirety of their relationship from here on out. Be ready for that if you watch the rest of the trilogy. It hurts sometimes.
The horse-head scene... in the TV-mashup mini-series, we learn that Robert Duvall ("Tom Hagen") has gone to the Big Shot Hollywood Producer's house with Luca Brasi as his traveling companion. Luca comes back to the estate in the middle of the night, heads to the stables, then comes from the house, to his car and drives away in darkness. Huh? Wha-? Only later do we see what Luca had done.
The movie is actually very complicated you have to know about the five families of New York and the timeline in the movie is a bit rough you can look online for more information of the making of The Godfather which explains a lot
In the car going to the restaurant, they were trying to avoid being followed. Michael has to leave because he gunned down a police captain in broad daylight in public.
My grandfather was in this movie. The man that gets shot in the elevator during the Christening scene. That’s grandpa. ☺️
No fucking way! That’s dope. What is/was name if you don’t mind saying?
Your Grandfather was Victor Stracci?!?!
@@modrenwarefare yes
@@chrismignemi6195 its not nice to lie 🤨
@@BigDaddy115 I’m aware. I’m not lying, fool.
The cat was a stray that took a liking to Marlon Brando. It unexpectedly jumped up in his lap during the scene. Brando just went with it. Oddly, the cat added unintended depth to his character; that scene showed a tender side to the don.
That's why Brando's cat was so well behaved. It was still auditioning for the part. Her cat knows it's in and can do it's own thing now.
Lol
I heard commentary by Francis Ford Coppola saying it was a studio cat, placed in Brandi’s lap by Coppola. He said the actor could incorporate anything into a scene and make it work.
I loved that stray kitty. Before I knew the cat was a stray, I thought having a cat on set was planned to sort of enphasize the fact that maybe the Don's wife or daughter Connie had a family cat or two, and the cat just happened to come into the office before he had the meeting with the funeral director guy.
Little known fact, When he pet the cat, he developed allergies which caused his cheeks to swell up which is why he talks the way he does.
I know this because I was that cat.
Rest In Peace, James Caan (Sonny) who passed away earlier this year. 🥀
The song the old man is singing is about a girl who asks her mother to find a husband for her. Mother says if she finds her a carpenter, he’ll nail her; if she finds a fisherman, he’ll hook her; if a plumber, he’ll give her some pipe. It’s a dirty song for sure.
C'è la Luna Mezzo Mare. A very bawdy song.
Oh okay, I never learned Italian so I have no clue what the bawdy songs they were singing were about.
Thank you. I don't know why I never looked up the english translation before!
In the early 1920’s Rudy Valee did a remake of the sons with cleaned up lyrics. It was called the Butcher Boy. In the 1940’s the Andrew Sisters also recorded the Butcher Boy. The original was a Sicilian sailor’s song. It wasn’t so much it was dirty, more suggestive. That’s what makes it funny.
Paulie called out "sick" on the day that Vito was shot. That aroused suspicion. And, in the book, they were able to get information from the phone company showing Paulie was taking calls from another Family. But honestly, just the call out would probably have been enough to earn his death, he was the Don's driver and he wasn't there when he needed to be...they would have killed him just to be sure he wasn't a traitor to the Corleones.
Appolonia was the love of his life. When he returned to the US, he married Kaye on the rebound. It was more of a marriage of convenience. Michael also needed Kaye for status because she was from a respected New England family. This would give him leverage for the family business. In the deleted Directors' cut, the death scene is traumatic for Michael.
The baptism scene is the traditional Roman Catholic Rite of Baptism.
Kay deserve better. Michael sucks
You want the perks of having friends like that but your not thinking of the downside of having friends like that.
100%
The trick of this movie is that they make Don Vito sympathetic and honorable. Michael starts out sympathetic, forced by circumstances to join the family. But they are violent criminals and so are the people who work for them. They use violence and the threat of violence to get what they want. The minute they want something that is yours, friendship goes out the window and they’ll take it. And you never want to be perceived as disrespectful or as a threat. If they think there’s even a chance of you being a threat, just move far far away.
If you live in a gangster neighborhood, make friends with the gangsters’ grannies, but never with them. Be the guy that shovels snow of the granny’s front sidewalk, mow her lawn, help her with her groceries, but never get mixed up with the gangsters themselves. If some shit goes down anyway, you’re the grandmother’s friend and that might save you from trouble.
I'm told it's kinda like juggling live grenades. In theory it's cool, in practice it's a bit more stressful...
The little explosive blood-pack used to simulate a gunshot wound in movies are called “squibs”.The scene where James Caan (Sonny) gets gunned down at the toll booth held the record for the most squibs used on one person for decades. Caan said in an interview that while the stunt guys were putting them all over his body he was surprised at the way they just kept adding them and adding them, so he asked the stunt coordinator “Hey these things are safe, right?” And the guy answered “Sure……probably…..to tell the truth I’ve never seen so many used at once, but I think it’s okay.”
Why wasn't the whole family at the hospital? There was a war going on. They hired guards to protect Don Corleone, but they'd have been taking a big risk to all be together in a public place. Michael was an exception because, at that point, he was still a "civilian."
The reason they started for New Jersey and then did a U-turn at the bridge was to make sure they weren't being followed.
That and they also didn't anticipate the involvement of the police who are typically neutral or involved for public interest. The police were not supposed to be involved but instead they forcibly dismissed anyone else that was there to protect him.
It took me a while to get it too, but when they made that U-turn going to the restaurant, they did it right after the bridge, making it impossible for anyone following not to do the same thing and reveal themselves. It's a classic trick to either reveal or get rid of anyone following you in traffic.
If memory serves me well, then the scenes with Paulie at the wedding - getting told off after grabbing the wine and eyeing the bag of cash - were meant to show his motive for turning on the family and putting Vito at risk.
The actress who plays Connie (the daughter who gets married) plays Adrienne in the Rocky movie.
Don't forget about the one Coreleone family soldier was played by the same actor that played the loanshark Gazzo in "Rocky".
She's also the director's actual sister.
Trust me, you'll LOVE part 2. I'm not sure if you picked up on ALL the things that make this (and part 2) ultra top tier film making. The casting, acting, screenwriting, music score, cinematography, directing, and production are all about as perfect as can be achieved in one movie. What's truly remarkable is they duplicated that total perfection in the 1974 sequel. (I wish I could say the same for part 3)
But don’t talk so much…the sequel especially depends on you following the dialogue
OMG so many parallels between your cat and Brando’s cat, despite the energy your cat has.
I find it only fitting you have such a cute kitten in your video about The Godfather. Well done!
The baby boy being baptized was portrayed by a baby girl, Francis Ford Coppola's daughter Sofia (who is a filmmaker in her own right). In my opinion, her portrayal of a baby boy was one of the greatest dramatic performances of the 20th century.
It was certainly her best performance in a Godfather movie.
@@kenj0418 Ooh, that's cold.
I always considered the baptism scene one of the best examples of storytelling through editing.
Definitely watch Godfather II. It's rightfully held up as one of the few sequels that matches or exceeds the original.
Carlo not only beat her, he set up her brother Sonny. After the first time they knew Sonny would rush off to find Carlo if he beat her again, probably without waiting for his men, so they told Carlo to beat his pregnant so they could set up the ambush, and he did it. Killing him wasn't punishment enough, imo. Fwiw, I don't think he loves Kay the way he fell in love with Apollonia, but he wanted a family with a good, loving, faithful woman, and Kay fit the bill.
I waited over 20 years to see this movie! Simpsons and other comedies made a bunch of references over the years and they flew over my head. I reached my breaking point and decided to watch it.
A year or two after that, I saw Zootopia in theaters and laughed so hard!
"Leave the gun. Take the Cannoli." He was just supposed to say "Take the gun." He adlibbed the 'Take the cannoli' line. Also, the cat was just a lot cat that was hanging around the studio and Brando befriended it and used it as a prop. The Godfather: Part 2 is the best of the Godfather movies. Even better than this one and this one is a masterpiece.
My grandfather was a rum runner during prohibition. He also did cement shoe burials. To understand the Godfather you have to know and understand the Italian/Sicilian community and culture of the time.
I like how at the beginning of this video, her cat climbs up on her chair...kinda like Don Corleone and his cat in the opening scene. LOL!
27:50 They were not looking for his reaction. They correctly assumed they were going to be followed, so they jumped over a curve to make a U turn in the middle of the traffic, impossible to follow.
They never told the Corleone family where the meeting was going to take place. They found because they had an informant with the police. Before cell phones, the police chief had to provide a phone to reach him in case he was suddenly required. The informant found about it and called Sonny.
How did he know Paulie was the traitor? They don't mention it in the film, but in the book the Don had an advantage that very few knew about: he had a friend in the phone company who could tell him what calls were made and received at any particular phone -- and Paulie had lots of suspicious phone calls to Barzzini and his men.
They automatically blamed him because he was the driver and he took that day off, (sick) so it didnt matter if he was in on it or not
Seeing one of the greatest films ever made - An offer you can’t refuse.
I appreciate that you're watching all those old movies, that are unknown to your generation. They are a look on our past, and surely help to broaden the mind, something that z generation often refuses to do. And, for God's sake, certainly 'The Godfather' or 'The Bad, The Ugly and The Good' are in every sense superior to 99% of today's productions. When we were young, without Internet, we spent time watching movies of 30', 40, 50', so we knew Fred Astaire or Clark Gable, even if they were a lot before our time; I get that today is different, but at least some milestones like this one, need to be known by people born after 2000
Exactly. The film was released in 1972 and starts set in 1946. That's a 26 year difference, or the same difference as today and the release of "Twister" and "The Rock". Seeing a hospital from 76 years ago is jarring to those growing up today, who can't imagine just how "primitive" facilities were back then. The desk at the end of the hall? They didn't have "Call Buttons". A nurse needed to be nearby listening for a patient in distress, and that is where she sat. - "She", there weren't any male nurses in the 40's.
I was born in 2004 and I love The Godfather pt 1 and 2, I also love the Dollar Trilogy since my Great Uncle is a fan of westerns, I'm glad Clint Eastwood is still alive and making movies, lotta respect for that man! Every time I went to my Great Uncle's home I would put Fox Classics (one of those premium channels) or TCM and watching classics from the old Hollywood to vary from the most recent productions that were repeated on cable, since most of them are not at the same level of quality. Most of my favorite movies and music is from decades ago.
Back in the 70s, 80s and 90s, many classic movie stars were still alive and interviewed (including those from silent era), most of the actors who began their careers in those decades are legends now, many are already in their 50s or close to 60s like Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt (my Mom's generation, she loves Brad), while new Gen Z stars who are in their 20s are rising.
There are still very good movies today made by amazing (and newer) directors and actors, but you have to look beyond the most popular blockbusters like Marvel, Transformers or Fast and Furious (style over substance), I feel that even blockbusters from 80s, 90s and even 2000s had more love in their productions, which is rare to see today (cough Top Gun: Maverick).
The most remarkable part about this movie it that everything, from the color palatte, to the music, to the acting, to the camera movement and story pacing seems so effortless, like you are just a by-stander to real life.
Lots of questions you ask. Tessio, the eventual traitor, and Clemenza, the short fat guy, were Vito’s two oldest friends and directly beneath him in the family business. Why did Connie stay in her abusive marriage? Because in the 1940s & 1950s divorce was not an option, especially for Italian Catholic families. Back then a woman couldn’t get credit and in some states even own property without a male relative to sign for her. The priest breathed on the baby because that was part of the old baptismal ritual used at the time.
4:54 The cat actually started watching the movie. Anyone else see the cat's reaction?
28:46 Basically Solozzo is trying to convince Michael to broke a peace, he says he's a man of honor but Michael doesn't believe him
I've never seen Lord of the Rings but I know Sir Ian McKellen played the party of this "Gandolf" character. In The Godfather, the actor playing the part of Woltz (the film director) is not Sir Ian McKellen.
Studio head, not director.
@@MarcosElMalo2
An error. So what??? 🤷🏻♂️
The cat watching your hands moving in the intro and ready to pounce! I'm dead. 🤣
This novel is amazing. Part 1 and Part 2 of the films complete the story of the novel, though even as good as they are they have to leave out a few details. There is SO much material in these films that they are even better on the 2nd watch, when you are aware of the story and it's easier to pick up on the characters and the details. I look forward to you reacting to Part 2!
You should check out the mini-series the Offer on Paramount +. It is a miniseries based on how theGodfather was made and all the difficulties they had to overcome to make that film. Stars Miles Teller as Al Ruddy, the producer of the Godfather.
Coppola is now finally working on MEGALOPOLIS
I hope he finishes it before his passing
the guy who said Mike was a war hero was the really famous person in this movie...Sonny Grasso look him up
If you read the book, you wouldn’t feel too bad about Luca Brasi getting killed: The way he’s written, he’s a real vile character, real nasty psychopath stuff. (The book is great by the way, and well worth a read even if you’ve seen the movies - it fleshes out more characters and adds explanation).
Al Neri also has an interesting back story not touched upon in the movie. Definitely read the book. It gives interesting insights.
For Paulie, it's in the extended cut.
Sonny had a contact in the phone company to check Paulie's phone records. He had several phone calls at the phonebooth across the street from the office. Every time he had a phone call, he called in sick. The day the Don was shot, Paulie got a phone call that day. The hitmen also knew the Don's routine of going to the fruitstand before he goes home.
I would've called your accent British English the point of the baptism scene is that there IS good and evil...but the psychopath doesn't recognize the difference.
The more I see this film, the more I appreciate it. Michael never wanted this destiny. His father didn't want this for him. He was being groomed to be the "respectable" Corleone - Much like Joe Kennedy groomed his son(s).... This film takes so much mid 20th century folklore & urban legends (the Frank Sinatra 'From Here to Eternity' saga etc) and weaves it into a modern Game of Thrones. Puzo's book was juicy & salacious. Coppola's screen treatment was nothing short of epic. This deserves its reputation as a screen classic. Everyone involved did some of the best work of their careers.
"Where's your proof it was Paulie" Good question but there is a deleted scene that explains it.
It's really not hard to fig it out unless your a motor mouth not paying attention. Fredo says he called out and the Don happens to get shot and Sonny knew also by it
You didnt understand some points in the movie: 1) carlo beat his wife sunny sister to trap sunny on the toll traffic... 2) michael suspect about but didnt was 100% sure so the question who contact him tataglia or barzini was a trap question to carlo and he falled when he aswered.
“I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse”. One of the greatest mafia movies ever made
I guarantee Blue NEVER saw the Khartoum event coming, her reaction was proof.
It wasn’t the first ever movie about organized crime, but it changed the game for all other Mafia movies that came after.
The Godfather is one of the masterpiece in 1974. Filmmaker, Francis Ford Coppola did not want to make that film, but luckily, George Lucas and Walter Murch convince Francis and George said “ Francis, we need the money, the sheriff department are going to lock the doors, in our production company, you gotta do it.”
Not for nothing but Coppola owe money from Warner Bros. in one of his film called the Rain People.
So it wasn’t Francis passion project even though that he was doing it to pay off debts but he is still one of the greatest artists in the 20th century and he’s the Godfather of Cinema and Culture🎥
“He may look cute but he’s a little demon child”
Yep. Cats 👍
Since you're watching a lot os Sergio Leones movies I recommend "Once Upon a Time in America". Long, but sweet.
One of the most iconic ending scenes in movie history: A door closing .
Michael learns that business IS personal despite everyone saying the opposite. Part 2 is also great. Part 3 suffers by comparison to the other 2 movies, but it is worth watching to see what happens at the very least.
The baby, Sophia Coppola, at the Baptism is played by the daughter of the director, who also plays Michael & Kay's daughter, Mary, in Part 3.
Larry, talking about other Bulgarian gangs - "I'm gonna make them an offer they can't refuse..."
The funny bit about this movie, and I don't know if it's emphasised in the book, is that we're told right at the start that Michael is a returned US Marine, having done at least one tour in combat.
He's the youngest in the family but he's probably killed more men and seen more bloodshed than any of Vito's soldiers, even Luca.
In the book, it said that the reason Solotzo went after the Godfather is due to Sonny showing interest in the deal at the meeting. So, if they killed the Godfather, they figured they could make a deal with Sonny when Sonny becomes the Godfather. Also, in the book, they found It was Paulie because Sonny traced all the calls from Paulie's phone to the enemies phone number. They found out it was him that way.
What sux about the guy who wanted Michael to do a meeting with Barzini, in part 2, u learn he is one of Vito's very first friends and oldest partners!
"Johnny Fontaine" is based on Frank Sinatra.
The old guy who turned out to be the traitor was Sal, who was a longtime friend and partner of Vito's from the old days. Vito, Sal, and Clemenza (the guy who was showing Micheal how to shoot and how to make spagetti) were the original three partners when Vito was setting up his gang.
The action in this movie took place from 1945 or so, until around the late 1950s. During that time, there were no bullet proof vests yet.
Then what was Luca Brasi wearing under his shirt? Spanx? Does that mean a fish wrapped in Spanx is a Sicilian message?
Demi is really captivated by the movement of your hands. 😺❤
In this movie, it is Adrian who looks like Rocky after the last round.
I love how the young folks don't know about the horse.
Yes, Part 2. It is considered to be one of the best, if not the best, sequels ever. You will Love it.
Blue: ".. I would like a mafia family.."
My reaction: No, Miss Blue, you don't want a mafia family. You won't be used as a soldier in their mafia, you'll just be a whole, in their family.
Trust me, you don't want a price tag on your ass. 😁
"That's like when kids make up, but with loads and loads of murder." Perfect illustration of "The Godfather" family values.
How did they know Paulie sold out the Godfather?
The book explains, and there's even a deleted scene where Sonny explains it to Michael. They had contacts inside the phone company who looked at the records, and every time Paulie called in sick he called from the same pay phone, and every time he did, a couple of minutes before he called there was a call placed to that phone from the same number. So somebody was calling him and finding out where Don Corleone was going to be, then Paulie would call in sick so he wouldn't be there when they made the hit. That's how they knew it was him.
Your review was great as usual! Just a few points that might help:
1. The evidence against Paulie can be found in the book. He kept vanishing on days when bad things would happen to the family and was getting calls from the other Families. It really helps to read the book with dense, complex films like this one and 'The Shining,' for instance.
2. Sollozzo was indeed selling heroin, and getting into that business actually did contribute to the downfall of the mob in real life.
3. "We hit Bruno Tattaglia" meant they killed him.
4. Enzo, the baker was always on the Family's side. At the beginning, Nazorine the master baker asked the Don for help getting his daughter married (to Enzo) and Enzo his citizenship, so he owed the family a lot.
5. I agree with you about Carlo! As a woman especially I felt his death was RICHLY deserved. But it would have been very hard indeed for Connie to leave. Women in the 1940s did not leave their husbands. They did not get divorces, especially in Catholic circles. If a man beat his wife, the attitude was 'it's between them and none of our business' because a man's home was his castle and you didn't interfere. There was no sense of protecting women and children. Also, women in the 1940s could not own property, could not have bank accounts, could not work in many professions. Connie could have only done one thing and that's retreat to her father's house. Which probably would've been better than staying with that scum fuck.
Great comment, just one small inaccuracy. By 1900, every state had passed legislation modeled after New York's Married Woman's Property Act of 1848, legally granting women the right to keep their own wages and to own property in their own name. The state where the Corleone Family lived was the pioneer in pushing this through, and by the time of the setting of the film it had been the law for more than 100 years.
That said, the portrayal of Connie by Talia Shire was so incredibly accurate of battered women I've known. I worked security in a shelter for many years, and you see the behavioral patterns that battered women take so long to break and recover from in her character to a scarily accurate degree.
Leaving Carlo simply wasn't something Connie was emotionally capable of doing. Michael knew that and simply removed the choice from her hands to protect her and to avenge Santino's death. He was truly acting as a Godfather to her baby Victor by protecting him from the violence and treachery of Carlo.
@@seannovack3834 those are excellent points. Thanks for replying!
In the book, Luca Brasi is the scariest psychopath in the entire story. 😯
To be fair. Lenny Montana, who played Luca, might have been the scariest guy in the movie. He was an actual Columbo family enforcer and body guard.
@@ImNotOld_ImVintage Exactly, the actor was an actual "heavy". But the book Luca, holy mother of God.
The horse head threat was the best. Not only did they say, "We can kill things close to you fast, it also said we got close enough to put a horse head in your bed while you slept and you never knew.
Luca Brasi was played by Lenny Montana , he was actually an enforcer in the Colombo crime family
Living in NYC there are still echoes of the mafia era. Two blocks from where I live was the "Social Club" of Carmine Persico. I am not sure the exact storefront, but ITHINK it might now be a children's dance studio. There are still social clubs in the Gambino territory. Some neighborhoods still have a real mafia presence, even though they are much weaker than they were.
The actor who played Luca Brasi was actual mafia. And he really was nervous. They caught on camera him rehearsing his lines and kept it in.
Blue would be the entire mafia's goomar
Lol, nobody trusts Enzo the baker!
In the beginning of the movie, there's 2 fathers in suits begging the Don for favors, one *without* respect, the other *with* - the second one is asking for his baker's apprentice Enzo to marry his daughter, and stay in America - and the Don obliges!
Enzo has been given: A wife and a life in America, by the Don! You can take Enzo to the bank! You can trust Enzo with your life!
"If there is trouble, I elp! For your fada, for your fada!" then shitting himself with the cigarette afterwards, Enzo is the biggest *dude* in the entire story!
I love how gentle and sweet you are with him. You’ll make a good mother.
Michael doesnt technically lie to Kay at the end....after all he wasnt the one who killed Carlo.
I love your reactions usually, but you talked so much over the dialog in the first 20 minutes that you missed some points that were necessary for understanding events later. It was so frustrating to listen to you asking questions when the answers had been given in dialogue that you missed because you talked through the beginning of the movie. I still loved the reaction, but I feel protective toward this movie. I'll leave you one question. They say that titles of artistic works are always thematic. So what's the significance of the title of this movie? Who is the star? Whose story is it? Who is the godfather? Brando's performance is incandescent, but I think this is Michael's movie: the making of a godfather.
Same thing I was thinking. AND talking over a couple great lines 😂
When you said "I want to be in that family. I'd do anything." it reminded me of the old song by Meatloaf - "I'd do anything for you. But I won't do that."
The u turn on the bridge was to lose anyone following them.
The last time we saw Connie's husband beating her up was a set up to get Sonny out of the house to kill him on the causeway.
Baby Kitty steals the show again, love it.
the baby at the christening is Sofia Coppola the directors daughter and Mike's daughter in Godfather III
On Paramount there’s a miniseries about the making of the Godfather. It called The Offer, and is really good.
In the car on the way to the meeting, Sollozzo's driver was making sure no one was following them. They never suspected the real plan.
Like the wedding an Italian American celebration is a huge thing. We had a hog roast of epic proportions, the hogs were put into a pit in the ground and slow cooked from the night before till lunch, long tables with side and main dishes and deserts were lined up, an ice table for the cold stuff, the hog at the beginning and everyone lined up to go down the line. The other hog was timed to be done at supper later that night, beer and pop was unlimited, a wooden dance floor and jukebox, bocci ball and volley ball, and all done in the cow pasture next to my house. It went on for 40 years till the property got sold. It was my grandpas and my grandma who came to America from Italy, both sides of the family and all the branching families, about 200-250 people in all. I miss that, I miss the feeling of being surrounded by Italian family.
you can find the Proof that Paulie was a traitor among the deleted scenes circulating on You Tube. Francis Ford Coppola was under a lot of pressure to shorten the playing time and several very good scenes were left on the cutting room floor, the "was it Paulie or Clemenza?" scene was among the cut scenes
I'm glad you would bring your mafia pals cake every week 😌
"Why did you go to the police? Why didn't you come to me first?" If that's not the most badass line ever!!
No that was not Godalf. The actor who played Gondolf was Ian McKellen. The actor who played Jack Woltz was John Marley. The parts he played were usually more rough-spoken guys.
When they did that crazy turn in the car it wasn't trying to get a reaction out of Michael, it was to make sure no one was following them.
You have to read the book to understand how they knew Paulie was a traitor. Don Corleone had a guy in the phone company who checked the telephone calls received by all the important people in his Family. They saw Paulie received calls from people in the Tatagglia Family.
Theres a deleted scene where sonny finds the traitor with michael.
It is a testament to director Francis Ford Coppola that he makes us identify so strongly with a family that murders people. One of the greatest films ever created.
18:50 .....
-Blue: "Beautyfull shot"
.....Paulie gets shot......
-Me: "Yeah, beautyfull shot indeed".....
A int5resting point Luca Brasi was in real life a mobster.... Im not quite sure how he got on the set but he was invited by the director... (I think).
in the book there was a ton of proof and at first they also suspected Clemenza you have to watch The Godfather Saga for all the good stuff cut out
Luca is so sweet he had his new born daughter tossed into a furnace seconds after she was born
??
@@JedHead77 It’s the Luca Brasi backstory from the novel.
Great reaction! I'm happy you finally got to see this film. Definitely, watch Godfather 2. It is a masterpiece as well. Imo, you can skip part 3 and keep the treasured memories of watching parts 1 and 2 and how great they were. In other words, part 3 is like Spiderman 3 minus the dancing and singinig numbers.
Hey, there’s singing in Part III. 😝
Or at least I think there was. I saw it once a long time ago, but never again. I’ve seen parts I & II probably 20 times each. From what little I remember, the writing was just a mess. I remember there being a lot of criticism of Sophie Coppola, but I don’t remember her being terrible in it.
The Godfather 2 is mandatory.
47:12 - No, that's not it. Michael let him off easy for betraying the family. THAT was for what he did to Michael's sister. The ethical difference that Michael has drawn between the two is for us to sort out ourselves.
47:53 - "She has problems. Staying in a relationship like that?" Ummmm.... yeah...... listen, I have some personal experience in this, as the son of such a woman, and.... yeah, listen, it's horribly more complicated than that.
48:10 - Yep. And that one moment defines the entirety of their relationship from here on out. Be ready for that if you watch the rest of the trilogy. It hurts sometimes.
You have to watch it a few times to truly understand. The motives. The times were very different in the 1940's.
I noticed your cat when you were watching Braveheart. He loves your R2D2 pillow behind you. He was the very symbol of a comfy kitty.
I thank you, you are one of the few people who noticed that Michael did not follow all the instructions in the hit. Way cool!
The horse-head scene... in the TV-mashup mini-series, we learn that Robert Duvall ("Tom Hagen") has gone to the Big Shot Hollywood Producer's house with Luca Brasi as his traveling companion. Luca comes back to the estate in the middle of the night, heads to the stables, then comes from the house, to his car and drives away in darkness. Huh? Wha-? Only later do we see what Luca had done.
No, that was not Gandolf. Gandolfini did not have gray hair when this film was made.
The movie is actually very complicated you have to know about the five families of New York and the timeline in the movie is a bit rough you can look online for more information of the making of The Godfather which explains a lot
In the car going to the restaurant, they were trying to avoid being followed. Michael has to leave because he gunned down a police captain in broad daylight in public.
25:22 Michael is a war hero and combat veteran. He has deleted people before just not in cold blood.