I don’t think that really matters when you’re dead. For some reason, we all think we’re going to leave a legacy behind us, when the truth is most of us will be forgotten in less than 10 years maybe 20.
Yeah Tessio took it like a boss, but imagine what a dumb move this would've been if the guys were just crowding round to give him a surprise birthday party and he says "tell Mike it was only business"... oof
In the scene before when Tessio sets up the meeting he hangs up the phone and pauses for a split second with his hand still on the phone, He know’s he’s doing wrong by betraying the family
Love how it almost sounds like a hail of bullets as the doors close. Also I like the touch of not showing the death, it emphasizes the respect that Sal carried.
Letting him off the hook would have told all those other guys that they could plan treason and betrayal with impunity. So, no way he was getting off the hook.
@@toddcraig8202 not really, they know it's not personal, it's simply business, if they didn't kill him they would've been considered as traitors and the family never does well with traitors
@@dwaekkisinsanity5233 Traitors or not, I think one has to be pretty cold-blooded to actually do the kind of "work" they do in the first place. Absolutely cold-blooded! And being murdered is, I think, a highly personal thing to have happen to somebody!
I don’t think he believed that micheal wouldn’t be a good don it’s just that he thought that the corleone family was weak and the other families were coming after them for him it was only a matter of time before that happened and jumping ship was the only way he could assure his survival.
Yes. in the end Michael is not a good Don. Vito earned powerful friends and endeared himself to the family but Michael isolated himself from his family and all and in the end that proved to be his fall after his initial success.
Actually, in the book Tom wanted to help Tessio. When Michael tells him to tell Tessio that he will be ready for the meeting with Barzini after half an hour, Tom asks "There's no way to let Tessio off the hook?" and Michael answers "No way!", but to insist more on the subject would be stupid and could have gotten Tom in trouble too. Tom really wanted and tried to help Tessio which makes the entire scene even sadder. But the simple truth is in that world betrayal can't be forgiven, and Tessio himself understands that when he walks quietly to the car.
Tom felt bad for Sally but not even once he wanted to let him off the hook. Tom knew Sally needed to die for the act of treason. He planned the assassination of Michael. Tom knew it was hard but his first and foremost loyalty was with Michael.
Sal knew the rules and knew the risk, but he underestimated Michael (and also Vito! he was the one who dropped a hint that the first person to approach Michael on funeral would be a traitor).
On that time even mobsters had some respects on certain things, not like crazy shit going on today... ffs Tessio is fucking old...not that he can outrun anyone let alone 5 ...
Because he's probably been on the other end of that conversation a hundred times before during the decades Vito built up the family buisness. He knew there was no point in denying or bullshiting.
The way Tom handles carrying out orders of death is so unique in a way. Here with tessio, and more notably with petangelli in part 2, he suggests it in such a way that it's not a huge deal. Almost makes light of it. I find it very interesting.
The members of the Mafia, and indeed anyone else who is involved in the life, know that any day could very well be the last. They simply accept it, just as they accept it when they carry out a killing or order someone to be killed.
He had a very je ne sais quoi approach to carrying out orders of death, didn't he? There's something about the callous business efficiency with which Tom operates that makes him very disturbing. I imagine could be a ruthless killer if he had to be. .
Such a sad and powerful scene..you can tell Tom still has a degree of respect and affection for Sal….but knows he has to carry out Michaels orders.. The smile he gives Sal is cold yet there is something nostalgic to it.. like reflecting back on the old times ..
It's kinda amazing how underratedly sad this scene can be. It's sad that Tessio didn't trust Michael and chose to betray him. It's sad that when Tessio realizes he was wrong about Mikey it's already too late for him and he knows it. It's sad for Hagen who was both surprised and disappointed that Tessio chose the path that led him to his demise. You can see in their faces with their final exchange. Tessio was truly sorry and Hagen really wanted to help him.....but what's done is done.
In the book, Michael was beyond sad when Sal called him about setting up the meeting. Tom asked him if they should let him off the hook, and as much as it hurt Michael, he said he couldn't do it.
Gives me similar feelings to when Frank Pentangeli thought that Michael tried to off him and offered to testify against him, only to discover later that that hadn't been the case. Seemed like it was an unfortunate misunderstanding but in the same way, what's done is done
@@GABRIELA-ACEVEDO. Michael was indeed sad , that a man as brilliant as Tessio made such a fatal mistake to late in life. Plus Tessio was his actual godfather.
@@robertlewis5257 Yup - in the book , Tom wants to find a way out for Tessio. And I know people are saying that Tessio was only sad he got caught - that's true but he realized in that moment that Michael had been underestimated by everyone including himself.
Read the book. The Don and Michael maneuvered the situation so that one of the capo's would have to betray Michael to survive. Since Tessio was the smarter of the two, it was most likely going to be him. Clemenza was a ruthless capo, but he also knew he never wanted to be a Don since he didn't have the long-term management ability. Tessio actually ran his regime as if it were his own family. He could have easily been a Don and he always represented the greater threat to the Don and, by extension, to Michael. So basically, they maneuvered Tessio into his own death sentence and with that betrayal his regime was broken up and absorbed into Clemenza's and Lampone's.
I always thought it was irrational to let those two hang out to dry until they were compelled to betray. They're so sympathetic you forget they really are just murderous pieces of shit.
I believe on Netflix it's captioned with [gun shots] when Tom is looking out the window but that could be Netflix assuming what is going on in the car. It sounds like gunshots IMO.
HoofyDough The first one is first car door slamming. Then they cut. The next three - they may be intended to have a double meaning, because it feels like Tom is reacting to it - but actually the driver is already in and now the three other doors are being shut and it's roughly the same sound. I very much doubt that they would shoot him right there in the Corleone compound and risk everyone being implicated let alone drive around town with a bloody corpse in the back seat or trunk after the fact, coming directly from that house. If you were going to do that you would at least use a muffler on the gun so as not to alert anyone. But that's not the sound we hear - and actually it's pretty risky shooting a guy in car packed with huge dudes, because there is no telling where the bullet will exit and how it may ricochet. I think netflix got it wrong. The guys and girls who write those captions work very fast at medium pay. If you expect the guy to die - which you clearly do - and you hear something like a gunshot and see Tom react as if business is concluded and it doesn't sit too well with him - it's an easy mistake to make. But I think it's just the car doors ...
No that's make sense. I much prefer your finer detail conclusion of what happens when it cuts to Tom then what the captions say. I agree that it would be silly for them to risk shooting in a crowded car but I have a suspicion that they wouldn't want to be brutal to Tess. Which leads me to believe they didn't strangle Tess. Obviously he was a traitor like Carlo but like he said it was only business and Mike knew that. I feel Mike would respect Tess enough not to choke him to death. But what do I know, that' probably the easiest thing for them to do. Then again, Carlo's choking method didn't seem clean when in the neighborhood. You'd think when they started driving and Carlo kicked out the windshield, someone in the vicinity might have heard or seen that.
Yeah yOu kinda hope he went easy. Might depend on which message they needed to send - people would know he had betrayed them so there is a potential issue of politics or strategy there. It's true - they weren't exactly discrete about Carlo so maybe one shouldn't expect that brand of realism to take precedence to potential dramatic needs in each scene.
0:07 I love the fact that Sal's reaction to the calling is completely spontaneous, but Tom doesn't turn right away. It's almost like he's bracing himself for what follows.
Tessio was an extremely powerful Capo who ran his regime like his own family within a family . Even towards the last minute the soldiers treated him with sincere respect .
Interesting, he was powerful capo but he wasn’t that smart, if he was he would’ve never attempted to try and have Michael whacked, it’s on page 4 of the boss manual
@@Aven-Sharma1991 Tessio _was_ smart and cunning but hubris was his undoing. He was so caught up in the idea he was the smartest man in the room that he underestimated Vito (and Michael by extension) grossly. It never occurred to him that somebody else could foresee a power struggle even before Vito had died. Smart people do stupid things all the time because they're not quite as smart as they think they are.
He was Don Vito's first partner along with Clemenza. High Rank. He should have trusted Michael and he would have gotten his own family like Clemenza did.
that's something I miss in modern movies; now almost all scenes with tension just have to have a music background; sometimse silence and a clearly articulated dialogue are enough to transmit the tension of the scene
@MsJollycholly I think Frankie was gifted with that option (to off himself for his family) because his betrayal of the Corleone clan was a result of being duped by the Roth/Ola cronies feigning to be killing him for Michael. Mike and Tom knew that, but still business is business which Frankie had one last price to pay for. All he had to do was trust in Michael after that manipulation and go to him, but he assumed the worst and decided to testify, sealing his own fate. Sal wasn't given that compassion because despite his genuine effection for Mike and Tom, he was still fully prepared to lead the former directly to his death in the name of "smart business", make his wife a widow his kids fatherless and his mother even more heartbroken (on top of destroying what was left of the Corleone family).
For some reason Willie Cicci cracks me up in this scene. Iono what it is, maybe his shades while removing Tessio’s hands away from a possible hand gun while chewing gum looking around “Excuse me Sal” 🤣🤣🤣
Most of us would've been cursing, crying, cursing and crying, having a fit of rage...knowing that moment is near, but not Ole School Tessio. He goes, "Tell Mike it was only business. I always liked him." As if he's about to go visit his grandkids:):)
@@slide5039 ^^ Baammmm!!! And I still can't get over Michael even bought him a ticket he KNEW he wasn't gonna use, just to make him feel good before he off'd his AZZ:):)
Salvatore Tessio took it like a man. I mean you gotta at least ask, but he didn't do it crying, begging, or pleading. Tom said no dice and he accepted his fate...
Santino or "Sonny" swears a lot compared to Micheal and Tom. It represents his unprofessional mindset and in most scenarios a lust for revenge or action. In fact, I believe one of his last lines is "Son of a bitch!" whilst on the phone.
Yeah, I can understand that. There is a little hope always right to the end; even Tom’s face inside the house gives this idea of “why Sally? Why did it had to end like this?”
I don't know why, but this is my favorite scene in the movie. It went from Tessio thinking he had the upper hand to knowing he was doomed in just a few seconds. You can almost see the blood drain out of his face as the thugs surrounded him one by one. You can understand someone who knows what's in store for him to grasp at any possibility so you understand Tessio asking Tom to let him off the hook. But you also understand that Tessio must have known his request was futile. Watching him being put into the car makes my skin crawl.
Exactly right, no matter how much they may like you, in the Mafia if you show disloyalty of any kind especially the level of betrayal that Tessio displayed you're done for, they will not let their personal feelings get in the way
It's not like Tom had the power to left him of the hook for old time sake, even if he wanted to. He probably had closest chance in convincing Michael but still chance were 0, if that's make sense.
True That, death comes to all of us eventually...Tessio knew it was his time, and he couldn't escape (he made one last slick attempt at grabbing his gun tho)...and he knew it was fully deserved
Yes, this was a very good yet gut wrenching scene emotionally.. and lets be real, any man caught off guard like this and realizes he's going to his death is scared beyond belief.. because it was just another ordinary day when he woke up that morning.. and then the dread of knowing that this is it.. your last breath.. your last words.. did he see it coming?.. was it unsuspected like Carlo and the others?.. that's what has me all messed up about this scene
Well, it was not just an ordinary day when Tessio woke up this morning, because in his mind he was thinking that when this day is over he would have murdered the son of the man he loyally served for decades. So not just an ordinary morning. I guess anyone in this game sees it potentially coming one day, it is the business they have chosen as Hyman Roth put it.
I love how Tom plays the Grim Reaper in several scenes in the first 2 movies. There's something especially sinister about being sent to your death by this small, neat, soft spoken and inoffensive looking lawyer.
"He understands that " Mario puzo have all the restraint and insight of the world every sentence is in place and exactly tailored to the character that says it it's just a masterpiece
In the book Tom was way more sympathetic to Tessio. He asked if Michael would let him off the hook since they were basically forcing him into that position. In the movie they went with a different direction. The movie portrayal of Tom was way colder than in the book.
"He can't do that, it screws up all my arrangements," Even with that line does he flaunt his arrogance and disrespect for Michael. You don't talk that way about your boss.
He never respected Micheal, cause he was youngest of the family no experience and outsider of mob business after micheal become don, so he changed side that cost him his own life.
@@usman5140 Yeah but he didn't beg, just one simple question. The way I see it he had nothing to lose by asking - and Tom was basically closest to Michael so if anyone could speak on his account it was Tom. And although he probably knew the answer beforehand why not anyway. But when denied he doesn't beg and insist, just accepts his fate.
You could even say that there was a certain degree of respect for Tessio on the part of Hagen and the other executioners. But no pity. That’s not how they roll.
This is one of my favorite scenes in the movie The dude respectfully unequipping that thang off Sallie made it clear to him that,the only arrangements he was gonna be able to keep was with the Boatman for passage
Fun fact: Lenny Montana (Luca Brasi) was so nervous about working with Marlon Brando that in the first take of their scene together, he flubbed some lines. Director Francis Ford Coppola liked the genuine nervousness and used it in the final cut. The scenes of Luca practicing his speech were added later.
I still love spontaneous using Sal’s line, in my Abe Vigoda voice, in the parking lot when Im in a large group, when all of us are going from one place to another, and someone, says or recommends someone ride with whomever. They all look at me like I’m weird. But one or two catch on.
Notice that, even though the soldiers know that they are going to have to whack Tessio, they are still polite. When Willie Cici goes to take his gun from him, "Excuse me, Sal".
Sally's failure was underestimating Michael as having what it takes to lead the family business, and his fatal mistake was the deal of betrayal with Barzini.
The subtle look Tom gives one of the hitman when Sal stares him down is such brilliant acting. Tom isn’t a tough guy, and probably looked at the hitman like, “do you have my back in case Sal attacks?” So subtle, yet so human and natural. You just don’t see that type of acting anymore.
If you’re talking about the glance back and forth at 0:28 it wasn’t to the hit man. It was a subtle way of telling Tessio that he was finished. As if to say “See these guys here”. Tessio knew immediately when he said “I can’t go either, Sally”.
Tom was the most neutral character you’d ever see in both Godfather movies. He was strong when it came to confrontation to stop taking it personally and keep it business and official and obey the law, but never got weak and obeyed commands from Michael, even in the second one when he was to take charge of his family and during the hearings. Tom Hagen was a man of reason and integrity in a shady world of the mafia with every business deal. Mostly
@@sundarpichai940I actually think Sal was trying to hand his gun over to Tom, almost like an old school surrender gesture. He was reaching for it pretty slowly, and he seemed more deflated than defiant.
Do you see how Tom adjusts his tie at 1:19? He does the same thing just before Carlo gets strangled to death... What a subtle and brilliant way to indicate how Tessio met his end! It's little details like this that make Godfather a masterpiece among masterpieces.
The key part here is how Tom kinda is saying bye to Sal. When Sal is getting told of the plans change Tom could've played along but he made it very obvious and stepped back.
A late happy 100th birthday to Abe Vigoda who I first became aware of all those silly rumors saying that he was dead and he made a joke out of it like a good sport. But in his final days, he wrote this on his Twitter account “I was alive and now I'm not :( ”
Oh! I have seen this classic countless times....and could and would watch it again ( 1 and 2), with red wine, no phone calls, texts, or other interruptions. It DESERVES that!!!!
The book said that Tessio, Clemenza, and Hagen were all on the fence about Mike as the new boss. This scene shows how Tessio regretted the choice he made while Hagen was probably thankful he made the right one
And Tessio actually was the MOST fond of Michael out of the 3, he really just got pissed when Michael wouldn't let him retaliate against Barzini when his people started interfering with Tessio's businesses in Brooklyn. Impatience. He should have trusted Michael.
@@dreamquesttv Michael deliberately played it weak to get Tessio to betray him in order to get to Barzini. If you think about it, it was Michael with Vito's guidance that betrayed their two caporegimes by not allowing them to fight Barzini straight up. They totally set up one or both of them for this twist at the end. That's why I don't completely blame Tessio although I don't approve of what he did.
@@jasonleetaiwan I do not understand your comment. How would Tessio's betrayal of Michael (which happened) or Clemenza's betrayal of Michael (which did not happen), help Michael fight Barzini?
@@AB-ct3kj The betrayal by someone in the family would draw Barzini to a meeting where they planned to have Michael killed. Instead, Michael uses the meeting to draw Barzini out and Neri kills him on the steps of the building. Without the meeting and betrayal from one of the caporegimes, Michael would not be able to find Barzini to kill him.
@@jasonleetaiwan Are you saying that the reason Barzini was on the steps of the building where Neri shot him was in order to meet Michael for the meeting arranged by Tessio?
Sal: "'Tom... Please tell me I'm not gonna sleep with the fishes?" Tom: "You are not." Sal: "Oh, thank the Lord!" Tom: "But they are driving you to an alligator pond. There are neither fishes nor pillows there." Sal: "WHAT!"
Michael: Because of who you were to my father, I choose this once to forgive you, and let you stay with your wife. Tessio: BERNICE? Michael, please just shoot me! Michael: Also, you'll be rooming with Dietrich and Harris. Tessio: OH, GOD! Michael: And we made the city give back all the kids they took from your house--except for Loomis. Don Coleman was adamant. Tessio: Those Kids?! You're a heartless monster!
If there was one change to this scene that I would have done, it would be to have Tom take second before answering him, to show how much history they have without saying it, but ultimately showing his dedication and loyalty to Michael.
A mobster’s worst nightmare: last-minute carpool rescheduling.
Lol
Hahahaha Hahahaha
lollllll
Yeah I don’t know what Jimmy Hoffa didn’t figure that out!!
HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
RIP to all of Tessio's arrangements.
🤣🤣
😂😂😂😂
😂😂😂
Hahahahahaha
Thats the saddest part😢
He makes an appeal but no crying, no begging. That's dignity.
That's amore
Leave the begging, take the dignity.
Fish should have seen if Barney or Wojo could have helped him.
Old school mobster
I don’t think that really matters when you’re dead. For some reason, we all think we’re going to leave a legacy behind us, when the truth is most of us will be forgotten in less than 10 years maybe 20.
You guys can’t kill me, it screws up all my arrangements!
😂
Buahhahahaah legit made me laugh
@@eddiealdrete7237 do u know which part this was
lol 😂
I read that in voice🤣🤣🤣
Yeah Tessio took it like a boss, but imagine what a dumb move this would've been if the guys were just crowding round to give him a surprise birthday party and he says "tell Mike it was only business"... oof
Well giving a surprise birthday party is too personal... its just business Mike
@@mrartdeco lol, not sure if the guys would take it that way
Tom: Happy birthday Sal...
Tessio is smart..he wouldve figured something out
🤣
The actor who played Tessio, Abe Vigoda looked old in 1972, 46 years ago. The man died only 2 years ago.
Some people are born old.
i like to call this the max von sydow effect god rest his soul, where a person looks 90 at 40 or so, and doesnt age after that, either
abe looked 70 for 40 years
Kinda yes, but remember, it's a movie and they wanted him to look a certain way.
He looks old even then.
That awkward moment when everyone knows he's getting whacked
Yeah I can imagine them thinking the whole time they talk or spend time with him “shit this is the last day I’ll ever see dude”
Nobody wanted to whack Tessio. But it had to be done after his betrayal.
@@js09js09 well acted. Tom's eyes say it all. Then at the end they say, you are done!
And Tom followed the Corleone family tradition of watching from behind a window
In the scene before when Tessio sets up the meeting he hangs up the phone and pauses for a split second with his hand still on the phone, He know’s he’s doing wrong by betraying the family
"Okay Sally, for old times sake"
"Thanks Tom. You're a good man"
Next scene is Michael asking Sal AND Tom to get wacked.
Lol
Then Clemenza recites him his Italian gravy recipe from the backseat of the car
I see someone is a writer for Naughty Dog.
"Okay Sally, for old times' sake. Now take your pants off and let me get the cane"
Love how it almost sounds like a hail of bullets as the doors close. Also I like the touch of not showing the death, it emphasizes the respect that Sal carried.
3 doors opened and closed. 4 bullet sounds.
@@Lord_of_The_World no they didn't kill him in the car
@@Lord_of_The_Worldlol no, all four doors opened and closed, the passenger door is off center.
Sal was a sellout. The respect he "carried" took him to the bottom of the lake, in the form of concrete slippers
@@Lord_of_The_Worldthey didn’t shoot him there and then you fool
Tom looks out the window at Sal, knowing it's the last time he'll ever see him. Wow. The man was like an uncle to him. Life is crazy.
He didn't die. They exiled him by having him work at a fast food restaurant called "Good Burger" for the rest of his life.
"You want fries with that? For old times sake?"
Nostalgia Critic? lol
hellofajr lmao! I'm dying!! 😂😂😂😂😂
welcome to good burger home of the burger can i take your order? lol
hellofajr thats for blacks man. not remotely funny
Letting him off the hook would have told all those other guys that they could plan treason and betrayal with impunity. So, no way he was getting off the hook.
halleck3 If any of these guys was going to die it was Sal Tessio. Betrayal.
Isnt the irony that one of those guys 0:37 did betray Mike after that anyway by ratting.
Funny that he put it as "getting of the hook" considering he'll soon be sleeping with the fishes!
EXACTLY! Like why would he even bother to ask something like that. You fucked up Sal now you have to pay the ultimate consequence.
Emanresuadeen Fish*
What a sinking feeling! Going for your last ride and knowing it.
at least it is in a nice car
I wonder if he got any cannoli
it's actually liberating
Dude I see you everywhere. Sopranos clips, godfather clips
No the cannoli was taken by Paulie
I just love this scene. The respect they show Sal even though they are going to kill him.
Despite what he did, Sal was still one of the OG Capos and some of those guys were in his crew
I don't know about that. I just think it shows how cold-blooded they are.
@@toddcraig8202 not really, they know it's not personal, it's simply business, if they didn't kill him they would've been considered as traitors and the family never does well with traitors
@@dwaekkisinsanity5233 Traitors or not, I think one has to be pretty cold-blooded to actually do the kind of "work" they do in the first place. Absolutely cold-blooded! And being murdered is, I think, a highly personal thing to have happen to somebody!
@@josecano9210 It's always your friends who whack you out. Lesson from Donnie Brasco. ruclips.net/video/VFPKscgjs38/видео.html
Tessio didn’t believe that Michael would be a good Don… and that cost him his life.
Tessio took a gamble on barzini and lost it all.
I don’t think he believed that micheal wouldn’t be a good don it’s just that he thought that the corleone family was weak and the other families were coming after them for him it was only a matter of time before that happened and jumping ship was the only way he could assure his survival.
Yes. in the end Michael is not a good Don. Vito earned powerful friends and endeared himself to the family but Michael isolated himself from his family and all and in the end that proved to be his fall after his initial success.
Actually, in the book Tom wanted to help Tessio. When Michael tells him to tell Tessio that he will be ready for the meeting with Barzini after half an hour, Tom asks "There's no way to let Tessio off the hook?" and Michael answers "No way!", but to insist more on the subject would be stupid and could have gotten Tom in trouble too. Tom really wanted and tried to help Tessio which makes the entire scene even sadder. But the simple truth is in that world betrayal can't be forgiven, and Tessio himself understands that when he walks quietly to the car.
Tom felt bad for Sally but not even once he wanted to let him off the hook. Tom knew Sally needed to die for the act of treason. He planned the assassination of Michael. Tom knew it was hard but his first and foremost loyalty was with Michael.
@@bhagwati4971 he is talking about the book, not the movie.
@@StarvingWolff I'm talking about the book.
Sal knew the rules and knew the risk, but he underestimated Michael (and also Vito! he was the one who dropped a hint that the first person to approach Michael on funeral would be a traitor).
A backstabber is the same the world over. HOW can this deed be forgiven?
Respects. He took it like a boss.
My God how nobody gives a flying DOGfuck about your opinion, Letz.
LetzGoCrzy I get it..
+caviper Not really. He pleaded to be let off.
On that time even mobsters had some respects on certain things, not like crazy shit going on today... ffs Tessio is fucking old...not that he can outrun anyone let alone 5 ...
Who would not have? He did it with dignity. That is the boss quality right there.
I love how he doesn't deny it or bullshit. just "hey, i did it. but i always liked him. can you get me off the hook?" very real
Because he's probably been on the other end of that conversation a hundred times before during the decades Vito built up the family buisness. He knew there was no point in denying or bullshiting.
He took it like a man. Unlike that pathetic sniveling coward Carlo, that piece of shit.
Yeah none of that catting on shit 😿🤛🏿
Very allegorical
He knew it was pointless. Once the decision is made its done.
Actors like Abe Vigoda and Robert Duvall communicate so much with just a glance.
Godfather series is ALL glances
Whoever comes to you with the Barzzini business, he is the traitor.
The way Tom handles carrying out orders of death is so unique in a way. Here with tessio, and more notably with petangelli in part 2, he suggests it in such a way that it's not a huge deal. Almost makes light of it. I find it very interesting.
Tom was as loyal as they come and he did not like people going against the family.
I suppose he has to do that, to cope with it.
The members of the Mafia, and indeed anyone else who is involved in the life, know that any day could very well be the last. They simply accept it, just as they accept it when they carry out a killing or order someone to be killed.
He had a very je ne sais quoi approach to carrying out orders of death, didn't he? There's something about the callous business efficiency with which Tom operates that makes him very disturbing. I imagine could be a ruthless killer if he had to be. .
...it's BUSINESS...NOTHING PERSONAL! What part don't 'ya understand?...
I love the expressions on the mens' faces: Tessio's says, "I'm dead" and Tom's says, "Yes, Sallie, I'm sorry." Great acting from Vigoda and Duvall.
Such a sad and powerful scene..you can tell Tom still has a degree of respect and affection for Sal….but knows he has to carry out Michaels orders.. The smile he gives Sal is cold yet there is something nostalgic to it.. like reflecting back on the old times ..
Exactly.
And he called him Sally instead of Sal. That shows some affection and respect
@@revelation20232 precisely
Tom staring out the window as Sal leaves is like Michael staring out the window as Freddo went out fishing.
ouch
Good eye.
0:42 look at his gaze , you could feel his hopelessness... what an amazing performance!!!
Looks like Arthur Blank, owner of the Atlanta Falcons.. smh..
@@NWSaint yea right after a blown 28-3 lead..
@@mikerusso703 Now why'd you have to go and bring that up? 🤣🤣🤣
Michael made him disappear so good even the Oscars couldn't find him to include him in "In Memoriam 2016" !!
Turner Classic Movies did pay tribute to Abe Vigoda. The first frame showed a clip from The Godfather
For real that was few years ago and im still heated about it . his true fans know though.
How sad. I remember him from Barney Miller as a likable old man who bought calm and dry wit to the room.
abe vigoda is not dead
I like to think they Academy actually thought he died years before 2016.
It's kinda amazing how underratedly sad this scene can be. It's sad that Tessio didn't trust Michael and chose to betray him. It's sad that when Tessio realizes he was wrong about Mikey it's already too late for him and he knows it. It's sad for Hagen who was both surprised and disappointed that Tessio chose the path that led him to his demise. You can see in their faces with their final exchange. Tessio was truly sorry and Hagen really wanted to help him.....but what's done is done.
In the book, Michael was beyond sad when Sal called him about setting up the meeting. Tom asked him if they should let him off the hook, and as much as it hurt Michael, he said he couldn't do it.
Tessio was not sorry he betrayed Michael. Tessio was sorry he got caught.
Gives me similar feelings to when Frank Pentangeli thought that Michael tried to off him and offered to testify against him, only to discover later that that hadn't been the case. Seemed like it was an unfortunate misunderstanding but in the same way, what's done is done
@@GABRIELA-ACEVEDO. Michael was indeed sad , that a man as brilliant as Tessio made such a fatal mistake to late in life. Plus Tessio was his actual godfather.
@@robertlewis5257 Yup - in the book , Tom wants to find a way out for Tessio.
And I know people are saying that Tessio was only sad he got caught - that's true but he realized in that moment that Michael had been underestimated by everyone including himself.
Read the book. The Don and Michael maneuvered the situation so that one of the capo's would have to betray Michael to survive. Since Tessio was the smarter of the two, it was most likely going to be him. Clemenza was a ruthless capo, but he also knew he never wanted to be a Don since he didn't have the long-term management ability. Tessio actually ran his regime as if it were his own family. He could have easily been a Don and he always represented the greater threat to the Don and, by extension, to Michael. So basically, they maneuvered Tessio into his own death sentence and with that betrayal his regime was broken up and absorbed into Clemenza's and Lampone's.
I always thought it was irrational to let those two hang out to dry until they were compelled to betray. They're so sympathetic you forget they really are just murderous pieces of shit.
I am sure the book does it more justice.
@@jamesboulger8705 The book also goes on and on about Sonny's large cock.
They had to sacrifice a queen to win the game
@@kathconserv And Lucy's gaping super vagina. That's actually a really weird fucking book. 😂😂😂😂
rule 1 : *don't you ever give traitors second chance*
Current canuck elections not withstanding.
I love how Cicci stopped Tessio’s hand to prevent him from pulling something out.
Sal be like, "That's my cock, Will. My gun's on the other side."
Yeah, Tessio was going to go out blazing!
This is the most creepy death as they leave it to your imagination
Not entirely. Once they are in the car Tom involuntarily fingers his neck tie. Surely they strangled him just like Carlo
I believe on Netflix it's captioned with [gun shots] when Tom is looking out the window but that could be Netflix assuming what is going on in the car. It sounds like gunshots IMO.
HoofyDough
The first one is first car door slamming. Then they cut. The next three - they may be intended to have a double meaning, because it feels like Tom is reacting to it - but actually the driver is already in and now the three other doors are being shut and it's roughly the same sound.
I very much doubt that they would shoot him right there in the Corleone compound and risk everyone being implicated let alone drive around town with a bloody corpse in the back seat or trunk after the fact, coming directly from that house.
If you were going to do that you would at least use a muffler on the gun so as not to alert anyone. But that's not the sound we hear - and actually it's pretty risky shooting a guy in car packed with huge dudes, because there is no telling where the bullet will exit and how it may ricochet.
I think netflix got it wrong. The guys and girls who write those captions work very fast at medium pay. If you expect the guy to die - which you clearly do - and you hear something like a gunshot and see Tom react as if business is concluded and it doesn't sit too well with him - it's an easy mistake to make.
But I think it's just the car doors ...
No that's make sense. I much prefer your finer detail conclusion of what happens when it cuts to Tom then what the captions say. I agree that it would be silly for them to risk shooting in a crowded car but I have a suspicion that they wouldn't want to be brutal to Tess.
Which leads me to believe they didn't strangle Tess. Obviously he was a traitor like Carlo but like he said it was only business and Mike knew that. I feel Mike would respect Tess enough not to choke him to death. But what do I know, that' probably the easiest thing for them to do.
Then again, Carlo's choking method didn't seem clean when in the neighborhood. You'd think when they started driving and Carlo kicked out the windshield, someone in the vicinity might have heard or seen that.
Yeah yOu kinda hope he went easy. Might depend on which message they needed to send - people would know he had betrayed them so there is a potential issue of politics or strategy there. It's true - they weren't exactly discrete about Carlo so maybe one shouldn't expect that brand of realism to take precedence to potential dramatic needs in each scene.
Cant blame him for asking. ' Can you just Not kill me?' 'No' '......Damn'
This man knew more about the toilets of New York than anyone in history.
What a loss to the sanitation industry.
"And with the..the change thing."
~ Tessio
0:07 I love the fact that Sal's reaction to the calling is completely spontaneous, but Tom doesn't turn right away. It's almost like he's bracing himself for what follows.
So good acting you can even smell the fear in Sals eyes when he realise there is no way out only death!!!
More like resignation...
Not fear
Then that background death music starts to play...The music that tells you that you're about to get wacked
John Craig ..you hear 4 shots as soon as Sal gets in the car
Gun Oil that was the doors closing
Exactly right! Like their going to blow him away in the car.
Gun Oil
Those are the car doors being shut dude...
John Craig and also the crows make there sounds.
"Can you not kill me?"
Hey, the worst they can say is no.
"The worst they can say is "no"."
Clemenza: Hello Carlo.
He didn't whine. Tessio was always classier.
And smarter.. Don’t forget smarter
Tessio was an extremely powerful Capo who ran his regime like his own family within a family . Even towards the last minute the soldiers treated him with sincere respect .
Interesting, he was powerful capo but he wasn’t that smart, if he was he would’ve never attempted to try and have Michael whacked, it’s on page 4 of the boss manual
@@Aven-Sharma1991 Tessio _was_ smart and cunning but hubris was his undoing. He was so caught up in the idea he was the smartest man in the room that he underestimated Vito (and Michael by extension) grossly.
It never occurred to him that somebody else could foresee a power struggle even before Vito had died.
Smart people do stupid things all the time because they're not quite as smart as they think they are.
He was Don Vito's first partner along with Clemenza. High Rank. He should have trusted Michael and he would have gotten his own family like Clemenza did.
@@esmeralda_villalobos Did Clemenza get his own family? Was it not the case that he was entrusted by Michael to run the New York operation?
One can assume that Tessio wanted to be head of the Corleone family when don Vito dies but felt bypassed in favor of Michael.
Love how he goes lifeless as they strip him off his weapon.
Great acting, no background music
*of
that's something I miss in modern movies; now almost all scenes with tension just have to have a music background; sometimse silence and a clearly articulated dialogue are enough to transmit the tension of the scene
"Can't do it Sallie." Damn.......
So cold
@MsJollycholly I think Frankie was gifted with that option (to off himself for his family) because his betrayal of the Corleone clan was a result of being duped by the Roth/Ola cronies feigning to be killing him for Michael. Mike and Tom knew that, but still business is business which Frankie had one last price to pay for. All he had to do was trust in Michael after that manipulation and go to him, but he assumed the worst and decided to testify, sealing his own fate.
Sal wasn't given that compassion because despite his genuine effection for Mike and Tom, he was still fully prepared to lead the former directly to his death in the name of "smart business", make his wife a widow his kids fatherless and his mother even more heartbroken (on top of destroying what was left of the Corleone family).
That look he gives Tom at 0:24. 😂😂😂😂😂😂
Takes me out everytime
And that creepy grin. Yeesh.
Just to imagine say if barzini got his way and got to eliminate Michael tessio would have got to run the Corleone family
I like how they politely ask Sal to take his gun. "Excuse me Sally.. ok" you can tell it hurt the button men to do that hit 😪😪
Seeing Tessio's defeated walk to the car has stayed with me ever since I first saw the movie
Same here
For some reason Willie Cicci cracks me up in this scene. Iono what it is, maybe his shades while removing Tessio’s hands away from a possible hand gun while chewing gum looking around “Excuse me Sal” 🤣🤣🤣
Strictly business!
Most of us would've been cursing, crying, cursing and crying, having a fit of rage...knowing that moment is near, but not Ole School Tessio. He goes, "Tell Mike it was only business. I always liked him." As if he's about to go visit his grandkids:):)
😂😂😂
And Carlo started crying like one like he found out he couldn’t go to Magic Mountain with his brothers and sisters
@@slide5039 ^^ Baammmm!!! And I still can't get over Michael even bought him a ticket he KNEW he wasn't gonna use, just to make him feel good before he off'd his AZZ:):)
Salvatore Tessio took it like a man. I mean you gotta at least ask, but he didn't do it crying, begging, or pleading. Tom said no dice and he accepted his fate...
Agreed. Compare this to how Carlo was acting when he "thought" Michael was there to kill him.
@@blaze4metal Tessio was a capo and could have been a don. Carlo was a small-time crook.
Saw that movie 40+ years ago. Still number 1 on my list. No computer special effects and curse words either.
Correction maybe, is Stronge a curse word?
Some Italian swearing.
Santino or "Sonny" swears a lot compared to Micheal and Tom. It represents his unprofessional mindset and in most scenarios a lust for revenge or action. In fact, I believe one of his last lines is "Son of a bitch!" whilst on the phone.
WTF are you talking about? The N word was said, so was B#tch and more.
I will never understand why people get so prissy about curse words in film
Excellent acting everywhere -- this is a frenzy. Vigoda: sneaky, contrite, dignified, all seamless. Duvall: distant, hurting inside, pensive. Brimming performances.
To this day whenever I watch this scene I think to myself maybe this is the time Tom Hagan gets him off the hook. 🤣🤣🤣
He can't, I don't think he has that kind of power.
@ali ra the key word is betray --- can he do it without betraying?
@ali ra thats what exactly my initial statement refer to. He definitely has some kind of power in the family but not to extent to save Tesio.
@ali ra tom was no more consigleri at that time ;)
Yeah, I can understand that. There is a little hope always right to the end; even Tom’s face inside the house gives this idea of “why Sally? Why did it had to end like this?”
I don't know why, but this is my favorite scene in the movie. It went from Tessio thinking he had the upper hand to knowing he was doomed in just a few seconds. You can almost see the blood drain out of his face as the thugs surrounded him one by one.
You can understand someone who knows what's in store for him to grasp at any possibility so you understand Tessio asking Tom to let him off the hook. But you also understand that Tessio must have known his request was futile.
Watching him being put into the car makes my skin crawl.
There's no such thing as "for old time's sake" in the mob.
Exactly right, no matter how much they may like you, in the Mafia if you show disloyalty of any kind especially the level of betrayal that Tessio displayed you're done for, they will not let their personal feelings get in the way
As said in the Sopranos.. "You're only as good as your last envelope."
For old times sake.... for old times sake we will make it quick instead of torchering you
Well it didn't hurt to try and play on Tom's heartstrings.
@@danielmcnavichjr.8980 Hahahahahahaha, that´s funny.
It's not like Tom had the power to left him of the hook for old time sake, even if he wanted to. He probably had closest chance in convincing Michael but still chance were 0, if that's make sense.
It's not often, but sometimes accepting death is more dignified than fighting it.
Is that the reason people who were executed didn't run away?
@@diamondgirls6541 ever heard of common sense
@@apollosamistoso1370 curiosity doesn't know any common sense
@@diamondgirls6541 but situation is
True That, death comes to all of us eventually...Tessio knew it was his time, and he couldn't escape (he made one last slick attempt at grabbing his gun tho)...and he knew it was fully deserved
Yes, this was a very good yet gut wrenching scene emotionally.. and lets be real, any man caught off guard like this and realizes he's going to his death is scared beyond belief.. because it was just another ordinary day when he woke up that morning.. and then the dread of knowing that this is it.. your last breath.. your last words.. did he see it coming?.. was it unsuspected like Carlo and the others?.. that's what has me all messed up about this scene
Well, it was not just an ordinary day when Tessio woke up this morning, because in his mind he was thinking that when this day is over he would have murdered the son of the man he loyally served for decades. So not just an ordinary morning. I guess anyone in this game sees it potentially coming one day, it is the business they have chosen as Hyman Roth put it.
STFU no one cares what u have to say
I love how Tom plays the Grim Reaper in several scenes in the first 2 movies. There's something especially sinister about being sent to your death by this small, neat, soft spoken and inoffensive looking lawyer.
That's true. Especially because Tom followed by the book and was immovable..... there was no coercing him.
"He understands that "
Mario puzo have all the restraint and insight of the world every sentence is in place and exactly tailored to the character that says it it's just a masterpiece
In the book Tom was way more sympathetic to Tessio. He asked if Michael would let him off the hook since they were basically forcing him into that position. In the movie they went with a different direction. The movie portrayal of Tom was way colder than in the book.
"He can't do that, it screws up all my arrangements," Even with that line does he flaunt his arrogance and disrespect for Michael. You don't talk that way about your boss.
He never respected Micheal, cause he was youngest of the family no experience and outsider of mob business after micheal become don, so he changed side that cost him his own life.
he's not a soldier he's a capo lmao he has a right to talk that way
Tessio took it like a man. They treated him with respect in the end. It's the business they've chosen. Very powerful, heartbreaking scene.
Did he? He asked to be let off the hook.
@@usman5140 Yeah but he didn't beg, just one simple question. The way I see it he had nothing to lose by asking - and Tom was basically closest to Michael so if anyone could speak on his account it was Tom. And although he probably knew the answer beforehand why not anyway. But when denied he doesn't beg and insist, just accepts his fate.
You could even say that there was a certain degree of respect for Tessio on the part of Hagen and the other executioners. But no pity. That’s not how they roll.
I would have qualified for the Olympics running the Hell away from there.
Lol
These guys have guns lol
😂😂😂😂 Wouldn't hurt to try!!! 🤧
they can miss@@rogergarrison4271
0:13 When Dispatch Screw You With A Last Minute Or Late Load
This is one of my favorite scenes in the movie
The dude respectfully unequipping that thang off Sallie made it clear to him that,the only arrangements he was gonna be able to keep was with the Boatman for passage
Fun fact: Lenny Montana (Luca Brasi) was so nervous about working with Marlon Brando that in the first take of their scene together, he flubbed some lines. Director Francis Ford Coppola liked the genuine nervousness and used it in the final cut. The scenes of Luca practicing his speech were added later.
I think that’s an urban legend, given that in the book Luca Brasi somewhat nervously stammers his polite congratulations anyways
"On the day ....of your daughters wedding.."
What's that got to do with this scene? Stop repeating imdb drivel that everyone already knows in an attempt to drown in upvotes.
I still love spontaneous using Sal’s line, in my Abe Vigoda voice, in the parking lot when Im in a large group, when all of us are going from one place to another, and someone, says or recommends someone ride with whomever.
They all look at me like I’m weird. But one or two catch on.
I quote that all the time whenever something ruins my plans
0:37 Sal was about to go out in a blaze of glory. See him reach for his piece 😂
I caught that also
Cicci shut it down quickly 😂
Notice that, even though the soldiers know that they are going to have to whack Tessio, they are still polite. When Willie Cici goes to take his gun from him, "Excuse me, Sal".
Sally's failure was underestimating Michael as having what it takes to lead the family business, and his fatal mistake was the deal of betrayal with Barzini.
Wow! I never realized that from watching the movie! You are some kind of movie genius or something
@@theloanranger2632 Not at all. I give this explanation only for Crenshaw Dapple. Glad to help.
I can't explain it there's just something about Abe Vigoda. Barney Miller or the Godfather he had a presence that just stood out. RIP.
*Tessio actually escaped the hit, and started a new life in LA as Otis; longtime Good Burger employee.*
Facial expressions from Tessio and Tom say it all ...... very well acted scene.
Every frame a masterpiece. Even after all this time.
The subtle look Tom gives one of the hitman when Sal stares him down is such brilliant acting. Tom isn’t a tough guy, and probably looked at the hitman like, “do you have my back in case Sal attacks?” So subtle, yet so human and natural. You just don’t see that type of acting anymore.
Lol this is a ludicrous interpretation of what is actually going on.
If you’re talking about the glance back and forth at 0:28 it wasn’t to the hit man. It was a subtle way of telling Tessio that he was finished. As if to say “See these guys here”. Tessio knew immediately when he said “I can’t go either, Sally”.
Tom was the most neutral character you’d ever see in both Godfather movies. He was strong when it came to confrontation to stop taking it personally and keep it business and official and obey the law, but never got weak and obeyed commands from Michael, even in the second one when he was to take charge of his family and during the hearings. Tom
Hagen was a man of reason and integrity in a shady world of the mafia with every business deal. Mostly
You play this scene and the polar caps freeze again. That cold.
"Okay Sally, for old times sake"
"Thanks Tom. You're a good man"
"It's only for five seconds Sally"
00:38
“Excuse me Sal”
Still shows the capo respect
Tessio was about to go out blazing!
@@sundarpichai940I actually think Sal was trying to hand his gun over to Tom, almost like an old school surrender gesture. He was reaching for it pretty slowly, and he seemed more deflated than defiant.
One of the most emotional scenes. Amazing acting by Abe Vigoda and Robert Duvall. Their expressions are so powerful.
Did Tessio rip a nervous fart at 0:38? The realism in this film is off the charts. Great attention to detail
He went swimming with the fishes. That's why they called him Fish in Barney Miller! lol
Do you see how Tom adjusts his tie at 1:19? He does the same thing just before Carlo gets strangled to death... What a subtle and brilliant way to indicate how Tessio met his end!
It's little details like this that make Godfather a masterpiece among masterpieces.
The key part here is how Tom kinda is saying bye to Sal. When Sal is getting told of the plans change Tom could've played along but he made it very obvious and stepped back.
One of the most heartwarming “were gonna wack you” of all time!
I like the grin at the corner of Tom's lip. Who says Mona Lisa has the most mysterious grin.
It seems to be a grin of embarrassment, not joy. Sal knows that Tom knows Sal will get killed. Tom is embarrassed by this.
On a bright side his arrangements will never get screwed up again
Whoever comes to you with this Barzini meeting.. His a traitor.. Don't forget that..
~Vito Corleone~
Whoever
A late happy 100th birthday to Abe Vigoda who I first became aware of all those silly rumors saying that he was dead and he made a joke out of it like a good sport. But in his final days, he wrote this on his Twitter account “I was alive and now I'm not :( ”
"Tom!" "You think you can get me off." "For old time sakes". "Cant do it Sally". Classic exchange.
Must be an awful feeling to know that you have a date with a bullet as you walk to that car.....
Can Todd drop her off on his way to work
Or cement shoes fitted on you at then end of the pier.
They strangled him. Tom fingers his tie after they enter the car.
Or they cut off his private parts, stuffed them in his mouth, and left him to die somewhere.
jrcasselman
I can't help but wonder what you edited out of that sentence ...
Oh! I have seen this classic countless times....and could and would watch it again ( 1 and 2), with red wine, no phone calls, texts, or other interruptions. It DESERVES that!!!!
One of the greatest films ever. Still resonates today 50 years later
no ever a book that became a film is as good.
Abe Vigoda is immortal
0:35 he was about to reach fir his gun. 0:37 excuse me Sal, then quietly takes his weapon.
The book said that Tessio, Clemenza, and Hagen were all on the fence about Mike as the new boss. This scene shows how Tessio regretted the choice he made while Hagen was probably thankful he made the right one
And Tessio actually was the MOST fond of Michael out of the 3, he really just got pissed when Michael wouldn't let him retaliate against Barzini when his people started interfering with Tessio's businesses in Brooklyn. Impatience. He should have trusted Michael.
@@dreamquesttv Michael deliberately played it weak to get Tessio to betray him in order to get to Barzini. If you think about it, it was Michael with Vito's guidance that betrayed their two caporegimes by not allowing them to fight Barzini straight up. They totally set up one or both of them for this twist at the end. That's why I don't completely blame Tessio although I don't approve of what he did.
@@jasonleetaiwan I do not understand your comment. How would Tessio's betrayal of Michael (which happened) or Clemenza's betrayal of Michael (which did not happen), help Michael fight Barzini?
@@AB-ct3kj The betrayal by someone in the family would draw Barzini to a meeting where they planned to have Michael killed. Instead, Michael uses the meeting to draw Barzini out and Neri kills him on the steps of the building.
Without the meeting and betrayal from one of the caporegimes, Michael would not be able to find Barzini to kill him.
@@jasonleetaiwan Are you saying that the reason Barzini was on the steps of the building where Neri shot him was in order to meet Michael for the meeting arranged by Tessio?
Sal: "'Tom... Please tell me I'm not gonna sleep with the fishes?"
Tom: "You are not."
Sal: "Oh, thank the Lord!"
Tom: "But they are driving you to an alligator pond. There are neither fishes nor pillows there."
Sal: "WHAT!"
Tessio actually wasnt killed. He was sent out west where he worked fries at Good Burger until he died
"Can't do it Sallie." That expression on his face. Wow.
Fish is sleeping with the FISHES!
WhenSal found out he couldn't get off the hook, he got green around the gills.
When Fish found out he couldn't get off the hook he got a little green around the gills
Ronald Woodard 👈😬👍
Michael: Because of who you were to my father, I choose this once to forgive you, and let you stay with your wife.
Tessio: BERNICE? Michael, please just shoot me!
Michael: Also, you'll be rooming with Dietrich and Harris.
Tessio: OH, GOD!
Michael: And we made the city give back all the kids they took from your house--except for Loomis. Don Coleman was adamant.
Tessio: Those Kids?! You're a heartless monster!
😂😂😂😂
Lol Tom’s eyes were like yea you fucked up. Old times sake my ass, he was about to have Mike killed.
Willie Cicci is pretty slick here. Makes it sound as your typical run-of-the-mill change in “rangements” 😂
If there was one change to this scene that I would have done, it would be to have Tom take second before answering him, to show how much history they have without saying it, but ultimately showing his dedication and loyalty to Michael.