patreon.com/foxtaco Full reaction available on patreon. Have patience with me in this one gang, I jumped the gun early, and oh boy was I wrong. The way this movie came together towards the final act I see why it is a CLASSIC. Enjoy the ride with me. So full season 1 of Peakt blinders is on patreon now. Should I watch the Sopranos?? Took place in the 40s got it, heroine not coke got it, pay more attention go it.
The Don was wrong with the undertaker in the beginning of the movie because that was the time to ask the favor, on his daughters wedding. Its a tradition he cannot refuse a request on his daughters wedding day.
The reason the bruise persisted to Sicily is that the facial bones were broken as well as the jaw. His sinuses were damaged so that's why you see him using the handkerchief so much.
In the novel it was a lot more graphic. For years afterward, Michael was constantly blowing huge wads of snot until he got back to the States and had corrective surgery.
and it makes sense because cops hold him fixated so his facial bones sustained full force of that impact... that's probably why Michael didn't shot McClusky from behind, he wanted to see him face to face, first bullet in his throat.... revenge, it was a bit personal after all.
Michael had to leave immediately for Italy after the assassination of McCluskey and Solozzo. It wasn't until he returned to the United State that he got reconstructive surgery. When Fredo sees him again in Las Vegas, Fredo remarks how good his face looks and that the doctor did a great job.
@@foxtacoif you enjoyed THIS movie, there is a pretty good 10-part series on Paramount called "The Offer"! It's the story of how the film was made from a novel into the film that you see and ALL the obstacles along the way that they had to overcome, which are actually quite numerous and crazy at some points!! It was done and produced by the actual producer that was working at the time when the movie was being made so you get a very real perspective!! One fun fact is that the horse's head was actually a REAL horse's head!😮😮 They did NOT kill a horse just to get its head BUT the mob controlled the meatpacking district in New York, where they were filming a lot of this, AND horse meat was used for dog food, back in those days, pretty regularly!! So the mob, under the authority of Joe Colombo, procured a REAL horse's head! Coppola was not happy with the prop horse's head that they were using and Joe Colombo got wind of that so, hence, a real horse's head appears!!😮😮 Many fun facts like THAT along the way IF you decide you would watch The Offer!!
But you can see why anyone new to these films would suspect there would be a traitor and him a likely candidate, at least. That's why the first two films are phenomenal works; they do basically everything right as films including subverting audience expectations while complimenting the audience's intelligence than speaking down to it.
I often read a lot of comments that talk about how accurate Michael's shots were in the restaurant. Michael was not involved in mafia affairs at that time, but he was a hero of World War II. He probably shot better than anyone in his family.
After the big meeting of the Five Families, Vito told Tom, "But I never knew until this day that it was Barzini all along." During the meeting, Don Barzini sat at the head of the table and was clearly in charge. Philip Tattaglia sat across the table from Vito Corleone, but he never spoke directly to Vito. He spoke only to Barzini. Vito watched all of this very closely. He saw that Tattaglia kept talking to Barzini for guidance and assurances. Vito knew right then that Barzini was behind all the attacks on his family.
Also, Barzini was the one to complain of Vito hoarding his politicians and not allowing the other families to leverage that political power - so there was a long simmering resentment that Vito may have just realized.
@@pdavies8551 On top of that, the way Barzini said it was disrespectful and as if he blamed Vito for almost being assassinated. As if to say, "It was your own fault."
When Vito got shot you said the medic in you came out. You have to remember that this movie was set in 1946 and paramedics in America did not exist until 1967. Before that the role of an ambulance was transport, period. As far as the newspaper article announcing the shooting of Vito, up until the 1980's most major newspapers had a morning and an evening edition and in the bigger cities whenever a major news event happened they would put out an issue called an extra. You may have seen in cartoons and movies where the paperboy stands on the corner shouting "extra, extra, read all about it."
@kittykatt7652 yea this movie mad me eat my words lol which I'm glad it did..it taught me a valuable lesson lol glad your stuck around and weren't quick to judge without giving me a chance to fully get through the movie🙏🏿
Something to notice : When Michael takes over, the fist thing he does is send Tom away, because he knows that war is coming and he doesn't want Tom involved in it. That way no one will bear him any grudge so it'll be easier for him to negotiate a peace when it's done..
I think he knew Tom wasn't a war time consigliere. Tom wasn't ruthless or violent, and Michael knew he would have to use violence and Tom would probably push against his use of violence.
The car bomb was meant for Michael. Apollonia’s death was purely accidental. She wasn’t supposed to be in the car. It’s why Fabrizio asked Michael, “Are you driving yourself, Boss?” He planted the bomb. It’s also why Fabrizio ran off when he saw that Apollonia was going to start the car.
Remember when they were talking about Carlo at the wedding? Don Vito said give him a living, but don’t get him involved w/ the business. The Don knew he was a snake....
To clarify, at the beginning of the movie, we see Connie Corleone (Vito's daughter) getting married to her husband, Carlo. Carlo is the one that Vito said, "Don't let him in on the family business". Carlo over time, begins to mistreat Connie (i.e. telling her to shut up, etc) and then physically abuses her. This infuriates Sonny, who finds Carlo and gives him a public beat down in the street. While Carlo is feeling humiliated and wants revenge, a rival Don (Don Barzini) sets up an elaborate plan to eliminate Sonny. He has Carlo beat his wife, knowing that will trigger Sonny's rage. Because Sonny is enraged, he leaves to go to Connie without any bodyguards, thereby falling into the trap that was set for him where he gets gunned down. Carlo's beating his wife was part of the plan to lure Sonny into Barzini's dangerous trap.
I think you will benefit from a rewatch as we all do. I enjoyed your reaction and am glad that you caught some things. Speaking on Connie:Carlo, they are not the focus of the film. Seventies directors liked to show more than tell. We do see that Carlo moves from verbal disrespect to punching Connie to beating her (to draw out Sonny). So his bad nature is set up early in the film.
Movies back then are so much smarter than movies nowadays. Directors of most mainstream films have to spoon feed everything rather than having the audience piece everything together for a more explorative experience
About Michael: Vito didn't want him in the family business. Steered him away from it. Sent him to Yale to get him out. Then World War Two happened. Michael joined the Marines. Fought in the Pacific and earned a Navy Cross. When he came home, everyone thought he was still The Kid. Everybody...EVERYBODY...underestimated Michael except The Don.
They figured out that Carlo beat up his wife on purpose to make Sonny leave the compound with no protection because he was so angry he would leave immediately to beat up Carlo again. The Tatagglia family used that to their advantage to ambush Sonny.
That ambush was a chancy thing, kind of a plot hole in the original story. It depends on whether Connie will call Sonny about her last beating because she doesn't want anything real bad to happen to Carlo. It also depends if Sonny will be home on Long Island at that specific time. But, the even is very dramatic anyway.
I am very thankful that you caught the reference to the tragic future destruction of black neighborhoods by the flooding of drugs. Most other reactors just get simple-mindedly offended at the guy's use of the terms "colored, the dark people" and overlook the social and historical significance of his proposal. The specific gangsters named in this movie are, of course, fictional. But their real-life counterparts did exactly this, and it went down like that. Hats off to you for spotting the significance of that moment.
Beautifully said. 100% on the money. What's great about this movie, and lots of movies from this 70s period, is that they don't come out and hit you over the head with stuff. They show you, they put it on the screen, but it's for you to figure out, over multiple rewatches. It took me years to realize how they got the horse's head in the bed: Coppola shows us in plain sight! All Tom had to do was bribe, coerce or threaten the maid to drug him, the stable boys to get the horse, and the butler to let them in! Not complicated at all! But we're not looking at the maid or the stable guys in those scenes, we're paying attention to Tom and Woltz talking. Brilliant. Anyways, to bring it back to what you were saying: they leave that ugly line hanging out there and it was as shocking in 1972 to hear it in a movie as it is now. But it shows the mentality these people had/have to allow something as horrible as heroin, and later crack, flood someone else's neighborhood while keeping your own clean and safe.
The reason Vito insisted Sonny never tell anyone outside the family what he was thinking is if a rival learned there was a disagreement within the family, it might give them incentive to kill Vito and make a deal with Sonny, which, of course; is exactly what happened.
It’s broader than that. You never tell anyone what you’re thinking for any reason. It’s like a neverending poker game. You don’t tip off your opponents. You never show your hand.
And here's a little trivia. The baby in the baptism scene is actually the director's daughter, Sofia Coppola. She's now 53 and a filmmaker herself. She won an Academy Award for the screenplay of her film, Lost in Translation, which starred Bill Murray and Scarlett Johannson.
It's not right before Reaganomics, it's set in the late 40s and Reagan was President in the 80s. So the drug Solozzo is selling is probably heroine rather than cocaine. Also, calling 911 wasn't a thing back then. I'm one of those people who love the film, and I love watching first-timers reacting to it. I also strongly recommend watching the second film, which alternates between a prequel and a sequel..
21:52 - Back then, there was not TV or 24-hour news channels. There would be a late edition of the newspaper, at night. So they were in a movie when he got shot and by the time they came out, the "Late City Final" edition was on the newsstands. It's totally understandable that most people wouldn't know that anymore!
The drug that was at issue in the movie was heroin, not cocaine, although cocaine may have come into it later. It was sold to black people as the bigoted don said. The author Claude Brown chronicled the early days of heroin distribution in Harlem. As a young teenager in the early 1950s, he began to see it everywhere. He saw the casualties everywhere. He called it "the duji plague" (duji was slang for heroin in Harlem). He himself sampled it once. Fortunately for him, he had a terrible reaction to it -- he was so sick to his stomach he passed out. He may have been allergic to it. He never touched it again. He did later sell and use marijuana and cocaine, but crack hadn't been invented yet -- it was strictly powder. The book is titled Manchild in the Promised Land (1965). Amazon has it as an audiobook. Gangster movies go back to the early 1930s. The characters were very stock then -- they made sure you knew who the good guys and the bad guys were. The Godfather was more realistic and naturalistic than earlier movies. From the late 1960s on, American movies in general were becoming that way. The young generation of movie directors had studied European movies, which were that way. One of the first American movies to take that approach was The Graduate (1967), Dustin Hoffman's first movie.
“You’re my older brother, and I love you. But don’t ever take sides with anyone against the family again” This is my favorite quote/scene just because “Shark Tale” did a homage of that scene. So once I finally watched The Godfather (when I was 15, im 26 now) I was like 🤯🤯🤯 I enjoyed your reaction can’t wait for Part II🙌🏽
Enjoyed this reaction so much! Yes this film is a slow-burn, like a lot of the best films from the 1970s. The Exorcist comes to mind. Hints of what’s going to happen are offered up like puzzle pieces, and when they click into place it’s unforgettable.
I might be wrong, FoxTaco, but it feels as though many modern movies spoon feed you the information & it feels odd to be fed so much information & characters @ once. I feel that the older films felt that audiences were intelligent enough to understand what the director is portraying. Now, many films explain every single plot line to the point that it’s insulting. 🖤🌹🖤🧛🏻♀️
Im with you, this movie is definitely tailored to a full complete viewing with comments and thoughts to be made more so after it's finished..and the rewatch ability is off the charts..I'm just happy this movie made me eat my words and I'll be better equipped how to do my commentary for Godfather II
@@foxtaco Young man, I am so happy to see that comment. I'm in my mid-60's, and appreciate it when at least some films today bother to take their time to build up things. There's too much immediate gratification in filmmaking these days. If you've not already viewed it, I would highly suggest another film from that same era in the 70's: The French Connection." You'll love it.
29:40 That's an interesting point; I had to think about that one.I think it's because the wedding photos were private, not likely to be published in newspapers. 54:40 The book gives a little more background for Connie and Carlo. When he married into the family, he was hoping to get an important position in their business, but the Corleones kept him at arm's length, as the Godfather specified to Tom, early in the film. Carlo became more and more resentful ("We don't talk business at the dinner table") and took his frustrations out on his new wife. Connie told her parents about it, but they were very old-fashioned, and told her she "should behave in a way that does not cause him to beat [her]."
Practically everyone who saw this movie in the theaters had read the book first so they knew where the story was going. Lots of movies (Jaws was another one) were made of best selling books Earlier, movies often came after hit Broadway shows War movies during the 50s and 60s usually came from memoirs written by vets from World War II (Like Audie Murphy). From the book: Near the beginning of the story, Michael's mother prays for his father's soul. At the end Connie is getting shut out with the door closing, but she also prays for Michael's soul. Crack was 40 years after the start of story. Heroin was the 40s to 60s, coke became big in the 70s and crack was the "affordable" version in the 80s. This story is barely into the 50s.
One reason it's very easy to get confused is that although it's a long movie, it also covers a long time in the story, a little over a decade. From just after WW2 to 1958, and unlike a lot of movies it doesn't go through a lot of explicit exposition so you really have to be on your toes about who's who and you don't know who's going to be important later in the story. And the narcotics in the movie is opioids (heroin) not cocaine, either way it did destroy the mob.
They didn't have subtitles for the assassination scene at the restaurant so all our attention can be on the tension and the buildup to Michael getting up his nerve. Plus, it doesn't matter what Solozzo is saying anyway because we know he's lying.
Godfather 1 and Godfather 2 confirms that Fredo is incompetent. To this day, if someone is referred to as a Fredo, it means that person is incompetent but thinks they are smart.
Your critiques were all valid. I can't speak for everyone. But I watched this movie several times before the cobwebs were all cleared up. It's all there. Quite a story.
At 1:14:37 when Don Vito is telling Michael that he didn't want THIS life for HIM, Michael says the phrase another "pezzonovante"! I simply love that Sicilian slang phrase which is slang for "Big shot"! I believe that it's meant in the context of condescending attitude towards those "Big shot people"! Anyway Don Vito also uses the phrase in the big meeting when he's speaking about why he's against drugs!! In that context he was talking about the big shots in the Catholic Church like the pope and the top Cardinals! There's just something about that word that hits me in the soul.😮 ❤❤❤❤
I was fortunate enough to have my Italian husband at my elbow the first time I saw this movie. He’d read the book and had already seen the film many times. But what I really want to address is that you said you tend to shy away from 70s movies. Mistake, mistake, mistake! Some of the best films ever made were made in the 70s. They include Jaws, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (the original), Taxi Driver, Get Carter, The Deer Hunter, All the President’s Men, Harold and Maude, Badlands, American Graffiti, Alien, The Exorcist, The Friends of Eddie Coyle, Breaking Away, The Conversation, Annie Hall, Don’t Look Now, Chinatown, The Parallax View, Cooley High, The Heartbreak Kid, Mean Streets, Saturday Night Fever, Being There, and Dog Day Afternoon-and I’ll even throw in a couple of truly surprising musicals: All That Jazz, and Cabaret. I’m sure others will have still more 70s suggestions!
The Sting, Patton, Waterloo, MASH, Start The Revolution Without Me, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, What's Up Doc, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, so many more.
For Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando), they put a jaw prosthesis in his mouth and a gauze, to give him that particular face. Brando was relatively young in this film, and Coppola pretended to age him and also look more threatening.
They wanted Vito out of the way so they could go ahead with their heroin operation. Remember, Solazzo said that he needs the political and police protection that Vito had for his to work. When Sonny expressed interest and talked out of turn that inadvertently told Solazzo that if Vito was outta the way, Sonny would take over as boss and go for Solazzo's plan
Movie had you on the firdt half lol This is what an iconic movie looks like, the pace, the story n even the cast. In pop culture, The Godfather is one of the biggest contributors, since it's basically the OG in the genre, gangster/mafia. Great reaction, you need to react more to movies dude
Notice that Clamenza answers "Yes", and "Yes, always Godfather" when Tessio says nothing? That was a dead giveaway to where their heads were, and who was the traitor to Michael.
Character breakdown is this: Vito: the head of the Corleone Family Fredo Corleone: The oldest son and who has a good heart but is slow witted Sonny Corleone: The second son and next in line to be the Godfather. Hot tempered Michael Corleone: Youngest son. Calm, cool and collected. Never acts on impulse Connie Corleone: Youngest Corleone child. Typical young woman but drastically changes in Godfather 2. Tom Hagen: Family lawyer and counselor Genco: Vito's friend and partner and one time advisor (Consigliere). Genco is mentioned but not seen but in some versions he is seen on his death bed. Carlos: Connie's husband. Domestic abuser and small time neighborhood racket organizer Paulie: Vito's driver and bodyguard Luca Brasi: Vito Corleone's main hitman Johnny Fontaine: Popular entertainer who Godson to Vito and is controlled by the family Peter Clemenza: Partner of Vito. Started in business with Vito. He is part of the Corleone Family but has his own family that runs Staten Island Sal Tessio: Partner of Vito. Started in business with Vito. He is part of the Corleone Family but has his own family that runs Brooklyn Barzini: One of the heads of the five crime families Phillip Tatalligia: One of the heads of the five crime families Rocco: Michael Corleone's hitman Al Neri: Michael Corleone's bodyguard and hitman Kay: Michael Corleone's Second wife Apollonia: Michael Corleone's first wife Fabrizio: Michael Corleone's bodyguard in Sicily and betrayer of Michael in Sicily
Fun fact about the horse head scene: Coppola was very dissatisfied with the prop department's fake head so at the last minute a butcher's company was contacted and they got a real horse head! This, on top of all the extra blood they put in the bed, and the fear you saw on John Marley's face and his honest scream cemented this scene in movie history!
When Sollozzo is speaking Italian to Mike , is not translated 40:44 But when later they speak Italian 45:40 ,it is translated. I wanted to put it here ,because i actually just noticed this now ,after all this time..
Michael is back from the Pacific, 1946. He's a DECORATED marine Capt. Coke wasn't big until the later 70s. Heroin, until then, LSD, medical drugs, poppers, reds, crystal meth, etc. & more and more and more and better grass. Drugs = $$$ = power>>>> which is why the Purdue pharma family got into it.
The movie is based on a great novel. Often movie versions abbreviate the character development of a novel. The Godfather is the best movie of all time, but the novel is better. I enjoyed your reaction.
21:40 "Call 911" I can picture this guy in the 40s or whatever just yelling '911' in the middle of the street while people wonder what the heck he's talking about. He may be a few decades too early for that. 😂
26:00 Notice Tom Hagen says to Santino, "I am as much a son to him, as you or MIke." He left out Fredo, probably because Fredo was incompetent, even though he was the eldest. Tom probably didn't mean to disrespect Fredo, but by leaving Fredo out, he inadvertently showed how insignificant Fredo was to the family.
Just a thought about characters being sufficiently fleshed out for you to be invested in them ... When you read a book, you're expected to use your imagination to flesh out what isn't explicitly laid out for you. In a motion picture, it's not different. You're given the basics, and you're supposed to interact with the narrative. The fact that you didn't know this isn't your fault; it's the consequence of being the product of a culture within an arc of decadence. People schooled in this culture expect things to be done for them, everything laid out for them, so they don't have to make an effort -- as though it's the filmmaker's responsibility to spoon-feed you. This film isn't Gerber's strained carrots or peas puree; you're expected to interact with it, see things that aren't explicitly told you. Some people think this is the greatest Hollywood film ever made. Let it be a learning experience, in how to watch films. Incidentally, as you progress through the series, pay attention to the color orange. EDIT: "Which one is Barzini"? See what I mean? You have to pay attention. Do yourself a favor. Before you watch the second film, watch this again, off camera, with no distractions. Pay attention.
In the restaurant scene, Sollozo speaks Italian to Michael who does not speak Italian as well as Sollozo does, but Michael probably understood Sollozo say in Italian (Sicilian dialect, actually) how much he respects Michael's father, and Michael does not want to hear that B.S., so he switches back to English.
@16:53 This film actually takes place in the late forties. GODFATHER PT 11 takes place in the mid 60's, and part III takes place in the early 80's during "Regenomics".
1. The story about how this movie got made is WILD - this really deserves its place in movie history. 2. Gosh I love this movie - the push and pull between father and son, between the otherness of being an immigrant and the desire to consume the American dream. The scene at the end where Michael takes his baptism as godfather in blood. The fact that he remembers to take the cannolis out of the car after they shoot the guy? Get outta here! This movie only gets better and I LOVED seeing how your reaction and engagement with it shifted and changed. I think what makes a really great movie out of a good one is it’s able to pull different things out of you - not just automatically liking everything. I like that there are films like this that aren’t afraid to make you tread water sometimes or ask where it’s going.
@@foxtaco Yeah the second one is rare for being as good or maybe better than the first. Great reaction man! Lost you a few times lol but you got into it!
Bonasara, the undertaker, would be afraid he will be asked to get rid of a dead body making himself an accessory to murder. He must have been relieved when he learned what he had to do.
I'm sure it's already been explained on here but Carlo who feels kept out of the family business (after wedding Connie in the beginning) flipped sides and that's when we start to see him become abusive to Connie - as a tactic to draw Sonny out because he was always a hothead. So even though the first time through you're like - why are they showing the marriage and abuse now? it's actually one of the most pivotal parts lol. Can't wait for the sequel - one of the great sequels in movie history. Though nothing beats the original Godfather film in mafia movies.
You mentioned that watching it again will give you better insight in the story and it will. I have watched it many times including watching through these reaction channels and I pick up new things every time. So Luca Brasi death is one part of the story that many people miss first time. In the book there is a lot more about Luca’s back story and how Vito saved him from death and incarceration. Luca is intensely loyal to Vito and has proven in the past that there is no act that is too horrific for him not to do. Although he is not seen or heard from in Tom’s California trip, you can assume that the horse head in the bed thing was Luca. So when Vito says no to Sollozzo Sollozzo, Tattagglia and Barzini had already decided to kill Vito ( personally I believe Barzini was expecting Vito to say no and provide him the excuse to kill Vito) so Luca had to die first. Luca was not killed because they knew he was spying for Vito, he died because he was a one man army that would have stopped at nothing to avenge Vito’s death. Tom said it himself “ even Sonny won’t be able to call off Luca Brasi”. Barzini was the guy who did not want his picture taken at the wedding. He was also the guy who Chaired the meeting of the heads of the five families. As the chairman of the meeting he should have acted as an Arbitrary of the dispute between Tattagglia and Vito but he carried too much of the conversation against Vito for an arbitrary so Vito knew that Barzini was part of the scheme to take him out and therefore probably ultimately in charge from the very beginning. The other Don who stood up to say his people were already doing the drug business so he wants to control it. He stupidly admitted that he was in on the scheme as well . This tells Vito that all the other heads of the five families had signed off on his assassination that’s why they all had to go. When Vito promises that he “ will not be the one to break the peace we have made here today” he left out the part where it will be Barzini. So when Michael takes out the heads of the five families it is not completely his doing it is also Vito’s. Michael would not have had time to research everyone’s routine to find where they are vulnerable between the funeral and the baptism. Most of the planning happened between Vito and Micheal while Vito was still alive. When Vito drills Micheal about the “ person who comes to you about the Barzini meeting is the traitor” this is both a warning and a trigger. When Barzini arranges the assassination with Tesio that act breaks the peace agreement and Vito’s promise is no longer valid. So Micheal can act and carry out the plan the he and his father have put together. Since they don’t know who the traitor will be they have to exclude everyone they trust except each other. This is why Vito says to Tom “ there are reasons why you cannot be involved in what has to happen”. Tom probably will not be the one that is approached because he is not Sicilian but you never know. Also the move to Las Vegas is an attempt to make the family more legitimate. Tom will be the public face of the family in Las Vegas so Micheal wants someone to be beyond reproach. When you see this movie again pay close attention to what happens in the meeting where Vito announces that Micheal is taking over the family business. There is so much happening in that scene that most people miss it. Vito and Micheal telling Tesio and Clamenza that all their problems will be worked out. This is Micheal and Vito’s way of saying (we’re going to kill those SOBs this is reinforced by Micheal telling Tom that he was not a war time Concilliery , if Vito has made peace why do they need to go to war. The move to Las Vegas is discussed here and the fact that they need Tom to become legitimate is discussed here. Making the family legitimate is the single driving force of Micheal’s life. Also, Vito hugs and congratulates Carlo on his promotion when, as you pointed out, he was not to have anything but a living from the family at the beginning of the movie. This is a huge TELL from Vito that he knows that Carlo betrayed Sonny to his death. If you watch the Godfather Part 2 you will find out that Vito’s rule is “ keep your friends close but your enemies closer” When you watch this movie again (and you will watch this movie again) pay close attention to those 2 meetings. The meeting with the heads of the five families where Vito realizes that Barzini was behind the assassination attempt as a power grab and he is still intent on eliminating Vito’s family and the other bosses are going along with it. And the meeting where Vito announces that Micheal is taking over the business the just of this meeting is that we are going to make a move to become more legitimate and we are going to kill the SOBs that hurt us along the way.
If you think this is confusing, wait til you see Part 2. I've seen it I don't know how many times and I still feel like I need a chart to keep track of who is who and who is backstabbing who. (It's still well worth watching!) Carlo and Connie: The novel fleshes that out a lot better. Carlo was from an Italian family, but not Sicilian. One thing about the Sicilian mafia is that they never gave any position of trust to anybody who was not Sicilian. In the novel, Don Corleone didn't even want Connie to marry Carlo. He allowed it, but refused to let Carlo into the inner circle of the Corleone Family, which embittered Carlo. Don Corleone also refused to intercede when Carlo started beating Connie, saying that matters between a husband and wife were none of his business.
@@dgrmn12345 Right. That was a 😳 moment for me when I read that in the novel. The film just *_barely_* touches on it when Sonny tells Carlo "Don't you EVER tell her to shut up!" and Mama Corleone raises her hand and very quietly says "Don't interfere."
in ye olden days, they printed two newspapers a day, morning and evening - the ink would often be wet on the paper, later radio and tv made braking news easier to follow, and newspapers reduced it to morning papers. And I guess it's more that the movie is just long, very long, and includes a ton of characters; for example the whole sister husband beating thing is - one could argue - the very first subplot of the film; right there in the opening, her wedding! It's a movie you understand more and more upon rewatches, as with many longer movies. Also also Carlo might have wanted to marry Conny for mafia-glory street cred, but the don gives him nothing, and so he beats the wife and works with the enemy, out of resentment (he's not thaaat worried about beating the Don's daughter, cus they're not too concerned with that, the mother says "don't interfere" when Sonny gets mad)
This movie was made in ‘72 8 years before the cocaine craze and new criminals of the 80s. It’s set in the 50s. So the conversation is exactly what Brando was talking about. The classic mob pursuits of gambling, women and money lending tend to be chosen vices. Drugs are also a vice, but unlike the others, drugs can wreck people far more and to the point where people using them are likely to damage the innnocent people they know. This is what turned the police against the mobsters. By 1970 lawmakers introduced the Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations act or RICO. This gave lawmakers more freedom to pursue law breakers, especially those in organized crime and vastly increased many sentences for associated crimes. This RICO act was the death knell of organized crime. Crimes that would have gotten you a slap on the wrist before RICO were suddenly inflicting mandatory 10-20 year sentences. Facing 20 years in prison a lot more mobsters were willing to work as informers or testify against other members of the family. This is why organized crime moved to minority areas in many cases. Risking 20 years prison time for making $100,000 a year is more enticing if you’re poor. The structure of organized crime changed too. Before there was a link of trusted men, now it was kept separate. The drug dealer on the street knows nothing about the people that run the drug business and doesn’t even know who brings it into the country.
28:02 Sonny didn't just whack Paulie on a suspicion of selling out the Don, there's a deleted scene where Sonny finds out that Paulie was lying about being sick as he was with his girlfriend at the cinema on the day the Don was gunned down.
147 brass squibs/blood packs. A record at the time. Each one had to be sewn into his clothes facing the right direction; otherwise the brass tack blasted by gunpowder would've hit James Caan.
Michael married Kay because he wanted children, boys mostly. There are videos out there that explain everything in the story and the characters, Godfather 2 continues Michael's reign as The Godfather, along with flashbacks of Vito's life growing up in Italy, and his rise to Mafia Boss in the US. It explains more about the characters and The Don's life, (Vito Corleone). The Godfather films are depictions from the 1969 book, "The Godfather" by Mario Puzzo. The book of course is much more detailed.
Inasmuch as Don Corleone turning down the Turk was a poor business decision that almost got him killed, in the end, he was the only one who saw the long-term danger down the road. He was ahead of the curve.
The godfather is an amazing book, I highly recommend. Omerta is also an amazing book, also ties in with the godfather story, same author. In the book, you see Johnny, (godson) is way spoiled and kinda of a punk. It's really funny to read. It also deep dives into Polly more and also the undertakers story is more in-depth.
My thoughts on the Carlo and Apollonia/Kay Situations: From the very beginning, Carlo was kept out of the loop. As Don Vito Corleone stated: "Give him a living, but never discuss the family business with him." With The Don going down and Sonny now in power, it's my assumption that Barzini approached him at this point. Michael was smart enough to not fall for Barzini's Traps, but Carlo was too thirsty to make a dent. Notice in the opening of the Second Half where Carlo tells Connie to shut up in front of Sonny, immediately planting the seeds in his head. With Sonny and Michael in charge, all of the sudden, Carlo becomes Michael's Right-Hand Man for Vegas and the abuse is assumed to have ended. He thinks he's in the clear...except The Don made a comment about checking the phones just shortly before his passing, and Michael walks in on Carlo on the phone at the very end, implying they have phone records of Carlo calling Barzini and others. Michael knew this, which is why he kept Carlo as close as possible. As for Apollonia, Michael married her for love. He ignorantly believed that he would be able to live a normal life after his actions, but in seeing the love of his life blowing up before his eyes, he realizes that there is no going back. When he gets back, as opposed to the love and adoration he showed Kay at the wedding, we was cold, calculated and matter of fact. This was more of a business proposition than a marriage proposal. He'd already married for love once and while there was love for Kay, it's not what he had with Apollonia.
Notice the constant dichotomy of America and Italy. The Corleones are not really comfortable in either country, as Vito ran away from Italy, but was not completely accepted or adopted in the United States.
I've seen The Godfather approximately 50 times. Every time I watch it, I pick up something new. Francis Ford Coppola directed the GOAT masterpiece. Part 2 is just as amazing. Part 3.... Not so much.
Sonny was played by James Caan. He was in the movie Elf and played Will Ferrells Father. James Caan was also in the movie Eraser starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.
In spite of what the subtitles and even the characters say, the language they are speaking is Sicilian, not Italian. I think it's just that Sicily is part of the same country as the rest of Italy and Americans mostly don't know the difference. Sicilian and Italian are closely related languages, but not necessarily close enough to be mutually understood. Actor Alfredo "Al" Lettieri (Sollozzo) was a native speaker of Sicilian, and the reason there were no subtitles is simply because he was speaking too fast for anybody to read them.
The Italians ran the heroin trade till bumpy Johnson, the king of Harlem, the main importer in the 70s Denzel Washington plays him in American gangster
So the scene where Clemenzo teaches Michael to cook has a couple funny anecdotes. Francis Ford Coppola said he put it in just incase the movie was a flop you could at least get a good recipe. Also, it drew a critique from the author of the godfather. Originally Coppola had clemenzo say "Brown the dausage" Which according to the author, was wrong. "Gangsters don't brown, they fry."
Some info about the scene where Sonny kicks Carlos' ass. According to the documentary, the actor who played Carlos got too rough with Talia Shire who played Connie. Talia Shire is the sister of director Francis Ford Coppola. When she complained that the actor was intentionally hitting her he asked James Caan (Sonny) to land some real punches and kicks on him as payback. The majority of the beating that Carlos took was real. Another FYI....the actor who played hitman Luca Brasi was an actual mob enforcer in NYC. The movie production was plagued by interference by New York crime boss Joe Colombo. It got to the point where Colombo had actual script approval. The actor originally slated to play Luca Brasi had to back out on short notice. The producers asked Joe Colombo if they could use one of his guys so Lenny Montana volunteered. Lenny Montana had a career as a pro wrestler before turning into a mob hitman.
There’s nothing more classic than The Godfather. Did you know the horse scene was a real reaction? They played a prank on the Actor. I don’t understand the details of the Horse was being executed at a Dog Food Factory but that was a real horse head.
It was i was waaaayy to early on my call..I'm glad the movie proved me wrong..it was amazing..kind of difficult to react in the moment to this one with Commentary...definitely super legendary on a rewatch or with hindsight
patreon.com/foxtaco
Full reaction available on patreon. Have patience with me in this one gang, I jumped the gun early, and oh boy was I wrong. The way this movie came together towards the final act I see why it is a CLASSIC. Enjoy the ride with me.
So full season 1 of Peakt blinders is on patreon now. Should I watch the Sopranos??
Took place in the 40s got it, heroine not coke got it, pay more attention go it.
You gonna love Godfather part 2 and 3 bro !!!!
The Don was wrong with the undertaker in the beginning of the movie because that was the time to ask the favor, on his daughters wedding. Its a tradition he cannot refuse a request on his daughters wedding day.
The reason the bruise persisted to Sicily is that the facial bones were broken as well as the jaw. His sinuses were damaged so that's why you see him using the handkerchief so much.
In the novel it was a lot more graphic. For years afterward, Michael was constantly blowing huge wads of snot until he got back to the States and had corrective surgery.
and it makes sense because cops hold him fixated so his facial bones sustained full force of that impact... that's probably why Michael didn't shot McClusky from behind, he wanted to see him face to face, first bullet in his throat.... revenge, it was a bit personal after all.
Michael had to leave immediately for Italy after the assassination of McCluskey and Solozzo. It wasn't until he returned to the United State that he got reconstructive surgery. When Fredo sees him again in Las Vegas, Fredo remarks how good his face looks and that the doctor did a great job.
Tom Hagen the adopted brother/son is the most loyal character in the movie lol
Facts.
And he’s the only one who Michael could trust 100%
Yessir
@@foxtacoif you enjoyed THIS movie, there is a pretty good 10-part series on Paramount called "The Offer"!
It's the story of how the film was made from a novel into the film that you see and ALL the obstacles along the way that they had to overcome, which are actually quite numerous and crazy at some points!!
It was done and produced by the actual producer that was working at the time when the movie was being made so you get a very real perspective!!
One fun fact is that the horse's head was actually a REAL horse's head!😮😮
They did NOT kill a horse just to get its head BUT the mob controlled the meatpacking district in New York, where they were filming a lot of this, AND horse meat was used for dog food, back in those days, pretty regularly!! So the mob, under the authority of Joe Colombo, procured a REAL horse's head! Coppola was not happy with the prop horse's head that they were using and Joe Colombo got wind of that so, hence, a real horse's head appears!!😮😮
Many fun facts like THAT along the way IF you decide you would watch The Offer!!
But you can see why anyone new to these films would suspect there would be a traitor and him a likely candidate, at least. That's why the first two films are phenomenal works; they do basically everything right as films including subverting audience expectations while complimenting the audience's intelligence than speaking down to it.
I often read a lot of comments that talk about how accurate Michael's shots were in the restaurant. Michael was not involved in mafia affairs at that time, but he was a hero of World War II. He probably shot better than anyone in his family.
He'd been a combat Marine officer in the Pacific. Probably had to shoot lots of people up close in places like Saipan and Iwo Jima.
He shot them at point blank range. Very little chance of a miss.
@@Stogie2112 But I'd probably miss, you know, move the barrel to one side, never having had to kill somebody before.
@@billolsen4360 ... Michael was all about the Dark Side at that moment. It made him strong and gave him focus....as Palpatine would say. 😁
And as an officer (In the wedding scene he wears the rank of captain) his primary weapon would likely have been a pistol, rather than a rifle.
After the big meeting of the Five Families, Vito told Tom, "But I never knew until this day that it was Barzini all along."
During the meeting, Don Barzini sat at the head of the table and was clearly in charge.
Philip Tattaglia sat across the table from Vito Corleone, but he never spoke directly to Vito. He spoke only to Barzini.
Vito watched all of this very closely. He saw that Tattaglia kept talking to Barzini for guidance and assurances.
Vito knew right then that Barzini was behind all the attacks on his family.
Also, Barzini was the one to complain of Vito hoarding his politicians and not allowing the other families to leverage that political power - so there was a long simmering resentment that Vito may have just realized.
@@pdavies8551 On top of that, the way Barzini said it was disrespectful and as if he blamed Vito for almost being assassinated. As if to say, "It was your own fault."
When Vito got shot you said the medic in you came out. You have to remember that this movie was set in 1946 and paramedics in America did not exist until 1967. Before that the role of an ambulance was transport, period. As far as the newspaper article announcing the shooting of Vito, up until the 1980's most major newspapers had a morning and an evening edition and in the bigger cities whenever a major news event happened they would put out an issue called an extra. You may have seen in cartoons and movies where the paperboy stands on the corner shouting "extra, extra, read all about it."
With these old classics it is best to let them cook rather than anticipate a presumed narrative.
1000% learned my lesson...makes it a tsd bit difficult with my commentary style but🤷🏿♂️ you live and you learn 😊
@@foxtaco AFTER posting this comment I did see that you acknowledged this. I will be patiently waiting for you to watch GOD FATHER II.
@kittykatt7652 yea this movie mad me eat my words lol which I'm glad it did..it taught me a valuable lesson lol glad your stuck around and weren't quick to judge without giving me a chance to fully get through the movie🙏🏿
What a wonderful display of humility and patience here…
on MY Internet?!? What’s the world come to… Goddamn RUclipsrs, don’t respect nuthin… lol
❤ this
Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli
Clemenza's afraid of nothing in shoe leather except his wife's reaction if he forgets the cannoli.
I think I read once that the actor improvised the "keep the cannoli" part, at the end.
A good cannoli is hard to find.
As someone who lives in the Midwest I can understand.
Something to notice : When Michael takes over, the fist thing he does is send Tom away, because he knows that war is coming and he doesn't want Tom involved in it. That way no one will bear him any grudge so it'll be easier for him to negotiate a peace when it's done..
I think he knew Tom wasn't a war time consigliere. Tom wasn't ruthless or violent, and Michael knew he would have to use violence and Tom would probably push against his use of violence.
The car bomb was meant for Michael. Apollonia’s death was purely accidental. She wasn’t supposed to be in the car.
It’s why Fabrizio asked Michael, “Are you driving yourself, Boss?” He planted the bomb.
It’s also why Fabrizio ran off when he saw that Apollonia was going to start the car.
Remember when they were talking about Carlo at the wedding? Don Vito said give him a living, but don’t get him involved w/ the business. The Don knew he was a snake....
Yea i actually talked about missing their importance later in the reaction
To clarify, at the beginning of the movie, we see Connie Corleone (Vito's daughter) getting married to her husband, Carlo. Carlo is the one that Vito said, "Don't let him in on the family business". Carlo over time, begins to mistreat Connie (i.e. telling her to shut up, etc) and then physically abuses her. This infuriates Sonny, who finds Carlo and gives him a public beat down in the street. While Carlo is feeling humiliated and wants revenge, a rival Don (Don Barzini) sets up an elaborate plan to eliminate Sonny. He has Carlo beat his wife, knowing that will trigger Sonny's rage. Because Sonny is enraged, he leaves to go to Connie without any bodyguards, thereby falling into the trap that was set for him where he gets gunned down. Carlo's beating his wife was part of the plan to lure Sonny into Barzini's dangerous trap.
Godfather 2 is even better and I can’t wait to watch your reaction
I think you will benefit from a rewatch as we all do. I enjoyed your reaction and am glad that you caught some things. Speaking on Connie:Carlo, they are not the focus of the film. Seventies directors liked to show more than tell. We do see that Carlo moves from verbal disrespect to punching Connie to beating her (to draw out Sonny). So his bad nature is set up early in the film.
Yes, I've watched it 3 times now
Movies back then are so much smarter than movies nowadays. Directors of most mainstream films have to spoon feed everything rather than having the audience piece everything together for a more explorative experience
About Michael: Vito didn't want him in the family business. Steered him away from it. Sent him to Yale to get him out. Then World War Two happened. Michael joined the Marines. Fought in the Pacific and earned a Navy Cross. When he came home, everyone thought he was still The Kid.
Everybody...EVERYBODY...underestimated Michael except The Don.
Michael went to Dartmouth not Yale
i dont think tom underestimated michael
@@e.jamesshepard7183 I stand corrected.
@@harmanjotsingh4230 💯 he was with the don trying to engineer things for michael’s future.
@@samanthanickson6478tom wasn't laughing at the idea of michael killing that corrupt cop unlike the rest there, he took him dead serious
They figured out that Carlo beat up his wife on purpose to make Sonny leave the compound with no protection because he was so angry he would leave immediately to beat up Carlo again. The Tatagglia family used that to their advantage to ambush Sonny.
That ambush was a chancy thing, kind of a plot hole in the original story. It depends on whether Connie will call Sonny about her last beating because she doesn't want anything real bad to happen to Carlo. It also depends if Sonny will be home on Long Island at that specific time. But, the even is very dramatic anyway.
I’m amazed how reactors are surprised that Carlo setup Sonny. They don’t figure it out until end.
Barzini, not Tattaglia
I am very thankful that you caught the reference to the tragic future destruction of black neighborhoods by the flooding of drugs. Most other reactors just get simple-mindedly offended at the guy's use of the terms "colored, the dark people" and overlook the social and historical significance of his proposal. The specific gangsters named in this movie are, of course, fictional. But their real-life counterparts did exactly this, and it went down like that. Hats off to you for spotting the significance of that moment.
Beautifully said. 100% on the money. What's great about this movie, and lots of movies from this 70s period, is that they don't come out and hit you over the head with stuff. They show you, they put it on the screen, but it's for you to figure out, over multiple rewatches. It took me years to realize how they got the horse's head in the bed: Coppola shows us in plain sight! All Tom had to do was bribe, coerce or threaten the maid to drug him, the stable boys to get the horse, and the butler to let them in! Not complicated at all! But we're not looking at the maid or the stable guys in those scenes, we're paying attention to Tom and Woltz talking. Brilliant. Anyways, to bring it back to what you were saying: they leave that ugly line hanging out there and it was as shocking in 1972 to hear it in a movie as it is now. But it shows the mentality these people had/have to allow something as horrible as heroin, and later crack, flood someone else's neighborhood while keeping your own clean and safe.
The reason Vito insisted Sonny never tell anyone outside the family what he was thinking is if a rival learned there was a disagreement within the family, it might give them incentive to kill Vito and make a deal with Sonny, which, of course; is exactly what happened.
It’s broader than that. You never tell anyone what you’re thinking for any reason. It’s like a neverending poker game. You don’t tip off your opponents. You never show your hand.
Back in the 1940s, newspapers would put out evening editions, not just morning papers.
And here's a little trivia. The baby in the baptism scene is actually the director's daughter, Sofia Coppola. She's now 53 and a filmmaker herself. She won an Academy Award for the screenplay of her film, Lost in Translation, which starred Bill Murray and Scarlett Johannson.
She's in all three Godfather movies and contrary to what most people think I thought her GF III performance was OUTSTANDING
@@davidrichards6509 Then I guess you were wrong. Great director, horrible actress.
It's not right before Reaganomics, it's set in the late 40s and Reagan was President in the 80s. So the drug Solozzo is selling is probably heroine rather than cocaine. Also, calling 911 wasn't a thing back then.
I'm one of those people who love the film, and I love watching first-timers reacting to it. I also strongly recommend watching the second film, which alternates between a prequel and a sequel..
Sollozzo was a heroin dealer. Right after the horsehead scene, Tom Hagen told Vito all about Sollozzo's poppy-heroin business.
But skip the third installment unless you really really want to see the rest of the story.
It is definitely heroine. They say several times that Sollozo is selling heroine.
There was cocaine back then also, it used to be in coca-cola way back
@@mnfowler1
'heroin''
Well done! It does get better with further viewings. Enjoyed your reaction.
21:52 - Back then, there was not TV or 24-hour news channels. There would be a late edition of the newspaper, at night. So they were in a movie when he got shot and by the time they came out, the "Late City Final" edition was on the newsstands. It's totally understandable that most people wouldn't know that anymore!
The drug that was at issue in the movie was heroin, not cocaine, although cocaine may have come into it later. It was sold to black people as the bigoted don said. The author Claude Brown chronicled the early days of heroin distribution in Harlem. As a young teenager in the early 1950s, he began to see it everywhere. He saw the casualties everywhere. He called it "the duji plague" (duji was slang for heroin in Harlem). He himself sampled it once. Fortunately for him, he had a terrible reaction to it -- he was so sick to his stomach he passed out. He may have been allergic to it. He never touched it again. He did later sell and use marijuana and cocaine, but crack hadn't been invented yet -- it was strictly powder. The book is titled Manchild in the Promised Land (1965). Amazon has it as an audiobook.
Gangster movies go back to the early 1930s. The characters were very stock then -- they made sure you knew who the good guys and the bad guys were. The Godfather was more realistic and naturalistic than earlier movies. From the late 1960s on, American movies in general were becoming that way. The young generation of movie directors had studied European movies, which were that way. One of the first American movies to take that approach was The Graduate (1967), Dustin Hoffman's first movie.
“You’re my older brother, and I love you. But don’t ever take sides with anyone against the family again”
This is my favorite quote/scene just because “Shark Tale” did a homage of that scene. So once I finally watched The Godfather (when I was 15, im 26 now) I was like 🤯🤯🤯
I enjoyed your reaction can’t wait for Part II🙌🏽
Enjoyed this reaction so much! Yes this film is a slow-burn, like a lot of the best films from the 1970s. The Exorcist comes to mind. Hints of what’s going to happen are offered up like puzzle pieces, and when they click into place it’s unforgettable.
" .. or if he's struck by a bolt of lightning, then I'm going to blame some of the people in this room. And that I do not forgive."
BARS.
I might be wrong, FoxTaco, but it feels as though many modern movies spoon feed you the information & it feels odd to be fed so much information & characters @ once. I feel that the older films felt that audiences were intelligent enough to understand what the director is portraying. Now, many films explain every single plot line to the point that it’s insulting.
🖤🌹🖤🧛🏻♀️
Im with you, this movie is definitely tailored to a full complete viewing with comments and thoughts to be made more so after it's finished..and the rewatch ability is off the charts..I'm just happy this movie made me eat my words and I'll be better equipped how to do my commentary for Godfather II
@ And, get this! The sequel is better! 🖤🌹🖤🧛🏻♀️
@@Lestat13 I disagree. G1 is better. G2 is a good movie but a little too dark and depressing
@ You, of course, are entitled to your opinion 😺
@@foxtaco Young man, I am so happy to see that comment. I'm in my mid-60's, and appreciate it when at least some films today bother to take their time to build up things. There's too much immediate gratification in filmmaking these days.
If you've not already viewed it, I would highly suggest another film from that same era in the 70's: The French Connection." You'll love it.
29:40 That's an interesting point; I had to think about that one.I think it's because the wedding photos were private, not likely to be published in newspapers.
54:40 The book gives a little more background for Connie and Carlo. When he married into the family, he was hoping to get an important position in their business, but the Corleones kept him at arm's length, as the Godfather specified to Tom, early in the film. Carlo became more and more resentful ("We don't talk business at the dinner table") and took his frustrations out on his new wife. Connie told her parents about it, but they were very old-fashioned, and told her she "should behave in a way that does not cause him to beat [her]."
They say Frank Sinatra is the singer who wanted out of the Big Band and asked for the movie role ( From Here to Eternity).
That is one of the best final shots in film history. Absolutely amazing.
Practically everyone who saw this movie in the theaters had read the book first so they knew where the story was going. Lots of movies (Jaws was another one) were made of best selling books Earlier, movies often came after hit Broadway shows War movies during the 50s and 60s usually came from memoirs written by vets from World War II (Like Audie Murphy).
From the book: Near the beginning of the story, Michael's mother prays for his father's soul. At the end Connie is getting shut out with the door closing, but she also prays for Michael's soul. Crack was 40 years after the start of story. Heroin was the 40s to 60s, coke became big in the 70s and crack was the "affordable" version in the 80s. This story is barely into the 50s.
One reason it's very easy to get confused is that although it's a long movie, it also covers a long time in the story, a little over a decade. From just after WW2 to 1958, and unlike a lot of movies it doesn't go through a lot of explicit exposition so you really have to be on your toes about who's who and you don't know who's going to be important later in the story. And the narcotics in the movie is opioids (heroin) not cocaine, either way it did destroy the mob.
This movie and the other two sequels have an operatic scope and opulence rarely seen in most movies.
They didn't have subtitles for the assassination scene at the restaurant so all our attention can be on the tension and the buildup to Michael getting up his nerve. Plus, it doesn't matter what Solozzo is saying anyway because we know he's lying.
I love that you’re immediately like “wtf Fredo?!?” your instincts are spot on.😂
Yep 😂
Godfather 1 and Godfather 2 confirms that Fredo is incompetent. To this day, if someone is referred to as a Fredo, it means that person is incompetent but thinks they are smart.
Your critiques were all valid. I can't speak for everyone. But I watched this movie several times before the cobwebs were all cleared up. It's all there. Quite a story.
Thanks 🙏🏿😁
At 1:14:37 when Don Vito is telling Michael that he didn't want THIS life for HIM,
Michael says the phrase another "pezzonovante"!
I simply love that Sicilian slang phrase which is slang for "Big shot"! I believe that it's meant in the context of condescending attitude towards those "Big shot people"!
Anyway Don Vito also uses the phrase in the big meeting when he's speaking about why he's against drugs!! In that context he was talking about the big shots in the Catholic Church like the pope and the top Cardinals!
There's just something about that word that hits me in the soul.😮
❤❤❤❤
I was fortunate enough to have my Italian husband at my elbow the first time I saw this movie. He’d read the book and had already seen the film many times. But what I really want to address is that you said you tend to shy away from 70s movies. Mistake, mistake, mistake!
Some of the best films ever made were made in the 70s. They include Jaws, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (the original), Taxi Driver, Get Carter, The Deer Hunter, All the President’s Men, Harold and Maude, Badlands, American Graffiti, Alien, The Exorcist, The Friends of Eddie Coyle, Breaking Away, The Conversation, Annie Hall, Don’t Look Now, Chinatown, The Parallax View, Cooley High, The Heartbreak Kid, Mean Streets, Saturday Night Fever, Being There, and Dog Day Afternoon-and I’ll even throw in a couple of truly surprising musicals: All That Jazz, and Cabaret.
I’m sure others will have still more 70s suggestions!
The Sting, Patton, Waterloo, MASH, Start The Revolution Without Me, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, What's Up Doc, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, so many more.
Deliverance, The French Connection, Murder on the Orient Express, What's Up Doc.
For Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando), they put a jaw prosthesis in his mouth and a gauze, to give him that particular face. Brando was relatively young in this film, and Coppola pretended to age him and also look more threatening.
They wanted Vito out of the way so they could go ahead with their heroin operation. Remember, Solazzo said that he needs the political and police protection that Vito had for his to work. When Sonny expressed interest and talked out of turn that inadvertently told Solazzo that if Vito was outta the way, Sonny would take over as boss and go for Solazzo's plan
Movie had you on the firdt half lol
This is what an iconic movie looks like, the pace, the story n even the cast.
In pop culture, The Godfather is one of the biggest contributors, since it's basically the OG in the genre, gangster/mafia. Great reaction, you need to react more to movies dude
Notice that Clamenza answers "Yes", and "Yes, always Godfather" when Tessio says nothing? That was a dead giveaway to where their heads were, and who was the traitor to Michael.
Character breakdown is this:
Vito: the head of the Corleone Family
Fredo Corleone: The oldest son and who has a good heart but is slow witted
Sonny Corleone: The second son and next in line to be the Godfather. Hot tempered
Michael Corleone: Youngest son. Calm, cool and collected. Never acts on impulse
Connie Corleone: Youngest Corleone child. Typical young woman but drastically changes in Godfather 2.
Tom Hagen: Family lawyer and counselor
Genco: Vito's friend and partner and one time advisor (Consigliere). Genco is mentioned but not seen but in some versions he is seen on his death bed.
Carlos: Connie's husband. Domestic abuser and small time neighborhood racket organizer
Paulie: Vito's driver and bodyguard
Luca Brasi: Vito Corleone's main hitman
Johnny Fontaine: Popular entertainer who Godson to Vito and is controlled by the family
Peter Clemenza: Partner of Vito. Started in business with Vito. He is part of the Corleone Family but has his own family that runs Staten Island
Sal Tessio: Partner of Vito. Started in business with Vito. He is part of the Corleone Family but has his own family that runs Brooklyn
Barzini: One of the heads of the five crime families
Phillip Tatalligia: One of the heads of the five crime families
Rocco: Michael Corleone's hitman
Al Neri: Michael Corleone's bodyguard and hitman
Kay: Michael Corleone's Second wife
Apollonia: Michael Corleone's first wife
Fabrizio: Michael Corleone's bodyguard in Sicily and betrayer of Michael in Sicily
Part II is Just as Great!
Yes please watch it! It flashes back to when the old Don was young and coming up.
@@LizAnne1980 - played by a young Robert De Niro!
Until the 80s. A lot of newspapers had a morning and evening edition. Thus the paper Kate saw that evening
Fun fact about the horse head scene: Coppola was very dissatisfied with the prop department's fake head so at the last minute a butcher's company was contacted and they got a real horse head! This, on top of all the extra blood they put in the bed, and the fear you saw on John Marley's face and his honest scream cemented this scene in movie history!
When Sollozzo is speaking Italian to Mike , is not translated 40:44
But when later they speak Italian 45:40 ,it is translated.
I wanted to put it here ,because i actually just noticed this now ,after all this time..
Michael is back from the Pacific, 1946. He's a DECORATED marine Capt. Coke wasn't big until the later 70s. Heroin, until then, LSD, medical drugs, poppers, reds, crystal meth, etc. & more and more and more and better grass. Drugs = $$$ = power>>>> which is why the Purdue pharma family got into it.
Johnnie Fontaine, think Frank Sinatra. ( The movie= FROM HERE TO ETERNITY. )
I'm honored that you've reacted to this motion picture Tacofather, and may your first child be a masculine child.
Barzini was the guy at the head of the table with the rest of the families
Luca brasi was even more brutal in the book
Benzino 😂😂😂😂. I get lost when there are so many different characters in a movie. Now onto Godfather 2. 🎉
The movie is based on a great novel. Often movie versions abbreviate the character development of a novel. The Godfather is the best movie of all time, but the novel is better. I enjoyed your reaction.
21:40 "Call 911"
I can picture this guy in the 40s or whatever just yelling '911' in the middle of the street while people wonder what the heck he's talking about. He may be a few decades too early for that. 😂
🤣🤣🤣🤣my fault
26:00 Notice Tom Hagen says to Santino, "I am as much a son to him, as you or MIke." He left out Fredo, probably because Fredo was incompetent, even though he was the eldest. Tom probably didn't mean to disrespect Fredo, but by leaving Fredo out, he inadvertently showed how insignificant Fredo was to the family.
Just a thought about characters being sufficiently fleshed out for you to be invested in them ...
When you read a book, you're expected to use your imagination to flesh out what isn't explicitly laid out for you. In a motion picture, it's not different. You're given the basics, and you're supposed to interact with the narrative.
The fact that you didn't know this isn't your fault; it's the consequence of being the product of a culture within an arc of decadence. People schooled in this culture expect things to be done for them, everything laid out for them, so they don't have to make an effort -- as though it's the filmmaker's responsibility to spoon-feed you. This film isn't Gerber's strained carrots or peas puree; you're expected to interact with it, see things that aren't explicitly told you.
Some people think this is the greatest Hollywood film ever made. Let it be a learning experience, in how to watch films. Incidentally, as you progress through the series, pay attention to the color orange.
EDIT: "Which one is Barzini"? See what I mean? You have to pay attention.
Do yourself a favor. Before you watch the second film, watch this again, off camera, with no distractions. Pay attention.
In the restaurant scene, Sollozo speaks Italian to Michael who does not speak Italian as well as Sollozo does, but Michael probably understood Sollozo say in Italian (Sicilian dialect, actually) how much he respects Michael's father, and Michael does not want to hear that B.S., so he switches back to English.
@16:53 This film actually takes place in the late forties. GODFATHER PT 11 takes place in the mid 60's, and part III takes place in the early 80's during "Regenomics".
Yes the guy who shot Paulie was in the car. Paulie knew it cuz he told him to sit on the other side cuz he was blocking the mirror
1. The story about how this movie got made is WILD - this really deserves its place in movie history.
2. Gosh I love this movie - the push and pull between father and son, between the otherness of being an immigrant and the desire to consume the American dream. The scene at the end where Michael takes his baptism as godfather in blood. The fact that he remembers to take the cannolis out of the car after they shoot the guy? Get outta here! This movie only gets better and I LOVED seeing how your reaction and engagement with it shifted and changed. I think what makes a really great movie out of a good one is it’s able to pull different things out of you - not just automatically liking everything. I like that there are films like this that aren’t afraid to make you tread water sometimes or ask where it’s going.
The 2nd one is AWESOME!
@@brandonmartin08 o yea?
@@foxtaco Yeah the second one is rare for being as good or maybe better than the first. Great reaction man! Lost you a few times lol but you got into it!
Bonasara, the undertaker, would be afraid he will be asked to get rid of a dead body making himself an accessory to murder. He must have been relieved when he learned what he had to do.
I'm sure it's already been explained on here but Carlo who feels kept out of the family business (after wedding Connie in the beginning) flipped sides and that's when we start to see him become abusive to Connie - as a tactic to draw Sonny out because he was always a hothead. So even though the first time through you're like - why are they showing the marriage and abuse now? it's actually one of the most pivotal parts lol. Can't wait for the sequel - one of the great sequels in movie history. Though nothing beats the original Godfather film in mafia movies.
You mentioned that watching it again will give you better insight in the story and it will. I have watched it many times including watching through these reaction channels and I pick up new things every time.
So Luca Brasi death is one part of the story that many people miss first time. In the book there is a lot more about Luca’s back story and how Vito saved him from death and incarceration. Luca is intensely loyal to Vito and has proven in the past that there is no act that is too horrific for him not to do. Although he is not seen or heard from in Tom’s California trip, you can assume that the horse head in the bed thing was Luca. So when Vito says no to Sollozzo Sollozzo, Tattagglia and Barzini had already decided to kill Vito ( personally I believe Barzini was expecting Vito to say no and provide him the excuse to kill Vito) so Luca had to die first. Luca was not killed because they knew he was spying for Vito, he died because he was a one man army that would have stopped at nothing to avenge Vito’s death. Tom said it himself “ even Sonny won’t be able to call off Luca Brasi”.
Barzini was the guy who did not want his picture taken at the wedding. He was also the guy who Chaired the meeting of the heads of the five families. As the chairman of the meeting he should have acted as an Arbitrary of the dispute between Tattagglia and Vito but he carried too much of the conversation against Vito for an arbitrary so Vito knew that Barzini was part of the scheme to take him out and therefore probably ultimately in charge from the very beginning. The other Don who stood up to say his people were already doing the drug business so he wants to control it. He stupidly admitted that he was in on the scheme as well . This tells Vito that all the other heads of the five families had signed off on his assassination that’s why they all had to go. When Vito promises that he “ will not be the one to break the peace we have made here today” he left out the part where it will be Barzini. So when Michael takes out the heads of the five families it is not completely his doing it is also Vito’s.
Michael would not have had time to research everyone’s routine to find where they are vulnerable between the funeral and the baptism. Most of the planning happened between Vito and Micheal while Vito was still alive. When Vito drills Micheal about the “ person who comes to you about the Barzini meeting is the traitor” this is both a warning and a trigger. When Barzini arranges the assassination with Tesio that act breaks the peace agreement and Vito’s promise is no longer valid. So Micheal can act and carry out the plan the he and his father have put together.
Since they don’t know who the traitor will be they have to exclude everyone they trust except each other. This is why Vito says to Tom “ there are reasons why you cannot be involved in what has to happen”. Tom probably will not be the one that is approached because he is not Sicilian but you never know. Also the move to Las Vegas is an attempt to make the family more legitimate. Tom will be the public face of the family in Las Vegas so Micheal wants someone to be beyond reproach.
When you see this movie again pay close attention to what happens in the meeting where Vito announces that Micheal is taking over the family business. There is so much happening in that scene that most people miss it. Vito and Micheal telling Tesio and Clamenza that all their problems will be worked out. This is Micheal and Vito’s way of saying (we’re going to kill those SOBs this is reinforced by Micheal telling Tom that he was not a war time Concilliery , if Vito has made peace why do they need to go to war. The move to Las Vegas is discussed here and the fact that they need Tom to become legitimate is discussed here. Making the family legitimate is the single driving force of Micheal’s life. Also, Vito hugs and congratulates Carlo on his promotion when, as you pointed out, he was not to have anything but a living from the family at the beginning of the movie. This is a huge TELL from Vito that he knows that Carlo betrayed Sonny to his death. If you watch the Godfather Part 2 you will find out that Vito’s rule is “ keep your friends close but your enemies closer”
When you watch this movie again (and you will watch this movie again) pay close attention to those 2 meetings. The meeting with the heads of the five families where Vito realizes that Barzini was behind the assassination attempt as a power grab and he is still intent on eliminating Vito’s family and the other bosses are going along with it. And the meeting where Vito announces that Micheal is taking over the business the just of this meeting is that we are going to make a move to become more legitimate and we are going to kill the SOBs that hurt us along the way.
If you think this is confusing, wait til you see Part 2. I've seen it I don't know how many times and I still feel like I need a chart to keep track of who is who and who is backstabbing who. (It's still well worth watching!)
Carlo and Connie: The novel fleshes that out a lot better. Carlo was from an Italian family, but not Sicilian. One thing about the Sicilian mafia is that they never gave any position of trust to anybody who was not Sicilian. In the novel, Don Corleone didn't even want Connie to marry Carlo. He allowed it, but refused to let Carlo into the inner circle of the Corleone Family, which embittered Carlo. Don Corleone also refused to intercede when Carlo started beating Connie, saying that matters between a husband and wife were none of his business.
Sicilian Tradition also prevented Vito from interfering with his kid’s marriage which makes it even more tragic for the guy
@@dgrmn12345 Right. That was a 😳 moment for me when I read that in the novel. The film just *_barely_* touches on it when Sonny tells Carlo "Don't you EVER tell her to shut up!" and Mama Corleone raises her hand and very quietly says "Don't interfere."
No. You did well! The movies pace is moderate. MANY had to watch it again. ❤
Thank you 😬🙏🏿, I'm gladed you enjoyed
@@foxtaco I did. I think you'll enjoy Part 2 and cuz you're analytical, you might have fun with Part 3.
in ye olden days, they printed two newspapers a day, morning and evening - the ink would often be wet on the paper, later radio and tv made braking news easier to follow, and newspapers reduced it to morning papers.
And I guess it's more that the movie is just long, very long, and includes a ton of characters; for example the whole sister husband beating thing is - one could argue - the very first subplot of the film; right there in the opening, her wedding! It's a movie you understand more and more upon rewatches, as with many longer movies.
Also also Carlo might have wanted to marry Conny for mafia-glory street cred, but the don gives him nothing, and so he beats the wife and works with the enemy, out of resentment (he's not thaaat worried about beating the Don's daughter, cus they're not too concerned with that, the mother says "don't interfere" when Sonny gets mad)
That horse scene gets them every time.
when vito came back home you could already see the tensions between carlos and his wife as well as the dinner scene that day
Godfather Part 2 is even more epic!
This movie was made in ‘72 8 years before the cocaine craze and new criminals of the 80s. It’s set in the 50s. So the conversation is exactly what Brando was talking about. The classic mob pursuits of gambling, women and money lending tend to be chosen vices.
Drugs are also a vice, but unlike the others, drugs can wreck people far more and to the point where people using them are likely to damage the innnocent people they know. This is what turned the police against the mobsters.
By 1970 lawmakers introduced the Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations act or RICO. This gave lawmakers more freedom to pursue law breakers, especially those in organized crime and vastly increased many sentences for associated crimes.
This RICO act was the death knell of organized crime. Crimes that would have gotten you a slap on the wrist before RICO were suddenly inflicting mandatory 10-20 year sentences. Facing 20 years in prison a lot more mobsters were willing to work as informers or testify against other members of the family.
This is why organized crime moved to minority areas in many cases.
Risking 20 years prison time for making $100,000 a year is more enticing if you’re poor. The structure of organized crime changed too. Before there was a link of trusted men, now it was kept separate. The drug dealer on the street knows nothing about the people that run the drug business and doesn’t even know who brings it into the country.
Thanks for your reaction, enjoyed that and proud you watched finally that classic masterpiece.
28:02 Sonny didn't just whack Paulie on a suspicion of selling out the Don, there's a deleted scene where Sonny finds out that Paulie was lying about being sick as he was with his girlfriend at the cinema on the day the Don was gunned down.
Actually, the car bomb was meant for Mike, not Apollonia.
You must react to GF2 & GF3.
yup carlo was beating up the sister to get sunny mad so he would be able to be ambushed and killed.
There’s a reason why people consider this one of the best movies, part 2 is just as good.
147 brass squibs/blood packs. A record at the time. Each one had to be sewn into his clothes facing the right direction; otherwise the brass tack blasted by gunpowder would've hit James Caan.
Michael married Kay because he wanted children, boys mostly. There are videos out there that explain everything in the story and the characters, Godfather 2 continues Michael's reign as The Godfather, along with flashbacks of Vito's life growing up in Italy, and his rise to Mafia Boss in the US. It explains more about the characters and The Don's life, (Vito Corleone).
The Godfather films are depictions from the 1969 book, "The Godfather" by Mario Puzzo. The book of course is much more detailed.
I'm a big Peaky Blinders fan ..I'll be on your reations of all that ..great
Inasmuch as Don Corleone turning down the Turk was a poor business decision that almost got him killed, in the end, he was the only one who saw the long-term danger down the road. He was ahead of the curve.
The godfather is an amazing book, I highly recommend. Omerta is also an amazing book, also ties in with the godfather story, same author. In the book, you see Johnny, (godson) is way spoiled and kinda of a punk. It's really funny to read. It also deep dives into Polly more and also the undertakers story is more in-depth.
Enzo, the baker... stood strong as WW2 vet. Stood strong at the hospital with Michael.
My thoughts on the Carlo and Apollonia/Kay Situations:
From the very beginning, Carlo was kept out of the loop. As Don Vito Corleone stated: "Give him a living, but never discuss the family business with him." With The Don going down and Sonny now in power, it's my assumption that Barzini approached him at this point. Michael was smart enough to not fall for Barzini's Traps, but Carlo was too thirsty to make a dent. Notice in the opening of the Second Half where Carlo tells Connie to shut up in front of Sonny, immediately planting the seeds in his head. With Sonny and Michael in charge, all of the sudden, Carlo becomes Michael's Right-Hand Man for Vegas and the abuse is assumed to have ended. He thinks he's in the clear...except The Don made a comment about checking the phones just shortly before his passing, and Michael walks in on Carlo on the phone at the very end, implying they have phone records of Carlo calling Barzini and others. Michael knew this, which is why he kept Carlo as close as possible.
As for Apollonia, Michael married her for love. He ignorantly believed that he would be able to live a normal life after his actions, but in seeing the love of his life blowing up before his eyes, he realizes that there is no going back. When he gets back, as opposed to the love and adoration he showed Kay at the wedding, we was cold, calculated and matter of fact. This was more of a business proposition than a marriage proposal. He'd already married for love once and while there was love for Kay, it's not what he had with Apollonia.
Johnny Fontaine represented Frank Sinatra of the 50s and 60s .
Apparently had mafia connections
I’m so happy Coppola fought to have Brando in this movie.
Notice the constant dichotomy of America and Italy. The Corleones are not really comfortable in either country, as Vito ran away from Italy, but was not completely accepted or adopted in the United States.
I've seen The Godfather approximately 50 times. Every time I watch it, I pick up something new. Francis Ford Coppola directed the GOAT masterpiece. Part 2 is just as amazing. Part 3.... Not so much.
The guy who put together the montage of newspaper clippings was George Lucas
Sonny was played by James Caan. He was in the movie Elf and played Will Ferrells Father.
James Caan was also in the movie Eraser starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.
"Where does it say you can't kill a cop?"
A couple different places I think.
In spite of what the subtitles and even the characters say, the language they are speaking is Sicilian, not Italian. I think it's just that Sicily is part of the same country as the rest of Italy and Americans mostly don't know the difference. Sicilian and Italian are closely related languages, but not necessarily close enough to be mutually understood.
Actor Alfredo "Al" Lettieri (Sollozzo) was a native speaker of Sicilian, and the reason there were no subtitles is simply because he was speaking too fast for anybody to read them.
The Italians ran the heroin trade till bumpy Johnson, the king of Harlem, the main importer in the 70s Denzel Washington plays him in American gangster
So the scene where Clemenzo teaches Michael to cook has a couple funny anecdotes.
Francis Ford Coppola said he put it in just incase the movie was a flop you could at least get a good recipe.
Also, it drew a critique from the author of the godfather. Originally Coppola had clemenzo say "Brown the dausage"
Which according to the author, was wrong.
"Gangsters don't brown, they fry."
That was funny, call 911 in 1945.
25 years too early for that
Taaahh..yea that's pretty funny lol my fault 🙏🏿🤣
@foxtaco no.worries. I'm old as Fk, that's the only reason I know.
Some info about the scene where Sonny kicks Carlos' ass. According to the documentary, the actor who played Carlos got too rough with Talia Shire who played Connie. Talia Shire is the sister of director Francis Ford Coppola. When she complained that the actor was intentionally hitting her he asked James Caan (Sonny) to land some real punches and kicks on him as payback. The majority of the beating that Carlos took was real. Another FYI....the actor who played hitman Luca Brasi was an actual mob enforcer in NYC. The movie production was plagued by interference by New York crime boss Joe Colombo. It got to the point where Colombo had actual script approval. The actor originally slated to play Luca Brasi had to back out on short notice. The producers asked Joe Colombo if they could use one of his guys so Lenny Montana volunteered. Lenny Montana had a career as a pro wrestler before turning into a mob hitman.
You should definitely do a reaction to The Sopranos. There’s a reason many rank it as the greatest tv series of all time.
When will you upload the part 2 reaction
Part 2?
@foxtaco yeah bro don't you know there is also part 2 of the godfather
There’s nothing more classic than The Godfather.
Did you know the horse scene was a real reaction?
They played a prank on the Actor.
I don’t understand the details of the Horse was being executed at a Dog Food Factory but that was a real horse head.
Cinema Masterpiece
It was i was waaaayy to early on my call..I'm glad the movie proved me wrong..it was amazing..kind of difficult to react in the moment to this one with Commentary...definitely super legendary on a rewatch or with hindsight