The Godfather

Some time ago I told my friend Dave that I considered “The Sopranos” a show for people who thought three Godfather films was not enough.  The funny thing was, I had never seen all three.  So I finally sat down and watched them – and it was time well spent.

 Godfather I.  The first, and essentially the classic.  There have been lots of Mafia films, and many made back in the 1930s-50s with James Cagney or Edgar G. Robinson (Billy Crystal: “Where’s your Moses NOW???”).  But somehow this one tops them all.

            The first film introduces us to the Corleone family:  Godfather Vito (Marlon Brando), Consigliere Tom Hagen (Robert Duvall), hotheaded oldest brother Sonny (James Caan), incompetent weasel brother Fredo (John Cazale), sister Connie with an abusive husband (Talia Shire), and the war hero puppy brother, Michael (Al Pacino).  Initially reluctant to take part in the “family business”, Michael is gradually brought forward, if only by default.  Sonny is dispatched at a toll booth plaza, Fredo is incompetent, and Connie…well, she has ovaries instead of testicles.  Vito is getting old, and someone needs to take over.  He picks the wrong time to retire, as things are starting to heat up with a war with a rival family on the horizon.

            In addition to setting up the family, the film has all the classic ingredients:

            1.         Brando as the Godfather – whispering voice, granting favors, demanding respect, and the undeniable patriarch of the family;

            2.         Hagen as Consigliere, “Kraut-Mick” (German-Irish) but objectively giving excellent advice to the family without Sonny’s irrational passion;

            3.         Horse’s head in the bed of recalcitrant Hollywood movie director, persuading him to allow Johnny Fontaine to be the lead actor in his film.

            4.         Italian restaurant murder of Sollozzo and McCluskey by Michael

            5.         Toll booth murder of Sonny by goons firing Thompsons with drum magazines (my favorite scene)

            6.         Sicilian “Old Country” vacation for Michael + marriage to local belle

            7.         Ending montage where multiple scores are settled – and Michael is in church for his baby’s baptism

            As I said, everything is here.  They could have stopped here, but no…

Godfather II.  Most of the gang is back again, with a notable addition: De Niro is introduced as the young Vito Corleone, as the film switches from a prequel flashback to modern day, Michael continuing to develop the business.  His wife Kate (Diane Keaton) is not particularly attractive and is kind of clueless about the whole thing.   Is she looking the other way? Is she condoning his behavior?  She figures things out a few dozen years after she should have.  STUPID!

            Cuba and Las Vegas are front & center for this chapter.  Hyman Roth (thinly disguised Meyer Lansky) is their rival in Cuba until Castro shows up to ruin everyone’s hard work.  A family friend, Pentangeli, who feels slighted by the Corleones initially agrees to rat them out to the Feds, then abruptly turns 180 and recants his testimony.  Fredo’s duplicity is finally resolved – against him.  This was not as good as the first one, but not much of a letdown, especially since De Niro does such a remarkably good job as the young Vito.  Unfortunately this setup gives no screen time for Pacino and De Niro together (wait for “Heat” and “Righteous Kill”).

 Godfather III.  If for nothing else, the third movie will be known for this quote: "Just when I thought I was out...they pull me back in." (Michael).  Fastforward to the late 70s, Michael is much older (grey hair) and his two kids are grown up, but his son wants nothing of the business, preferring to be an opera singer.  His nephew, Sonny’s son (Andy Garcia) shows the mean and nasty look his son lacks, and is looking to take over, which is fine by Michael.  Connie seems to confuse her ovaries with testicles and asserts a surprising degree of influence and aggressiveness, which she believes is necessary to counteract Michael’s apparent softness.  In an effort to extract his family from the crime business and go legit, Michael gets involved in Vatican politics, and starts alienating some very powerful enemies – fellow families in the crime syndicate who aren’t ready to allow his family to opt out.  Don Altobello (Eli Wallach – the “Ugly”) is the older, friendly advisor who is really part of the problem and not the solution.  This is a remarkably heroic effort to wind up the series but inevitably falls far short of the other films.  Nevertheless I found it worth watching if only to see what eventually happens to Michael Corleone.