Jan 19 2009
“The Godfather” (1972) *****
Preview
Starring: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, John Cazale, Talia Shire, Richard S. Castellano, Abe Vigoda, Al Lettieri, Gianni Russo, Sterling Hayden, Lenny Montana, Richard Conte, Al Martino, John Marley, Alex Rocco, Morgana King, John Martino, Victor Rendina, Simonetta Stefanelli, Louis Guss, Tom Rosqui, Joe Spinell, Richard Bright, and Julie Gregg.
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola.
Stats:
*Domestic Gross: $81,500,000
*Worldwide Gross: $245,066,411
*Award Winners: Academy Awards for Best Actor (Marlon Brando), Best Picture (Albert S. Ruddy), Best Adapted Screenplay (Mario Puzo, Francis Ford Coppola); Golden Globes for Best Picture-Drama, Best Director (Francis Ford Coppola), Best Actor-Drama (Marlon Brando), Best Original Score (Nino Rota), Best Screenplay (Mario Puzo, Francis Ford Coppola).
*Selected for Preservation in the US National Film Registry.
*Ranked as the 2nd Greatest Film in American Cinematic History, right behind “Citizen Kane”, on AFI’s 100 Years… 100 Movies.
The Catch:
A wise and masterful mob boss of an organized crime dynasty transfers control of his massive empire to his reluctant son who just wants to live a normal life, but fully commits after his father’s life is threatened by rivals.
Characters:
*Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando): The aging boss of the Corleone family - Wife to Carmella. Father to Sonny, Fredo, Michael, Connie, and surrogate father to Tom Hagen. He’s a native sicilian with the only memorable trademark accent in the entire film.
*Michael Corleone (Al Pacino): Don and Carmella’s youngest son. He just got back from WWII and wants nothing to do with the mob business.
*Santino “Sonny” Corleone (James Caan): Vito and Carmella’s eldest son. He’s the hot-headed underboss of the family who is being groomed to take his father’s place.
*Tom Hagen (Robert Duvall): Adopted son of Vito and Carmella. He’s also the family’s new consigliere and legal lawyer.
*Kay Adams (Diane Keaton): Michael’s long-time sweetheart, wife, and mother of his children. She’s quite nosy too.
*Fredo Corleone (John Cazale): Vito and Carmella’s ding-dong of a middle son.
*Constanzia “Connie” Corleone (Talia Shire): Vito and Carmella’s youngest and only daughter. Married to Carlo Rizzi - Can you say precursor to Adrian?
*Peter “Pete” Clemenza (Richard S. Castellano): A caporegime in the Corleone Family.
*Salvatore “Sal” Tessio (Abe Vigoda): Yet another caporegime for the family.
*Virgil “The Turk” Sollozzo (Al Lettieri): A heroin dealer who works with the Tattaglia Family.
*Carlo Rizzi (Gianni Russo): Married to Connie, therefore making him an associate of the Corleone Family. He’s a traitor and a crappy husband.
*Captain McCluskey (Sterling Hayden): A corrupt police captain working for Sollozzo. He seems to have a fetish for frisking mob guys.
*Luca Brasi (Lenny Montana): Vito’s enforcer.
*Emilio Barzini (Richard Conte): The mob boss of the Barzini family.
*Johnny Fontane (Al Martino): Vito’s godson who happens to be a famous international pop singer.
*Jack Woltz (John Marley): A big shot producer in Hollywood.
*Moe Greene (Alex Rocco): One of the Corleone Family associates who owns a hotel in Las Vegas.
*Carmella Corleone (Carmella Corleone): Wife to Vito, mother to Sonny, Fredo, Michael, and Connie, surrogate mother to Tom Hagen. Just call her Mama for short, just about everyone here does.
*Paulie Gatto (John Martino): Vito’s driver as well as Capo Pete Clemenza’s hit man.
*Philip Tattaglia (Victor Rendina): The mob boss of the Tattaglia Family.
*Apollonia Vitelli-Corleone (Simonetta Stefanelli): A short fling for Michael when he hides away in Sicily. It begins so beautifully and ends so tragically.
*Don Zaluchi (Louis Guss): The mob boss of the Zaluchi family in Detroit.
*Rocco Lampone (Tom Rosqui): One of Clemenza’s soldiers.
*Willi Cicci (Joe Spinell): A soldier in the Corleone Family.
*Al Neri (Richard Bright): Michael’s trusted bodyguard.
*Sandra Corleone (Julie Gregg): Sonny’s wife.
Story:
Don Vito Corleone, The King of the Corleone Mob Family, is celebrating the wedding of his daughter Connie and his associate Carlo Rizzi. Also there is his youngest son Michael, fresh out of WWII, with his girlfriend Kay and wants nothing to do with the mob business.
Events take a turn for the worse when the Don is shot down and hospitalized out of refusal to provide financing to Virgil “The Turk” Sollozzo’s heroin distribution. This places the Corleone family on the brink of war and chaos with the Tattaglia Family.
While the Don rehabilitates, he purposes for Michael to take over the business and set things straight between the rivaling families. The Corleones begin by assassinating Sollozzo and one of his corrupt police captains, avenging the wrong-doing that was done onto the Don. Michael, who headed the assassination, heads into hiding in Sicily while the Corleone Family prepares for all-out warfare with the rest of the Five Families.
Upon his return back to New York City, and with the Don out of the hospital, Michael and his father, along with the rest of the Corleone Family, culminate their final strike against all of the rivaling Mob Families.
Review:
Based on the Novel by Mario Puzo, “The Godfather” lays its footprint in the concrete as the definitive Gangster film that broke immense ground in the genre, paving an example for all future Mobster films to follow. The film is an epic, colossal tale of one Mob Boss’s son who would rather not be involved in his father’s business, but with his life threatened, he is forced to take over his father’s responsibilities and set things right again.
The detailed characterizations of the story’s massive cast is unremarkable and the portrayal of the Corleone Family brings out the best in them as opposed all the evil that would come with the business that they are apart of. While the cast is huge, it is rather impressive how Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola are able to juggle such screen-time between all of them and still pull it off effectively.
The only negative aspect of this film is that it may be too detailed for its own good. It runs a mere 175 minutes, that’s close to three hours. Much of the content can be shortened to a lesser extent in many portions, the one where Michael is forced into hiding in Italy is one of them - it extends to about 20-25 minutes after the film hits the 100 minute mark. Then again, this was the early 70s, many classics came out in huge lengths and were huge hits. However, running time of “The Godfather” is no excuse to stop you from enjoying this mega hit.
Rating: *****
