The Godfather is the GREATEST Mafia movie ever!! | Canadians First Time Watching | Movie Reaction

[@markdodson6453]

"He died among the tomatoes, like a true Italian." Probably the greatest thing ever said about THE GODFATHER.

[@joshuaburris6805]

More importantly he died with family around and a natural death in which he would be missed by many Mike was more ruthless and because of it he had nothing but riches

[@csmelen]

LOL

[@B-a-t-m-a-n]

Ouch. The Don was Sicilian, not Italian.

[@joemckim1183]

He also had oranges nearby at the table Vito was sitting at. When they attempted to murder him in the beginning of the movie he was buying an orange from the fruit stand. Also when Michael dies in Part III there is oranges nearby.

[@mecharabbit3622]

@@B-a-t-m-a-n Sicilia is part of Italy

[@phj223]

Mario Puzo, the author of the Godfather novels, wrote the script together with director Francis Ford Coppola. Apparently it was Puzo's first movie script ever though, and he admitted in some interview he didn't really know what he was doing, and that he was basically flying blind. Some time after the movie came out and was a huge success he figured he should learn about script writing and he bought a textbook on the subject. The first line in the book was something like "Study the script for the movie The Godfather" :)

[@TheDancerMacabre]

The funny thing is Mario Puzo's writing goes heavily into detail on things to the point of ridiculousness. I'm guessing FFC went over some passes to see what they can omit or else we would've seen 10 minutes dedicated to the description of Sonny's penis

[@LacoSinfonia]

@@TheDancerMacabreI didn’t mind them cutting out Luca chucking a baby into a furnace, though.

[@jahu5440]

@@TheDancerMacabre you read it, so you know it - but for the others : size of Sonny's penis was quite important for subplot of the book :)

[@solblackguy]

Mario also went on to write scrips for 9 more movies, most notable are the first two Superman movies, starring Christopher Reeve.

[@Gravydog316]

yup i love that haha

[@lethaldose2000]

The man playing Luca Brasi was a former mob enforcer turned actor. --------- He was not experienced as an actor and was overwhelmed to have to act in the same scene as Brando. -------- That's why he flubbed his line when he was talking to Vito at the wedding.------- Brando, being a great actor, just kept listening and staying in character. --------- Eventually, Coppola decided the mistake fit the nervousness the character was supposed to be feeling and so kept it in the film.

[@theodocious.magnifico]

This is an interesting departure from the novel, because in the book, Vito is actually afraid of Luca Brasi. Even though Luca is his loyal friend, he's a savage killer, and the Don is nervous to be in the same room with him. In the book, Al Capone goes to war with Vito. Luca ends the war single-handedly by killing 6 of Capone's men, chopping one into pieces with an axe. This is why the Tattaglias killed Luca first. They knew he was gonna be their biggest problem.

[@jsmith3039]

He was also a wrestler in the 50's

[@lethaldose2000]

​@@theodocious.magnifico For sure Luca Brasi was a beast. He was known for stealing from other rival gangs and Vito kept all of his business out of his territory in the Bronx. It was not until Vito got Luca out of some trouble that's when he and Luca joined forces. Godfather 3 was supposed to be the Rise of Vito and the war of the 5 families in the '30s. The studio and Coppola decided otherwise. People are still trying to get that version made.

[@ARNDTA]

It really fits with the scene where Luca practices his lines/speech, which was - of course - written in and shot afterwards, as the actor fumbled the scene with Brando :)

[@gawainethefirst]

@@theodocious.magnifico If I recall the book correctly, Luca was also afraid of Vito, Coming to believe that Vito was the only man who would be able to kill him.

[@JeffKelly03]

I still can’t believe Pacino didn’t win an Oscar for this. It’s the best performance of his career. Also: wild fact about John Cazale, the actor who played Fredo. He died young, in his early 40s, and was only in five movies in his career. All five were nominated for Best Picture.

[@matthewdunham1689]

Indeed

[@jacksonmay153]

Dog Day Afternoon was brilliant too!

[@srae1971]

He should have gotten Oscars for this and Dog Day Afternoon as well.

[@sammich7141]

Nah the true theft was him not winning an Oscar for Godfather 2, even Pacino isn't over that

[@rxtsec1]

Marlon Brando deserved it for Best actor. Pacino was nominated for supporting actor but felt he should had been nominated for Best actor like Brando. He was so mad he boycotted The Oscar's. The crime was for not winning for part 2 which he was nominated for Best actor. However the word is he didn't win for part 2 because of his boycott of part one.

[@notchjohnsonspf4532]

When Michael whispers to his father in the hospital “I’m with you now” it gives me chills. It’s the moment Michael decides to take over the family business. The other families shouldn’t have hurt Mike’s dad.

[@gawainethefirst]

For me, it was the scene at the restaurant. Michael just walked out of the restroom. And up until this moment, he could’ve decided not to go through with it. But you see the the switch flip just behind his eyes.

[@scientia.veritas]

The scene is even more impactful in the book. Michael: Don't be afraid, but some men are coming here to kill you Vito: Why should I be afraid? Strange men have been coming to kill me since I was a child. (Not exact quote)

[@joelwillems4081]

No, they shouldn't have hurt him. They should have killed him. The Godfather recovered and stopped the war giving the Corleones time to recover, rebuild and plot their revenge. Never let an enemy up when you have him on the ropes.

[@KS-xk2so]

I'd disagree. Santino is still alive at this moment. Being Don is his future. Michael certainly decides to involve himself in the families business then, but I don't think its until Apollonia dies that he realizes he can never escape being a Corleone and what that means.... from then on, he puts everything he has into taking over the family and ensuring it succeeds.

[@pjotrbd]

Fun fact: the baby at the baptism is in fact Sofia Coppola, daughter of director Francis Ford Coppola, who went in her father's foodsteps and is a director as well. She also plays Mary Corleone, Michaels daughter in the Godfather part 3.

[@RichardX1]

She's a better director than an actor. But in her defense, her role in Part III was supposed to be played by Winona Ryder; but Winona had prior commitments and Sofia was a last-minute choice.

[@macy69k]

"Leave the gun, take the cannoli" was not in the script. The cannoli part was improvised by the actor playing Clemenza

[@riveraharper8166]

Badass. :)

[@hotsauce69247]

I think “Leave the gun” was the original line, and “take the cannoli” was the improv

[@Outland9000]

No Italian would leave perfectly good cannoli behind.

[@Flirken1]

Clemenzas wife said don’t forget the cannolis before they left and killed paulie so idk if it was improvised

[@hotsauce69247]

@@Flirken1 It was the wife’s line that gave the actor the idea for the improv

[@theresanee]

The cat was a stray that was hanging around the set. On a whim, Coppola handed it to Brando just before the camera rolled. They had to redub some of the dialog because the cat was purring so loudly. 😄

[@angelguerrero7655]

I love how the cat doesn't claw, hiss, or scratch. It's so clear how comfortable the cat is in Brando's lap. But apparently there were a couple moments in this film that happened completely coincidentally that Coppola kept in the movie because it made sense to the overarching theme and narrative of the movie.. This film had more than an incredible cast and crew in EVERY ASPECT (from lighting, to sound design, casting, writing, special effects, acting, etc.). It had luck and fortune to pull off such incredible unplanned scenes that lesser directors would have cut from the film. Like great painters and musicians, this is a masterpiece that will never be forgotten.

[@lethaldose2000]

Michael inherited his father's intelligence but didn't inherit his heart. No doubt this is in part because Vito came from nothing and could understand the hardships of everyday people while the Corleone children grew up with everything. Vito put a lot of faith in Michael to do better than him but would be disappointed to see how ruthless Michael has become and the destruction of the family.

[@adamwarlock1]

Yeah each of Vito's children inherited some of his qualities, but none of them got the whole toolbox.

[@Mugthraka]

@@adamwarlock1 nice way of puting it

[@Arizona-ex5yt]

All three of them lacked. Sonny lacked control. Fredo lacked competence. Michael lacked heart.

[@Fordo007]

There's more to running a family business than business...

[@sammich7141]

I always thought Michael had become heartless and cold due to the war

[@victorsixtythree]

I'm so glad you two loved that last scene. No matter how many times I see it, when the door closes on Kay's face and the ending music starts I get CHILLS. I can't even explain it. The whole thing is like music or poetry or something. Also, years ago "The Godfather" was making the rounds in movie theaters (I think it was for its 20th anniversary in the early 90's) and I was lucky to have seen it in a packed theater with a lot of people who I could tell had never seen it before. (I had seen it but only on VHS tape on a 19-inch TV at home.) My favorite part was at the end when Kay asks Michael if it's true that he had had Carlo killed and Michael stares directly at Kay and, almost inaudibly, says "no". Man, let me tell you, everyone in the theater gasped. It was awesome! I just love it - the entire weight of the movie coming down to that one moment and you can barely even hear his answer and it has that much impact!

[@ronbock8291]

It’s like Shakespeare.

[@A-small-amount-of-peas]

It's why even though a lot of people think Godfather 2 is the better movie I tend to disagree even though its an incredible movie. It just doesn't have the opening and closing scenes that the original has. Plus the original has Brando at his best For me it's the original over the sequel every time

[@flarrfan]

I love the foreshadowing to GF2's scene with Michael and Kay near the end.

[@davidfacca8899]

@@A-small-amount-of-peas I’m on the other side, I like Godfather 2 a little better, but that’s just personal preference….both are excellent films. I agree with you G1 has an incredible opening 👍🏽, the best! I do like ending of G2, though, with Michael by himself …haunting.

[@A-small-amount-of-peas]

@@davidfacca8899 of course. There is no right answer here. Ideally I'd love it if a decent streaming company like HBO got the rights to do a Godfather series as there are still so many time periods that could be covered in regards to the rise of the Corleone family but I think the cost of acquiring the rights and filming a period drama probably put companies off but I can't help feeling in the right hands there would definitely still be an audience for it

[@TheClonemenot]

"He died among the tomatoes like a true Italian". LOL, what a great line! I can't wait for you to watch "The Godfather 2". It's as good , if not better.

[@billolsen4360]

If you're as rich & prominent as Don Corleone, you die among the ToMAWtoes

[@lolapanola282]

tomatoes which are american

[@alonenjersey]

My Sicilian grandfather died among the red peppers. The man would eat them raw. With nothing but a glass of wine by his side.

[@FriendlyCroock]

Oh don't u just love it how this little ch!na man makes all those rac!st comments . Very nice. but the moment some fictional character imitates an asian accent he gets offended.

[@FriendlyCroock]

Oh don't u just love it how this little ch!na man makes all those rac!st comments . Very nice.

[@ScarlettM]

28:55 - when Sonny was beating Carlo on the street, someone from the enemy camp so that and knew they could provoke Sonny to rushing out. That's why Connie received that phone call from a woman, so she would throw a fit and Carlo would lash out, making Sonny come out of the hiding.

[@alonenjersey]

Correct. Good to know I'm not the only one who's read Mario Puzo's book.

[@maximillianosaben]

Young Al Pacino is such a different beast altogether from older Al Pacino.

[@fergalhughes165]

@Sean H Check out Bobby Deerfield and Scarecrow

[@fergalhughes165]

@Sean H And of course don't forget Scarface

[@maximillianosaben]

@Sean H - Haha

[@ragnarok283]

@Sean H I won’t consider him young in Scent of a Woman. But his best decades are 70s and 90s. For some reason I really like him in Heat. So funny and charismatic.

[@wrybreadspread]

His Roy Cohn role in Angels In America was an excellent portrayal of a sleazy attorney

[@TaxmanTV]

In my opinion, part 2 is even better because DeNiro playing the young Don Corleone is just epic & magical, and really adds character to the family saga.

[@Humstuck]

Yep exactly for that reason for me as well.

[@riveraharper8166]

Interesting argument. I just love Marlon Brando.

[@billolsen4360]

Love that scene where the ship from Sicily pass The Statue of Liberty, since my dad passed the same way returning from Europe where he served in the Army under Genl Patton & Genl Clark from 1942 to 1945 and got to see her just like his grandparents did in 1899.

[@SirMo]

DeNiro absolutely makes the part 2 great. But 1 is better in my humble opinion. Brando was amazing, and so was Al Pacino's transition from a civilian to the don. Part 1 establishes the whole thing so that the part 2 can stretch its legs.

[@jamesdakrn]

@@billolsen4360im a first generation immigrant from Korea and teared up at that scene

[@donotevenbegintocare]

3:08 That actor was an actual mafia henchman. His scene at 3:35 is him genuinely trying to say his lines but being terrified of acting alongside Marlon Brando. It unintentionally worked perfectly though.

[@deniseg812]

The baby being baptized is Sophia Coppola

[@matthewganong1730]

Don Corleone’s death was originally supposed to happen off screen. Coppola and Brando decided they needed to show it, so they got the young actor on set and Brando completely improvised the scene playing with him. The little boy’s scared reaction when Brando puts the orange in his mouth is real.

[@sombresunset]

Johnny (The singer) and his origin story is pretty heavily inspired by Sinatra and his relationship to the Mob

[@maceomaceo11]

That's revisionist storytelling. Truth is his wife at the time, Eva Gardner, saved his career and demanded he get the part for The Man With The Golden Arm. She was THE female lead at the time and was bigger than Frank at that point and had the power to make that happen.

[@billolsen4360]

@@maceomaceo11 Good to know that Eva went to bat for him. If Frank hasn't done From Here To Eternity, he wouldn't have been able to be the star in The Manchurian Candidate.

[@Kasino80]

Also the band leader story, is supposedly about Sinatra under contract with Tommy Dorsey.

[@RichardX1]

AVA Gardner. As the son of a man from Johnston County, NC, I'm legally required to correct that.

[@alonenjersey]

And good old blue eyes was not at all happy with that fact.

[@oltyret]

Italy is full of dialects that are actually separate languages in their own right. Sicilian is one. They don't bother explaining that to outsiders but you could learn Italian and still not know what they're saying. This is a great movie showing the 'familia' side of the mafia that has so much money, they don't worry about it being concerned, rather, with power and favors. Goodfellas, in contrast, shows a street crew that actually brings in the money for the 'made' Italians. It's a top and bottom contrast.

[@matthewcastleton2263]

I agree about the dialects in Italy. I have actually been there and studied the Italian language while there. Sicilian is essentially a completely different language from standardized Italian. I had no idea what they were talking about without subtitles. Sicilian is influenced by Greek, Norman French, and Arabic actually.

[@ansol49]

@@matthewcastleton2263 As a Sicilian, everything you said was correct. Also, there’s not a standard form of Sicilian. People from different parts of the island speak very different types of Sicilian. The one they’re using in the movie is an older kind which is no longer in use except among people born in the 30s and 40s.

[@Asehpe]

To say nothing of Sardinian or Friulian. Italy is an incredibly diverse country linguistically.

[@andrewforbes1433]

The shot in which Michael works up the nerve to pull the trigger has some of the best acting and sound design in cinema.

[@alonenjersey]

And last I read (four years ago), Louie's Restaurant in the Bronx is still there.

[@NelsonStJames]

You're one of the few reaction channels to make a comment about Brando's sigh after he sees Johnny Fountaine out the door, which I've always thought was hilarious, because even the Godfather gets exhausted. It adds so much to the Don's character. Don't know if that was in the script, or Brando improvised it, but it's brilliant.

[@CorSmit]

The actual mafia got involved in the production of this film. Joe Colombo - who was boss of New York City’s Colombo crime family at the time - also headed the Italian-American Civil Rights League. They were strongly opposed against the movie’s subject matter, and felt “The Godfather” was a negative stereotypical portrayal of Italian Americans. He wanted every reference to “Mafia” and “Cosa Nostra” to be removed from its script. When producer Al Ruddy agreed to his terms, Colombo allowed the film to be made

[@TheDancerMacabre]

I was about to comment this: This is a very optimistic romanticization of the mob and mafia. A more accurate portrayal would be Casino where it's shown than most important of all, they're criminals looking out for themselves.

[@johnenglish1955]

🎥Many people say GF 3 sucks only because they're comparing it to two of the greatest film masterpieces in cinema history. It's still a good movie and well worth watching.🎬

[@philsurtees]

Yes! A friend of mine, who had never seen any of them, watched the The Godfather III first, and she told me that she thought it was a magnificent film. I often wondered if my opinion would be different if I wasn't comparing it to the first two, and when she said that it made me think I probably would. I suspect it's a great film, but that I just can't enjoy it as much as I would if I wasn't comparing it. Having said all of that, one of my big problems with it is the fact that I think the character of Michael has changed too drastically. In the first two he is a man of few words, who doesn't let his emotions get the better of him, but in the third one he seems like a totally different person to me; hot headed and can't keep his mouth shut. He's more like Sonny. Now ... you might say that people change - and they do - but generally speaking, when it comes to story telling, characters are meant to stay the same UNLESS we are shown the reason why their character has changed. In fact, usually the purpose of the story is to show the character arc as they change from one person into another. Anyway ... I'm rambling, as I do, and I just wanted to say thank you for your comment because I heartily agree...

[@HarveySpecter0]

yeah in fact GF3 has a score of 7.6 on IMDB which is way higher than the average score of today's movies.

[@isaacmhdz]

Two words: Sofia Coppola

[@scientia.veritas]

@@isaacmhdz one reaction: 🥵

[@errwhattheflip]

@@philsurtees I think that works considering how much older he is. Michael is an old man trying to atone for his sins and trying to keep together the little he has left. He couldn't act like how he did in the second and first films.

[@Uncle_T]

An absolutely brilliant movie with an arguably even more brilliant sequel. A true classic in every sense. I don't think the third one is "dog shit", it's a good enough movie but compared to 1 and 2 it's just inferior in every way. Still doesn't make it "dog shit" IMO. 😁

[@idhunepijl2398]

True. I even like the third one despite some of its issues.

[@Diomedene]

I certainly agree with you about the third movie. As to the first two I would say that the first was the better film but the second was a better movie. The references and themes of the second movie also seem to connect more with a modern audience than the first does.

[@out6of6my6mind]

It's mainly just unfortunate that the third movie had to follow two of the greatest films ever made. It isn't nearly as bad as people like to pretend it is and is still better than most other gangster movies. The re-edit that Coppola recently released called The Godfather Coda is meant to fix a lot of the issues that people had with Part 3

[@zegh8578]

My big issue with #2 is the unfortunate re-casting of who *would* have been Fat Clemenza, who refused to go along with the plot and his character arch - which is a REALLY INTERESTING arch, in that he turns traitor - for business reasons! They replace him with this... new dude, with this air of "heeey, remember me? we've been buddies since forever - and oops, I betrayed you now, sorry." If they had kept Clemenza's character, the actor, for #2 it would have been *perfect*

[@Haldurson]

The third one is admittedly SLIGHTLY flawed in comparison to the near perfection that the first two were. But overall an EXCELLENT film. I would even argue that if you did not have the first two to compare it to, that the third one would have been considered a classic in its own right. It simply was outshone by the first two.

[@williamr3840]

The scene where the medics are struggling to get Marlon up the stairs on the stretcher... They were two weight-lifters, but Marlon had secretly hidden some really big weights in the stretcher to have some fun with them! He loved having fun with people. Greatest actor ever though! :0)

[@Gravydog316]

on a Friday, Brando was in a Toronto hotel, waiting to start a movie on Monday, on Saturday, he phoned the director & told him that he was flying to Mexico for the weekend the director freaked out. Brando was sitting in his hotel with a tape recorder playing airplane noises in the background

[@Gravydog316]

there was another story i heard, Brando was doing a movie, & the director was chewing gum, & Brando said, "Can I have a piece?" & the director said "Give me a good take, & I'll give you some gum. ...so, he did the scene, & it was great, then Brando walked over to me with his hand held out like a little kid & I gave him some gum."

[@Arsolon618]

Godfather Part 3 is worth a watch. It only gets dogged because its compared to two of the best movies of ALL TIME, so in comparison its hard to live up to, but Godfather 3 is still worth watching.

[@sspdirect02]

Watch the version called “The Godfather Coda: The Death Of Michael Corleone”.

[@tomantush4867]

IMHO "the Coda", doesn't address the comparative weaknesses of III, just tweaks Coppola's vision. I don't think it really adds or detracts from the story.

[@jasonwilson8486]

I came to say this. It’s a great movie. Just not near as good as the first two because they were flawless classics.

[@aidanmca4177]

@@sspdirect02 I thought the coda ending was significantly worse than the original pt III ending. I didn’t like pt 3 overall but the original ending was good

[@stanlubach6491]

The filmmaking aspects of 3 were very good. It's the story that was lacking in my opinion. That, and I think Sofia Coppola is a much better director than actor.

[@gluuuuue]

Yes, it’s Al Pacino, in his first breakout role. The producers were really against his casting and Coppola had to fight to keep him.

[@Hexon66]

A bit of pedantry, but while it would be foolish to deny the importance of this film for Pacino, if we're talking "first", then we can't ignore Panic in Needle Park, which made his name relevant for this part.

[@jzugel60]

I personally prefer the 2nd film, but both movies are absolutely legendary! They're 2 of, if not the best, mafia movies ever made👌💯

[@onclebob2178]

@@jeffburnham6611 I agree.

[@norryonbass6574]

Two of the best movies ever made. Pacino should have won the Oscar for part 2.

[@errwhattheflip]

@@jeffburnham6611 I honestly disagree. I was way more interested with things on Michael's side than Vito's past. I think what they did with Vito was perfectly fine and worked great for both Michael's and Vito's characters, but I think Michael's tragic downfall was more compelling

[@Hexon66]

The problem is Part 2 doesn't stand alone. You could speculate about connecting the two eras, but you're always going to have a massive 20+ year hole in the middle. It needs Part I, Part I doesn't need Part II.

[@Alcagaur1]

Having re-read the book very recently, I think this is, among its many spectacular qualities, one of the finest transitions from page to screen ever accomplished.

[@BigMike246]

Leave the gun, take the cannoli. Seriously, one of the greatest movies ever made. So many layers to enjoy with each viewing.

[@jimmy2k4o]

33:27 “Fredo” is actually short for “Alfredo” Alfredo actually is Al Pacino’s full name. “Alfredo Pacino”

[@bellemane5839]

I can't believe this masterpiece is now 50 years old! As an Italian, who's family is from Sicily, it and its sequel are among my favorite films.

[@tobe1207]

When Tom is "out" it's because him and Vito were at the meeting and swore to not break the peace. Their word is important. That's why Mike waits til vito is dead and tom isn't console when they reenact revenge. It's a complet different regime therefore not breaking the oath

[@tobe1207]

The beginning. The favors people owe, Don Vito would never ask a civilian for a favor of something that they wouldn't already do. He's not going to ask the baker to murder unless the baker already is a murderer, he's also not trying to keep people oppressed under his thumb. In the book the undertaker fears this sort of thing. But the godfather only uses it as an investment, like planting seeds. It costs him nothing to do small favors and he gets infinite in return. From a baker, he'd be happy to get baked goods for a party

[@ericjohnson9623]

25:18 The book explains the bruise thing a little more in-depth. Basically, Michael couldn't get proper medical attention for his jaw in Sicily so it had to stay that way till he came back to America. The Appollonia segment lasts approximately two years in universe.

[@jasonm.2954]

You should definitely watch another of the greatest films of all time, 'Apocalypse Now', by the same director and also with Marlon Brando

[@TTM9691]

Great movie, absolutely; I'm sure that will get voted in eventually.

[@tomt5745]

Apocalypse Now is so eerie. Absolutely genial

[@katwebbxo]

Agreed. Awesome movie.

[@treystephens6166]

Senator Pat Geary & Tom Hagen

[@billross7245]

One of my favorite scene was the focus on Michael's eyes before he was going to shoot those guys in the restaurant, you could feel what was going through his mind. Great acting by Pacino.

[@ItsLexy]

"Unless you're part of the family you'll never be totally safe." I'm laughing like a demonic hyena. If you know you know.

[@Jay-ate-a-bug]

"...You broke my heart."

[@Drax514]

Fuck you and your stupid ass "in jokes". Fucking worst trend ever, this if you know you know shit. Fucking tribalist pieces of shits

[@SPVFilmsLtd]

01:35 - the cat was a real stray cat Brando found out in the studio lot the morning they filmed this scene. A lot of movie studios have "stray cat problems" because they were brought into the studios in the early 20th Century to catch mice and then basically took over the studio lots. If you go on the studio tour at Warner Bros, they'll actually take you to a corner of the lot where a huge pride of studio cats have made their home. Some people even say that the Animaniacs - who are cat-like in their design - were directly inspired by the Warner Lot Cats.

[@IDontKnowWhatImDoing44]

Godfather 3 doesn't suck its just different. It's more modern, so it doesn't really have the same feel as 1 and 2 but it's still really good

[@vitord8251]

Exatcly, well noted. The quality is indeed not the same, but as you well mentioned, it happens in a more modern time where they cannot just go killing anyone as they used to do. It's not the 50s anymore, the world has changed, so did the Mafia.

[@lizd2943]

It suffered from casting problems.

[@treystephens6166]

I wish Bridget Fonda was in it more.

[@garycrow1943]

"It's like he got baptized" Brilliant. This is why I like to watch you guys. Michael was indeed baptized in to the "family"

[@RonJomero]

Another Simpsons connection: Moe Greene's actor, Alex Rocco, was the voice of Roger Meyers Jr. (the owner of the Itchy and Scratchy franchise).

[@justinhearst]

The cat that Don Corleone was playing with at the beginning scene of this movie was just a random stray on set with it's purring it muffled Brando's dialogue. Also that horse head was 100% real.

[@RichardX1]

And no, they didn't kill THAT actual horse in real life; the head was obtained from a slaughterhouse.

[@carlosrvra]

My understanding is that Carlo thought that by marrying into the family, he would get higher up in the organization, and when that didn’t pan out, he took his anger out on his wife. That led to the beating from Sonny, which led Carlo to rat out Sonny.

[@rsw1227]

If you notice in many of the scenes that either have death/killing or impending death, there are oranges around. The hit on The Godfather he knocks over an orange cart. The meeting of the five families. There are oranges on the table. The meeting with Moe Greene, oranges on the table. Before the Don dies in the garden he's eating an orange and puts the peel in his mouth. Scaring the grandkid (the kid really got scared). There are more. I don't think there are any in the restaurant or before Appolonia is killed. I could be wrong it's been a while. Its also used in The Godfather 2 as well.

[@johnkirkham1876]

Great reaction as always. I'm 62 now, when I was 12 or 13 my Dad took me to see, in succession, The French Connection, Dirty Harry and The Godfather. I think it was his way of saying ok, you aren't a kid anymore, this is the way the world is now. I'm still kind of fucked up... just kidding. But anyway, this movie really was a game changer in cinema. The way it was written, the way it was shot, the acting... it was as near perfect a movie. Think on the cast... Brando, Pacino, Diane Keaton, Robert Duvall, James Caan, John Cazale, Abe Vigoda. Amazing. Thanks again for your entertaining reaction.

[@matthewdunham1689]

I've heard it said that the Godfather's 3 sons all represented 3 separate aspects of him. Sonny his firery passion, Michael his shrewd ruthless intelligence and Fredo his sweetness and humanity.

[@x_mau9355]

you forgot his daughter. 😐

[@Sgt_Glory]

​@@x_mau9355she changes quite a bit, unlike the brothers. She starts out as kind of innocence, then naked greed and self destruction in 2, and by 3 she's Vengeance.

[@x_mau9355]

@@Sgt_Glory Constanzia (Connie) Corleone has the same ark of her brother Mike! Just as woman of the family. She becomes a ruthless killer too.

[@lethaldose2000]

When Michael shoots Solozzo his eyes are moving rapidly to show he's pondering the move to shoot. Most people miss that Michael was waiting for a train to come by and mask the sound of the gunshot. In that moment he showed his ability to be a leader. Someone who makes their own plans instead of always following other people's orders. He got the idea in the bathroom hearing a train come by and just had to wait for one when he got back at the table. But it was a long nervous wait for sure.

[@kevtb874]

I never saw it that way but it's an intetesting take on it. I always thought Michael hesistated, sat down and then had to build the courage to do the deed with so many doubts and fears and anger rushing through his mind. The train is just filmic suspense. You have a unique take on it though, that it was an intentional choice from Michael. Maybe.

[@harish123az]

There is no real train dude, there can be no railway station close by to such a busy street. The sound was added to show the turmoil in Michael's head

[@lethaldose2000]

@@harish123az I live in NYC. A restaurant could be anywhere. Most restaurants try to locate near the train stop to get heavy traffic. Plus a railway line could be a block away and still make a ton of noise. FOr the movie they would not shoot near a restaurant Because of the noise, for the story it adds tons of atmostphere.

[@lethaldose2000]

@@kevtb874 I thought that as well, and that perspective gives his character more depth. Either way Coppola make it ambiguous and leaves his thought process open to debate. Giving the story even more layers.

[@harish123az]

@@lethaldose2000 ​ There are many analyzes and commentaries on the movie by experts, including from the creators and directors. There was no train, the sound was added to show what Michael was feeling. Notice how no one else notices the sound and the speaker, Solozzo, keeps talking, when in reality if the sound got so loud, they would stop till the train passes as no one could hear a word he was speaking

[@briandale9320]

The moment when they show the baker's son and his trembling hands, then Michal's steady hands as he lights the cigarette is the seminal moment of the whole saga. Brilliant!

[@TheRulerRoderickSutton]

Start making movies! You have “The Eye.”

[@nirvanalama8493]

That is the moment Micheal realises and decides to join the Family Business.

[@sweetowl4179]

I'm so happy you reacted to my favorite movie ever

[@ForgottenHonor0]

It's not just that Don Vito wants favors over money, it's his daughter's wedding. As a Sicilian tradition, a father cannot turn down a favor requested at their child's marriage day. Bonasera was a special case because he never showed Don Vito true respect despite how important he was to the undertaker's family. That's why he told him he might ask for a favor in return.

[@lethaldose2000]

When Luca BRasi gets the Italian clothes line at the bar. The look in his eyes was so next level. You could feel the mob at it's most ruthless and it takes the intensity of the movie up 3 or 4 levels.

[@DIDDLOTIC]

And with the actor allegedly being involved with the real life mob it raises the question maybe he did it so well because he knew it so well... probably not but who knows lol

[@suebeawho6537]

Yah, Luca Brasi death scene has always freaked me out😵‍💫😱

[@bobapjok4241]

Connie ended up much better off after her husband was killed. Apparently she moved to Philly changed her name to Adrian and met and married Rocky Balboa

[@hotsauce69247]

1:32 The cat wasn’t even originally part of the scene. It was a stray cat around the studio lot that Brando took a liking to

[@notabritperse]

Yeah, one of the benefits of getting well into adulthood before seeing a cultural touchstone like this (or Casablanca, Gone with the Wind, Dr. Strangelove, etc.) is how much smarter it instantly makes you, regarding other movies and shows. At 25, I finally watched Citizen Kane and my Simpsons IQ instantly doubled.

[@TTM9691]

I love this comment. Yeah, the more classic movies you see, the more you can fully appreciate The Simpsons for sure! That's great about "Citizen Kane"....now there's a movie that deserves WAY more reactions .

[@markdodson6453]

And I'll go one further. As I've gotten older, one of my biggest joys is going back and watching movies that I saw when I was in my 20s. And from the perspective of middle age, many of these classics get even BETTER. There are just some things you can't know when your young (myself included, to be sure!). So, something to look forward to for many of you!

[@notabritperse]

@@markdodson6453 A related phenomenon is going back to a movie you've seen countless times and finally noticing a (later) very recognizable actor in a bit role. In "Gandhi," for example, is that John Ratzenberger (Cliff from "Cheers") driving Candice Bergen to meet Gandhi? Yes. Is that Daniel Day Lewis hurling racist abuse at Gandhi on a South African street? YES!!!

[@tommyzDad]

​@@notabritperse Remember Lance Henriksen's bit role in *Close Encounters of the Third Kind?*

[@billolsen4360]

@@notabritperse I saw Richard "Clemenza" Costellano in a rerun of a 1963 TV episode of a weekly drama called "Naked City" a few weeks back. No mistaking that face!

[@hatsiepatsie]

3th movie is good it’s just set in an other era it does feel like a different movie but it has a lot of redeeming quality. It completed Michael’s arc in 80ies. Style. That makes it feel like an outrigger. For what it’s worth, still a good movie. Definitely not on par with the previous chapters.

[@oenader]

Correct the third one is a good movie with many great moments the problem is that the bar is so high it doesn’t measure up to the first two , also it feels different because is a whole different era and one of the main roles is not very good acted .

[@stevem.1853]

@@oenader I've heard that Winona Ryder was going to play the part of Mary but was unable to do it because there was a scheduling conflict with another movie.

[@fbksfrank4]

It closed it out very well!

[@carlogarcia6223]

I love how you go into these old movies blind , there is an element there because I already watched it . The fact that you didn’t know Al Pacino was in the movie was priceless, it was genuine and i enjoyed it .

[@stephaniethurmer5370]

Fantastic movie and score. Part of this movie are 100 correct and others "interpretations" As a former photographer, I photographed a few weddings for one family where dad had "all the power." I made damn sure, every image I took was approved before the wedding and every image was 100 percent the best quality I ever did. No, I cannot say the name of the family!!! May I ask what province you are in and if Ontario how far north. I used to have distant relatives who lied there and have been as for north as Moose Factory Island and as far south as you can go. I love it!!!

[@gawainethefirst]

The song at the wedding is called Che La Luna Mezzo Mare. It’s often popular at Italian weddings due to the somewhat risqué nature and innuendo of the lyrics. There are translations available on KZbin.

[@paulp9274]

Fun fact: the effects guys on the set were actually worried about James Caan being injured in the scene where Sonny is assassinated, because they had never put that many squibs on an actor before.

[@jarredwilkinson4666]

A classic. Not just In The story telling but the way it was shot. Mike going from returning war hero outside the family business to becoming the true heir. Can’t wait for you to watch the second film.

[@katwebbxo]

I was obsessed with The Godfather movies growing up lol. Even read the book in high school which was actually really helpful with some confusing parts. I love that the cat at the beginning wasn't planned and was a stray they found on set. 💖 Your cat is so cute! Also, I never liked the horse scene as animal lover but I get it. Poor thing. The tomatoes comment killed me lmao. Btw I love the Soundgarden shirt! The stick shirt isn't bad either lol.

[@cvlcvl190]

Brando's other memorable roles are "A Streetcar Named Desire", "On the Waterfront", & "Apocalypse Now" (also with Coppola).

[@stuntmonkey00]

The brilliant thing about the opening wedding is watching it from Barzini's point of view. He sees all of the pain points that he will take advantage of in the coming years: that Sonny is impulsive and irresponsible, that Fredo isn't taken seriously and lacks self control, that Paulie is easily impressed and swayed by money, that Clemenza is very loyal to the family but Tesio is cooler and doesn't let his guard down, and that Carlo, even though he is marrying into the family, is still an outsider.

[@honkenbonker]

"He died among the tomatoes, like a true Italian." Goddamn nearly made me spit-take

[@LightMovies]

The horse's head was real. Coppola asked it to a slautherhouse and the actor was not aware of that. So his reaction was genuine.

[@blakeharris58]

25:04 there is a line in the book where Michael says basically, “if she wants to see me again we’ll move things forward, if not, no hard feelings”.

[@RabbyBabu]

Third one isn't actually a bad movie, it's a pretty good movie. But when you compare it to 1 and 2, it just falls of the cliff

[@notmyrealname1730]

To answer your question about the song during the wedding scene, it is being sung in Napolitano (the Italian dialect of the city of Naples and surrounding areas) with a bit of Sicilian mixed in. The verse sung by the old man was innuendo after innuendo after innuendo...

[@calibre97]

You gotta check out The Freshman with Mathew Broderick - it's a take on the whole Godfather universe...even having the movie in it as a movie (film class). I think one of the last movies Brando did. It's amazing.

[@nickgee461]

The Italian spoken at 21:19 and elsewhere is Sicilian dialect. At the baptism, Michael is the baby's sponsor, i.e. he speaks for the baby. Good reaction.

[@ScarlettM]

25:20 - Godfather 1 and 2 are based on a book and for some reason, writers left a lot of scenes in the movie that you can understand only if you read the book. Months had passed since the restaurant. Michael does not have just a bruise, he has a badly broken facial bone that left him with permanent bruise and other problems. He would have it all the time in Italy and will have it fixed after returning to US.

[@clownzzz4837]

Yea, as I remember in the book, the injury made it so he was constantly having to wipe away the snot that ran from his nostril.

[@ScarlettM]

@@clownzzz4837 But he got some drops or an inhaler to temporary stop the nose discharge, when he went to meet girl and her family.

[@clownzzz4837]

@@ScarlettM Yea, I just remember the gross part. 😜

[@phillipribbink6903]

It also disfigured him quite badly. He only ended up getting it fixed once he knew Kay was having a baby (or maybe the baby was already born), she didn't want the kid growing up terrified of his own father. Prior to that he was actually quite fond of that disfigurement, he thought it made him more intimidating. Though he didn't care for the constantly dripping nose.

[@Hexon66]

Too much Johnny Fontaine in the book. It is true in this case, the film is better than the source material.

[@deoncruywagen5191]

Just a note about the scene with the horse's head (I copied this from a page on the 'net, because they are better wordsmiths than me): Perhaps one of the most iconic scenes in movie history, it shows the character Jack Woltz waking up with a severed horse’s head in his bed. While a fake head was used during rehearsals, Coppola swapped it with a real one for the actual shot, meaning the screams you hear from actor John Marley were absolutely genuine. PS. Just so you know- they got the head from a local abattoir.

[@nicholasbielik7156]

The second film only works because of this film though I’d agree that it takes the story to new heights (or depths).

[@adamwarlock1]

Yeah I have to give this one a slight edge, because the second just extends the trajectory that this one sets up (although it does it amazingly well). It's kind of like Simone says about how knowing what a character is going to say can be a sign of good writing: even though nothing that happens in 2 should have been a surprise, that's because it all fits together perfectly.

[@errwhattheflip]

The second one stands on its own. Even if you didn't see the first one, you could still appreciate the second for its amazing qualities.

[@Hexon66]

@@errwhattheflip But it's two different films, with no connective tissue.

[@righteouslydefiant5362]

The scene where Luca Brasi was practicing his lines was actually genuine he was really practicing his lines for the movie and they just happen to put the camera on him and then put the footage in the film and if you're wondering why he was practicing so hard for so few lines because he was not an actor he was a real life Street guy who got a role in the film thanks it his mob connections

[@randomizer1666]

Also his nervousness in the next scene where he is meeting with Vito was genuine because he was starstruck acting beside Marlon Brando... Subtle thing, but the reason they knew he was a spy was two-fold.. He had a reputation for being ruthlessly loyal to Don Vito, which made them question it, but then when he 'makes the deal' with the Turk he either hesitates, or refuses to shake his hand (can't recall which off the top of my head.)

[@bloodymarvelous4790]

It's actually the opposite. Lenny Montana couldn't perform the scene with the Don, he kept stumbling over the dialogue. There wasn't a single useable take among them, so Coppola decided to film him practicing his lines outside and used it as an introduction to the character, and show how intimidating Don Vito is. It's one of those happy accidents, combined with great insight and flexibility by the director.

[@morpho5539]

I love The Godfather. If you’re looking for a new show to watch and enjoyed this, you should watch Peaky Blinders. It’s the best show on Netflix at the moment and they take influence from these movies.

[@Antman-cy8ch]

The first two movies are really about the siblings. Tom included who is considered a brother also. The tension between all the siblings is the key to these movies.

[@theemperormoth5089]

I actually recall a factoid where Marlon Brando was kind of intimidated by Luca Brasi’s actor because he apparently had ties to the ACTUAL mafia and was a pretty serious gangster. But Luca’s actor really did flub his line because he was so star struck to be acting with a star like Marlon Brando.

[@justinhearst]

he was reading his actual lines off the cards in that scene.

[@onemoreminute0543]

The Godfather is the tale of a king (Vito) with three sons. The first (Sonny) inherited his passion and aggression. The second (Fredo) inherited his sweet nature and childlike qualities. The third (Michael) inherited his intelligence, cunning, and coldness

[@garrettodwyer7420]

Part 2i is epic to see how cold and calculating Michael becomes and the schemes he has in motion as well as his father’s back story it’s the best sequel ever made

[@drafezard7315]

Dark Knight, Two Towers and Terminator 2 beg to differ.

[@krwawyrzeznik]

@@drafezard7315 no. Just no. You're wrong.

[@artdeco64]

FYI. The (horse head) producers house is up for sale here in LA. If you have $110,000,000 laying around it could be yours. That house is also the house used in the movie The Jerk staring Steve Martin.

[@serelryk5365]

To me the scariest part of the horse head in Woltz's bed scene, isn't the gore and blood (which is of course scary and gruesome) but the fact that they decapitated the horse, brought it to his room, put it in his bed, and then left, all without him ever waking up. Did anyone in the estate see anything? Hear anything? Either they didn't, which is scary. Or they did, but didn't yell or say anything, which is also scary, because it just further demonstrates that the Corleone family is not to be trifled with.

[@bunpeishiratori5849]

I have always assumed that they found a way to drug Woltz so that he would be completely out of it while the horse was being placed there.

[@jbigger59]

This scene is also a call back to a practice employed by the ORIGINAL assassins, the Hashasins, also known as the Order of Assassins, a middle eastern cult who indoctrinated its members with the liberal use of hashish to convince them of the joys of an afterlife which would be theirs if they followed the orders of their superiors in the cult. The acolytes would thus go to any extreme to prove themselves worthy to their superiors. If a person was identified as an opponent of the group, he would often awaken in the morning with an Assassin's dagger jabbed into the pillow next to his head, their way of saying we don't care how rich or powerful you are, our agents can ALWAYS still get to you undetected. Terrifying.

[@zona999]

Another fantastic film starring both Al Pacino and John Cazale(played his brother Fredo) is Dog Day Afternoon(1975). And a true story.

[@MarkSlavin]

When I was a kid (mid eighties - I would have been around 10), the BBC showed the first two movies over 4 days (half a movie per night) like a mini series. I watched it with my mother, it was amazing.

[@michaelfontanelli2450]

Every Confirmed Death in The Godfather: 1. Khartoum (Horse) 2. Luca Brasi 3. Paulie Gatto 4. Bruno Tattaglia (offscreen) 5. Virgil “Turk” Sollozzo 6. Capt. McCluskey 7. Santino/Sonny Corleone 8. Apollonia Vitelli Corleone 9. Don Vito Corleone 10. Don Victor Stracci 11. Stracci’s Bodyguard 12. Moe Green 13. Don Carmine Cuneo 14. Don Phillip Tattaglia 15. Tattaglia’s Mistress 16. Barzini’s Bodyguard 17. Barzini’s Chauffeur 18. Don Emilio Barzini 19. Salvatore Tessio 20. Carlo Rizzi

[@gregarian4]

Good work!

[@windsorkid7069]

At 58 years of age, I'm amazed that some people have never seen this classic movie that had to be approved by the mob for Coppola to even make it.

[@keithcarawan4076]

The use of darkness and shadows added to the menacing feeling of many scenes. Brilliant!

[@barryfletcher7136]

My wife's family is Italian (her grandparents on both sides were Italians from Sicily who migrated to the USA as adults) and she was a native of New Orleans, which has a large Italian community. She said watching the "Godfather" films was like watching home movies, except for the criminality and violence.

[@calypso4882]

I love the start of this. You have the godfather, Sonny and Tom all with more screentime, at the beginning, than Michael. Then you see the shift and reliase this is the story of the son who believed he didn't want any of this.

[@SPVFilmsLtd]

37:42 - No. Basically what happened is that he deliberately beat up his wife - whom he didn't love anymore - under the orders of a rival mob gang in order to lure Sonny out of hiding so that they could kill him. They knew that when he found out his sister had been beaten, he'd rush to her aid and that's how they ambushed her. He beat her up deliberately to elicit that reaction.

[@Space_Cakes94]

Carlo wasn't ordered to do anything by Barzini. He was humiliated after getting beat up by Sonny and was out for revenge. Enemy of my enemy is what? Carlo WILLINGLY sought out help.

[@k333rl]

the cat that brando is petting in the opening was actually a stray that was running around the lot and ended up clinging to brando.

[@jksgameshelf3378]

In addition to the sequel on this film, you really need to see Coppola’s other masterpiece, “Apocalypse Now” also with Brando and Robert Duvall (and a very young Harrison Ford, just for you Simone). AND, when you DO watch 'Apocalypse Now' you need to watch the documentary on the making of it, "Hearts of Darkness". The making of that film was inSANE. And I highly recommend just watching the original theatrical cut (it's like 'Blade Runner' in that there have been multiple re-releases over the years, and not all really add enough, and some add too much, to make them the definitive experience).

[@andrewhawkins6754]

smells like vict'ry

[@Dacre1000]

And his other masterpiece, The Conversation.

[@jasonremy1627]

The KZbin channel Cinema Tyler has a GREAT series on the making of Apocalypse Now. It's very well done. He's still working on it.

[@shanenolan8252]

The conversation inbetween godfathers was a masterpiece as well

[@lordjimbo2]

6:47 - Glad you caught that. Such a marvelous, simple gesture.

[@Billinois78]

31:50 "You know how naive you sound? Senators and Presidents don't have men killed" "Now who is naive?" I joined George in his laugh.

[@georgesmith6218]

She seriously said this to a drafted soldier

[@Curraghmore]

In the famous horse's head scene, Coppola used a real horse's head from a butcher without telling the actor, so at least some of his shock was genuine. Then in the baptism scene near the end, Connie and Carlo's baby son was actually a girl: the baby was Sofia Coppola, the director's daughter who is an Oscar-nominated film director herself today. She also appears in The Godfather Part III, as Michael's daughter Mary. So she played two different roles in The Godfather trilogy.

[@hanng1242]

35:45 The old Catholic rite of Baptism included the "exsulffation" in which the priest breathed on the person to be Baptized 3 times in the form of the Cross recalling the Holy Spirit. It is actually a minor exorcism. After breathing on the catechumen, the priest then says, "Go forth from him, unclean spirit, and give place to the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete" (but in Latin). 37:05 In the early days of the Church, most people were adult converts to Christianity. The (old) Catholic rite of Baptism includes the dialogue you saw in which the catechumen renounces Satan and professes faith in the Holy Trinity. After child Baptism became common, somebody needed to answer for the child, since the child obviously couldn't answer for himself. This is where the godparents came in. Michael is the godfather of Connie's child, so he is the one who answers - he is not speaking for himself, but for the child - as a religious matter. As a dramatic matter, the scene shows Michael's hypocrisy by intercutting his people killing the heads of the Five Families while Michael says that he renounces Satan and all his works. It can also be seen as a sort of "Baptism" for Michael as well; instead of receiving water and the Holy Spirit to join the Church, Michael orders a massacre of all rivals to join himself inseparably to the mafia. It is one of the best scenes in cinema. As others have written, The Godfather, Part III, isn't a *bad* film - it just isn't as good as the first two. You should watch it if only to get closure on the story of Michael's life.

[@ClichéGuevara-2814]

The word 'Mafia" is never mentioned anywhere in the film. The baby in the baptism scene is Sofia Coppola.

[@PersonManBoy]

The reason why it’s not in the script is because actual mafia members looked over the script to make sure it never appeared because they didn’t want to make Italian Americans look bad right after Joe Colombo started the Italian American civil rights league

[@Gathbard]

The italian in these movies is heavily derived from sicilian dialect and pronounciations. It's not perfect italian, but it gets the job done. Source: I'm italian :P Also Simone: if you watched "You've got mail" so many times, you need to watch "The shop around the corner" too. It's very old, but basically "You've got mail" was the remake...ish.

[@jenniferyorgan4215]

In The Good Old Summertime is the first remake of Shop Around The Corner, it is also good

[@Kasino80]

The shop around the corner is a great movie. Anything with James Stewart is great.

[@AirBuddDwyer]

It's not "imperfect" Italian either. Sicilian its own full, distinct language and is not a some pidgin language, it is older than Standard Italian AND more natural/pure, as Standard Italian has been deliberately engineered at certain points in history to sound distinct from the endemic spoken languages if the people from the regions that make up the modern Italian Republic.

[@unki3259]

the baptism at the end is michaels baptism into the mafia...

[@donrichards271]

One of the few movies almost universally considered a masterpiece. A very short list that also includes part 2. Part 3, unfortunately, can't be included.

[@richarddefortuna2252]

That was the "breath of the Holy Ghost" from the old Baptismal rite, pre-Vatican II, meant to displace the unclean spirit with which we are all born to be replaced by the Holy Ghost itself. It is the first of the exorcisms that make up the rite.