Filmmaker reacts to The Godfather (1972) for the FIRST TIME!

[@batmanvsjoker7725]

The most iconic door closing in cinema history

[@hellopaulie]

Micheal shut Kay out of the business. Slam.

[@AlecSmith-jk5mb]

That last scene is amazing. The acting between Keaton and Pacino, and then the iconic door closing. Wow.

[@SarGan_NL]

Best end scene ever!

[@BUKUDI]

@@batmanvsjoker7725 Yea but also its the most iconic door closing *on* cinema history. Cause if we're being realistic this was the last real piece of cinema

[@nevrogers8198]

People overlook Diane Keaton in this movie. She brilliantly plays that "relief" when Michael tells her what she wants to hear, despite the fact that she clearly doesn't fully believe him, and shows that as the door closes. "This is the business we have chosen." (It isn't a spoiler if nobody tells James yet 😉)

[@GeraldH-ln4dv]

The final scene in the movie with the door being closed as seen from Kay's perspective as she looks into the room as Michael is receiving obeisance as a Godfather and then flipping immediately to the other direction and Kay's face as it closes is a maybe 30 second masterclass in framing and silent storytelling using it. When I saw that ending for the first time, I was just gobsmacked at how simple and yet deep that ending was.

[@BigMike246]

What?! James, you've never seen this? OH MY GOD. I am stopping everything to watch your reaction.

[@JamesVSCinema]

Ayyyy enjoy Big Mike!

[@mrfunnyperson100]

You’re my favorite reactor, I love seeing how you come at things from a different perspective and that you’re not afraid to do lesser known or older movies. You should try On the Waterfront, it’s the role that made Marlon Brando a star.

[@felixd.4150]

Younger generation has more stuff to cover

[@likearollingstone007]

I have a hard time believing this…

[@stsolomon618]

No way, one of the greatest films of all time. Godfather is more than a mafia film, it's a film about family as well.

[@JamesVSCinema]

Yeah I’d say it’s a pretty big part hahaha

[@davidcase8635]

​@@JamesVSCinema The Sopranos is the G.O.A.T. compared to Breaking Bad!

[@MamadNobari]

Eh, It insists upon itself.

[@BUKUDI]

​@@BennyBlancoNLfacts the whole premise is nonsense. Some of the characters though just feel so spot on & realistic. Boardwalk Empire was thr goat & doesnt get mentioned nearly as much for some reason

[@davidcase8635]

@@MamadNobari Ha! Peter Griffin reference.

[@Curraghmore]

The baby in the baptism scene that was supposed to be a boy was actually a girl, it was Sofia Coppola, the director's daughter in her first film role. Today an Oscar-nominated film director in her own right.

[@valco8371]

the audition for that role must have been crazy

[@TheGavrael]

Also the worst part of Godfather III, but she's better now.

[@konowd]

Friend of mine once drove by a theater and saw this double bill: Godfather III Not Without My Daughter

[@konowd]

I think that segment came together in the editing room, the editor was trying to make it more interesting over the priest speaking

[@lmariej3858]

As a film and theatre lover/ graduate. I didn’t see this film until 4 years ago and it blew my mind. It’s not just a mobster flick- it’s art.

[@JamesVSCinema]

I agree! Hahaha, there’s a lot of people who are on similar boats!

[@lmariej3858]

@@JamesVSCinemaI know right?! My grandparents and parents kept telling me to watch it and I was so hipster at the time I refused. Holy crap, I loved it. Cheers to 2nd one!

[@konowd]

Coppola raised it to the level of art. Without him it could have been another forgotten seventies gangster flick that came and went. It’s a good novel, but in the wrong hands the movie wouldn’t be special.

[@khj5582]

Finally someone who mentions the sound design. It's surprising how well crafted every sound effect in this movie is.

[@BillsRule250]

One of the many, many thing that makes this a masterpiece is the pacing of this film. The conversations that are had and the way it’s shot makes it feel like you’re watching real life. You’re a silent member of the family watching everything happen

[@louielouie22]

Leave the gun, take the cannolis 😂

[@derps0n839]

The cannolis were really that good

[@ralpholson7616]

The line was ad lib.

[@moisesBTW]

in the scene with the baker at the hospital, they emphasized that enzo was shaking. but when michael lit his cigarette, he wasnt shaking at all, and that flipped a switch in his head

[@personalsigh]

The book explains this scene much better

[@andreasmastorakis9184]

​@@personalsigh Really? The book that has infinite time to expand a scene explained this better? Shut up man

[@Greymange]

Tbh, that's what I'd expect from a military guy which is what Michael was. Il

[@krautgazer]

@@personalsigh I think it was conveyed pretty damn well in the movie. Very easy to understand if you're paying attention. Perfect example of "show, don't tell". It would be laughable and unnecessary to have Michael narrating his thoughts and saying: "at that moment, I realized I wasn't shaking. I was more than ready to enter my father's business!".

[@personalsigh]

@@krautgazer oh thank you so much for explaining it to me. Now I fully understand the scene in all its genius. For the first time in 30 years I can truly experience the masterpiece that is The Godfather.

[@RussellCHall]

"Look how they massacred my boy" gets me every time. RIP James Caan

[@robinreiley1828]

The scene where Don Corleone dies, playing with his Grandson in his vegetable garden is beautiful

[@bbb462cid]

Enzo the baker is the most courageous and badass character in these films. Doesn't ask about the risk and doesn't care. Asks how to help. Does it without complaining. Did it out of friendship and respect. Knew what could happen. Enzo's family had a really nice Christmas that year, and for many years to come. His nickname must have been Enzo Big Balls.

[@zegh8578]

I love Enzo the baker! My younger brother actually had to make a friend of his pull an Enzo, not with guns, but with hammers, and yes, a slow passing car, that drove away. The friend did not only shake afterwards, but soiled himself, my brother let him shower, and gave him a pair of his pants.

[@udonsei5216]

Enzo remains devoted to the Corleone family throughout his life, and in fact was the one who made the cake celebrating Michael's being honored with the Order of St Sebastian in the infamous third film.

[@everyonelovesmajima]

And what’s even better is he can make pie.

[@michaelinlofi]

What makes him so admirable is the fact that he's clearly terrified (his hands are shaking after the car drives past) but he still does it for the Don. That's bravery

[@PackPack702]

I love the moment outside the hospital with Enzo when Michael comforts him and then realizes his hand isn't shaking like a normal person's should.

[@botz77]

Remember that Michael is a veteran. He probably had killed people in battle before, but never murdered outright. He has military training though and is respected by his soldiers. It all makes sense that he would be the one to lead the family even though it was the last thing he or his father wanted for him.

[@genghispecan]

Right. They only allude to it in the film but his character was a highly decorated USMC Officer that fought throughout the Pacific Campaign.

[@jonisilk]

@@genghispecan "They were killing my friends".

[@johannesvalterdivizzini1523]

He won the Navy Cross for outstanding courage under fire; you wouldn't have won such a prestigious award (just one below the Medal of Honor) in the Pacific campaign in the USMC without being a very outstanding Marine.

[@nevrogers8198]

He alludes to it himself... He checks himself and realises he's steady as a rock outside the hospital while Enzo is a quivering wreck.

[@placebo5466]

I always like the detail of making Michael a Marine who just got back from the war. I don't think they ever say what he did over there but, the Marines saw some crazy shit in the Pacific. His family probably still saw him as Michael their brother/son instead of the cold killer Marine he had to become. I think that's the brutality you're seeing behind his eyes. He was a Captain which means he led men into combat, that's where the calculating tactics come from. This is all just me reading into it but I think it adds so much weight and makes him even more terrifying.

[@gazoontight]

And there's a Navy Cross on his uniform. That's awarded to recognize extraordinary heroism in combat. Michael saw some stuff.

[@bobcobb3654]

“We’re not murderers, despite what this undertaker says” is one of the best “breaking the tension” lines.

[@drewalejandromontoya]

No one ever notices Michael's hand is solid as a rock when he helps the baker light his cigarette infront of the hospital. He looks at his hand and realizes he isn't scared. His arc has begun!

[@Staceysprobablycrying]

I heard that James Caan improvised breaking the camera and then throwing the money down. It’s so hotheaded and such a Sonny move and i find it incredible that he immediately conjured up something so iconic

[@mikemoore4033]

The singer in this who gets the part in a movie via “unorthodox” means, was allegedly based on old blue eyes, Sinatra. I read the book this was based on fifty years ago (damn I am old). It’s worth a read.

[@GeraldH-ln4dv]

I read it many years ago as well in the mid-70's. As I recall, doesn't it open up with a scene with Carlo abusing Connie? Or did I imagine it?

[@gilmour73]

@@GeraldH-ln4dv I believe it starts with a chapter about how massive Sonny's hog is. And how the bridesmaid he is banging in the movie is ashamed because one that big is all she can feel. A bit of a different tone than the movie haha

[@nunyabusiness4983]

James: Calls Marlon Brando an OG actor. Also James: Calls him Marlon Brandon.

[@Th3Downz]

I don't get it.. Brandon Marlo is an OG actor

[@ramudon2428]

​@@Th3Downzthe static highlighted here is between the reverence in calling him an "OG actor" and the flippant act of getting his name wrong.

[@Th3Downz]

@@ramudon2428 okay, I'm sorry

[@mathnaul9984]

He just meant "OG" as in "old school".

[@ramudon2428]

@@mathnaul9984 I know.

[@domingocurbelomorales8635]

For Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando), Francis Ford Coppola 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.

[@donna25871]

Brando did that in his ‘audition’. Coppola has talked about it in an interview he did. Brando was a genius who made it look easy.

[@captainkangaroo4301]

Brando was really the standard by whom other American actors measured their skills. On The Waterfront and A Streetcar Named Desire showed Brando at the height of his physical and technical abilities. Hackman, Duvall, Hoffman, Caan, et al considered him the greatest American actor.

[@will5896]

Because of this movie, oranges have become a symbol of death in cinema (oranges spill in the first attempt to take out the Don, the Don dies with an orange slice in his mouth). In Season 5 of Breaking Bad, when Walter goes back to his house to get the ricin and his old neighbor sees him, she spills oranges, emphasizing that he is surrounded by death.

[@a3gill]

Michael's superpower is convincing everyone he forgot until they forget. That's right when they get dusted. That dude remembers every slight with a veiled snarl!

[@tallyp.7643]

I love some of the analysis vids I've seen about this film (there are SO many), but it struck me, too, that what he's so good at is making his marks think they're invincible and nothing's going to happen to them, and then it does. Michael was an expert at making people take their guard down. He and Vito were excellent at playing the long game.

[@jjh5374]

No big deal, just James finally getting around to one of cinema’s finest masterpieces. Envious that you’re getting to watch this, and Part 2, for the first time. What a treat you’re in for.

[@shinrugal]

Most first time viewers don't realize that Michael spends the first part of the movie lying to himself about his nature. That scene with Kay at the wedding where he says "that's my family, Kay. It's not me." Is more him telling himself that than her.

[@BUKUDI]

Ah another cringe "most people ... but I'm smart comment" lmfao The fact you've talked to most people on the planet whove seen this & ascertained their understanding of it is impressive in its own right

[@shinrugal]

@BUKUDI Well I haven't talked to most of the world's population. I was going on the fact that most reactors didn't pick up on it. I just assumed that it was specifically implied what i meant given the context and place of my post.

[@errwhattheflip]

@@BUKUDI Except that most people don't actually get that lmao.

[@xombiekat13]

This is one of those rare films you can watch 20 times and get new stuff every time. And has there ever been a more quotable movie?

[@GeraldH-ln4dv]

Many reactors also completely miss a little bit of the scene with him and the baker on the steps after they scare off the hitmen. The baker's hand is shaking so much that Michael has to light his cigarette. Then Michael looks down at his hand and closes the lighter and sees that his hand is not shaking at all. It's silent and subtle, but it gives us an instant look into Michael's character.He is cool and steady as a rock in the most stressful situations.

[@pscar1]

The guy who played Luca Brasi was a real life made man

[@richardbustamante8795]

And a wrestler

[@heldinahtmlhell]

Who couldn't deliver his lines lol. So Coppola wrote around that fact and used it in the film. It's amazing how improvisational Coppola was on these two films, and how well it all came out. For example, he had to completely rewrite 2, at the last minute, and create the character of Pentangeli, as the the actor who played Clemenza wasn't available.

[@TheBlueDragon86]

You’ve never seen this one, bro! Damn, you’re gonna love it! Can’t wait to see the reaction

[@JamesVSCinema]

Definitely did!!

[@frozen1762]

The thing that is most impressive to me is that Brando was born in 1924, so he was just 47/48 yo when he played this role of an old man.

[@mouseshadow5828]

One of my favorite moments of the trilogy is when Michael is at the hospital waiting for someone to come to kill his father and Enzo the baker shows up. Having been around mafiosa his entire life, Michael knows in a couple seconds, just by the way he carries himself, that Enzo isn't one of them; really clever detail(not in this edit; see Patreon).

[@clarkness77]

He realizes he's not shaken cuz of his firm grip on the lighter. It's like the first moment he realizes he's meant for the mob life

[@88wildcat]

Man, I read that as "see Patton" and thought what does Patton have to do with this film?

[@jonforbes9792]

@@88wildcat I know your comment was a joke, but I can't pass up this opportunity to mention that Coppola co-wrote the screenplay for Patton. So, the two films have a lot in common!

[@MDBowron]

The baby being baptized near the end is actually Sofia Coppola, the director's daughter, his sister Talia shire played Connie Corleone and his dad conducted the music. The film itself was a family business.

[@cristinawilligs]

"You insult my intelligence" that phrase i had been using since i am 18 years old, this movie is older than me

[@tallyp.7643]

I love the scene that made that line. I love how Michael slowly tells what just happened that morning and lists the dead, and you just see that change come over Carlos' face, that he knows there's no way to lie or avoid what's coming any longer.

[@BertonMelch]

Love that he’s just petting his cat 🐈 while giving that opening monologue 😂❤

[@shinrugal]

That cat just wandered on the set and Brando played with it on Instinct.

[@BertonMelch]

@@shinrugal 🤘🏻😹

[@RobwLPOC]

​@@shinrugalthat's right! The cat belong to the people who owned the house that they were filming in and it just jumped on his lap, Marlon being the absolute Pro he was just went with it and started patting the cat

[@robinreiley1828]

Mario Puzo, who wrote the novel "The Godfather" , in an interview about his inspirations for the book ,told the interviewer that he derived the character of Don Corleone, from his Mother, and the Old Italian Grandmothers in his neighborhood growing up. How they were always behind the scenes pulling the strings. He said that the Toughest Hoodlums in his neighborhood, quaked in Fear of these Old Women!

[@zbennalley]

I always call the change in Michael as the Train Scene. The moment he takes in the table conversation with a gun, does he shoot, or doesn't he? He's nervous, he's calculating, he's divided, but is he divided because he's a good man about to do a bad thing or is he a bad man fighting to be good. It always gets me.

[@billolsen4360]

This was a very innovative film at the time, especially the extreme darkness of most scenes and beauty of skin tones, as you noted. Bonnie and Clyde's cinematography was similar. 19:30 What Sonny, Tom, Tessio and Clemenza neglected to remember was Michael's success as a combat Marine officer in WWII. He's up to the job. 22:23 This section of the film with the piano, newspaper photos & the mafia soldiers living in secret during the street war was directed by a young kid named George Lucas.

[@Alchemistic88]

20:30 actually speaking of games, there is a great 'GTA', Red Dead style game that came out for the PS2 and PS3 called The Godfather (or if you search "The Don's Edition") and it was genuinely very fun to play. Your character is one of Don Corleone's guys who works his way up from unknown to becoming the Don of NYC, and your story is behind-the-scenes of the first movie. For example, you're the one who plants the gun behind the toilet, and you take part in the final assassinations etc. But it's also a free roam game, so you can take over establishments or just drive nice vintage cars, do side missions... I wish they'd make a new version of it.

[@ah149a]

And you are the one to plant the horses head in the bed!

[@BillyBong]

Love that game.

[@johntaylor7029]

Coppola has said he put the scene with the recipe in just in case of the movie failed, there'd be something useful in it. Also that the author of the book corrected him saying, "Don't use browning the sausage, gangsters FRY, they don't brown."

[@MrAitraining]

Sounds like you heard his director commentary over the film. It's my fav movie commentary of all time. Francis really tells you everything in it. Every GF fan should hear it!

[@transformersrevenge9]

I just watched the trilogy recently for the first time. It was quite a ride, and while I like his Apocalypse Now and The Conversation more, Coppola deserves his place in the film canon for delivering so many masterpieces. Also, might be an old bit of Trivia, But Fredo's actor John Cazale has only ever been in 5 movies, and all of them were best picture nominees (Two Godfathers, the conversation, Deer Hunter and Dog Day Afternoon). You could say that as an actor, he has one of the few flawless track records.

[@jpiccone1]

The music in the baptism scene is Bach - where it turns dark is te Passacaglia in c minor played very slowly.

[@carlazaz1690]

Notice also the posture of Michael in every important scene -- sitting in a chair. Every scene except one. Michael is the good son. He wants nothing to do with the family business. But it is at the hospital when he sees the guards are gone and he says to Vito, "Pop, I'm with you now." It's at that point that Michael descends into Hell.

[@liliumastrale]

I can't remember the actual number, but I remember my intro to film teacher telling us how they used TONS of different doors to find just the right sound for that final door close. Like over 100 iirc. The care and focus and level of detail they gave to the sounds of this movie is just insane.

[@williamdavis8076]

I didn’t know that, that’s super interesting!

[@space_1073]

I still don't understand how most people prefer part 2, this one is the best imo.

[@88wildcat]

Finally someone in KZbin reactionland agrees with me. Don't get me wrong part 2 is also a great film but it would have made a better two great films. All the jumping back and forth between the two plot lines diminishes the overall experience of the film with me. I would have much rather they made one complete movie with the young Vito plotline and another complete movie with the post part 1 Michael plotline than squish them both together into one movie.

[@matthewbecker964]

Godfather 2 is better, more profound, more dramatic, more haunting. The ending, where he kills Fredo has never been topped as a statement of complete dissolution. The acting between Fredo and micheal who in reality were close friends is the greatest ever seen on film.

[@samanthanickson6478]

you gotta go with the OG as best. there could be no part2 without the foundation laid by the first. and it was laid so brilliantly. the possibility of the world building was so vast. the original was simply amazing. 🤌🏼💯

[@felixd.4150]

You've obviously never had to ruminate on having to have your brother killed because he went against the family AGAIN

[@joeshoe6184]

Both are stone cold classics, I really like the scenes of a young Don and the plot line in Cuba from Part 2.

[@seamusburke639]

"My wife exploded in the car." I mean...yeah! That's literally what happened.

[@edgarcardenas1777]

Mmkay?

[@bornyesterday21]

"my wife and lovely car."

[@Agnes-f4y]

This film transcends decades and culture. No matter at what point in you life you watch, it hits all the emotional buttons. Fabulous story telling! The scene with Michael and his father in the garden is so moving, the acting between them is so natural. Brando also in the garden with Michael jr is a mix of joy and deep sadness. What an Actor he was.

[@bigredtlc1828]

The cat in the first scene was a stray that happened on the set and Brando just started playing with it in character. Looks so natural and just part of the scene. The baby being baptized at the end is Sophia Coppola, director's daughter, who would go on to be a pretty good director in her own right. Amazing film. DP Gordon Willis did an amazing job with the lighting and shots. An American classic!

[@RobwLPOC]

I knew the cat wasn't part of the film, Marlon Brando just brilliantly went with it when it jumped up on his lap. It said the cat belonged to the people who owned the house they were filming in In the thing I read, it didn't say it was a stray. It just shows why Marlon Brando is one of the absolute Giants of acting in cinema. The way he just continues the conversation while casually patting the cat show the relax nature of Don Corleone and how much of a casual conversation it was to him considering what they were discussing.

[@StoriesThatSuck-pw1vi]

I love how, near the beginning, when Tommy is being shouted at by the studio head, Duvall is just shoveling that food into his mouth as quickly as he can. Like he doesn't know when he'll get a chance to eat again so he wants to get as much as he can before he gets kicked out of the house.

[@vincentsaia6545]

Tom was hardly a stray dog. He and the Godfather had a special relationship as they were both orphans.

[@johnmavroudis2054]

Oct. 3, 1951. THAT is the date Sonny got killed at the toll booth. How do we know that? Because the radio is playing the GIants vs. the Dodgers in an epic playoff game where the Giants were trailing in the 9th... and Bobby Thomson hit a 3-run home run to lead the Giants into the World Series. That epic home run's name: "THE SHOT HEARD 'ROUND THE WORLD." ... perfect by Coppola.

[@FutureExitsMedia]

That's amazing. The level of detail in this film is unbelievable.

[@rosanajaquez3274]

James, excellent, excellent reaction to one of my favorite films ever! You’re right to state that it is dense film and one, IMO, that delves deeply into family, honor, fear and the ultimate corruption of the American dream. I heard FFC speak at a film festival in the 90’s where he spoke of the challenges in making this movie and his personal hesitation to make a film that he thought (at the time) might disparage his heritage. He used a phrase that I have used to describe it ever since - an operatic tragedy. Can’t wait to see you react to part 2 filmed in my native Dominican Republic! ❤

[@kyleandrewhopper]

You ought to go straight into Part 2!

[@ritarene2965]

If you go back and watch the hospital "guard" scene: It was mentioned in the book (and the audiobook is free on KZbin), that Michael was intrigued at how steady his own hands were. Contrast that to his companion. This is apparently where he finds that coldness at his core.

[@binkytube]

I'm back bingeing your incredible channel! So glad you pointed out the sound and music in this film. Nino Rota is one of my favourite film composers. Kudos!

[@dwightstewart4900]

Fun fact: The Godfather won every single Academy Award/Oscar that year, with one exception... best supporting actor. Al Pacino got Robbed!!!

[@Wired4Life2]

Nope, _The Godfather_ almost got smothered by _Cabaret’s_ haul of 8 wins, including Bob Fosse beating Francis Ford Coppola in Best Director. _The Godfather_ only won Best Picture, Actor, and Adapted Screenplay.

[@richardward4243]

The stone killer you saw in the restaurant scene freaks many people out, but look back to what Michael was wearing in the opening scenes… The Uniform Of His Country. Then pair with how well he led the Baker in a life or death situation when hitmen showed at the hospital to kill his Pops. Finally recall what the officers said to Police Capt about Michael "he's a war hero" - because he was a valor decorated combat veteran of WWII. Plus trained in killing by Uncle Sam to go fight those fights. It adds up to Michael a) being 100% his fathers son and b) acclimated to killing. And D) acclimated in ways his brothers, who hadn't gone to nation state war couldn't understand - recall Sonny mocked him with "You'll get blood all over your expensive shoes" or some such silliness. As if Michael was still a "niave" about the world college kid. --- Anyway that's my observations about Michael and violence.

[@MrTJPAS]

Pointing this out makes me think even more about the line from Michael's future wife when she said "Senators and Presidents don't have men killed"

[@gazoontight]

Michael ears a Navy Cross on his uniform - awarded for extraordinary heroism in combat. Michael has seen and done some things.

[@matthewcole4753]

You're in for a wild show! This is my grandpa's favorite movie. He says that the world looked like this when he was a kid. 100% accurate to the 1940's. Also want to add that Vito's death was honestly probably the best death he could have hoped for. With the one innocent joy of his life, his grandson, on a beautiful day in his garden in his own backyard. Finally, oranges are a forboding symbol throughout the movie, if you rewatch look at the crucial moments and you will see a bowl or bundle of oranges.

[@jahrolo]

I used to read a lot. So when I was 18, I stumbled over "The Godfather" by Mario Puzo in my dads bookshelf. Read it 3 times by now (I´m 40) and watched the movie countless times - it´s the first movie where I can say it matches the book in every single facette. Just a masterpiece

[@isaiahpavia-cruz678]

“What did Tom Hagen do for Vito Corleone?” -Saul Goodman, to Walter when he first wanted in on the Blue

[@seanmonahan]

13:57 When Michael and Kay are walking down the sidewalk, and the camera is tracking them, they pass by the newsstand. The newsstand passes between them and the camera. When they come out the other side, Michael's life is changed forever.

[@nrrork]

This film was mostly cast with stage actors, so if certain scenes feel more like a play, there's your reason.

[@sherigrow6480]

FWIW, the book was such a huge bestseller, so many people had read it before seeing the movie so we carried that perspective. Same with Jaws a couple years later, the book was so widely read before the movie came out.

[@RobertDPore]

22:03 Michael really said, "I'm gonna spill all your precious bodily fluids!"

[@onsenkuma1979]

Great to watch your reaction. This is my favourite film of all time. I've seen it (and Godfather II) more times than I can recall since maybe '74, and I never tire of it.

[@Rastafaustian]

Fabrizio running away because he's afraid of Apollonia's driving 🤣 That's so funny.

[@Rob-eo5ql]

The wedding reception introduces the characters and setting up the story: brilliant

[@YellowBunny]

0:31 The Latin plural of magnum opus is magna opera, in English magnum opuses is also used.

[@BigMike246]

A few friends and I are major fans. There were a couple times we watched the movie and paused it to make spaghetti using Clamenza's recipe. Another friend of mine knows every line in the movie and made a one man theater experience called "The Godfather Workout." I don't think I've ever laughed so hard at a theater show since. Look it up. There are some sequences on youtube.

[@drgoremd]

Seriously? I saw The Godfather Workout about 15 years ago in Los Angeles. It was awesome. I loved it. Congrats to your friend.

[@BigMike246]

@@drgoremd It ruined his body. You saw the show and the shit he did in it. Funny, wasn't it?

[@drgoremd]

@@BigMike246 Yes, it was amazing. I could totally see why it took a toll on his body.

[@SC-gp7kt]

Yes Amadeus also, Gladiator, Apocalypto, 12 Angry Men, Ben Hur, BTTF.....all masterpieces in their own right.

[@nascreates3392]

There is such greatness in just the opening scene. The contact of him listening for playing so tenderly with the care-free kitten in his lap, using one hand. Taking Tom in is more noble than having just another soldier for his army. The Godfather (Brando) is all about family and "helping" the underdog. It becomes a lil more clear in the second one, when we learn the Godfather's origin story. It's not explicitly stated, but you can connect the dots.

[@ArberZH_]

There is something really enjoyable watching someone that can appriciate the different parts that go into making a film like this. It is really awesome to get to watch these movies "through" your eyes, as if i/we are watching it again for the first time along you. Keep up the great vids my guy. A side note: would love to see you dive into Peaky Blinders, not just for the story, but also the cinematography.

[@matthewhearn9910]

There was an Open World GTA/RDR style licensed Godfather game back in the 2000s, where you play your way up in the Corleone organization and it kicked ass.

[@bhikku23]

The use of long shots and oners in this film reminds me that Coppola, Spielberg, and Lucas were all in film school at about the same time, and all shared a vision of stepping away from the highly stylized productions that characterized Hollywood at the time, wanting to create a feeling of realism and authenticity, wanting to make the audience feel transported, like they were watching real events play out. I think that also ties in with the sound design, which as James noted was unusual for its time even though it would be pretty unremarkable today (a testament to how influential these filmmakers became).

[@Sgt_Glory]

From this moment on, every time I watch The Godfather (which is about once a year) I will _not_ be able to resist saying "My wife just exploded." at the scene where Michael comes back to Kay 😂

[@sntxrrr]

What a nice surprise on this channel, didn't expect it and fully enjoyed it!

[@JamesVSCinema]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@duder4480]

The Godfather is a movie for people that love movies.

[@PrimeSportsNetwork]

One of Brando's later films that you would get a kick out of is 'The Freshman' with Matthew Broderick. Awesome take and with good humor on the Brando/Godfather role. BTW: Amadeus is my all-time favorite, so hearing you give it such high praise... 👏

[@RobwLPOC]

The Freshman was great and really funny I'm surprised it doesn't get more love.

[@AddSerious]

in the early 2000s I applied to film school, the Dean of the school was walking me around the campus, he introduced me to a teacher of the school. He said, we are really lucky to have him, he did work on The Godfather, You see he is packing up cameras, Robert Redford called him about working on his next film, when Robert calls... you go. I was like "wait, not only do I have to write a paper about the Godfather, one of the greatest films cinematography ever, but I have to hand that report into the man that did the work?" No pressure

[@Existential_Carousel]

@17:01 I like how the record skipping is saying "tonight" over and over. I definitely think it was intentional. It's so unsettling but also kinda speaking directly to Michael "Tonight is the night it goes down. Tonight is the night your life changes forever."

[@averydecloedt7786]

YES, MY GUY! I'VE NEVER BEEN MORE STOKED FOR A REVIEW IN MY LIFE❤

[@liliumastrale]

I love that you noticed the camerawork almost immediately! I wrote a paper on this movie for an intro to film class years ago and I focused on the camerawork because it stood out to me so much.

[@jameskirschling7887]

James, you are the first reactor I've seen, and I've seen a few, mention the "air punch." Unfortunately, I noticed that many viewings ago and can't unsee it. I don't know if I'd say Godfather II is a better movie, but it definitely is equal to this movie.

[@chaost4544]

I'm excited you're finally reacting to this classic. Godfather 1 and 2 are near perfect films.

[@tovbyte]

If you think about how this dude played Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon and Justice for All pretty much back to back before and after The Godfather movies, it makes this performance even crazier

[@DIDDLOTIC]

I'm half shocked that you've never seen this but half thankful because that means we get to walk through it with you

[@konowd]

So many great actors became stars from this movie. John Cazale is very sorely missed. RIP

[@ChristopherRobinson-l5v]

I have Godfather 2 as the 2nd greatest movie of all time after Citizen Kane. Pacino cooks so hard. De Niro cooks so hard. Lee Strasberg and John Cazale at their absolute apex. And Michael Gazzo’s Frank Pantangeli almost steals the movie in probably less than 10 minutes of screen time. Flawless film.

[@rabbitandcrow]

GREAT strategy to get a bunch of great movies under your belt before tackling a masterpiece like this. You’ll appreciate it so much more.

[@bwilliams463]

They mention in the book that Wolz was in the habit of using tranquilizers to sleep, which was part of the reason he slept through the transfer of the horse's head (real horse's head, BTW; purchased from a dog food factory). There was a Godfather video game, based on the GTA engine. It let you rise up through the ranks of the Family and be involved in all the major scenes of the story, including planting the horse's head. I played it for a longtime and really enjoyed it; James Caan, Abe Vigoda and even Marlon Brando came back to reprise their roles. Marlon Brando, however, was in declining health and was only able to record one speech for the game. His voice was replaced, but his final recorded lines were left in as an easter egg.

[@ericthered760]

The general time-frame for the two Godfather films (1&2) is approximately 1945 (Michael has returned from fighting in World War II) to the early 1950's, when the family moves its operations to Las Vegas.

[@zegh8578]

The opening locks into Bonasera's face - lets us get to know every movement, tension - the actor is giving his absolute best here _because_ later, after Sonny dies, when the elevator door opens, we are to recognize Bonasera at a glance, and we DO! Thanks to that opening scene, the lock on his face, with the actor showcasing every facial emotion!

[@mikecaetano]

Coppola gave Sterling Hayden one of the most iconic death scenes in cinema. He gave another to James Caan. Coppola directed The Conversation (1974) in between the first two Godfather films. If you like sound design, you'll likely like that film. So check it out when you can.

[@kpmac1]

It's kind of odd that a filmmaker has never seen what many people consider the greatest film of all time.

[@McLir]

Between Godfathers I and II, Coppola made The Conversation. And I would LOVE to watch your response to The Conversation, in that order. It's my favorite of his. And as a fan of sound design, you will recognized that The Conversation excels. And the shot composition is fantastic. Watch Godfather II after The Conversation. Thanks for all your reactions! I don't know how someone who knows so much about film language has such a backlog of classics he hasn't yet seen. But thanks! I get to vicariously enjoy a first viewing, but with someone who knows cinema. Love it!

[@manuelestevez3982]

In the book, Michael has a nice speech about how the number one thing he learned from his father was that he actually took everything personal. Whether it happened to him, his family, or his friends. And nothing ever happens to people who take everything personal

[@bobdonda]

32:10 Brando's last real film was The Score, in 2001. His last movie credit was voice acting an old woman in an animated movie called Big Bug Man. His last role of any kind was reprising his role as Don Vito Corleone in the video game of The Godfather released in 2006 after his death, unfortunately most of his lines recorded weren't usable due to his poor health, and an impersonator completed the role.

[@konowd]

The Godfather was a game changer in so many ways and one of the biggest was the cinematography by Gordon Willis. The light and dark contrast with the wedding is intentional, and the Don is lit dark so you can’t see his eyes. Movies weren’t lit this dark before, and they had to make lighter prints for the drive-ins. They also intentionally didn’t move the camera and had characters move in and out of the frame.

[@wiccantexan]

As good as this film is, it's the rare one where the sequel is even better. "Godfather 2" - can't wait to see you watch that one!

[@doppel.M]

Ohhhhh shtt, can`t remember when was so hyped when i saw a thumbnail reaction of yours

[@emilytrott]

I loved the scene where Clemenza was giving Michael the revolver, and said how proud they'd all been of him for being a war hero. ❤

[@TheHessian123]

This movie's time frame is just at the end of WWII. So 1945 to 1948 or so. Michael Corleone is just returning from his service in the Marine Corps where he was decorated for his service during the war. If you recall in Goodfellas the earliest time frame was in the 1950's.