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

[@batmanvsjoker7725]

The most iconic door closing in cinema history

[@1stCainite]

Coppola closes a good door.

[@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

[@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.

[@khj5582]

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

[@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

[@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.

[@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.

[@louielouie22]

Leave the gun, take the cannolis 😂

[@derps0n839]

The cannolis were really that good

[@ralpholson7616]

The line was ad lib.

[@MRHEY]

Cannoli is already plural, no need to add an s

[@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.

[@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

[@robinreiley1828]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@RussellCHall]

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

[@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!

[@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.

[@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

[@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.

[@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.

[@bobcobb3654]

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

[@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!

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@TheBlueDragon86]

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

[@JamesVSCinema]

Definitely did!!

[@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

[@jpiccone1]

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

[@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.

[@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!

[@cristinawilligs]

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

[@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!

[@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.

[@voodoolilium]

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!

[@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!

[@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.

[@kyleandrewhopper]

You ought to go straight into Part 2!

[@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.

[@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."

[@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.

[@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!

[@SC-gp7kt]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@nrrork]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@YellowBunny]

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

[@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! ❤

[@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

[@duder4480]

The Godfather is a movie for people that love movies.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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).

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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!

[@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.

[@sntxrrr]

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

[@JamesVSCinema]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@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!

[@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.

[@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.

[@chaost4544]

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

[@Rob-eo5ql]

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

[@averydecloedt7786]

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

[@konowd]

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

[@gerhardadler3418]

The sicily shots somehow remind me of "Jean de Florette" with Gerard Depardieu. If you ever want to check out another foreign movie, think about this one. It is not that well known, but it is amazing.

[@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.

[@doctor8342]

24:49 A lot of this beating is real. Gianni Russo had actually hit Talia Shire (Coppola's real life sister) during filming and treated some of the people on set like shit, James Caan was told to really beat the shit out of him and he did...

[@bernardsalvatore1929]

I don't know if you caught it but in the scene where Michael and Enzo are standing in front of the hospital and the enemy car pulls up, after they pull away and Enzo is shakily trying to smoke a cigarette and light his lighter, Michael grabs the lighter and lights it for him!! If you notice Michael looks down at his own hands and notices that they are NOT shaking!!! A very subtle yet key moment in Michael's psyche!! FROM the moment he found out about his father's assassination attempt, he was mentally preparing getting himself ready for moving into the business!! Kind of like getting yourself mentally ready to go into battle, which he was familiar with!! Just wondering if you caught that subtle little moment!??

[@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.

[@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

[@vaughnschmidt516]

39:34 That's an interesting take. I always took their relationship as the opposite...This is my youngest boy, a war hero, not a hot head like Sonny, not a dimwit like Fredo. This one can be somebody. A politician, a lawyer, etc....Get out of the family business and become a decent person. Almost like he wanted better for him than a life of crime. Michael just realized (through his military training) that it was time for him to man up. He wasn't the oldest brother, but he WAS the big brother.

[@voodoolilium]

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.

[@15blackshirt]

Lead actor Marlon Brando reunited with director Francis Ford Copolla in Apocalypse Now and won an Academy Award for his portrayal of "Don" Vito Corleone. The actress playing Connie is the same actress who played Adrian in the Rocky films. Sonny is played by the late James Caan, who's also in Rollerball, Misery, Eraser, and That's My Boy

[@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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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. ❤

[@maduross]

Vito wanted Michael to become a senator or president. He kept him out of the family business because he wanted a better life for him. Watch the scene where he predicts the assassination plot again. Can't wait for part 2!

[@1805movie]

You should watch the mini series _The Offer_ . It's about the making of _The Godfather_ , and the trials and tribulations producer Al Ruddy had to go through in order to get the film made. -Coppola constantly butted heads with Paramount. -They (the producers) thought Brando was "box office poison". -They didn't want Al Pacino as Michael because he was an unknown stage actor at the time, and didn't have that "leading man charisma". -The real life mafia had issues with the story in general, and threatened to shut down production.

[@sherylsmallwood-valdivia5375]

Marlon Brandon 😂. I love the realness, James!

[@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

[@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 😂

[@Jared_Wignall]

This is a true masterpiece and it made household names out of Al Pacino, Robert Duvall and James Caan. While the latter two had done various work on film and television, The Godfather made them big stars and Al Pacino was probably the biggest star to benefit from this film since he primarily did theater work and had only a few films under his belt before doing The Godfather and of course Marlon Brando’s career was revived thanks to this film. It’s awesome to see you watch this film James, I hope you’re doing well. Please take care and have a great weekend!

[@jlmain5777]

The Brando movie you want to watch is “On the Waterfront.” And “Streetcar Named Desire” which he also played on Broadway and made him a star.

[@88wildcat]

Fair warning though, while On the Waterfront is a must watch, A Streetcar Named Desire, while filled with great performances, is a very depressing movie with absolutely no likable main characters in it whatsoever. I have tried to watch it in its entirety multiple times and have never been able to make it all the way through. It just takes too much focus for me to keep from throwing a lamp through my TV, especially at the character played by Vivian Leigh, to be worth the effort for me.

[@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.

[@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!

[@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

[@colinbanning9416]

The Undertakers tiny arc is spectacular. You open the film, with arguably the best opening line in all of cinema, get to be the centrepiece of the scene the establishes the titular character, then you absolutely fuck off until the all is lost moment, where doing your job really really well is considered repayment for having two boys beaten mercilessly. What a hero.😢

[@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."

[@georgeprchal3924]

If he is so much as struck by a bolt of lightning then that I do not forgive and I'm going to blame some of the people in this room.