18 Comments

TY! Al Neri closed the door in Kay’s face, not Michael.

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I was overseas in the military when it was released. It was a first that a military theatre booked something other than a "B film". It was a well attended big deal on base in Wiesbaden, Germany, and refreshing to delve into a piece of American experience amidst a very different culture.

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As of last December, my partner had never seen this, and so when Omicron cancelled our plans at the last minute, we spent Christmas afternoon watching The Godfather.

Her response: “This is even better than people say it is.”

I think you’ve done a really good job of getting at why it has such broad and rich appeal: the classic arc of the narrative, all the details of filmmaking it gets right, and so on. But the one thing that really struck me watching it this time is that the story really _moves_. The pacing is stately and the movie’s not what you’d call fast-paced, but there’s never a dull or unnecessary moment. It never gets bogged down or confusing or messy (not something that can be said about Part II I think, as great as that is), and that’s part of what makes it such an incredibly compelling movie.

My favorite American movie is and always will be Vertigo, but this could easily be number two.

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Thank god Coppola insisted it be Pacino, although I confess to be intrigued by the thought of Dustin Hoffman playing Michael. Brilliant summation Ty on the casting “ Fredo cracks my heart wider with every viewing. Alex Rocco as Moe Greene, John Marley as studio head and horse fancier Jack Woltz, Richard Castellano as cheerful, lethal Clemenza – all indelible and eternal.” I need to re-see Godfather II, my recollection is not being taken with the casting of DiNiro. Any thoughts on that?

Apropos of nothing…I’m reading Palefire, as appropriate for March madness. A friend sent me your 2018 Globe movie column of inspired Nabokovian imitators, a great read! Sorry I forgot to save the link, but I guess others interested can find it buried in the Globe’s archives…

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I saw it on a 10th grade class trip (!) when it first came out. I was impressed as hell with the whole thing, but what really shook me was Michael's dead-calm, cold-blooded demeanor when confronting his brother-in-law about his part in Sonny's murder. Gone was any hint of the easy-going college boy-turned-soldier we met earlier. Just watching Pacino's body language in that scene scared me half-to-death.

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I saw Parts I and II back-to-back in one 6-hour viewing. It was overwhelming! That's the way to get all the connections between the two of them. Fortunately there was an intermission...

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Talk about a timely column: I'm showing the film to my Gangster Film class next week. I would agree that the film is flawless--there is never a moment where my attention lags or I can see any weakness.

I've been reading a bunch of articles that are celebrating the 50th anniversary. The profile of Coppola in GQ is wonderful. https://www.gq.com/story/francis-ford-coppola-50-years-after-the-godfather

As for my favorite scene, it has to be Michael killing Solozzo in the restaurant--the editing, cinematography, acting and sound design all build so beautifully to the moment that changes Michael's life.

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Favorite line(s):

Sal Tessio (Abe Vigoda) “Tom, can you get me off the hook? For old times sake?

Tom (Robert Duvall) : “Can’t do it Sally.”

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Our favorite line from the movie is "Leave the gun, take the cannoli." Hence why our WiFi network is called "Cannolibeatsgun". I rewatched The Godfather and Godfather Part II leading up to Coppola's release of The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone, and I was so glad I did, because I hadn't seen them in a while. I normally can't stand long movies, but I'm always happy to get sucked into The Godfather's captivating story about family, and the American Dream.

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I was 9 when The Godfather was released, so didn’t see it until years later. What I do remember is a conversation I overheard between my Mother and another adult about a parent who took their (likely too young) child to the movies: ‘So, he covers the kid’s eyes when Michael undresses his first wife, but let’s him watch all the violence, no problem.’

…And in that moment, I desperately wanted to see The Godfather. It did not disappoint.

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I saw The Godfather when it was first released, with friends in a theater in Waterville, ME, during my junior year at Colby College. Weirdly it seems, then and now, Waterville was chosen as an "early viewing" theater for many films, including this one. I don't know the exact date. We were all amazed and thrilled by the intensity of the storyline and of the "family values" (yes, family values). Like years earlier when I saw Goldfinger for the first time upon its release and thought "Now there's a GROWNUP movie!", seeing The Godfather made me think "Now there's an adult-sized, American film if ever there was one!" We left the theater, all got into one car, left the parking lot, and an unknown car came barreling toward us on the main road. We all turned out heads and for just a moment, were all sure that the car was going to intentionally drive right into us and kill us all. We didn't stop shaking all evening long.

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It was released in my senior year at Colorado State University, and I was offended by the stereotypes. I told my history prof, Dr. Meyer Nathan, that I was going to protest at that theatre on Prospect St.in Fort Collins, Co.

My feelings softened shortly thereafter and loved the film and its sequels. Pacino is such a great actor with the range to do this as well as Shakespeare.

My favorite scene....the kiss, the kiss...

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I saw it on Washington Street at the Orpheum or maybe the RKO Keith when it first opened. It was packed and behind me were two guys from Italy I think - one translated every line to the other - but I was so engrossed I didn't mind. It was tremendous.

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Great nostalgic review. I saw it when first released and agree the opening line says it all , but 50 years later I still question what those words really stand for.

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I never did see II or III. At the time, the first one was enough for me. The scene I can't get out of my head is the dead horse's head revealed in the bed. I think it hit me so hard because I LOVE horses and rode a great deal in my youth.

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Hi Ty, Thank you thank you for your review and for sending me back once again to measure this movie's greatness. It's one of the few I own. This time, for the first time, I thought about the music - that trumpet that opens the movie and sounds like Taps, which is typically played at funerals and memorials, right? And so begins the American dirge. I should have noticed before that the trumpet does not sound like it does in the opening until Vito Corleone is shot and is falling over the front of the car. I kept thinking of your question -- what is my favorite scene? -- and I cannot for the life of me pinpoint any one scene. But I downloaded The Godfather Waltz and am playing it on my cello to celebrate a great movie.

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