Any Serious Godfather fans out there?

In Godfather III, Sophia Coppola was not good, but it was not that big a factor for me. For me the problem with Godfather III was Al Pacino. In the first two movies Pacino was incredible as Micheal Corleone, but in the third he was just doing his stock Pacino-esque schtick.

 

Yes, in some way, he does not feel like the same character. His hair doesn't help. (It's a bad hair movie for Diane Keaton as well.)

 

I was so addicted to the first two that I didn't mind that much that III was not that good.

Watch the whole trilogy every couple of years when I'm in the right mood for it.

 

I grew up on Parts 1 & 2, and I finally read the book about 12 years ago. Love 'em, and I can't wait for the remasters to get released. Right now, I only have the THX remastered laserdiscs. I never really cared for Diane Keaton's acting, though. She seemed unable to keep up with the superb acting that was going on all around her.

I can do without ever seeing Part 3 again. For me, a big disappointment.

 

I do agree with that. He was the weak link. What a contrast, watching Godfather II than III. There was shades of Tony Montana, Scent of Woman. His best acting in the film is when Kay comes to see him at home. Michael lets his defenses down for a second and we see a real person instead of the hobbling caricature he is in most of the rest of the film.
I will stand up for the film as a whole, though; Coppola can still tell a good story.

 

The first one has one important thing in common with Patton (which of course is not surprising)--there is a monlogue by the lead character at the start of the movie. Once you buy in to that monologue and 'get it', you are then hooked into the character's whole personality and also the whole morality/attitude of the whole movie. Just brilliant.

 

Absolutely love these movies (well the first two anyway). Fantastic story, filmed very well, great performances. Haven't watched them in a few years so maybe I should throw them on, I sure never tire of them!

Paulie Walnuts is in there too!

 

I saw the first one in a theater and was just thrilled with the movie. The next night I took a friend to see it and he agreed, it was the best movie he had ever seen. My first viewing of Part II at a theater left me disappointed, not that it was bad, but I didn't find it up to the level of the first. By the time I had seen Part II twice, I could no longer separate the two movies, I consider the two movies the best two films ever made. Part III was a misfire, but I will watch it again sometime. I haven't watched any of the films in years although I did purchased the Godfather DVD box set. I played a few minutes of each film and the picture quality was disappointing but I am going to watch the films soon anyway. A Blu-ray release will be welcomed when it comes.

Chris

 

100% agree. I watch Parts I and II at least once a year, Part III not so often. However it has grown on me and I do enjoy it.

Don Corleone to Bonasera:

"I want you to use all your powers -- and all your skills. I don't want his mother to see him this way...

Look how they massacred my boy... "

 

I'm a total Godfather junkie. For me, the first movie is as close to perfection as it gets (and yes, I'm one of those people who still thinks I is superior to II). Not a wasted frame in that film. The things that's always fascinated me about the movie is how it cuts across any demographic. It's a "guy's movie" that women still love. It's a movie that always seems to find a new generation. Ultimately, it transcends it's own genre better than just about any movie I can think of. The Corleone family is as much a part of the popular culture landscape as any real life family.

With the second film, the flashbacks are probably my favorite part. If anything, I actually find the whole Cuba-Roth storyline to be a bit languid compared to the taut execution of the first film. It's still a terrific movie though, and DeNiro has never been better IMHO.

As far as III goes, it's an average film at best. As others have stated, Pacino's acting style had changed so much by 1990 that it's hard to believe it's the same character at times. The cold, calculating Don is replaced by this sentimental imposter - mixed in with Pacino's hyper, later-day mannerisms. It's "Johnny," Frank Slade and Tony Montana rolled into one. That said, I still find the movie to be an enjoyable piece of escapism - if not entirely true to the spirit, character development and situations of its predecessors. And, I actually find Sofia Coppola's limited acting range to be not *too* big of a distraction. It fits the naivete of the character. Finally, even though it's been criticized and mocked at times over the years, I find Michael's closing "bookend" scene to be quite effective, profound and poetic (or over-the-top to its critics...lol). In the end, it's a movie that probably attempted to do too much...and one that could have used a better script.

Now...if you want to witness stories that totally stretch the characters and their place in history, read Winegardner's recent "fill-in" installment books. Puzo's blessing or not, they're a bit much - even for a die hard Godfather fan.



"Bonasera, Bonasera. What have I ever done to make you treat me so disrespectfully?"

 

Difficult to understand

I’ve never understood this part. Who did what? Anybody who can explain.

The voice is similar. That way I knew it had to be him = Junior.

What roll did Paulie from Sopranos played?

 

I have a question someone may be able to answer from Part I. I've seen this probably 3 times now (over the past 20 years) and am still puzzled in regard to Paulie's execution. When they leave Clemenza's house Clemenza and a driver are in the front seat. I thought Paulie got in the back seat. But when Paulie is shot he is in the drivers seat. This is where Clemenza says "leave the gun, take the canoli". How did Paulie get into the front seat. Or did they kill Paulie and the driver? Maybe I've got it all mixed up.

 

Paulie was the driver. Clemenza got out to "take a leak" and the guy in back shot Paulie.

 

As near as I can figure it, the Pentangelli/Rosato Brothers subplot went like this: Pentangelli was upset with Michael because he was promised more power in the New York underground once Clemenza died, but instead most of that power was usurped by the Rosato Brothers, who are bankrolled by Hyman Roth.

Michael tells Roth that he believes a disgruntled Pentangelli was responsible for the attempt on his (Michael's) life -- though he knows that's not true -- and that he'll be taken care of. Roth, feeling that Pentangelli is more of an asset to him alive than dead, has the Rosatos (who work for Roth) stage a fake murder attempt on Pentangelli, telling him that it was Michael's doing, in the hopes that it will make Pentangelli switch allegiance to Roth.*

That plan seems to work when, months later, Pentangelli surfaces as a witness against Michael in a Senate subcommitte hearing. But Michael outsmarts Roth by bringing Pentangelli's Sicilian brother to the hearing room, intimidating him into recanting his testimony, and then later, talking Pentangelli into killing himself in exchange for a promise that the Corleones will take care of his family.

Tony Sirico is listed in a number of places as an extra in GFII, but nobody seems to know where he can be spotted, if at all.

BTW, one of the Rosato brothers is played by Danny Aiello.

*At least, this is my interpretation. This part is so muddy that even Coppola, in subsequent interviews, has seemed unclear about who was behind the attempted strangling of Pentangelli.

 

I starts with the baker Amerigo Bonasera saying "I believe in America..."

 

What's "Serious Godfather"?

 

I didn't mean the start literally. Let's change that to 'the first 10 minutes' if that's more precise.

 

Interesting that Coppola used this device not only in these two movies, but Apocalypse Now as well.

 

Ditto, but I like III better each time I see it. It was sort of hard to follow at first.

 

"Mike, we're bigger than U.S. Steel."

-Hyman Roth

"I never met [Johnny Ola]."
-Fredo

Later (from memory):

"Yeah, Johnny and I came here all the time."
-Fredo

(Love Michael's reaction to this revelation)

 

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

-Jack Woltz

 

This was my take on this plot line as well, but it took a few viewings to get the whole picture.

 

And, of course, the immortal:

Fredo, you broke my heart. You broke my heart!

-Michael

"The Don likes to hear bad news quickly"
-Tom Hagen to Jack Woltz.

And:

Jack Woltz: "Johnny Fontane will never get that movie. I don't care how many dago, wop, guinea, greaseball goombas come out of the woodwork."
Tom Hagen: "I'm German-Irish."
Jack Woltz: "Well, let me tell you something, my kraut-mick friend. I'm gonna make so much trouble for you you won't know what hit you."

 

"Urrgggggggh! Gurgle! Urghhhhhhhhhh!"

-Luca Brasi

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

-Sonny Corleone at the toll booth.