The Godfather Trilogy

[Wenton]

flipper said:

Someone wrote not too long ago that Part III in their opinion was the best of all the "Godfathers".

If it's this board, that would be me.

Part III is my favorite simply because of Talia Shire's badass performance. The contrast between being the abused housewife in part one, the flighty brat in part two, and then the mature, savy old battlecat in part three always amazes me. The way she backs Vincent as the new Don, covertly approves the hit on Joey Zasa, poisons Don Altobello, and forgives Michael for the murder of her husband display an incredible acting ability. So much so that I can forgive Sofia Coppola and the unbelievably dumb "father and son assassin" storyline.

But then again, I was able to enjoy Tom Cruise in War of the Worlds so I'm not the best film critic, I guess.

[thesurlymermaid]

wol said:

What is this trilogy you speak of? There are only two Godfather movies.

<<sticks fingers in ears, sings "la la la I can't hear you>>

I love it. That's how I prefer to think of it!

At one point part 2 was my favorite, but I have to say part 1 is at the moment. Parts of 2 dragged...the Senate hearings for instance and part 1 has so many the classic scenes, "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse.", the horse head scene (though I hate that scene and will fast forward through it), the opening "I love America" speech, the closing scene with the door closing on Kay's comprehending face...part 1 is a masterpiece. So is part 2, but like I said, this one did have some slower parts, although Robert DeNiro was an absolute force. What a performance ! I could watch it over and over.

I'm reading the book right now.

[ownlife]

Godfather 1 and the deNiro part of 2 are the best parts of the trilogy. The Havana part of 2 was dull and the Miami part was some kind of extended Leisure World ad. 3 isn't worth discussing IMO.

Michael was hit by the "thunderbolt" when he saw Apo and he harbored an obsessive lust for her that would have ended after a few years. I don't know that Kay was the love of his life because Michael wasn't capable of loving another person. And I liked Michael. I love the book and reread it frequently.

[Deleted]

The only really funny part of You've Got Mail is Tom Hanks' impression of the movie producer finding the horse head in his bed. The way he has the guy's three part scream down pat ("aaah...aaaaHHHH...AAAAAAAHHH!") kills me everytime.

I wouldn't call Kay part of Michael's Americanization; I think she's more a representation of that person he could've been. At the beginning of 1, before he joins the family business, he's just Michael the war hero and they have a really loving, playful relationship going on. Apollonia was the arm candy Sicilian Mafia wife, and when she bit the dust I think he went back to Kay not only because he truly loved her, but because he could also con himself into thinking that - as long as he had Kay - he still was partly the old, "good" Michael.

[thesurlymermaid]

I always thought that Apollonia was symbolic of Michael's understanding and accepting his heritage....like he fully became his father's son when he lived in Sicily annd married her. The book mentions a few times how pale and thin Kay Adams was....and how no one thought she was impressive at Connie's wedding because of her appearance. But Michael liked her really thin...and he also was attempting to be as different from his family as possible at that point.

[india7]

I think both I and II are masterpieces (III isn't even worth my time!), but I'm in the small minority here who loves I the best. I've never seen a more incredible piece of acting with no words whatsoever (at that point in the scene) than the flash of emotions across Don Corleone's face as he views Sonny's body after the ambush at the tollbooth. The way his face just crumbles in about ten different ways is amazing, and all the emotion is just there, before he even says those lines..."My boy... they massacered my boy..."

[Deleted]

Interesting trivia: John Cazale is the only actor whose entire filmography (of more than one film, there are a couple of one-offs) consists of best picture nominees. He was a supporting player in five films: Godfather, Godfather II, Dog Day Afternoon, The Conversation, and The Deer Hunter. It was during The Deer Hunter that he was dying of cancer; Meryl Streep, his fiancee, took her part in that film so she could nurse him during filming. He died shortly after it's completion and before their wedding.

When AFI did their tribute to Meryl there was a really weird moment where James Woods was talking about working with her and started talking about John Cazale. I don't remember exact details but I remember it being awkward because he was either joking or something, or talking about how he (Woods) had wanted to get into her pants himself. Anyway, she still seemed teary when Cazale was mentioned.

[Baby Fish Mouth]

Is there anything in the book about Vito or Michael having mistresses? The films don't give any suggestion that either was unfaithful to their wives, which goes against Sicilian stereotypes. I just think it's interesting.

[thesurlymermaid]

babyfishmouth said:

Is there anything in the book about Vito or Michael having mistresses? The films don't give any suggestion that either was unfaithful to their wives, which goes against Sicilian stereotypes. I just think it's interesting.

Nothing so far and I'm almost done. I have 30 more pages left to read. In fact, the book makes it a point to say Vito disapproved of Fredo because of his shenanigans with women.

[india7]

thesurlymermaid said:

babyfishmouth said:

Is there anything in the book about Vito or Michael having mistresses? The films don't give any suggestion that either was unfaithful to their wives, which goes against Sicilian stereotypes. I just think it's interesting.

Nothing so far and I'm almost done. I have 30 more pages left to read. In fact, the book makes it a point to say Vito disapproved of Fredo because of his shenanigans with women.

I never read the book (I remember my sister reading it when the first movie came out, but I was eight), but in the movies, wasn't Sonny the only one screwing around?