MoeFOH's Movie of the Week...

[cigcars]

       *The Godfather is a 10 out of 10 movie all the way.  A rare insight look at Power, regardless of who has it. What I found as the most significant and insightful dialog in this was the scene when Michael is walking with Kaye and tells her, "My father is no different from a senator or congressman." And she comes back with, "Do you know how naive you sound, Michael?  Senators and congressmen don't have people killed!" And then Michael says, "Who's being naive, Kaye?" I found that to be the most truthful and on-target statement in movies, period! OF COURSE senators and congressmen resort to that, no doubt - they're just probably better at hiding their hands about it. Every now and then a movie will come along where the pro and antagonists will make a statement that you're suppose to contest - but where they make perfect sense! I.E. -  the conclusion of Gregory Peck's Moby Dick where the tough crew is ready to call it quits, saying, "Alright no more of this, no more of this!" And Mr. Starbuck goes, "After him! In after him!" And they say, "After that devil!?" And Starbuck says, "Moby Dick's no devil he's a whale! A monstrous big whale, aye - and we're whaling men no less. We do not turn from whales, we kill 'em! WE'LL KILL MOBY DICK! PULL!" Now Mr. Starbuck had been trying all movie long to get Cpt. Ahab to abandon his search of the white whale - even to the point of talking to the crew about mutinying. And for all get-out it looked like he'd caught Ahab's fever! But what he said made total sense - "We're whaling men, we do not turn from whales!" So how could one argue with it!? But it sure looked like Starbuck had gone insane too! And then there's the "Children of the Damned," with those alien kids with the creepy eyes. And of course before long the village pitchfork and torch carrying mob assembles to get them, led by the ring leader when they meet in the pub. "We've gotta put a stop to those kids and put a stop NOW!!" Of course one of the village women goes, "But they're CHILDREN!" And the mob ring leader goes, "Have you ever seen them run: have you ever seen them play - HAVE YOU EVER HEARD THEM LAUGH!? No - but we have seen them kill!" Once again it was a case where you have to go, "Hmmm - y'know he IS right! That's what children do - they run, they play, and they sure laugh! All these kids do is stare at you with those creepy eyes - EEEENNNN!!" So how and who can you argue that point! 

[joeypots]

16 hours ago, MoeFOH said:

One of my favourite tidbits... "I'm German-Irish"... Woltz wasn't deterred! 

"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!"

It's about as perfect a movie as has ever been made.

 

[99call]

"I am'a Enzo de Baker"

For me this is a really key scene, this is where Micheal realises he has to for go his desires to live an uninvolved life, and has to step in protect his father.    I don't think it's by chance he if temporarily facially disfigured at this point either,  I think it's a clever storytelling tool, to communicate his transformation. 

 

[bassistheplace]

hard for me to express how much I love this movie

[ha_banos]

Jeez. So long since I watched this. Need to watch it again now that I'm old enough to appreciate it. Thanks for the reminder!

[Dozerhead]

Probably my favorite movie of all time. The cast was absolutely incredible. On a side note, Abe Vigoda looked just as old in that movie as he did the day he died. 

[Edicion]

Nothing I don't love about the Godfather. I have also read the book and it could be one of the best film adaptations ever made. The soundtrack of the movie is also outstanding.

[wine_junkie]

On 3/16/2022 at 11:58 AM, bishop532 said:

It's definitely a classic. This is the movie that made Pacino. He has such an amazing journey in this role. He starts off kind of unobtrusive, so you barely notice him. But that quiet intensity just builds and builds towards that baptism at the end. Think about when he's laughed at for saying he's going to go after Sollozzo or really any of the first few scenes he is in, and then compare that with his scenes at the end of the film. Then you have Brando, Caan, Duvall, Keaton, Cazale, Vigoda, Castellano...the list goes on and on. Some really great performances from some real all stars.

The story was also pretty amazing. I read the book years ago; its like Shakespeare. Really strong spine to work from, and Coppola took full advantage of the material, the cast, the cinematography (for example: the darkness of the scenes at the beginning in Don Corleone's office during Connie's wedding, and how that sets the tone for both the film and for the family at its center), etc.

I give it 9/10. There are very few movies I'd rank above this one. That said, I'd have a hard time deciding between this, Godfather 2, and Apocalypse Now for Coppola's best. The guy did some amazing stuff.

Apocalypse Now Redux is a way better movie in my opinion.  Insane….

[cigcars]

On 3/15/2022 at 8:16 PM, RichG said:

This is one of the most gratifying scenes in film history…Carlo really deserved it!

    

     *Just like the scene in Shawshank Redemption where prison guard Byron Hadlin creams Boggs' corn with his baton! Gratifying; Gratifying: GRATIFYING!!   

     

[moneyneversleeps]

On 3/16/2022 at 11:10 AM, GotYaGoat said:

Loved the movie so much I named my first cat “Vito”

In his eyes the dog is Emilio Barzini

Lol.  We named our shih tzu Santino.  We call him Sonny.

[FireDigger]

On 3/15/2022 at 6:54 PM, Chas.Alpha said:

I heard a short radio program about who FF Coppola wanted cast as the lead characters, opposed to what the studio exec's wanted. Fascinating to imagine the differences...

Was this on NPR? I heard the same piece. One of the people discussed to play Don Corleone was Laurence Olivier. Supposedly, this news really pushed Marlon Brando to take the role.