*Warning! Image heavy post*
THIS POST IS CERTIFIED AS SPOILER FREE :). What I do reveal of the plot is really basic stuff, like knowing Spiderman turns into Venom in Spiderman 3 before you've seen it. Lol.
Heya bitches.
So anyway, I'm on semester break now, and my brother has come back from the States. He bought a couple of DVD's online when he was there, including 'The Godfather' trilogy. Now if you haven't heard of 'The Godfather' before, where the friggin' hell have you been?!?!?! The first Godfather came out in 1972, second in 1974 and third in 1990. Many actors reprise the same roles throughout the trilogy. Anyway, this is the synopsis of the first movie given by IMDb :
Vito Corleone is the aging don (head) of the Corleone Mafia Family. His youngest son Michael has returned from WWII just in time to see the wedding of Connie Corleone (Michael's sister) to Carlo Rizzi. All of Michael's family is involved with the Mafia, but Michael just wants to live a normal life. Drug dealer Virgil Sollozzo is looking for Mafia Families to offer him protection in exchange for a profit of the drug money. He approaches Don Corleone about it, but, much against the advice of the Don's lawyer Tom Hagen, the Don is morally against the use of drugs, and turns down the offer. This does not please Sollozzo, who has the Don shot down by some of his hit men. The Don barely survives, which leads his son Michael to begin a violent mob war against Sollozzo and tears the Corleone family apart
The first Godfather movie's first billed cast includes Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, James Caan, Robert Duvall and others. They sound awfully familiar don't they? Well for many of them, this was their break out movie as at that time they were just young actors (Aiyoo, long time ago before you and I were born la).
I saw the movie without too much expectations, expecting it to be a really typical 70's mob movie, aware of the credit and recognition it has received over the years. My logic had been "Yeah, for THAT time it was an amazing movie". Oh baby, was I wrong.
Just for the record, the movie focuses a lot less on the violence and more on the drama and life story of the members of the Corleone family. Its one of those movies where a lot is said and a lot is done, but it all falls back on what isn't said, what is thought and fatal flaws of humanity. If you're one of those people who enjoys movies for their cheap thrills (there's nothing necessarily wrong with that), you might not enjoy this movie as much as a lot of people who consider it one of the best movies ever made. It makes you think about a lot of the more important subjects addressed, true, the plot revolves around the mafia, but the story is no less than about the people than the sins they commit. At the same time it is not an intensely intellestual movie that wears your mind out trying to figure out what the hell is going on. Anyway, I'll get back to that later.
Undoubtedly, this movie is known as the 'Marlon Brando' movie, but believe it or not, Al Pacino (as Michael Corleone) gets a hell of a lot more screen time and delivers an amazing performance.
Marlon Brando as Don Vito Corleone
The characters are very 3 dimensional and focus on Don Vito as well as his three sons, Sonny (Santino, the hot headed, adulterous eldest son ready to take over his fathers place as the Don despite his misgivings), Fredo (the second son, considered to be dumb witted and a follower, never a leader) and the youngest son Michael (drops out of college and enlists in the army much to the chagrin of his eldest brother, returns from WWII a decorated war hero and convinced he will never be a part of the family 'business'). Don Vito has a daughter too named Connie, and she is recurring in the movie but does not play a very important role in the main storyline.
(L-R) Michael, Don Vito, Sonny, Fredo
At Connie's wedding to Carlo Rizzi
(L-R) Kay(Michael's girlfriend), Fredo and Michael at Connie's wedding.
Essentially, I have to say that the entire trilogy charts the life of Michael Corleone, from his simpler beginnings as the 'innocent civillian' caught up in a mob war to later on, a paranoid ruthless Mafia Don and at the end, at the final movie, a contrite old man plagued by the horrors of his sins and his past. Al Pacino's performance is unbelievable as the transformed man who speaks with his eyes, fakes innocence and slowly but surely, destroys everything he used to stand for and the real meaning of his father's empire.
Simpler times for Micheal, in the beginning, like shopping for Christmas presents
Michael finds out about the assassination attempt on his father.
After the attempt on his father's life, Michael is inevitable dragged into the family business. He casts away his intentions of becoming a lawyer and settling down with Kay as he is reminded of loyalty to his family first, and commits the unthinkable with the support of the acting-as-Don Sonny (his brother) and his family. This begins Michael's downward spiral as he runs from America to hide from the law.
In the mean time, Sonny proves to be an incompetent Don, swayed by his emotions and temper. He is constantly reprimanded by the consigliere (family advisor)Tom Hagen, also the family lawyer. When the great Don Vito finally recovers, he is heart broken to find out what Michael has done. He himself had always wanted his youngest son to have a better life, outside of the world of crime.
Eventually, a whole hell of a stuff happens to a lot of people (I won't say what as to not spoil it all for you) Michael returns, marries Kay, and takes over as the head of the family.
The family is told by Don Vito to obey the orders given by Michael
By this point, you will no longer recognise Michael as who he used to be, even though it hasn't been very long at all.
All bona fide mafioso are by law required to slick their hair back. Teehee. :p. Michael trying to stage the Nevada takeover.
Michael recieves final advice from his father, the last time he sees him alive. Awww.
At Don Vito's funeral.
Michael tries to comfort his wife by lying about his criminal activities.
One of the final shots in the movie. Michael Corleone is addressed as Don Corleone for the first time.
This movie is very constricted to the view of the Mafia of themselves and of the world. Don Vito is portrayed as and believes himself to be a benevolent dictator, a man of honour who lives by his own moral code. It is difficult to watch this movie with the continued assumption that every single one of the characters are criminals and therefore should be judged based solely on that. Personally, I've read quite a bit on the Mafia, and the fact is that it is a cycle of organized crime that continues as each new generation is born into it. Illegitimate deals and cruel hits are made all while highlighting the personal plights of the tortured souls who orchestrate and commit them. Values and their twisted interpretations play out, and although it seems rather outlandish to relate ourselves to well, the Mafia, it very simply is a mirror of the personal conflicts we ourselves face in an intensely hedonistic and expedient world.
The second movie follows the life of Michael Corleone, essentially a continuation of the first, as the Don as well as his family life. I actually saw the second movie before I saw the first, because my dad wanted to see the 2nd (he saw them all when they came out). I was really shocked to see the 2nd then the 1st and witness the difference between the old Michael and the new. Also, the first movie explained a lot of things in the second. So yeah, watch them in order, lol.
Michael Corleone in the second movie, before he enters the highly publicised Senate hearing regarding his criminal activities.
The third movie, I rather not really talk about because it isn't that good, but wraps up the trilogy. Michael is old and sickly by the end, and he does die. Like I said in the beginning, in this movie he tries desperately to legitimize the family business and stay out of the mafia, but again, as he did in the beginning, gets pulled back into it.
I know my review is very Michael-centric (not because I think he's hot, which he is, but I'll get to that later) but thats because it is his character which undergoes most change, and to me, makes one think about the tribulations of his life, the choices he made and what he amounted to in the end. His intentions of love and loyalty to his family left his and everything he believed in a wreck. The 2nd movie ends with the slightly older Michael sitting in his chair, reminiscing about the time he revealed to his family he had enlisted in the army. The contrast of what he was and what he had become. This all is amplified by the things that happen in the 2nd movie, which, you will have to see yourself. I can't remember exactly where, but I read a review with a line that summed it up perfectly, it went something like this "The movie closes with a pensive Michael, contemplating his past self and long forgotten dreams, including what he has become and what his family has become. He is forced to come to terms with the fact that while his father's empire was built on love and respect, his is built on violence and fear".
Nothing, in my opinion sums it up better. Its an intricate story, and a lot of this might not make sense to you if you do not see the movie. So yeah, go see it if you haven't already, I'm always open for discussion. :) For me though, The Godfather and The Godfather Part II are one the best movies I have ever seen.
On another note, I really wanted to write a serious review for the movie without going all fangirl SQUEEE-ish just because it was such a fantastic movie to me, so I've saved it for the end.
Let me just say, fellow Lunatics, Michael Corleone (I don't say Al Pacino because I haven't seen his other movies from when he was younger) is a:
STONE
COLD
FOX!!!!!!!!
Gaahhahahha.....*drools and dies*.
SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEE! He's so cute and his character is so sexy, well if you minus the fact he's a ruthless warlord. Oh well :p.
Hell if all mafiosi are this hot GIVE ME A SLICE OF THAT WISEGUY PIE!!
Ok, I'm done. :) |
At 9:59 PM,
Ooo , nice review. Makes me want to watch it ... but I have to get off my fat arse and walk all the 1 meter to Siriuz'es room to lend the DVD's .. sigh.. cruelty of the world. If only I had a slave ...
At 10:28 PM,
Please, get off your ass. It is so worth it.
-Lali
At 9:06 AM,
Ah you know I've never bloody seen the Godfather Trilogy!! But I've just got too many things to watch and play to get into the classics anyway.
I just want to know one thing. Which movie does Michael say the famous line "SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE FRIEND!!!!". And doesn't he get shot up in the end of it, and he looks quite young there, did he survive and grow old??
I don't think you need to worry about spoilers here, everyone knows the story, although I appreciate the review with pics since I don't have to bother anymore.
At 2:54 PM,
Hmm....I don't remember Michael saying 'Say hello to my little friend". Which movie is it from. Either way, it doesn't sound something like he would say, more like something his cronies would. Michael Corleone appears to barely have a sense of humour. Hahah.
You might be confusing Michael with Don Vito. Don Vito gets shut up in the end of movie 1. Yup, Michael survived and grew old. He dies of natural causes at old age in the end of movie 3.
Actually Magnus, the screen captures reveal very very little about the movie. They're terribly generic. Lol.
In actuality, most of the interesting parts have little to do with the main storyline I've revealed. You should watch it anyway :p.
And admit it, Michael Corleone is SE-XAAAAYYYYY.
At 4:09 PM,
I'm pretty sure it was Pacino, how many mobster movies has the guy acted in?
As I said before in the shout out box. Gimme your DVDs if you know what's good for you!!!!
At 1:11 PM,
My dear simple minded Magnus. Have you any clue how many mobster movies Pacino has been in other than the Godfather?
Pacino's been in so many mafia movies he might actually think he's a mafioso.
Anyway, its likely to be from Scarface, that line.
At 1:24 PM,
Oh, I just checked. It's from Scarface. :)
At 4:09 PM,
Yay see I knew it was Pacino. Sadly though I haven't seen any of the 'classic' mafia movies. Sigh call me deprived