Watched The Godfather for the first time...

stupid.

dumb dumb dumb movie.

just kidding.

It was awesome, though I'm going to have to watch it again to pick up some lines I missed. Crazy stuff.

I haven't seen the second one, either, should I watch it now, while I have the chance?

So, I've now seen 3 of the top gangster movies: Goodfellas (one of my top 10), Scarface (I always fall asleep, but it was pretty good), and now The Godfather.

I have to see Casino, too.

So now I've seen it and NOBODY CAN PICK ON ME ABOUT IT NOW!!!!!!!!

"you haven't seen THE GODFATHER????"

 

You haven't seen 'The Godfather Part II'?

 

DAMMIT!

KHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I only have one major criticism of the film: I still don't understand Michael's turn to crime. He had everything going for him; he had a steady girlfriend and he was a veteran so he could have easily gone back to college on the GI Bill. He didn't want to be a part of the crime family, and Vito didn't want that for him either. So Michael changes his mind because... his father almost gets killed by a rival family? As though that's a surprising turn of events. Michael was supposed to be intelligent, right? "OMG, people in the mafia get shot!"

 

I have another criticism of this film: Appolonia>Kaye. Agree/Disagree? The latter is more or less the reason that everything fell apart in Michael's life.

 

Appalonia was cool... other then having invisible nipples.

 

my face is in the JC banner i am wearing an old lady suit and am holding a knife

 

First of all, GuyI don't believe that he really loved that girl. When he says he needs her, I think he's referring to just needing a woman, needing a wife, needing a mother for his children. I think he truly loved the chick in Sicily, even if it was leaning towards the physical side, imo.

I did LOVE when he just bold faced lied to her like that at the end. so good. He played that so well. Of course, she believed what she wanted to believe, though she knew the truth, obviously, when everybody came in and congratulated him.

Second, I don't know how committed Michael was to staying straight. I think he was more doing the right thing because it was the right thing to do, if you know what I mean. He was doing all the right things and had the right girl to go in the right direction towards politics. But I think he was the most like his father, obviously, and when his dad almost died, he saw that no one else could really handle things like he could. No one else had the balls to do what needed to be done. Everyone else was either too rash or too calm- trying to play it too safe. And the most important thing, his father, was being lost in the shuffle.

And also, disregarding what I just said, I don't know how much he chose to turn to crime. He wanted to do justice for his dad and screw everything else, because no one else would, or could. Once he made that choice, his path was laid before him, imo.

not like he chose her. He chose Appolonia. She died, so he took Kaye, because what he wanted was gone. She was his plan b.

yeah- she was just right. a bit naive. foreign. young. attractive. haha.

I liked those.

although, I had forgotten about that part until you said that.

edit: Holy cow!! I did NOT realize Kaye was Diane Keaton!!

 

I always wondered if his turn to crime had to do with the death of Sonny and Vito on death's doorstep or just his own choosing. Fredo wasn't going to be competant enough to run the family and Tom was the adopted brother and all though he loved him, he wasn't going to let the "family business" be under his control entirely. He even replaced as his council, thought a lot of that had to do with the circumstances. But maybe he had that weighing on his mind when he made the decision.

 

The Godfather Part II is just as great as Part I. I especially enjoy the flashback scenes because the sets and costumes are so amazing. Goodfellas is a good film but definitely watch Part II first.

 

Godfather II De Niro scenes> Godfather I> Godfather II Pacino scenes

 

Godfather II was pretty good. I like how it paint the Corleone family roots in the crime world while also showing what it had become in the present setting.

 

I wish I could use Godfather II in countering some of your points, Deception.

 

Godfather II Pacino scenes are pretty damn good on their own. I think Michael's story as a whole would have been better if one of the characters from the original had returned. Clemenza was supposed to be in the film, but was replaced with the Pentangeli character after a disagreement between Richard Castellano and Coppola. The story would have been better if Clemenza returned, especially the ending where Hagen advises Pentangeli to commit suicide. Imagine that happening to Clemenza instead! I know that I would have cared a lot more.

 

Family ultimately trumped Michael's own moral sense. This is not a triumph, but a tragedy, which carries over and is made plain in Part II.

 

Well, the whole thing plays into traditonal family values in Sicillian Families, so there's that going on.

Of course she is. She's meant to be the true love of Michael's life. Look how he reintroduces himself to Kay after returning to America. Its totally perfunctory. He needs to start a family of his own.

Also want to echo duende's comment that the story is a tragedy. Michae Corleone has greatness in his grasp, but he can never attain it, because no matter how much he wants to become legitimate, the system in which he works will never fully allow it. His strong desire to protect his family is his tragic flaw. The Godfather Part III pales in comparison to the first two, due to a rushed preproduction and the absence of Robert Duvall (Sofia's mediocre, but she's barely in it enough to ruin the whole movie like people like to claim) but I think its better than most will admit, and its important in following the tragedy of Michael Corleone to its bitter end.

Deception add "Once Upon a Time In America" to your list of mob movies to watch. Its easily one of the top 5 gangster movies ever made.

 

Whatch GOODFELLAS first for the cultural experience.


[image=http://www.cityoffilms.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/goodfellas.jpg]

"One dog goes one way, the other dog goes the other, and this guy's sayin', 'Whadda ya want from me?'"

 

I haven't watched Part III (except parts on TV) because the main criticism seems to be that it doesn't offer anything new. It's unnecessarily hammering in the point that Part II had already made.

 

Now watch the Spongebob Dub because you'll appreciate how much funnier it is.

 

hahaha!!! love it!

No- I HAVE seen Goodfellas. It's one of my favorites. Do you all think Part II is better? Because I gotta take Goodfellas over The Godfather right now, though I have to see it again. I've also seen mean streets, which is kind of rough around the edges, and Blood In, Blood Out, which is fantastic, but sort of a poor man's Goodfellas (it's just a little less... je ne sais quois).

And I WILL add Once Upon a Time in America to the list. Right next to Casino, which I need to see but I always seem to say "eh" when I have an opportunity.

WHAT THE??

First of all, your name is goodfellas and you're telling me to watch part 2 first??? blasphemy!! (and once again, I have seen goodfellas. it's one of my favorites. )

Second of all, your name is goodfellas??? awesome.

haha. okay. I appreciate you refraining from spoiling me. I appreciate the blacked out text, as well, goodfellas.

 

Appolonia definitely looked Greek, I agree.

Fun memories, eh dude?

 

Ehh maybe but I don't think that makes it a bad film. I think it's a solid film but obviously not as good as the first two.

As far as Part I vs Part II is concerned, I've always found it impossible to choose one. II feels like a 3½ hour extension of the first rather than a "sequel" (or in other words....the second part! ).

 

Nope

 

I dunno about that. In a way all three movies tell the same basic story with minor variations. Part 3 is really more of an epilogue to the first two parts, where Michael's sins are revisited against him, even as he tries to put his past behind him.

 

Part II is excellent, easily one of the greatest sequels of all time (IMO but by general consensus too).

III- It's fine to watch if you can not let it degrade the previous two. It is clearly not on their level in any way but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy it, seeing what happens to the characters, etc.

Guy- Very interesting, I've never had a problem with that at all, actually seems like the strength of the movie (Michael's journey).
I think traditional Italian values/obligations are what kept him but, once he was in, he realized that stuff was inside him all along. He is extremely comfortable in his skin at the end of the first movie (as the last shot makes clear), regardless of what he tells Kate.

Later on, well, we need Darth Deception to see the next one.