I'm watching The Godfather trilogy for the first time

[Candlelight]

We now have guests coming to stay this weekend, so will probably tape part 2 as well.

Might be watching all 3, back to back, on the 19th!

 

[Indysolo]

While Roth does mention Moe Greene's death he also says he knows it was business and he let it go. I've seen Godfather Part II many times over the years, but it was just on the most recent screening (just 2 weeks ago) that I asked this question. I couldn't understand why Roth wanted Michael killed early on only to want him as a partner later.

And while the "Michael Corleone says hello" line is very cinematic and sort of nonsensical (and rumored to have been a Danny Aiello improvisation), it also would give Pentangeli reason to want to help the government in its fight against organized crime, specifically the Corleone family.

Neil

 

[Timby]

And while the "Michael Corleone says hello" line is very cinematic and sort of nonsensical (and rumored to have been a Danny Aiello improvisation), it also would give Pentangeli reason to want to help the government in its fight against organized crime, specifically the Corleone family.

The line provides Pentangeli's entire motivation for testifying before the Senate. Pentangeli felt he had been betrayed by Michael and been set up to be murdered. Makes sense that he'd turn state's after that.

 

[Indysolo]

Of course, except for the fact that he was supposed to have been killed. Only the cop walking in at the wrong moment saved Pentangeli's life. Do you think Roth planned for every contigency so in the event that Pentangeli lived he'd then go after Michael? It's a cool theory but it gives Roth, who is very shrewd, a little to much credit.

Did you know that Pentangeli was originally supposed to be Clemenza but the actor who played Clemenza supposedly wanted to much money and wanted to write his own lines?

Neil

 

[Timby]

Of course, except for the fact that he was supposed to have been killed. Only the cop walking in at the wrong moment saved Pentangeli's life. Do you think Roth planned for every contigency so in the event that Pentangeli lived he'd then go after Michael? It's a cool theory but it gives Roth, who is very shrewd, a little to much credit.

There's an off-color joke about Roth's shrewdness having something to do with him being a Jew somewhere in there, but I can't bring myself to actually say it.

Did you know that Pentangeli was originally supposed to be Clemenza but the actor who played Clemenza supposedly wanted to much money and wanted to write his own lines?

Yeah, I remember hearing about that many moons ago. Richard Castellano wasn't the smartest monkey in the barrel, there.

 

[Neroon]

These days whensomeone says they find the "Godfather" movies to be dull and boring, my first reaction is wo wonder how old they are. It usually seems to me that those who speak most glowingly are of an older generation, back when the Brando-stereotype wasn't so pervasive. To be sure, there are quite a few older moviegoers who don't care for the films. What's encouraging is to see that there are more than a few younger fans who admire these films - at least the first two - for the masterpieces I believe them to be.

 

[cardinal biggles]

Did you know that Pentangeli was originally supposed to be Clemenza but the actor who played Clemenza supposedly wanted to much money and wanted to write his own lines?

Yeah, I remember hearing about that many moons ago. Richard Castellano wasn't the smartest monkey in the barrel, there.

In his audio commentary for GF2, Coppola discusses the replacement of Castellano/Clemenza with Gazzo/Pentangeli. The money wasn't that big of an issue, but the idea that Castellano would be able to write his own dialogue would have completely undermined Coppola's control over the film.

Brando, on the other hand, did end up not appearing because of money; he felt very ill-used by Paramount over what he was paid for GF1, and they ended up not being able to come to terms, so the final flashback scene was written around him, with Sonny echoing a lot of the objections Vito made in the novel to Michael's enlistment in the Marines and to support of the war effort in general.

 

[doubleohfive]

^
And yet, Vito's presence is made all the more powerful, despite Brando not being in that scene.

 

[cardinal biggles]

I'm not saying it wasn't, I was just explaining why Brando didn't do a cameo in that scene when we got to see Sonny, Carlo, and Tessio again.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Interestingly, James Caan got paid as much for his role in the second movie as he did for his role in the first. I think the second movie would have been better if they had managed to get the original actors to return, but they did a good job anyway, so I can't fault it.

 

[doubleohfive]

I'm not saying it wasn't, I was just explaining why Brando didn't do a cameo in that scene when we got to see Sonny, Carlo, and Tessio again.

Oh I wasn't trying to correct you bro. Just adding my own take on it.