The Godfather Saga Gets A Second Chance

I never liked the Godfather.  I have changed my mind.  Admittedly, I have only seen the three films once and now realize that my attention span’s discomfort was due to how horribly deteriorated the film had become.  Upon viewing the entire saga cleaned up and fully restored on Blu Ray, I was able to take in the brilliant performances and rich story.

The opening lines tells you all you need to know about what the film is trying to say about capitalism and the American way, however the story is so intricate and fascinating the reward is the journey of  Corleone family told throughout the three movies and it has a captivating start.

The sprawl of the opening wedding scene allows for the introduction of all the major characters without it being forced.  Brando is unique as Vito with his, now famous, cotton cheeked mumbled delivery.  What is amazing to see is how Vito embodies all the characteristics of his children.  Not all of it is shown right from the start but, with the help of Robert DeNiro playing a young Vito, by the end of the second film it shines true.  Sonny’s (James Caan) bravado, Michael’s (Al Pachino) bottled up intensity, Connie’s (Talia Shire) devotion to the family, even to her abusive husband.  Granting that Fredo (John Cazale) is the black sheep of the Corleone clan, his heart is found within Vito as well.  Finally, although not blood related, Tom Hagen’s (Robert Duvall) quiet strength may not have been inherited but is a product of his adopted father. The fascinating way Francis Ford Coppola and cast invest you into this family and make you feel like you are the fifth child, with just as much stake as the rest of them, is exhilarating.

Corleone Family

The thing that profoundly struck me was that I did not find Vito to be a monster.  He made his first kill to protect not only his wife and children but also his new adopted family, the neighborhood in which he resides.  He makes his second kill to exact revenge on the Don that brutally murdered his parents and only sibling.  Not to say that revenge is the morally correct thing to do, but it does in this case seem to be the best medicine.  Regardless of how you stand on Vito’s brand of justice, it was an eye for an eye, and that arguably does not make him a murderous monstrosity.  Sure, he uses scare tactics and PETA is not his number one fan, but he does seem to abide by a code of ethics.  He refuses to kill Bonasera’s enemies, because although they roughed his daughter up, they did not kill her.  The whole conflict of the saga really begins when, despite the money and pressure from the other mob bosses, Vito doesn’t want to have anything to do with the drug trade because he accurately predicts that it will decay humanities future.  His way of conducting business is as admirable as it gets with a don mired in crime.  This makes Michael’s ascension or descension if you would prefer to look at it that way, more devastating to the Corleone name.

Two Generations

Bullet’s fly, blood splatters, and the horrors of a price tag for being involved in the mafia ensue.  The Corleone numbers dwindle even at the hand of its own family members.  The scene between Kay, a miscast Diane Keaton, and Michael where she reveals that she did not miscarry but aborted his baby, is a standout.  The tension in that scene, where a mostly sedated Michael finally unleashes his fury, is frightening.  Likewise, Fredo’s death scene is heartbreaking and it is all due to Cazale’s vivid portrayal of a pitiful sibling that has been overlooked and cannot grasp why.

The final installment in the Godfather saga has polarized viewers, yet I did not find it to be a disappointment.  It has a different feel and the influence of the 90’s has disappointingly seeped its way into the raw 70’s filmmaking fiber that gave the first two films its visual palate.  However, it answers the question of what happens to person that has broken all of his own rules and has been so ruthless that all of his relationships are cease to exist or are strained at best.  There is no going back as much as Michael might try; he will keep getting pulled back in.  This isn’t to say that he couldn’t get out, just that he won’t.  For all of his repenting and attempts at changing his ways, he cannot get beyond his self-deception.  He values his life over his family otherwise he would have let his enemies take their hit on him to spare his children.  To witness his final moments, all alone except for the stray dog that he symbolically has become, may seem gratuitous storytelling.  I find that it punctuates the legacy of the Corleone family and the pitfalls of irresponsible capitalism perfectly.