I’m not a “film buff”. My tastes are, to be honest, pretty low-brow. My favorite movie genres consists of comedies, action, and horror; things that don’t usually get nominated for major awards. And not even “smart” comedy, I’ve never watched a Cohen brothers film and even knowing the plot to films people think are classics like “Fargo” or “Oh brother where art thou?” bore me to tears. I prefer comedies like Ace Ventura, Austin Powers, and Scary Movie-type films.
I’ve never watched a Godfather movie. Once, I saw it was showing on cable and I thought I’d watch it to see what the big deal it. I got about 10 mins into that background for I guess it was Michael Corleon and I turned it off. It moved too slow for me. For a gangster movie, there is a serious lack of explosions in the first few minutes, nothing hooked me.
That said, I know enough from 30 years of parodies and homages to know a bit about the movies. What I know about are:
Horse head in bed
The music
Marlon Brando talking like he has marbles in his mouth
“Take (or leave) the canoli”
The ending to one of the films with the door closing into fade out
“Never ask me about my business”
Loyalty to the family above all else
There’s probably more but that’s all I can think of for now.
So given that these films are constantly rated as some of the best movies of all time, please spoil the heck out of them for me. My tastes don’t run in that direction but I’d like to know what I’m missing without watching the movies. What are some other references from the film that are made that is going over my head? What would I learn from watching the movies? What gaping hole exists in my life that I don’t know about that would be fulfilled if I had only sat down and watched 1 and 2 (apparently 3 sucked) in their entirety?
I should also add that I haven’t see any gangster movies at all. No Goodfellas, no Scarface, nothing about the mob or the mafia. Spoilers for those are welcome as well.
Just watch Johnny Dangerously. That’s the only gangster movie you need to worry about.
I’ve actually made it through The Godfather once but that was only through sheer force of will. If I had a choice between watching it again and doing practical research on which parts of my body are flammable, I’d break out the lighter. Needless to say, I’m apparently missing something of value that other people can plainly see. I just simply see no reason to look for it further.
Well, The Godfather is the seminal mafia film; every film the dealt with the mob from that point on owed a debt to it.
What the movie offers is a great story performed by great actors. There really isn’t a weak scene in it. It’s been imitated so much that it may look familiar, but remember – it was the first to portray organized crime as a family business, with the gangsters being more than just evil bad guys.
I would say that you should watch The Godfather then Godfather 2, since that’s the way they were shot. There was a mashup of of the two movies into a movie series that wasn’t an improvement; the lack of a strict chronological structure of the second film made it much better.
Back in my single days when I had loads of spare time and a severe case of boredom, I went through a phase of Netflixing old classics like this. I liked Godfather part I enough and found part II harder to get into. Perhaps surprisingly, the only classic I tried that I really enjoyed was Citizen Kane, which I thought would be a real slog to get through. I think part of the problem with the Godfather movies is, like you said, the fact that they’ve become such an integral part of popular culture that it’s hard to see the original scenes without immediately remembering all of the various spoofs and references you’ve seen over the years. Also, the fact that times have changed, and seeing a severed horse’s head in a bed isn’t nearly as shocking now as it would have been back when it first came out.
Ever seen Star Wars? Like stories where the guy comes from aw-shucks humble beginnings and because of the world around him (and who he inherently is) he raises to become a hero in his journey of self-discovery?
Godfather is a weird twist on that because it’s a basically good guy who is corrupted and falls BECAUSE of the world he’s born into… and yet even though he becomes someone who ultimately arranges the murder of even close family members and loses those closest to him in hopes of growing to be someone who protects them… even in spite of all that, Michael IS for most people likable.
Also, I’ve always admired how the brothers (Sonny, Fredo, Michael, and Tom Hagen) embody different approaches to any given situation. Sonny: purely emotional response… and visceral emotions at that — passion, hate, revenge, etc. Fredo: the need to be popular, liked, accepted. Tom — completely guided by logic.
Michael, the youngest, has to look at these 3 approaches and realize that you can only really survive being a LITTLE of all 3, as the situation dictates. You can’t be blinded by emotion or else you get shot in the tollbooth, you can’t sell out the family to make friends in Vegas because it doesn’t advance the logical goals of the family…
Nothing. It’s great, but you’ve clearly and honestly demonstrated that you won’t appreciate it. Following the same approach, some of my guests get table wine, and some get Harlan Estate.
I agree. What makes the Godfather movies great are the characters. There’s a tremendous amount going on in every scene – subtle nuances of motivation, little flashes of emotion, wheels within wheels of intrigue. But if you’re not interested in that sort of thing, you’re going to be incredibly bored.
I wouldn’t say it was as much a movie for movie buffs as, say, Pulp Fiction, but it is a truly great film (Part One, at least).
Others are correct, it is not an “action” film, although there is a lot of violence. But the story arc is Michael Corleone, who begins by trying to hold himself apart from his Mafia family, and how ineluctably he is drawn in.
I could describe the plot to you, but that is not going to give you any of the benefits (if any) of watching it. In a way, it is a characteristically American success story - the mild-mannered younger son who rises to the top in his profession - and in a way, it is a tragedy, because of all that he has to give up to get there.
I would have said it is a relatively accessible film, in terms of its art. YMMV.
Haven’t watched Pulp Fiction either. Back when it came out, the silly campy haircuts and the stupid dancing in the commercials threw me off and I was never interested. It seems I should have watched it. Ditto for Fight Club, though I know all about that plot by now
I think you shouldn’t see it, simply because it won’t live up to any expectations you may have about it. I’ve seen posts here and elsewhere from people who were underwhelmed after seeing one of the other iconic films (Citizen Kane or Casablanca, for instance).
I personally believe that you have missed out on one of the great movies.
However, I refuse to see ET and any other Star Wars offerings, so I can’t really say anything to you.
If you dare to watch GF, you will learn about treachery, honor, dishonor, love, revenge, duty, tradition, and death…a small piece of life in 2 hours or so.
You will also learn how to make a delicious meat sauce for your pasta. I actually tried it when I had no storebought sauce in the pantry.
From the way you describe your tastes I think you would like Goodfellas more.
It’s been a long while since i’ve seen GF, but IIRC its a story that requires some degree of emotional investment to enjoy as you watch the tradgedy of Michael’s story… Whereas Goodfellas is just a (really) well made movie that is a fun story to watch.
If you asked me which I’d rather rewatch today, i’d pick Goodfellas 9 times out of 10. (Not that i don’t like getting emotionally involved in movies, but like i said, Goodfellas is just fun)
I LOVED that line! Always wondered why Coppola chose to have it in there-maybe his italian grandmother suggested it?
Clemenza: “Mikey…come ovah heuh, you might have to cook for a hundred men sometime…firsts you fry your onions and garlic up, then you fry your tomato paste…make sure it don’t stick…add some sugar, then some wine…”
Sonny: “what the hell is this?”
IMO, you’re not really missing much. I watched it a few years ago after being pestered by my brother for months and months. I finally watched it and was disappointed. It’s not a bad movie, but I felt that the plot was overly convoluted and I really didn’t care about any of the characters at all. I think part of the problem is also that, as others have mentioned, it’s so parodied at this point, that some of the scenes came across as clichéd, even though they originated in this move.
I had also seen Goodfellas shortly thereafter and found it a bit more enjoyable. I’d never say either movie is a must-see, but if you want to watch some mafia classics, I’d probably recommend Goodfellas first, as I think it’s a bit more accessible. Of course, the most parodied scene “you think I’m funny?” was surprisingly short and lost a lot of it’s intended impact after having seen it ripped off a million times.
And, FTR, since it was mentioned upthread, I didn’t even see Pulp Fiction for the first time, minus a few random scenes, until about 2 weeks ago. I was too young for my parents to let me see it when it came out. As another “must-see”, I found it more enjoyable than either of the above films.