The first time I saw THE GODFATHER, I lived in Jerusalem, Israel. I had just completed an intensive five month stay at an Ulpan where you live and learn to speak conversational Hebrew. People who had immigrated to this tiny country from around the world gathered to speak the language. One day, I answered an ad posted on a wall at the University of Jerusalem… room for rent. I grabbed it. Thus began my total immersion within an Israeli neighborhood. I jumped at the opportunity when my two roommates suggested going to a movie. I had not seen a film in five months. I needed to replenish my artistic soul. I had no idea what was in store for me.
THE GODFATHER was the current ‘must see’ film. I was excited. The theater was sold out and filled with young adults much like myself. Across the bottom of each frame were the dialogues printed in Hebrew and Arabic. Most everyone had to read the close captioned words. They didn’t need to listen to the English-speaking actors like I did. I was in shock at how noisy and loud the audience was, even going so far as to read the translations out loud. They talked. They reacted. They screamed with delight, especially at the horse head scene. I continually had to struggle to hear the quietness of Marlon Brando, AKA Don Vito Corleone. It was utterly impossible. I finally sat back and let the wave of emotions wash over me as I learned how powerful cinema is when created brilliantly. It transfixed several hundred people in seconds. Watching the reactions of all those around me was something I will always cherish… being held within The Family’s domain was priceless.
THE GODFATHER was nominated for dozens of awards and presented with three Oscars for Best Picture, Best Writing (Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola), and Best Actor (Marlon Brando). Brando did not attend the ceremonies and refused the Oscar in protest of the way the Native Americans were treated in the entertainment industry. He sent Little Feather (Maria Cruz) in his place. She was booed as she spoke.
Brando was a conundrum. He practiced method acting. He did not like to rehearse. He wanted the words to be fresh so that the first take was the most authentic. The problem was that Brando could not memorize lines, so Coppola had to hang cue cards everywhere for Brando to read. One time, the lines were even hanging around Robert Duvall’s neck. When he auditioned for the role, it is true that he stuffed cotton balls in his cheeks for a fuller look. Prosthetics were used in the movie and are on display in the American Film Museum. Brando duplicated the tone and pitch of real-life mobster Frank Costello, who he heard speaking on TV one day. Brando loved to improvise during filming. The Johnny Fontaine slap was not expected, nor were the weights he added to his frame when his bodyguards had to carry him upstairs after he was shot. The one tear trickling down his cheek when Michael (Al Pacino) whispered in his ear at the hospital was surprising and in the moment. Brando was a consummate actor. He instinctively knew how to play this part, which was breathtaking as his genius unfolded before our eyes.
Pacino was mesmerizing. His gorgeous eyes held our attention, and the extra beats made every move stronger with deliberate intention. James Caan had the opposite effect. His loud, hot-headed portrayal of Sonny was indelible. His quickness to violence left all the hairs on my arm stand up, yet Pacino ultimately led audiences to the same brutal conclusion. Robert Duvall was the voice of reason. He was the great equalizer in this aggressive, savage family dynamic.
The two leading women, Talia Shire, who portrayed Connie and Diane Keaton as Kay, were polar opposites but ultimately came to the same conclusion about a woman’s place. I know audiences felt every slap, punch, and silent acceptance. The entire ensemble, including Abe Vigoda, Richard Castellano, Richard Conte, and Al Martino, was also remarkable.
Coppola finished filming in 62 days and for a low cost of six million. Paramount Studios could not argue with that, yet they tried. Coppola’s unique technique of camera angles, extreme close-ups, black backgrounds, and shadowy lighting forced viewers’s attention to where he intended. The wedding scene was left up to all the attendees to create. They were instructed to act like boisterous group partying at a wedding. Indeed, they did. Coppola filmed the scenes he needed by working around the background extras. It was such a contrast among the steady stream of people who wanted a moment of time from the Don. Coppola created a masterpiece. There is no other way to describe THE GODFATHER. He and Puzo constructed a script that generated a franchise for generations after. With a “bada bing, bada boom,” the two of them gave audiences an offer we couldn’t refuse, one we would always recognize when hearing the opening musical notes.
THE GODFATHER remains one of the all-time dramatic crime classics. It is considered “one of Hollywood’s greatest critical and commercial successes.” It is an emotional and intellectual experience. It shares the multi-generational journey of the Mafia syndicate world. It exquisitely entertains the masses. Phrases from this film, over fifty years later, are still spoken today. Some know what it means “to kiss the ring” and when to “leave the gun, take the cannoli.” I learned this in 1972, far away from my home country. I have never forgotten the commanding influence of THE GODFATHER.
THE GODFATHER is available on PARAMOUNT+.
