THE GODFATHER Saga
-A Magnificent portrait of an organized crime.
“I am gonna make him an offer, he can’t refuse.” — Vito Corleone
I took the offer & I have to thank Netflix Technology Blog for adding The Godfather series. Had they not added, I would have missed watching the great & memorable performances of Marlon Brando, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. I have always known what great actors Al and De Niro are having watched them in several other movies. But The Godfather introduced me with Marlon Brando and his beyond-the-words screen presence and an A-class acting.
Marlon as Don Vito Corleone from the opening scene till his last scene in the movie was stupendous. His presence on the screen overshadowed almost all the actors. His persona, personality, dialogue delivery, style of walking, the way he was holding the cat in the opening scene — all were magnificent. I am falling short of words to express my exhilaration towards him. His famous final death scene is all perfunctory. Part 1 of The Godfather is a Marlon Brando movie.
Then comes, Part 2, where we see young Don Vito Corleone played by the Master himself — Robert De Niro. About him, what is to say which has not been said already. He mastered the role of young Don Vito. I believed him to be the younger version of Marlon Brando with his classified gestures and body language. There could not be anyone better than The Robert De Niro to have played this role.
From witnessing so many epic dialogues & so many great scenes from both Part 1 & 2, what touched me the most was The Godfather Part 3 & Al Pacino in it.
The person once a US Veteran takes over his family’s crime business and becomes THE GODFATHER. Oh, Al Pacino! What great emotions he portrayed! I am amazed. How he must’ve felt when he first murdered Sollonzo(a heroine trafficker) and the cop in Part 1 , or when he went to Sicily and met Apollonia (his first wife) and when she was taken away from him in the most heart-breaking💔 way.
Michael (Al Pacino) took the responsibility of taking care of the family after his father Don Vito Corleone dies. Later his elder brother Fredo, his own blood betrayed him. Though unaware of the result for his naiveness, it hurts Michael so much that he had Fredo killed. This pain, this suffering, the people for whom he stood up, loved, when they betrayed him, the emotions Al Pacino showed made his performance memorable for decades.
Al was in both Part 1 & 2 of the series but it is Part 3 which is all about his authentic acting. The love for his Daughter — MARY; the most honest & pure emotion in the movie and to whom he wants to give his kingdom to. An innocent & beautiful girl, who loves and trusts her father. “Oh Mary!” — the ending tore my heart.
It hurts so much, for me to write, the pain I felt while watching Part 3 is immense. The ending shook me. I could not control but to cry out loud and sobbed for minutes.
Michael (Al Pacino) I love you! Not just for the looks, the suave, the smile or the eyes but for his heart ❤. The final scene of Part 3 marks the greatness of his acting, so much that it will give you goosebumps. You are MY HERO. I regret to not have met this character before. I deeply cherish his emotions and how he wanted to make things right. How badly he wanted to move out of his family business for the promise he made to his wife, but whatever he did, unfortunately, it never let him out of this world.
Diane Keaton, as Michael’s wife & the mother to his kids, what an A-class acting. She was an icing on the cake for the portrayal of Kay Adams.
Finally, the movie’s memorable dialogues & mystical Music. The sweetest tone of mandolin and its string section is top class.
This film works so well because it takes place in an underworld in which we are so embedded that we do not even observe it. Francis Ford Coppola (director) puts us straight in the smack-dab centre of what is, admittedly, a society made by criminals for criminals. It is also the reason why it’s so welcoming. A master-piece worth a watch a dozen times!!
