Once again, I come to a movie upon which everyone has written. I just can't help myself. Few films approach this one in their power to entertain and their power to enter your soul. This is one of those movies that, despite its length, never seems that long. Like movies such as "Star Wars","The Wizard of Oz" or "The Princess Bride", phrases from this movie have simply made their way into people's everyday discourse. What makes this movie special is its immediate familiarity. The first time I saw it, I was struck by how much of it felt like I had already seen it. I was also struck by the slight of hand I was watching. Somehow, Francis Ford Coppola was making these monsters in front of me sympathetic.
The story of the Corleone is partly so familiar because it is a classic American story. It is the story of an immigrant family trying to integrate into the American culture. In the sequel to this film, we see the background of the Corleone patriarch, Vito (Marlon Brando). He is an immigrant who has worked hard to get to where he is, even though his fortune has been gained through crime. As this film opens, he is giving an audience to several guests on his daughter's wedding day. In the film, it is a Sicilian tradition for the father of the bride to grant favors to his guests on his daughter's wedding day. The opening scene at the wedding is a wonderful example of narrative film making. Coppola is able to introduce almost every major character in the film in the first few moments, and yet it feels totally natural. The story moves ahead effectively yet never is in a hurry. It allows the story to unfold naturally. The evolution of Michael Corleone (Al Pacino), the youngest son of Vito, from idealist WW2 hero to mafia kingpin is one of the most effective and devastating falls from grace in the history of movies. These two key characters, Vito and Michael, are the heart of the film, and their story is so watchable.
Yet there is so much more. A supporting cast that includes James Caan, Robert Duvall, Abe Vigoda, Diane Keaton. Sterling Hayden, John Cazale, Talia Shire and others. All of these characters add further texture to the story. The most intriguing one to me has always been Robert Duval as Tom Hagen. Hagen is the adoptive son of Vito and has become the family's legal counselor. He is specifically kept out of the family's inner circle due to the fact that he is not Sicilian. He always seems to want to be closer to the center, but the family's obsession with Sicilian blood and ties keeps at a distance. The irony is that the Corleone family so much wants to be American, yet it is not seen as such by the WASPs in the movie. When the Corleone family has the chance to make an outsider one of their own, they fail to do so. The movie depicts the constant struggle between those on the inside and those on the outside. For the Corleone family, they are on the inside in their own world, but they are still very much outside of "acceptable" American society.
As we get to know these characters and revisit them with multiple viewings of the film, the scenes in the movie begin to have a very familiar rhythm to them. The first time I saw the movie, I found keeping the characters straight to be difficult. With further viewings, the different characters along with their roles continue to become more familiar. Only then can the viewer begin to truly appreciate the depth of the storytelling. James Caan's Sonny is a doomed hot head who seems gifted but cannot control his rage. John Cazale's Fredo is a weakling who seems completely outside of the family, but whose link to the family is still so important that it will eventually cost him everything when he doesn't take it seriously.
One time, I watched this movie while consuming pizza from one of my favorite joints in SoCal (JoePeep's, for those keeping score). As I watched it with my old friend Eric, I realized that pizza made the film even better. Then I looked at the screen and I realized how big a role food played in this movie. There is the scene in which Clemenza is making pasta for all of the guys while they are in hiding. There is the opening wedding scene. There is the fateful murder scene at the Italian eatery. Food plays such an important role in the movie, that I must say that I crave red sauce and dry red wine when I watch the movie.
So, if you are up for it, rent this movie. Order some pizza from the best local pizzeria (Domino's might not cut it). Pour some Sangiovese if you are so inclined, or grab a root beer if you stay away from alcohol. Dim the lights, and become lost in the engrossing story of this family. You will see carnage, sex and betrayal. But you will also see a family struggling to understand its place in this country. You will see a young man who so much wants to be an upright citizen, but cannot escape his family's violent past. As he stands to be Godfather for his nephew, we know the baptism symbolizes something more. And while you weep for the man who chooses this path, you must admit to being inspired by the verve of the storytelling. You are seeing an epic story which stands with some of the greatest tragedies ever put on screen or in print.
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