So I finally saw The Godfather this weekend. I know, I know - way to catch up with every other person in the world. I have to say, though, that I had a hard time seperating just watching the film from its long legacy, and everything I already knew of the film. How many countless clips have I seen; how many stories about the film have I read; it sort of became a stringing together of moments that are so embedded in our pop culture (horse head in the bed, anyone?) that it was tough to see it as a complete film.
That said, it was just as great as its got a rep for, but here are a couple of things that stood out in my mind.
1- Marlon Brando was a pain in the ass to understand. Like, they should've subtitled his dialogue, because half of the time I had no idea what he was saying. Mumble mumble mumble. Yes, it made for an iconic creation, but Jesus, I just wanted to reach into his mouth and rip those wads of cotton out.
2 - Talia Shire was often completely indistinguishable from Annabella Sciorra. I was convinced for the first half of the film that the character of Connie was, in fact, being played by Sciorra, and not "Adrian!!!". Which had me thinking that Sciorra is actually much older than she looks/is. Yes, I thought about all this while the movie was on. It's a long movie!
3 - Diane Keaton really couldn't do any wrong back in the 70's, could she? My favorite moment in the entire film was when she spots the newspaper headline that Don Corleone has been shot - Coppola frames the shot that she and Michael (Pacino) are walking down the street laughing, and pass by a news-stand that's between us and them, and that fills the entire frame, and in the two to three seconds that it takes for us to see them again, her face and demeanor has completely changed, as she saw the headline that we (along with Pacino) have not. Such a small little moment but I rewound and watched the shot about four times - amazing bit of acting. Not to mention that final shot of the door closing on her face - wowza.
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That said, it was just as great as its got a rep for, but here are a couple of things that stood out in my mind.
1- Marlon Brando was a pain in the ass to understand. Like, they should've subtitled his dialogue, because half of the time I had no idea what he was saying. Mumble mumble mumble. Yes, it made for an iconic creation, but Jesus, I just wanted to reach into his mouth and rip those wads of cotton out.
2 - Talia Shire was often completely indistinguishable from Annabella Sciorra. I was convinced for the first half of the film that the character of Connie was, in fact, being played by Sciorra, and not "Adrian!!!". Which had me thinking that Sciorra is actually much older than she looks/is. Yes, I thought about all this while the movie was on. It's a long movie!
3 - Diane Keaton really couldn't do any wrong back in the 70's, could she? My favorite moment in the entire film was when she spots the newspaper headline that Don Corleone has been shot - Coppola frames the shot that she and Michael (Pacino) are walking down the street laughing, and pass by a news-stand that's between us and them, and that fills the entire frame, and in the two to three seconds that it takes for us to see them again, her face and demeanor has completely changed, as she saw the headline that we (along with Pacino) have not. Such a small little moment but I rewound and watched the shot about four times - amazing bit of acting. Not to mention that final shot of the door closing on her face - wowza.
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1 comment:
Yeah, it was pretty darn fantastic. And I agree with you on the clips thing. Like, I sat there going "ooh, so that scene must be soon" or "i wonder when such and such is gonna happen?"
Part II is slightly better I think. Or... They're pretty even. But Robert DeNiro is just... wow in Part II.
I was so surprised to see Diane Keaton didn't get one Oscar nod from the entire trilogy (yet Talia Shire did?!)
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