I watched Francis Ford Coppola's Godfather and Godfather 2 this week.

[milestogo]

I was a teenager when these came out, and although I saw them at that time, the violence was kind of overwhelming. When I was a teen there was a big deal about the horse head scene. Its paltry compared to the inter-human violence that comes from the "family business".

I've always meant to watch them again but these are very long movies. Yesterday I watched them in order.

The cinematography is amazing. I felt like I was transported back to another time and place so many times throughout the movies.

The music is haunting and beautiful. And it fits with the pathos of the story.

The story has a lot of twists and turns that I had a little trouble with, but its easy to find answers now. Its staggering to think that there are people who live like this.

Finally, the acting is amazing, especially Al Pacino. So many great performances, but his really stands out.

What an awesome couple of films.

[northoftheborder]

1. I rewatched "Forrest Gump" the other day.

Amazing how much I had totally forgotten. Still so admiring of Tom Hanks as an actor; he's perhaps this era's greatest actor. He has performed in such a variety of rolls, each superbly.

[vlyons]

2. Godfather I came out when I was in college at UT Austin

My professor Gerry O'Grady gave a lecture on its symbolism about the death of the American Dream. Remember the scene where they take the guy out in a car and shoot him, in the background is the statue of liberty. Later when GF II came out I was particularly impressed with them carving up a cake with the island of cuba drawn in the icing. And the mobster saying that the Batista gov of cuba knows how to treat businessmen like themselves properly. Meaning gov officials can be bought.

Not all that different from how Russian mobsters and corporate monopolists have carved up the USA. And sure enough the middle class American Dream is in a death spiral right now.

[Aristus]

3. This is a tiny little detail that has no real bearing on the story in 'The Godfather'.

If the set design was anything like realistic, then hospitals in the 1940's were truly ugly, squalid, uninviting-looking places. I would have felt safer at the front entrance, standing next to Michael Corleone, and with my hand inside my coat, than I would have inside getting treated for an illness.

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6. Another thing I noted was the scene where Kay tells Michael that she aborted his child.

Abortion was illegal, and there was no way of determining the sex before having the abortion. But she does it to put an end to the lineage of this violent family. She says she does not want to give Michael another son, only to have him take over the family business. Someone has to put an end to this.

The women seem pretty powerless in this film, but Kay finds a way to assert power.

[In_The_Wind]

11. I agree with what you said.

[LastDemocratInSC]

4. There are a few cast reunion videos on YouTube that are interesting.

They are easy to find by searching on the keywords.

[Boxerfan]

5. Thanks for the compliments as my Mom worked really hard on those films....

I know she did production work and her boyfriend was filming. I was also a teen and barely remember the movies. But I do remember there were months of agonizingly hard work to get it "right".

She had a great legacy and that was part of it.

[milestogo]

7. Wow, that's something to be proud of.

They did get it exactly right.

[Lochloosa]

8. Both great films. I liked 2 over 1.

[Boomerproud]

12. I liked 2 over 1 as well.

The flashback scenes with DeNiro were magnificent. Pacino was beautiful when he was young.

[emulatorloo]

13. Yes I also liked 2 over 1. I enjoyed III as well but that was not as great as 1 and 2.

[a kennedy]

9. I watched the Godfather........and still am sickened by how violent it was AND still is......

closed my eyes during the violence....but did enjoy the movie.

[CTyankee]

10. I learned that John Cazale, who played Fredo, was actually dying of cancer at the time but the

director really wanted him in the movie. Cazale and Meryl Streep were very much in love and she nursed him during his final days and was with him when he passed.

Cazale was a fine actor. What a loss...

[TexasBushwhacker]

14. The thing that funny is that Coppola took the job because he was broke

He and George Lucas formed American Zoetrope with a $300K first look deal with Warner Brothers. They made THX-1138. WB hated it and all the other scripts they wanted to produce and demanded their money back. The debt almost closed AZ and The Godfather was the first gig either he or Lucas could get.

[Floyd R. Turbo]

15. I watch both at least once a year, usually in the autumn. Occasionally I watch III, which not as

good as I and II is still a good flick!