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Vito Andolini was twelve years old when his father, who had fallen out with the Sicilian mafia, was killed. Since the mafia is also hunting for his son, Vito is sent to America. There he changes his surname to Corleone - after the name of the village where he comes from. Young Vito goes to work at Abbandando's grocery store. At eighteen he marries, and in the third year of marriage he has a son, Santino, whom everyone affectionately calls Sonny, and then another - Frederico, Freddie.

Fanucci, a gangster who extorts money from shopkeepers, places his nephew in Vito's place, leaving Vito without a job, and Vito is forced to join his friend Clemenza and his accomplice Tessio, who are raiding trucks with silk dresses, otherwise his family will die from hunger. When Fanucci demands his share of the money raised from this, Vito, having carefully calculated everything, kills him in cold blood. This makes Vito a respected man on the block. Fanucci's clientele goes to him. In the end, he founded an import trading house together with his friend Genco Abbandando. olive oil. Shopkeepers who do not want to stock up on their oil are taken care of by Clemenza and Tessio - warehouses are burning, people are dying... During Prohibition, under the guise of a trading house, Vito was engaged in smuggling alcohol, after the abolition of Prohibition he switched to the gambling business. More and more people work for him, and Vito Corleone provides everyone with a comfortable life and protection from the police. They begin to add the word “don” to his name, and he is respectfully called the Godfather.

Time passes, the Corleones already have four children, and their family is raising an orphan and street child, Tom Hagen. Sonny, at the age of sixteen, begins working for his father - first as a bodyguard, then as the commander of one of the armed squads of the mafia along with Clemenza and Tessio. Later in family business Freddie and Tom enter.

Don Corleone is the first to understand that it is necessary to take politics, not shooting, and that in order to protect his world from government interference, criminal groups in New York and throughout the country must stick together. Through his efforts at a time when external world The Second World War is shaking, inside the American underworld there is calm and complete readiness to reap the benefits of the rise of the American economy. Only one thing saddens the Don - his youngest son Michael rejects his father’s care and volunteers to go to war, where he rises to the rank of captain, and at the end of the war, again without asking anyone, he leaves home and goes to university.

The actual action of the novel begins in August 1945. Don Constance's only daughter, Connie, gets married. Don Corleone doesn't really like his future son-in-law, Carlo Rizzi, but he appoints him to the position of bookmaker in Manhattan and makes sure that the police reports drawn up on Carlo in Nevada, where he used to live, are seized. Faithful people also deliver information to the Don about legal gambling houses in Nevada, and the Don listens to this information with great interest.

Among other guests, the famous singer Johnny Fontaine comes to the wedding, he is also the godson of the don. Johnny's life with his second wife did not work out, his voice is lost, he has troubles with the film business... What brings him here is not only love and respect for the Corleone family, but also the confidence that the Godfather will help solve his problems. And indeed, the Don arranges for Johnny to be given the role for which he subsequently receives an Oscar, helps with family affairs and lends money sufficient for Johnny to become a film producer. Fontaine's paintings are wildly successful, and the Don makes a big profit - this man knows how to profit from everything.

When Don Corleone is offered participation in the drug business together with the Tattaglia family, he refuses, since it goes against his principles. But Sonny was very interested, which did not hide from Sollozzo, who conveyed this proposal to Corleone.

Three months later, an assassination attempt is made on Vito Corleone. The killers manage to escape - the weak-willed Freddy, replacing the don's bodyguard, is numb and cannot even pull out a machine gun.

Meanwhile, Hagen is captured by Sollozzo's men. Having told Tom that Don Corleone has been killed, Sollozzo asks him to become a mediator in negotiations with Sonny, who will now become the head of the family and will be able to sell drugs. But then news comes that, despite five bullets, the Godfather survived. Sollozzo wants to kill Hagen, but he manages to deceive him.

Sonny and Sollozzo begin endless negotiations. At the same time, Sonny “evens the score” - the informant Sollozzo dies, Tattaglia’s son is killed... These days, Michael considers it his duty to be with his family.

One evening, upon entering the hospital, Michael discovers that someone has recalled Tessio's men guarding the Don's ward. This means Sollozzo will now come to kill his father! Michael quickly calls Sonny and takes a position at the entrance to the hospital - to hold out until his own people arrive. Then police captain McCloskey arrives, bribed by Sollozzo. Furious that the operation failed, he breaks Michael's jaw. Michael bore it without attempting to retaliate.

The next day, Sollozzo conveys that he wants to enter into negotiations through Michael, because he is considered a harmless weakling. But Michael is filled with cold hatred for his father's enemies. Having agreed to negotiate, he kills both Sollozzo and Captain McCloskey, who is accompanying him. After this, he is forced to flee the country and hide in Sicily.

The police, taking revenge for the murder of the captain, suspend profitable activities that are carried out in violation of the law. This brings a loss to all five families of New York, and since the Corleone family refuses to hand over the killer, an internecine war begins in the underworld in 1946. However, when through the efforts of Hagen it is discovered that McCloskey was a bribe-taker, the thirst for revenge in the hearts of the police subsides and pressure from the police stops. But five families continue to fight the Corleone family: they terrorize bookmakers, shoot ordinary servants, and lure people away. The Corleone family goes into martial law. Don, despite his condition, is transported from the hospital home, under reliable protection. Freddie is sent to Las Vegas to come to his senses and familiarize himself with the situation in the casinos there. Sonny manages the family's affairs - and not in the best way. In a senseless and bloody war with five families, he manages to win a number of individual victories, but the family is losing people and income, with no end in sight. Several profitable bookmaking outlets had to be closed, and Carlo Rizzi, thus left out of business, takes his anger out on his wife: one day he beat her so much that Connie, calling Sonny, asks to take her home. Losing his head with rage, Sonny rushes to intercede for his sister, is ambushed and killed.

Don Corleone is forced to leave his hospital bed and become the head of the family. To everyone's surprise, he calls all the families of New York and family syndicates from all over the country to a meeting, where he makes a peace proposal. He even agrees to take up drugs, but on one condition - no harm will come to his son Michael. The world is concluded. And only Hagen realizes that the Godfather has far-reaching plans and today’s retreat is just a tactical maneuver.

Michael meets a beautiful girl in Sicily and gets married. But his happiness was short-lived - the Barzini family, who from the very beginning stood behind Sollozzo and Tattaglia, causes an explosion in Michael’s car with the hands of the traitor Fabrizio. Michael accidentally survived, but his wife dies... Returning to America, Michael expresses his desire to become his father's real son and work with him.

Three years pass. Michael marries an American, Kay Adams, who was waiting for him during his exile. Under the guidance of Hagen and the Don, he diligently studies the family business. Like his father, Michael prefers to act not from a position of strength, but from a position of intelligence and resourcefulness. They plan to move business operations to Nevada, completely switching to a legal position there (a person who did not want to give them his territory in Las Vegas is killed). But at the same time they are developing plans for revenge on the Barzini-Tattaglia alliance. Having partially retired from business, the Don appoints Michael as his successor, so that in a year he will become a full-fledged Godfather...

But suddenly Don Corleone dies, after his death Barzini and Tattaglia violate the peace treaty and try to kill Michael, taking advantage of Tessio’s betrayal. But Michael proves that his father's choice was correct. Fabrizio is killed. The heads of the Barzini and Tattaglia families are killed. Tessio is killed. They kill Carlo Rizzi, who, as it turned out, on the day of Sonny’s murder, deliberately beat his wife at the behest of Barzini.

Upon learning of Carlo's death, Connie rushes to Michael with reproaches. And although Michael denies everything, Kay suddenly realizes that her husband is a killer. Horrified, she takes the children and leaves to live with her parents.

A week later, Hagen comes to see her. They have a terrible conversation: Tom describes to Kay the world that Michael has been hiding from her all this time - a world where you can’t forgive, a world where you have to forget about your affections. “If Michael finds out what I told you here, I’m finished,” he finishes. “There are only three people in the world whom he will not harm: you and the children.”

Kay returns to her husband. Soon they move to Nevada. Hagen and Freddie work for Michael, Connie remarries. Clemenza is allowed to leave Corleone and start his own family syndicate. Things are going well, the dominance of the Corleone family is unshakable.

Every morning Kay goes to church with her mother-in-law. Both women earnestly pray for the salvation of the souls of their husbands - two dons, two Godfathers...

While filming the scene where Vito Corleone returns home and his men carry him up the stairs, Marlon Brando placed an extra weight under the bed as a joke.
Lenny Montana (Luca Brasi) was so nervous while working with Marlon Brando that he messed up several of his lines during the first take. Director Francis Ford Coppola liked this realistic nervousness and used the take in the final cut of the film.
Animal rights activists were against the horse head scene. Francis Ford Coppola told Variety: "So many people were killed in the film, but everyone was worried about the horse. It was the same on the set. When the horse's head was brought to the set, it upset a lot of the members." film crew, animal lovers who like small dogs. What they don't know is that we got this head from a pet food manufacturer who sends two hundred horses to the slaughterhouse every day to feed these little dogs."
During the filming of the film, there were strong differences between Paramount Pictures and director Francis Ford Coppola. The studio tried several times to replace the director, citing the fact that Coppola was behind schedule and budget. But in the end, the director made the film ahead of schedule and within the original budget.
Marlon Brando wanted to make his character "like a bulldog." During tests, he tucked cotton balls into his cheeks. For the filming of the film, the dentist made a special pad that was placed on the lower jaw. This overlay is on display at the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens, New York.
The scene in which Enzo visits Vito Corleone in the hospital was filmed in reverse order - the street action was filmed first. Actor Gabriel Torrei has never acted in front of a camera before, so his excitement and nervousness in the film are real.
The appearance of oranges in the frame in all three parts of the saga symbolizes approaching death.
The scene in which James Caan's character throws the FBI photographer to the ground was improvised by Caan. The actor who played the photographer did not expect this, so his fear can be considered real. James Caan also suggested that his character throw money in the photographer's face for a broken camera.
The cat that Vito Corleone holds in the opening scene of the film was not written into the script. Director Francis Ford Coppola picked it up on the Paramount Pictures lot.
Actor Al Martino's reaction to being slapped by Vito Corleone is also genuine. The slap was not written in the script and was improvised by Marlon Brando.
According to Al Pacino, in the hospital scene when Michael swears to his father, Marlon Brando's tears are real.
The scene in which Carlo (Connie's husband) beats Sonny took four days to film.
Marlon Brando did not memorize his lines, but read them from off-screen cues in almost all scenes.
Marlon Brando based his character's voice on the voice of real-life gangster Frank Costello.
In the film you can see that most of the cars have wooden bumpers. During World War II, chrome bumpers were removed by car owners and given to military needs.
Actor Al Pacino boycotted the Academy Awards because he was nominated in the category Best Actor Supporting Role", although his character had more screen time than Marlon Brando's character, who won the Academy Award for Best Actor.
According to actor Richard S. Castellano, he defended Gordon Ullys during his disagreements with director Francis Ford Coppola. For this, Coppola took revenge on him by filming over twenty takes of the scene in which his character Clemenza climbs the stairs.
Actor Orson Welles wanted to play the role of Vito Corleone, and was even willing to lose weight for the role. Director Francis Ford Coppola was a fan of Orson Welles, but still rejected his candidacy, as he already intended to cast Marlon Brando in the role.
The quote “I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse” was included in the American Film Institute's list of the top 100 quotes. It came right after the quote "Frankly, my dear, I don"t give a damn" from the movie " gone With the Wind" (1939).
The sequel film began to be planned even before the end of production of the first part.
According to director Francis Ford Coppola, filming took 62 days.
According to Mario Puzo, the character of Johnny Fontaine was not based on the real-life singer Frank Sinatra. However, it was widely believed that Sinatra was the inspiration for the character, which infuriated the singer. One day, he bumped into Mario Puzo in a restaurant and made rude threats towards him. Sinatra was strongly opposed to the film. Therefore, the character's appearance in the film was reduced to a minimum.
Filming of the scenes in Corleone actually took place in the Sicilian town of Savoca, since Corleone was too developed and looked modern already in the early seventies.
Actor Al Pacino's maternal grandparents immigrated to America from Corleone, as did the film character Vito Corleone.
One of the reasons Francis Ford Coppola agreed to direct this film was because he owed Warner Brothers a $400,000 budget overrun on George Lucas' THX 1138.
Francis Ford Coppola originally wanted the film to be called "Mario Puzo's The Godfather" rather than just "The Godfather".
George Lucas prepared a compilation of photographs and headlines for the film about the war between the five families. He did this as a thank you to Francis Ford Coppola for his help in working on the film." American graffiti" (1973), but at the same time wished that his name not be included in the credits.
The character Mo Greene has real prototype. He is based on real-life gangster Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel, but in reality the gangster did not wear glasses. Both the character and the real gangster were shot in the eye. The glasses were added in the film in order to perform a special effect during filming.
Actor Gianni Ruso used his connections to organized crime to secure the role of Carlo Rizzi. He forced the production crew to give themselves a personal audition in order to send the tape to the producers. Marlon Brando was against his participation, since he did not have acting experience. Then Russo became furious and, during a personal meeting, began to threaten Marlon Brando. Russo's demeanor impressed Marln Brando, and he agreed that Russo would be suitable for the role.
Director Francis Ford Coppola was against having his sister Talia Shire audition for the role of Connie, as he thought she was too attractive for the role and did not want accusations of nepotism. Mario Puzo eventually insisted on her audition.
For scenes in which actor Al Pacino's character appeared before the viewer with a broken jaw, a special silicone pad was used that covered the entire left cheek and was specially painted.
Francis Ford Coppola cast many of his relatives in the film. His sister, Talia Shire, played the role of Connie in all parts of the saga. His mother, Italia Coppola, appeared in a small scene in a restaurant. His father, Carmine Coppola, appeared in a small role as a pianist and was the film's composer. His sons, Gian-Carlo Coppola and Roman Coppola, appeared as extras in the fight scene between Sonny and Carlo. His daughter, Sofia Coppola, appeared as a baby and was only three weeks old at the time of filming.
Director Sergio Leone could have made this film, but refused, considering the script, which glorified the mafia, not interesting enough. He later regretted his decision and directed his own gangster saga, Once Upon a Time in America (1984).
Director Stanley Kubrick believed that the film had the best cast in the history of cinema.
The first director's cut of the film lasted 126 minutes. But chief producer Paramount Pictures studio Robert Evans rejected this version and insisted on adding additional scenes about the family. The final version of the film was almost 50 minutes longer.
In many of the Sicilian scenes, Al Pacino's character wipes his nose with a handkerchief. In the novel, this is explained by the fact that McCluskey gave him a blow to the face, which damaged his sinuses.
The first scene that was filmed was Michael Corleone and his wife Kay's Christmas shopping trip.
Three-year-old actor Anthony Gounaris responded better to the crew's commands when he heard his real name. That's why Michael Corleone's son is named Anthony.
Young Sylvester Stallone auditioned for the roles of Paulie Gatto and Carlo Rizzi, but was not cast in either role.
Due to the emergency shooting schedule, the wedding scene between Michael and Kay was filmed at night. Director of photography Gordon Willis was unhappy with the amount of lighting equipment he had to install to film the scene.
Actors Al Pacino, James Caan and Diane Keaton received thirty-five thousand dollars each as a fee.
During pre-production, director Francis Ford Coppola conducted informal video tests at his home with actors Al Pacino, James Caan, Roberto Duvall and Diane Keaton. Producer Robert Evan was dissatisfied with the results and insisted on holding official tests. The studio spent $420,000 to organize auditions, but ultimately, the actors originally proposed by Francis Ford Coppola were approved for the roles.
Actor James Caan improvised the line "bada-bing!" He heard it from an acquaintance of the gangster Carmine Persico.
Actors Jewish origin James Caan and Abe Vigoda played the Italian roles (Santino Corleone and Salvatore Tessio), while Italian-born actor Alex Rocco played the Jewish character (Moe Greene).
Filming took place in New York in more than one hundred locations.
Despite the fact that Marlon Brando plays the main role in the film, his character has less than one hour of screen time.
During the filming of the film, Marlon Brando was 47 years old. But even despite the makeup, critics still believed that he looked too young to play the role of Vito Corleone.
Vio Corleone's wife, Carmella Corleone, can be seen in the wedding scene. Morgana King, who played this role, was a jazz singer, and the role in the film was her debut.
According to Betty McRatt, an assistant to producer Albert S. Ruddy, he was warned by the police that he was being watched by the mafia. Ruddy swapped cars with his assistant to deceive possible surveillance of him. One day, McCrath found her car with bullet holes in the windows and a threatening note advising her to shut down the film's production.
According to the DVD commentary by director and screenwriter Francis Ford Coppola, the scene where Captain McCluskey confronts Michael Corleone in front of the hospital stars NYPD detective Sonny Grosso, one of the detectives on the famous French Connection case.
Crime boss Joe Colombo and his organization, the Italian American Civil Rights League, began a campaign to shut down the film's production. According to Robert Evans in his autobiography, Columbo personally called him at home, threatening Evans and his family. Paramount Pictures received numerous letters during pre-production from Italian-Americans, including politicians, who condemned the film and called it anti-Italian. Producer Albert S. Ruddy met with Joe Colombo, who demanded that the terms "Mafia" and "Cosa Nostra" not be used in the film. The producer gave them the right to look at the script and make changes. He also agreed to hire members of the "League" (who were essentially ordinary bandits) as extras and consultants. After this agreement, the angry letters, calls and threats stopped. Paramount Pictures studio owner Charlie Bluedorn learned of the agreement from The New York Times and shut down production on the film, firing producer Albert S. Ruddy. However, the producer convinced the studio owner that this agreement would only benefit the film, and then production of the film resumed.
When actor Marlon Brando won the Best Actor category, "Little Feather" Sachin (Marie Louise Cruz) took the stage instead. She rejected the statue that Roger Moore tried to give her and gave her speech about the film industry and its mistreatment of Native Americans.
Actor James Caan was angry that scenes showing his character's depth (such as his reaction to his father's shooting) were cut from the film. At the film's premiere, he met with producer Robert Evans and got into an argument with him. According to Caan, about forty-five minutes of screen time involving his character were cut from the film.
Paramount Pictures producer Peter Barth bought the rights to Mario Puzo's novel before it was completed.
Actor John Cazale, who played Fredo, appeared in only five films. All of them were nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Picture category.
Paramount Pictures had been struggling financially since the early seventies and needed a box office hit. The studio's producers specifically asked director and screenwriter Francis Ford Coppola to make the film as violent as possible.
Actor Marlon Brando created part of his image with the help of actor Al Lettieri, whose family had relatives who were real gangsters.
Initially, Paramount Pictures wanted to make a lower-budget film set only in one decade of modern times. Director Francis Ford Coppola rejected Mario Puzo's script, which was based on this idea.
The opening three-minute zoom-out shot of Americo Bonasero and Vito Corleone was shot with computer-controlled lenses. This filming technology was later used in the film Silent Escape (1972).
All the actors who play the roles of the sons of Marlon Brando's character are actually 6-16 years younger than him. Actor James Caan's character, Santino, is supposed to be older than Al Pacino's character, Michael Corleone. In fact, both actors were born in 1940, a month apart.
According to producer Albert S. Ruddy, Marlon Brando "was loved by the people of Mott Street, and he loved them." When they were filming the scene of the assassination attempt on Vito Corleone, a crowd of onlookers gathered on the street and interfered with the filming of the scene with their shouts and applause towards Marlon Brando. The scene was reshot many times, and when it was filmed, Marlon Brando bowed to the welcoming crowd.
Mario Puzo based the character of Vito Corleone on real-life New York crime bosses Joe Profaci and Vito Genovese. Many scenes in his novel are based on real events from the lives of these bandits and their families.
Martin Sheen and Dean Stockwell auditioned for the role of Michael Corleone. Oscar winner Rod Steiger wanted to play the role of Michael, even though he was too old for it. Warren Beatty, Jack Nicholson and Dustin Hoffman were all considered to play the role of Michael Corleone, but all three declined. Warren Beatty was also offered to serve as director and producer of the film. Francis Ford Coppola rejected Alain Delon and Burt Reynolds for the role of Michael Corleone. Paramount Pictures producer Robert Evans wanted Robert Redford to play one of the roles, but Francis Ford Coppola rejected his candidacy. Irish-American actor Ryan O'Neal was one step away from landing the role, which eventually went to James Caan.
The film was shot by director of photography Gordon Willis in very dark tones. When a copy of the film arrived at Paramount Pictures, the producers decided that there had been some kind of mistake and asked to give the film a different tone, but Willis and Francis Ford Coppola refused. This style was adopted into many other films in the future.
Marlon Brando and James Caan had to wear high platform shoes during filming.
Paramount Pictures several times early in production considered firing director Francis Ford Coppola and hiring Eli Kazan instead, in hopes that he could handle actor Marlon Brando's notoriously violent temper. The actor announced that if Coppola was fired, he would also leave the project.
Director Francis Ford Coppola conducted several rehearsals, which were supposed to help the actors get into character and help establish a realistic family connection between the characters that the audience would believe in. So the main actors gathered several times at a large dinner table and had to be in the image of their characters.
While filming a scene in which Carlo beats up actress Talia Shire's character, the latter accidentally lost her shoes. But the actress did not stop filming, despite the fact that she could be injured by numerous broken dishes on the floor.
The only scene in the film in which Marlon Brando appears in the same frame with Diane Keaton is when they take photos together at Connie's wedding.
At one point, producer Robert Evans decided that the film lacked dynamics and wanted to hire an action director to finish filming. To satisfy Evans' wishes, Francis Ford Coppola and his son Gian-Carlo Coppola developed a long fight scene between Connie and Carlo.
There are about sixty scenes in the film in which the characters eat or drink.
Frankie Avalon and Vic Damone, both professional singers, auditioned for the role of Johnny Fontane. Francis Ford Coppola wanted to cast Vic Damone in the role, but the producers, influenced by the criminal connections of actor Al Martino, approved him.
Initially, Michael's appeal to Apollonia's father was written in the script in Sicilian, as it was in the novel. However, actor Al Pacino spoke Sicilian poorly and could not learn such a long speech in this language. Francis Ford Coppola in last moment rewrote the scene into English.
During the scene when Sonny hits Carlo, a wooden box can be seen in the background. It was placed there specifically to hide an object that does not correspond to the time of the plot.
When the filming schedule required filming a scene in which Michael Corleone visits his father in the hospital, Marlon Brando missed his plane. As a result, he missed one day of filming. When Marlon Brando received a check from Paramount Pictures for twelve thousand dollars for his work shooting days, he sent four thousand back.
During the filming of the film, Francis Ford Coppola complained that he was driving an old van to the film set. Then producer Robert Evans bet with the director that if the film surpassed the fifty million dollar box office mark, Paramount Pictures would buy Francis Ford Coppola a new car. When the film's box office reached the required level, Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas went car shopping and purchased a Mercedes Benz 600, sending the invoice for the car to the Paramount Pictures studio. This car can be seen in the first scene of the film "American Graffiti" (1973).
Marie Puzo gave Vito Corleone's eldest son the nickname "Sonny". The son of the famous gangster Al Capone had the same nickname.
Francis Ford Coppola was initially reluctant to direct the film because he believed it would glorify the mafia and violence. However, he later agreed to the production, deciding that the film would be an allegory on American capitalism.
According to actress Ardell Sheridan, future mob boss Paul Castellano visited the film's set and spoke with actor Richard S. Castellano. After Paul Castellano was murdered in 1985, it was learned that he was the uncle of actor Richard S. Castellano.
Actors James Caan and Al Pacino were only 10 years younger than Morgana King, who played their mother. Actor John Cazale was five years younger.
The opening wedding scene took a week to film and involved approximately 750 extras.
During eight weeks of filming, actor Robert Duvall received $36,000 as a fee.
Actor Marlon Brando wanted actor Al Martino to be replaced by another actor because he thought his acting was weak.
Actor James Caan was considered for the role of Tom Hagen (this is the role he originally auditioned for), then for the role of Michael Corleone, but was eventually assigned to the role of Sonny Corleone.
After the death of actor Marlon Brando, his copy of the film's script with notes was sold at auction in New York for $12,800. This is the most high price, which has ever been offered at auction for scripts.
Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) and Kay Adams (Diane Keaton) watch The Bells of St. Mary's (1945) in the theater. The film is a sequel to Going My Way (1944). This film is the first sequel to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. The second such film was The Godfather Part II (1974).
The traditional Sicilian hat worn in the film, for example, by Michael Corleone's bodyguards, is called a "coppola".
Composer Nino Rota was nominated for an Academy Award for the film's score, but the nomination was withdrawn when it became known that he had used a modified version of the song in the film. musical theme, which he himself wrote for the film “Fortunella” (1958).
The baptism scene was filmed in two churches. Filming inside the church took place at the Basilica of St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York. Exterior filming took place at Mount Loretto Church in Pleasant Plains.
Mario Puzo was very proud of the quote from the novel, “A lawyer with a briefcase can steal more than a hundred men with guns,” and wanted it to be used in the film, but actor Marlon Brandon thought it was too preachy.
Long scenes in which Tom enters the studio and in which Tom and Jack Woltz walk around the area were filmed with the help of extras wearing wigs. This allowed Robert Duvall and John Marley not to be paid as actors.
In the novel, Don Cuneo's name is Ottileo, but in the film he is called Carmine, a reference to Carmine Coppola.
The film takes place from 1945 to 1955.
Actors Ernest Borgnine, Edward G. Robinson, Orson Welles, Danny Thomas, Richard Conte, Anthony Quinn, Don Ameche and George C. Scott were considered by Paramount Pictures for the role of Vito Corleone. Actor Burt Lancaster wanted to play the role, but was never considered by the filmmakers.
On front door There is a fish hanging in the nightclub, which foreshadows the fate of Luca Brasi.
In the bedroom scene with the horse's head, you can see an Oscar figurine on the bedside table.
Actor Tommy Lee Jones was considered for the role of Michael Corleone.
The estate, which was used as Jack Woltz's estate, also played the role of Alan Stanwyck's estate in the film Fletch (1985).
Paramount Pictures wanted the film to appeal to a wide audience, so they insisted that director Francis Ford Coppola add as much more scenes with violence. Coppola agreed and filmed several additional scenes, particularly the scene in which Connie breaks dishes after learning of Carlo's infidelity.
Actress Mia Farrow auditioned for the role of Kay.
In 1990, the film was placed in the National Film Registry.
The scene between Tom and Sollozzo was filmed in an abandoned diner. When the heroes leave the diner, there is a real snowstorm outside.
According to an August 1971 New York Times article by Nicholas Pileggi, Paramount Pictures planned to release a line of spaghetti sauce bearing the film's logo. There were also plans to create a pizzeria franchise and film a television spin-off. However, none of the ideas were brought to life.
According to actor Alex Rocco, he originally auditioned for the role of Al Nary, but director Francis Ford Coppola insisted that he play the role of Moe Greene. Rocco, an American with Italian roots, doubted that he could play the role of a character of Jewish origin.
In 1994, Marlon Brando wrote in his autobiography that he turned down the role in this film several times because he did not want to glorify the mafia.
The studio initially wanted to abandon the use of the film's now iconic logo. The logo was originally created by artist S. Neil Fujita for the cover of the Mario Puzo novel. Francis Ford Coppola insisted that this particular logo be used for the film, since Mario Puzo co-wrote the film's screenplay.
In order to give the wedding scene more realism and due to the tight shooting schedule, director Francis Ford Coppola asked the extras in the background not to play specific roles, but to improvise.
Actresses Anna Magnani and Anne Bancroft turned down the role of Mama Corleone.
Filming took seventy-seven days, six days less than originally planned.
Actor Franco Corsaro appeared in a scene with the dying consigliere Genco Abbandando, but the scene was cut from the final film. In the scene immediately following the wedding, Vito Corleone and his sons go to the hospital to pay their respects to Genco, who is dying of cancer. The scene appeared in several television versions, replacing the murder scene and in The Godfather: A Television Novel (1977). In the film, there is a mention of Jenko in the scene when Sonny explains to Tom why there is no need to have a consigliere.
Actors Jerry Van Dyke, Bruce Dern, Steve McQueen, Paul Newman and James Caan auditioned for the role of Tom Hagen.
According to associate producer Gary Fredrickson, Lenny Montana, who played Luca Brasi, worked for the Mafia as a bodyguard and also bragged to Fredrickson about working for the Mafia as an arsonist.
In the source novel, the number of people asking for an audience with Don Corleone during his son's wedding is greater than shown in the film. It’s interesting that one of the visitors who asks for money to open a pizzeria has a last name of Coppola.
The idea to invite actor Richard Conte to the film was suggested to Francis Ford Coppola by Martin Scorsese's mother.
Francis Ford Coppola cast Diane Keaton as Kay Adams because of her eccentric reputation.
Production on the film began on March 29, 1971, but actor Marlon Brando filmed the film for thirty-five days, from April 12 to May 28, as he had commitments to Last Tango in Paris (1972).
Screenwriter Robert Towne wrote a patio scene for the film featuring Al Pacino and Marlon Brando's characters.
Producer Robert Evans hated composer Nino Rota's original score for the film. Director and screenwriter Francis Ford Coppola gave an ultimatum that if this music was not used, he would leave the project.
The Spanish Borgia family, who immigrated to Rome in the 15th century, became the prototype for the Corleone family. The family patriarch, Rodrigo, became Pope Alexander VI. Rome at that time was like New York in the 1940s, and there were five powerful families. Other Roman families are Colonna, Medici, Sforza and Orsini.
Singer Elvis Presley, being a fan of Mario Puzo's novel, auditioned for the role of Tom Hagen and wanted to play the role of Vito Corleone.
This film is the last American work of actor Richard Conte, who died on April 15, 1975 at the age of 65.
According to director Francis Ford Coppola, actor Marlon Brando believed that Salvatore Corsitto played the best role in the film.
Actor Al Pacino received only thirty-five thousand dollars as a fee for his role in the film (the same as James Caan and Diane Keaton and one thousand less than Robert Duvall). However, having starred in such hits as “Scarecrow” (1973) and “Serpico” (1973), for the second part of “The Godfather” he was able to receive six hundred thousand dollars, as well as a percentage of the box office receipts.
Director of photography Gordon Willis initially refused to direct this film, as he considered its production too "chaotic". He later agreed to take part in the project, and together with director Francis Fordo Coppola, they came to an agreement that no modern equipment, helicopters or zoom lenses would be used during filming. Willis decided to use overhead lighting for most of the scenes, as this lighting made it possible to hide the imperfections of Marlon Brando's voluminous makeup.
Some of the actors who starred in the film had the same birthday: Al Pacino and Talia Shire (April 25), Diane Keaton and Robett Duvall (January 5), James Caan and Sterling Hayden (March 26), Abe Vigoda, Saro Urzi, Al Lettieri (24 February).
During Michael and Kay's dinner scene, Irving Berlin's "All of My Life" is playing on the radio.
Actor Abe Vigoda got the role of Tessio after auditioning against about 100 actors.
Actor Burt Reynolds was considered by director Francis Ford Coppola for the role of Sonny Corleone. But actor Marlon Brando refused to work with Reynolds because he considered him a second-rate actor. His hostility towards Reynolds began in 1959, when he appeared in an episode of The Twilight Zone and parodied the character of Marlon Brando.
Actress Ardell Sheridan, who played the role of Mrs. Clemenza, was the girlfriend of actor Richard S. Castelanno at the time of filming, and he agreed with director Francis Ford Coppola about her participation in the film, which became her acting debut. Sheridan and Castellano also played husband and wife in an episode of Super (1972). They later got married in real life.
Actor Anthony Perkins auditioned for the role of Sonny Corleone.
Many visitors film set actor Abe Vigoda was considered a real gangster.
Actor Frank Sievero appeared in the film as an extra in the scene when Sonny beat up Carlo Rizzi. In the second part he stars as Jenko Abbandonado.
The film is the debut acting work of John Spinella, he played the role of Willie Kicci and was not listed in the credits.
Composer Nino Rota wrote the song "The Pickup" to play during the scene of Tom Hagen arriving in Hollywood. The studio considered that this musical composition not suitable for the stage and replaced it with the jazz composition "Manhattan Serenade". Subsequently, Nino Rota's composition was released on the film soundtrack album.
Director Francis Ford Coppola wanted actor Timothy Carey to play one of the roles. But he refused because he was busy filming a television series.
Francis Ford Coppola's mother, Italia Coppola, had a small role as a switchboard operator in the Genco Olive Oil campaign, but her scene was cut from the film.
This film is the acting debut of Morgana King, who played the role of Mama Cormella Corleone.
Clint Eastwood presented and presented the Academy Award for Best Picture to producers Albert S. Ruddy. Thirty-two years later, Clint Eastwood and Albert S. Ruddy would win the Best Picture Oscar for Million Dollar Baby (2004).
The hospital scenes were filmed in two different locations. Exterior scenes were filmed at Bellevue Hospital, and interior scenes were filmed at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary in Manhattan.
Actors David Carradine and Dean Stockwell auditioned for the role of Michael Corleone.
Before the film went into production, Paramount Pictures went through a period of failure and box office failure. Their previous gangster film, Brotherhood (1968), was a box office failure. For their next films, Dear Lily (1970), California Gold (1969), and Waterloo (1970), the studio had to cut production budgets. Initially, expenses for the film "The Godfather" were planned at two and a half million dollars. But as Mario Puzo's novel grew in popularity, Francis Ford Coppola requested more money for the production of the film and eventually the budget increased to six million dollars.
Actor William Devane wanted to play the role of Moe Greene.
Moe Greene's death scene was inspired by the film Battleship Potemkin (1925).
Actor Richard Conte appeared in only four scenes and only had lines in one scene.
In 1971, a board game called "The Godfather Game" was released during the film's promotional campaign.
Producer Robert Evans hired Francis Ford Coppola to direct the film after director Peter Bogdanovich abandoned the project.
Peter Donat, Martin Sheen, Roy Thinnes, Barry Primus, Robert Vaughn, Richard Mulligan, Keir Dullea, Dean Stockwell, Jack Nicholson, James Caan, John Cassavetes and Peter Falk were considered for the role of Tom Hagen. Actor Peter Donath would later reprise the role of Kuestadt in the sequel.
Producer Albert S. Radiy later admitted that the shooting of this film was the worst of his entire career, that no one involved in the filming process was happy with a single day of filming.
The Corleone House set was actually built inside a Woltz International Pictures set.
In the novel by Mario Puzo, the eldest child of the Corleone family is Santino. In the film, Fredo is the eldest.
Work in this film was the beginning of a series of Oscar nominations over the course of four next years for Al Pacino. For the film "The Godfather" (1972), the actor received a nomination in the category "Best Supporting Actor". Further, for the films “Serpico” (1973), “The Godfather Part II” (1974) and “Dog Day Afternoon” (1975), the actor received nominations in the “Best Actor” category.
The film's cast includes seven Academy Award winners: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, Sofia Coppola, Carmine Coppola and Gray Frederickson, as well as five Academy Award nominees: Talia Shire, James Caan, John Marley, Richard S. Castellano and Roman Coppola.
Michael Corleone and Kay's Christmas shopping scene required approximately 150 extras. Everything was replaced for the filming of the scene. Street lights And road signs, to those that corresponded to the era of the film.
Director Francis Ford Coppola recruited production designer Dean Tavoularis to work on the film after being impressed by his work for Bonnie and Clyde (1967) and Little big man" (1970).
Originally, producer Robert Evans wanted composer Henry Mancini to score the film.
In one scene, Sonny says the phrase "Going to the mattresses." This expression is slang and means a war with a rival gang.
In 2007, the American Film Institute ranked this film second on its list of " best films of all time." The first place is occupied by the film "Citizen Kane" (1941).
Director Francis Ford Coppola wanted Stefania Sandrelli to play the role of Apollonia, but she turned down the offer.
The wedding celebration scene was filmed with six cameras. A helicopter camera was also used, but this footage was not included in the film.
Exterior footage of Woltz's estate was actually filmed at the house famous actor Harold Lloyd's silent film era. Interior photography for the film took place at the Guggenheim estate on Long Island.
For Don's funeral scene, twenty limousines were used and over 150 extras were hired.
Sir Laurence Olivier was originally offered to play the role of Vito Corleone, but due to health problems he refused to participate in the project.
During the filming process, Francis Ford Coppola received an Academy Award for his screenplay for the film Patton (1970), but was unable to attend the award ceremony.
In 2008, the American Film Institute ranked the film number one out of ten on its list of the best gangster films.
Initially, the role of Bonasera was supposed to be played by actor Frank Puglia, but due to health problems, the actor dropped out of the project.
Director Francis Ford Coppola offered Maltese actor Joseph Calleia to play the role of Vito Corleone, but the actor was unable to accept the offer due to health problems.
The first half of the film was edited by editor William Reynolds, the second by Peter Zinner.
In 1998, the film was included in the American Film Institute's "Top 100 Greatest American Films."
Director of photography Bill Butler shot several scenes for the film but was uncredited. For example, he filmed some scenes in Los Angeles, since Gordon Willis was busy filming in New York.
The script contained some episodes that were ultimately not filmed: Tom Hagen on board the plane on the way to California, Carlo and Connie's wedding evening, Sonya's visit to Lucy Mancini's apartment, Michael and Kay on the train on the way to New Hampshire, Luca Brasi on the subway on the way to meet Tattaglia.
In the scene when Vito Corleone is buying oranges, an advertisement for a boxing match featuring Jake LaMotta can be seen in the store window behind him. Robert De Niro, who would play Vito Corleone in the sequel, would go on to play Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull (1980).
The film begins and ends with scenes of important events in the life of Connie Corleone. It begins with the scene of her wedding, at the climax of the film they show the scene of the baptism of Connie's daughter, and at the end of the film Connie conflicts with Michael Corleone.
The role of the pavilions of The Woltz International Pictures studio was played by the pavilions of the Paramount studio. Production designer Dean Tavoularis also considered the use of soundstages Warner Studios Brothers, but this alternative was abandoned for budgetary reasons.
According to director Francis Ford Coppola, the film's director of photography's favorite shot was a panoramic shot of the Sicilian countryside.
At the stage when the Paramount Pictures studio was negotiating with director Otto Preminger to direct the film, he wanted to invite Frank Sinatra to play the role of Vito Corleone.
The first act of the film ends at 00:45:15. The second act of the film ends at 02:16:32.
The film is included in Stephen Schneider's book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.
Charlie Bluedorn, president of the Gulf + Western film company, wanted Charles Bronson to play the role of Michael Corleone.
Actor Rudy Valley wanted to play the role of Tom Hagen, but was considered too old for the role.
Actresses Jill Clayburgh, Susan Blackie and Michelle Phillips auditioned for the role of Kay. Director Francis Ford Coppola also considered actresses Genevieve Bujold, Jennifer Salt and Blythe Danner for the role.
Director Francis Ford Coppola offered the role of Kay Adams to Italian music superstar Mina. But the singer refused because she was not interested in a film career.
Director Francis Ford Coppola initially hired Aram Avakian to edit the film. But due to creative differences, the editor was fired.
Producer Albert S. Ruddy originally wanted Sidney J. Furie to direct the film.
In the original novel and in the working version of the script, Michael Corleone spoke about the Sicilian tradition of never refusing a request at his daughter Kay’s wedding.
The film "The Godfather" inspired fifteen-year-old Chris Columbus to become a director.
Actor Aldo Ray was considered for the role of Sonny Corleone.
Director Francis Ford Coppola met in London with actor Franco Nero to discuss possible execution them the role of Sollozzo.
Actors James Caan and Alex Rocco starred together in the films Slither (1973) and Freebee and Bean (1974).
During famous scene in the restaurant, when Michael Corleone shoots Sollotzo and Captain McCluskey, the creaking sound of a train can be heard. This sound was added by director Francis Ford Coppola and editor Walter Murch in post-production to heighten the tension in the scene.
Spanish director Luis García Berlanga served as the dub director for the Spanish version of the film.
The only Academy Award-nominated film that year to be nominated for both Best Picture and Best Costumes.
First time concept" Godfather" in reference to a mob boss was used in film in the 1961 film A Fistful of Wonders starring Glenn Ford.
The film's associate producer Gray Fredrickson played a small role as a cowboy at the film studio.
During the filming of the film, actors James Caan and Gianni Russo did not get along and were constantly in conflict.
During rehearsals for the horse head scene, a headform was used. But when filming the scene, they used a real horse's head, which was purchased from a pet food factory. According to John Marley, his scream of horror was real because he was not warned that a real horse's head would be used.
During filming, director of photography Gordon Willis insisted that each frame be framed as if to represent someone's point of view. Director Francis Ford Coppola asked him to shoot some overhead shots during the assassination scene of Vito Corleone, arguing that this shot would be God's point of view.
According to director Francis Ford Coppola's commentary on the DVD release of the film, separating the baptism scene with the murder scenes did not work until editor Peter Zinner added organ music in post-production.
During the scene in which the family decides that Michael Corleone should kill Sollozzo and McCluskey, Santino Corleone twirls a cane in his hands. This cane belonged to actor Al Pacino, who injured his leg while filming an escape scene from a restaurant.
According to actor Al Pacino in the documentary The Godfather's Family: A Look Inside (1990), he was almost fired after half the scenes were filmed. The producers of Paramount Pictures saw the first footage of the actor as Michael Corleone at the wedding and were not impressed with the actor's performance. Ultimately, when they watched Sollozzo and McCluskey's restaurant murder scenes, the producers changed their minds and Al Pacino kept his job.
McCluskey's death scene was filmed using a fake forehead on actor Sterlin Hayden's head. A bullet hole was prepared in the middle of the forehead, filled with artificial blood, which was closed with a “stopper”. During filming, the “plug” was sharply pulled out using a monofilament thread, which does not appear on film. Thus, the effect was achieved as if a bloody hole suddenly appeared in McCluskey's forehead.
Director Francis Ford Coppola shot Sonny's murder scene in one take using five cameras. The need to film the scene in one take was dictated by the fact that about 150 squibs were attached to the body of actor James Caan, which simulated bullet wounds from a machine gun. In Sonny's car, which is also machine-gunned, about 200 holes were made into which squibs were placed. This scene was one of the most expensive in the film and cost about one hundred thousand dollars.
There are 18 corpses in the film, including a horse.
According to the plot of the film and the original novel, Michael Corleone had a bodyguard who is killed. The murder scene was filmed but cut from the film because makeup artist Angelo Infanti used so much fake blood on the bodyguard's body that it ended up looking funny. The death of Fabrizio's bodyguard was filmed again for the film's sequel, but in a different form, and again the scene was not included in the final theatrical cut of the film. The scene was used for The Godfather: A Television Novel (1977).
The scene of Moe Greene being shot in the eye through the lens of his glasses was filmed using a special mechanism inside the frame of the glasses, which shattered the lens.
The relationship between director Francis Ford Coppola and the director of photography was very tense during the filming of the film. One of the reasons was that the director of photography required the actors to strictly follow his instructions on where and at what moment they should stand when filming the next scene. This necessity was dictated by the fact that the film was shot in very dark lighting, and the light source was set in a certain way for the actors for each scene. If the actor did not stand in the exact place or did not have time to stand there at the right moment, then he found himself in the shadow.
Don Vito Corleone dies on July 29, 1955.
Sonny's death scene was inspired by the ending of Bonnie and Clyde (1967).
Virgil Sollozzo and Captain Mark McCluskey are killed in January 1946.
In the first two films, Michael Corleone constantly drinks water, which is a hint that he suffers from diabetes. In the third film, he ends up in a diabetic coma.
Almost every appearance of oranges in the frame foreshadows the death of one of the characters. Even Fredo's death in The Godfather (1974) is foreshadowed in the first film. This occurs in the scene when Fredo is alone with Vito Corleone in his room after returning from the hospital. At some point, a small tree with oranges appears next to Fredo.

More facts (+207)

Errors in the film

The scene when Michael Corleone comes to Las Vegas is supposed to take place in the early 1950s. When he, Fredo and Tom get out of the car in the hotel's driveway, two long-haired hippies whose style dates back to the 1970s can be seen from the lobby window.
In the airport scene at night, a Cessna 182 can be seen. Production of this aircraft did not begin until the mid-1960s.
When Michael finds his father unprotected in the hospital, he picks up the phone to call his family. The type of cord that connects the handset to the telephone began to be produced only in the mid-1950s.
When Michael Corleone rolls his father's bed out of the hospital room, a poster can be seen in the hallway listing Robert O. Lowry as Fire Commissioner. In the forties, when the film takes place, Patrick Walsh was the Fire Commissioner.
In 1945, the film shows the Empire State Building with its 222-foot television antenna. This television mast was installed only in 1950.
In one scene, set in 1947, you can see an American flag with fifty stars.
As the funeral procession enters the cemetery, eighteen-wheelers and vehicles from the 1970s can be seen.
The accordion seen in the wedding scene was an Excelsior model, which did not begin production until the early 1950s.
According to the film's plot, Tom Hagen flew to meet a producer in California in 1945. In this scene you can see the Lockheed Constellation aircraft, the first model of which entered production only in 1947, and this aircraft was put on commercial flights even later.
In the scene when the assassination attempt is made on Vito Corleone, one of the attackers can be seen holding a Beretta 70, which began to be produced only in 1958.
In the wedding scene when Mama Corleone sings, the pianist can be seen wearing glasses with plastic frames from the 1970s.
When Apollonia takes off her nightgown, you can see the bikini line on her body. Considering the family values of the Apollonia family, she could not wear a bikini.
The first two films take place from the 1940s to the early 1960s. Diane Keaton's character appears in the film with a popular hairstyle from the 1970s.
During the scene where Moe Greene meets Michael Corleone, a microphone can be seen as Moe Greene sits down for the first time.
When Tom Hagen tries to convince Sonny not to go to war after the assassination attempt on Vito Corleone, he claims that the Corleone family will be outcasts and all five families will be hunting down members of the Corleone family. Moreover, the Corleone family is one of these five families.
At the 150-minute mark, during Don's funeral scene, one of the participants can be seen crossing himself incorrectly.
When Don Corleone talks to the candy store owner during the wedding scene, the man is holding a small glass. When he gets up to grab Don Corleone's hands, the glass is still in his hand, but in the next shot it's gone.
During the meeting between Michael Corleone and Moe Greene, Fredo can be seen taking off his sunglasses twice.
During Tom Hagen and Woltz's dinner, the waiter fills Hagen's glass twice, within seconds of each other.
In the scene with the horse's head, the blood on the bed appears and disappears.
During the wedding ceremony scene, just after Kay Adams meets Tom Hagen, the cigarette in her hand disappears and reappears.
Enzo (the baker) visits Vito Corleone in the hospital after he has been seriously wounded. Enzo is holding a large bouquet of pink carnations in his hand. Later, when he is standing near the hospital with Michael Corleone, he is holding in his hands a different bouquet with orange carnations and much smaller in size.
When Michael Corleona is talking to Apollonia's father after he gives her the necklace, two people can be seen walking past twice. The first time is when Apollonia is shown close up, and the second time is when Apollonia is shown in long shot.
In the scene when Michael is telling Kay about Luca Brasi, he is sitting back in his chair. But in the next shot from a different angle, he is sitting, leaning forward.
When Michael Corleone is in Sollozzo and McCluskey's car, there is quite a distance between Michael, who is sitting in the front seat, and the two passengers in the back seat. In the next close-up shot of Michael Corleone, the two in the back seat are immediately behind Michael.
Just after a wedding ceremony in Sicily, Fabrizio walks down a hill and loses his tie. The camera changes angles to show Fabrizio losing his tie again.
When Vito Corleone talks to Johnny Fontaine in his office, Sonny is there. The next shot shows the wedding celebration and at one point Sonny can be seen next to the cake. The next shot shows Vito Corleone's office again, where the meeting with Johnny Fontaine continues, and Sonny finds himself back in the office.
In the scene when Luca Brasi is talking to himself before meeting Vito Corleone, rehearsing his speech, you can see that he is wearing a rectangular watch on his wrist. In the next scene, when he is talking to Vito Corleone, his watch turns out to be round.
In the scene when Vito Corleone is discussing Barzini's attempt to kill Michael Corleone, you can see that the amount of wine in his glass changes as the shots change.
When Sonny talks to Paulie in the meeting room, he asks for some brandy. At this moment he right hand located between the legs. The next second, when the frame changes, his hand is on the sofa.
In the scene when Tessio brings a fish wrapped in newspaper to a meeting, you can notice that at first the paper with the fish is a little disheveled and slightly unfolded. In the next shot you can see that the package with the fish is neatly folded.
When Michael Corleone reads a newspaper article about an assassination attempt on his father, he crumples the newspaper and begins to run. At the beginning of his run, the newspaper is crumpled, and when Michael runs past the car, he throws the newspaper and at that moment it can be seen that the newspaper is neatly folded.
In the scene when Michael meets Moe Greene in Las Vegas, he can be seen taking a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket. The next moment the camera angle changes and Michael Corleone again takes out a pack of cigarettes.
When Sonny accepts the package of fish, the position of the pillow on his lap changes as the shot changes.
When Michael Corleone returns to New York from a meeting with Moe Greene in Las Vegas, two black sedans pull up in the driveway with Michael and Kay, presumably in the second car. In the next shot the camera angle changes to show the interior of the car. Michael Corleone, Kay and their son sit in a two-door car.
In the final scene, when Michael Corleone allows his wife to ask about his business, you notice that the knot on his tie is first crooked, and then it is straight. However, the frame did not show that Michael was straightening his tie.
In the scene where Michael Corleone and Kay are having dinner (immediately after the assassination attempt on Vito Corleone), the amount of wine in the glasses changes as the shot changes.
When Tom and Woltz discuss Johnny's participation in the new film, he is standing at the door, which is to the right of Woltz and to the left of Hagen. In this case, both actors are in the light, but in the next close-up shot, both actors are in the shadows.
The film incorrectly uses the term "Don" to indicate respect. "Don" is always used with a first name, not a last name, so the film should say "Don Vito" rather than "Don Corleone."
The headlines in the New York newspapers shown in the film are not printed in typical newspaper fonts.
Al Pacino's makeup in the Sicilian scenes when Michael's jaw is broken does not match the makeup in the New York scenes. This happened because Paramount Pictures decided to save money by not sending makeup artist Dick Smith to Italy along with the rest of the crew.
During Sonny and Carlo's fight, Carlo can be seen jumping slightly before Sonny throws him into a small fence.
In the scene near the hospital, when McCluskey (actor Sterling Hayden) is preparing to punch Michael Corleone, there is a change in shots and it is shown that the punch is delivered by a different actor, who has longer and darker hair.
When Michael Corleone gets out of his car outside a Las Vegas hotel, his brother Fredo is with him, but it is obvious that the role of Fredo is not played by John Cazale, but by another actor.
Sonny dies in late 1948 or early 1949, but in one scene he is listening to a sports radio broadcast dated October 3, 1951.
The stop signs in New England where Michael returns from Sicily (before his father died in 1953) are red and white. These signs at that time were yellow and black, and became red and white only after the mid-1950s.
In the scene of Barzini's murder in the window police car reflects a building that was built 10 years after the events described.
At Don's funeral, the other heads of the families arrive in mid-1950s Cadillacs that were built several years after the car's owners were murdered.
When Al Neri (dressed in a police uniform) kills Barzini and his bodyguards, he is clearly seen firing all 6 bullets. However, only six shots are heard.
In the scene before Vito Corleone's death, he talks to Michael Corleone and asks him if he is happy with his wife and children. However, Michael and his wife Kay have only one child, three-year-old son Anthony.
When Tom Hagen tells Vito Corleone about Sonny's death, Vito says a phrase that contains the word "consigliere". Marlon Brando pronounces this word with a "G" sound. However, any Sicilian knows that this letter is not pronounced in this word.
During the murder scene of Barzini (Richard Conte), you can clearly see holes appearing on the clothes from the explosion of the squibs. However, in the next shot, when Barzini falls down the stairs, these holes are missing.
When Sonny is killed at the dam, the amount of blood on him changes between frames.
In the scene when Clemenza tells Michael how to behave after killing Sollozzo and McCluskey, he is holding a cigarette in his mouth. In the next shot, as Michael Corleone walks in front of him, the cigarette is in his left hand and then back in his mouth.
During Vito Corleone's death scene, he has an orange peel in his mouth and it falls out of his mouth. The angle changes to Anthony and back, and the peel is back in his mouth.
During the scene of Sonny being shot at the car with a machine gun, bullet holes appear in the car at roof level; when the frame changes, they disappear and appear again.
In one scene, Al Neri shoots Barzini's driver, apparently hitting him in the chest area. The next shot shows the gopher's body lying on the ground, with blood leaking from somewhere in the back of his head.
In the scene where Rocco shoots Paulie in the car, a crew member's reflection can be seen later in the car's side window.
In one scene, McCluskey, who has already been killed, can be seen blinking.
In one of the scenes, you can see how the already killed Sonny breathes.

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Plot

Beware, the text may contain spoilers!

Michael, a war hero, returns home to the States. He comes to congratulate his sister Koni on her wedding. And only here does his girlfriend Kate realize that he is the son of Vito Corleone, America's most famous gangster.

The heads of two of the Five Families that control the New York underworld, the Barzinis and the Tataglias, are about to take control of the drug trade. The Turk Sollozzo is ready to provide them with supplies. But without Corleone's consent, this will be problematic, and the Godfather does not want to make a deal. Then they send killers to him.

Only the old man survives. And while he is in the hospital, the family's eldest son, Sunny, known for his explosive character, is in charge of the family's affairs. First of all, he kills Tatalia's son in revenge.

Everyone understands that Sollozzo will look for a way to kill his father. And then Michael, who has always kept aloof from family affairs, organizes a meeting at which he kills both the Turk himself and the police captain accompanying him, after which he flees to Sicily.

And in New York after this, a war between mafia clans begins. Sunny also dies in it. To stop the bloodshed, the recovered Don Corleone gathers the heads of the Five Families and concludes a truce.

Michael is given the opportunity to return home and marry Kate, but now he realizes that when his father dies, he will have to take his place.

After Vito Corleone's funeral, it's time to act. While Mikey and his wife are in the temple for the baptism of Kony’s child, his fighters kill Barzini, Tatalia and everyone who took part in the conspiracy.

The next morning, having learned about what happened, Kate turns to her husband in horror and asks whether it was his doing. He answers - no. She calms down and at this moment through open door The office sees people approaching Michael and taking an oath of allegiance. She realizes that there is a new Godfather in town.

Fanucci, a gangster who extorts money from shopkeepers, places his nephew in Vito's place, leaving Vito without a job, and Vito is forced to join his friend Clemenza and his accomplice Tessio, who are raiding trucks with silk dresses, otherwise his family will die from hunger. When Fanucci demands his share of the money raised from this, Vito, having carefully calculated everything, kills him in cold blood. This makes Vito a respected man on the block. Fanucci's clientele goes to him. In the end, he and his friend Genco Abbandando founded a trading house for the import of olive oil. Shopkeepers who do not want to stock up on their oil are dealt with by Clemenza and Tessio - warehouses are burning, people are dying... During Prohibition, under the guise of a trading house, Vito smuggled alcohol; after the abolition of Prohibition, he switched to the gambling business. More and more people work for him, and Vito Corleone provides everyone with a comfortable life and protection from the police. They begin to add the word “don” to his name, and he is respectfully called the Godfather.

Don Corleone is the first to understand that it is necessary to take politics, not shooting, and that in order to protect his world from government interference, criminal groups in New York and throughout the country must stick together. Through his efforts, at a time when the outside world is being shaken by the Second World War, inside the American underworld there is calm and complete readiness to reap the benefits of the rise of the American economy. Only one thing saddens the Don - his youngest son Michael rejects his father’s care and volunteers to go to war, where he rises to the rank of captain, and at the end of the war, again without asking anyone, he leaves home and goes to university.

Among other guests, the famous singer Johnny Fontaine comes to the wedding, he is also the godson of the don. Johnny's life with his second wife did not work out, his voice is disappearing, troubles with the film business... What brings him here is not only love and respect for the Corleone family, but also the confidence that the Godfather will help solve his problems. And indeed, the Don arranges for Johnny to be given the role for which he subsequently receives an Oscar, helps with family affairs and lends money sufficient for Johnny to become a film producer. Fontaine's paintings are wildly successful, and the Don makes a big profit - this man knows how to profit from everything.

When Don Corleone is offered participation in the drug business together with the Tattaglia family, he refuses because it goes against his principles. But Sonny was very interested, which did not hide from Sollozzo, who conveyed this proposal to Corleone.

The police, taking revenge for the murder of the captain, suspend profitable activities that are carried out in violation of the law. This brings a loss to all five families of New York, and since the Corleone family refuses to hand over the killer, an internecine war begins in the underworld in 1946. However, when through the efforts of Hagen it is discovered that McCloskey was a bribe-taker, the thirst for revenge in the hearts of the police subsides and pressure from the police stops. But five families continue to fight the Corleone family: they terrorize bookmakers, shoot ordinary servants, and lure people away. The Corleone family goes into martial law. Don, despite his condition, is transported from the hospital home, under reliable protection. Freddie is sent to Las Vegas to come to his senses and familiarize himself with the situation in the casinos there. Sonny manages the family's affairs - and not in the best way. In a senseless and bloody war with five families, he manages to win a number of individual victories, but the family is losing people and income, with no end in sight. Several profitable bookmaker outlets had to be closed, and Carlo Rizzi, thus left out of business, takes his anger out on his wife: one day he beat her so much that Connie, calling Sonny, asks to take her home. Losing his head with rage, Sonny rushes to intercede for his sister, is ambushed and killed.

Every morning Kay goes to church with her mother-in-law. Both women earnestly pray for the salvation of the souls of their husbands - two dons, two Godfathers...

Fanucci, a gangster who extorts money from shopkeepers, places his nephew in Vito's place, leaving Vito without a job, and Vito is forced to join his friend Clemenza and his accomplice Tessio, who are raiding trucks with silk dresses, otherwise his family will die from hunger. When Fanucci demands his share of the money raised from this, Vito, having carefully calculated everything, kills him in cold blood. This makes Vito a respected man on the block. Fanucci's clientele goes to him. In the end, he and his friend Genco Abbandando founded a trading house for the import of olive oil. Shopkeepers who do not want to stock up on their oil are taken care of by Clemenza and Tessio - warehouses are burning, people are dying... During Prohibition, under the guise of a trading house, Vito was engaged in smuggling alcohol, after the abolition of Prohibition he switched to the gambling business. More and more people work for him, and Vito Corleone provides everyone with a comfortable life and protection from the police. They begin to add the word “don” to his name, and he is respectfully called the Godfather.

Don Corleone is the first to understand that it is necessary to take politics, not shooting, and that in order to protect his world from government interference, criminal groups in New York and throughout the country must stick together. Through his efforts, at a time when the outside world is being shaken by the Second World War, inside the American underworld there is calm and complete readiness to reap the benefits of the rise of the American economy. Only one thing saddens the Don - his youngest son Michael rejects his father’s care and volunteers to go to war, where he rises to the rank of captain, and at the end of the war, again without asking anyone, he leaves home and goes to university.

Returning to America, Michael expresses his desire to become his father's true son and work with him.

Every morning Kay goes to church with her mother-in-law. Both women earnestly pray for the salvation of the souls of their husbands - two dons, two Godfathers...

“Listen, this traffic policeman - he doesn’t respect himself at all!”
Mimino

"Damn it, the FBI doesn't respect anyone!"
Sonny

"It's nothing personal, Sonny. It's just business."
Michael

"I'll make him an offer he can't refuse."
Don Vito Corleone's catchphrase

"Don Corleone! I am honored by this honor and happy that you invited me to your daughter's wedding... on your daughter's wedding day. And I hope that their first child will be male. I assure you of my deepest respect."
The oratorical masterpiece of Luca Brasi

Probably everyone knows the phrase about “your daughter’s wedding.” It is impossible to count how many times during wedding ceremonies one of the guests stood up and said it, addressing the father of the bride, while the guests were having a lot of fun, because it was really funny. It is also impossible to count how many times the catchphrase Ma was pronounced in different parts of the planet in completely different languages...

Ykla: “It’s nothing personal, Sonny. It’s just business”... And there’s nothing surprising about that. "The Godfather" is one of the best, if not the best, films of the twentieth century. On the International Internet Film Database (IMDB), “The Godfather” is in first place in the list of the best films of all time. Almost one hundred thousand people voted for him...
The film "The Godfather" is based on the novel of the same name by Mario Puzo, and is staged quite close to the text. Both Puzo and Coppola were repeatedly reproached for the fact that the film, they say, “romanticizes gangsters,” but they indignantly rejected such claims. Nevertheless, this question still remains open, and in this article we will try to figure out what is there and how. But first - according to tradition - just a little about the plot...
The film tells about a certain period in the life of the Corleone family - Americans of Italian descent. Moreover, the term “family” in this case means not only ordinary family ties, but also “family” as a mafia clan under the leadership of the head, who, according to Italian tradition, was called the godfather. The Corleone family was dominated by Don Vito (Marlon Brando). He was also the “godfather” and head of one of the “families” of New York - mafia clans that led a large number of various criminal businesses from the east to the west coast of America.
During the period of life described, the Corleone family began to have serious problems. Some people from the leading echelons of the "families" came to the conclusion that, along with the era of racketeering, prostitution and gambling - traditional types business of mafia clans - a new era begins - drugs. “This type of business can bring in a lot of money, so you need to do it: invest money, bribe the police and judges in order to ultimately lead the drug trade,” these people said.
However, Don Vito did not agree to support such ideas. He categorically refused to deal with drugs and said that he would not use his own extensive connections to pave the way for this new business. Don Corleone believed that being involved in drug trafficking was unethical. Racketeering, prostitution, gambling - this is a completely normal and even traditional business, Don Vito believed. All small shopkeepers still have to pay for the “protection” that the mafia provides them, and prostitution and gambling are traditional human sins from which it is impossible to make money. But getting involved with drugs - no, this is not for Don Vito.
And here his own favorite phrase worked against Don Corleone - about an offer that cannot be refused. Don Vito should not have refused to support the drug trade. Because it started with his refusal Great War between mafia “families”, because of which many people died from different sides. Moreover, the war began with the shooting of Don Corleone himself. He was seriously injured and spent a long time in the hospital. All power in the “family” during Don Vito’s absence passed to his eldest son, Sonny (James Caan). However, Sonny - with his explosive Italian temperament, with the genuine fearlessness and assertiveness of a young bull, he was an excellent warrior, but a poor strategist. Where it was necessary to act with cunning, Sonny preferred to go ahead. Therefore, the situation of the Corleone family worsened more and more.
And then the don’s youngest son, Michael (Al Pacino), entered the arena... Michael always kept himself apart in the family. His father tried not to involve him much in family affairs, and Michael first studied, and then, against his father’s will, he went to war to fight for America. Upon returning, Michael began to live separately from his family and was about to marry an American woman, Kay (Diane Keaton), when suddenly his father’s injury radically changed his whole life. Michael realized that during this difficult time for his family, he could not stay away. And since Michael, by his nature, could not limit himself to the role of a passive participant in hostilities, he took upon himself the burden of solving the most difficult issues...
As a result of this, Michael was not only forced to leave America for Italy for a long time, but later, when he was able to return back, after the death of his father, he had to prove to the rest of the “family” that he could be a don instead of Vito Corleone. That he, still a very young man, has wisdom, foresight, and an iron will. But it was very, very difficult to prove this. For this, Michael had to go to war with several very influential members of the so-called “five “families” of New York”...
***
We immediately answer the main reproach that opponents leveled at Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola: does the film serve to “romanticize” gangster “families”? No, it doesn't. There is no trace of romanticization there. Puzo and Coppola do not at all admire Don Vito, Michael and people of this sort. They explore them. They try to understand and show how and why Vito Corleone became the godfather. They demonstrate how Michael - smart Michael, a man who always had a certain dislike for his father's business - under the influence of completely positive human qualities, comes to the defense of his father and family and how he subsequently turns into a real monster - a criminal and murderer .
In fact, the book and film "The Godfather" are also very interesting from a historical perspective. It clearly shows why the Italians became so influential in the criminal business of America, why their mafia scheme for creating organizations and subordinating them for a long time was actually the standard.
And just in “The Godfather” it is quite clearly demonstrated how omerta - the Sicilian code of silence - and other methods that in Sicily were a means of struggle for survival, in America gradually began to serve completely different goals and objectives. And these methods for solving such problems were so effective that the Italians (more precisely, the Sicilians) actually became the head of almost the entire criminal business. But at what cost all this was done - the film and book also show it in sufficient detail.
"The Godfather", in my opinion, is best for its characters: very bright, vital and ambiguous. In the first place, of course, are Don Vito and Michael - the brilliant works of Marlon Brando and Al Pacino. Don Vito is not a killer monster at all. This is a man with a powerful mind, excellent strategic talents and clear principles. Well, yes, exactly the principles. One part of these principles evokes deep respect, but the other evokes only a sardonic grin. For example, Don Corleone’s constant hypocritical desire to force (namely force) everyone to consider him their “friend”. They say that Don Corleone completely disinterestedly helps everyone, without demanding anything in return - well, except perhaps respect. However, when the time will come and Don Vito will need the services of this “friend” - he will not be able to refuse. Don Corleone’s numerous personal connections were largely based on this system of “friendship” - connections thanks to which he became one of the most powerful mafia “dons.” If a person refused to become Don Vito’s “friend,” he became his enemy. “Whoever is not with us is against us” - this principle worked absolutely ironically...
Interestingly, despite the fact that Coppola saw Marlon Brando in the role of Don Vito, the producers and management of Paramount actively objected to this candidacy. Negotiations for the role of Don Vito were held with Laurence Olivier, Edward Robinson, Orson Welles and George C. Scott. But Coppola insisted so actively on Marlon that he himself was almost removed from the directors of the film. However, Francis still managed to persuade the head of Paramount, Stanley Jaffe, as a result of which we got exactly the Don Corleone we know today.
Marlon Brando, despite certain hooliganism that he committed during filming, took the role of Don Vito very seriously. It was Brando who decided that Don Corleone’s face should look like a bulldog, so he played the entire role with cotton swabs placed behind his cheeks - they created “square” jaws, and in addition, made Brando’s voice similar to the voice of real-life mafia boss Frank Costello ...
Brando played his role simply amazing. A wise strategist, a loving but strict father and a mafia boss - a very bright, ambiguous and extraordinary personality. The dialogue scenes involving Don Vito can be re-watched endlessly. Many of the lessons that he gives to his sons and subordinates are very, very useful for many.
But the most, in my opinion, interesting character the paintings are, after all, Michael Corleone. Because if Don Vito appears in the film as a fully formed person with his own clear views, then Michael, before the eyes of the audience, goes through a whole chain of successive transformations: a young war hero and all that, a family member, the Punishing Hammer of the “family”, an exile, a candidate for “don” , Don Michael. Michael's motives were quite pure and even highly moral, and this led to the fact that he turned into a real mafia boss, without really noticing it. He was simply protecting his family, he was fulfilling his filial duty. But this family was quite unique, and yet the family defeated Michael, although at first he tried to do everything to prevent this from happening.
Al Pacino brilliantly showed this entire transformation, all the strength and power of Michael’s character, without resorting to any special external effects. Just the look and the manner of pronouncing the words... “Today I decide all my family matters”... This phrase still gives me goosebumps, although I hear it about the twentieth time. I also often rewatch the scene when Michael introduces himself to Apollonia's father for the first time in Sicily. With what dignity he does this and how majestic he looks at the same time - at his still quite young age...
By the way, Michael could not have been played by Al Pacino. Warren Batey (this sugary handsome guy would have killed the whole film), Jack Nicholson, Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman were invited to play the role of Michael. They all refused. Martin Sheen was offered the role of Michael, and he even auditioned for it. At one time, James Caan was also considered for the role, but he ultimately got the role of Sonny.
But Al Pacino, during the filming of “The Godfather,” was supposed to play the main role in another film, “Bang the Drum Slowly,” but Coppola pressed some buttons, and Pacino was released from this film, giving the main role to Robert De Niro, who, by the way, also tried on the roles of Sonny and Michael. But Coppola decided that De Niro was not suitable for the role of Sonny, and Al Pacino would play Michael. But De Niro got the role of the young Don Vito in the second “The Godfather”, and he received an Oscar for it. Many of the actors on "The Godfathers" won Oscars. Almost all. Except Al Pacino. Incredible, but it's a fact...
The same Francis Ford Coppola insisted on the indispensable participation of Al Pacino. However, unlike, for example, the names of Robert De Niro, Robert Redford and Jack Nicholson, the name of Al Pacino was not known to anyone at that time (The Godfather brought this magnificent actor to the top of the Hollywood Olympus), so the studio management and producers sharply objected to his participation. But Coppola insisted - and still managed to insist on his own, just as in the case of Marlon Brando. Practice has shown that Coppola is not mistaken...
We can also talk about the remaining roles for a very long time, because almost all of them are very bright and memorable (especially Sonny played by James Caan and Tom Hagan played by Robert Duvall). But I think that this does not make much sense, because in such cases the saying that it is better to see once than to read verbal descriptions for a long time and tediously always works clearly.
Also, I will not talk about the magnificent music of Nino Rota, which has long become a classic, the composer who wrote the music for Fellini’s films. I haven't said much about the direction, but The Godfather is Coppola's film! He is the creator of this masterpiece, he insisted on the actors’ candidacies, largely thanks to him the acting work turned out to be so magnificent... By the way, few people know, but the director of “The Godfather” could have been... Sergio Leone. The management of Paramount offered him to take on this project, but Leone refused because he had plans to shoot another film about the mafia (of course, we're talking about about "Once Upon a Time in America"). The audience only benefited from this, having received two magnificent films, but Leone, they say, later regretted his refusal for a long time...
Finally, let's talk a little about the prototypes of the heroes of the novel and film... In some articles I came across the idea that the prototype of Vito Corleone was the famous mafia boss Vito Genovese. However, apart from the name, the literary hero has nothing in common with this character. But the book Vito Corleone has quite a lot in common with Joe Bonanno, the head of one of the five “families” of New York, and it seems that Bonanno was one of the prototypes. Just like Joe Bonanno's son, Bill Bonanno, has quite a lot in common with Michael Corleone's character. However, in reality, of course, everything was very different from what it was in the book - judging by the documentary literature about those times and the book by the same Bill Bonanno...
Let me summarize. This is truly one of the best films of the twentieth century. It's a must see because it's a classic and, unlike many other old films, it still looks great. You can know it by heart, but you will still want to put on the disc and watch a few of your favorite episodes or just re-watch the film from beginning to end. He deserves it.
P.S. And one last “by the way”... Actor Lenny Montana, who plays Luca Brasi, was so embarrassed while rehearsing the scene of his meeting with Marlon Brando that the words got stuck in his throat, and all this hesitation and stuttering of Luca happened for real, and was not at all planned. But Coppola liked the way this scene looked, so he included it in the film and only completed the scene of Luca rehearsing his “speech” to Don Corleone...

Alex Axler. www.exler.ru