I re-watched "The Godfather" last night for about the 20th time last night. This movie is beyond classic, and is SO good, that for the first time ever, I realized there is one small plot detail that I never understood. Can someone explain to me WHY Tessio turned on Michael? Here is a guy who swore loyalty to Vito Corleone for decades, and yet he is going to turn on his son before Vito was even cold in the ground? It just makes no sense to me: What did Tessio have to gain by doing this?
He was siding with who he thought would be the stronger side. He had no idea what Michael was capable of.
But he SWORE loyalty to Vito, and to turn on and set up his son like that? I'm not buying it. It makes no sene to me.
It is the mafia. Loyalty and honor are nonsense and a myth in it. Your loyalty goes only so far that it benefits you. They are all sacks of shit that would lie, cheat and kill for their own benefit. Michael likely swore loyalty to his father and then killed his father's son. Once you eliminate your idealized and incorrect idea of some sort of honor that Tessio had, which is none, there is nothing to dispute it.
from wikepedia: Michael's comment that "it's the smart move" on Tessio's part is what I was saying. It was a business decision for what was best for him, which is the only thing these types of people care about. Michael never assumed that Tessio's loyalty to Vito meant anything, that in the end his decisions would be driven by what was his own best play. Tessio believed betraying Michael and aligning with Barzini and Tattaglia was the smarter move, because he felt they were the stronger party than Michael. obviously he was wrong.
I think the first was great, second and third were lacking a bit to be considered great in my eyes. But to clarify a bit, the first was great but I have seen it number one on some greatest films lists and I don't think it belongs there. I have even seen part II in top 20 movie list and don't think it should be close to top 20 of all time.
First and second were cinema gold and two of the best films ever made. Tessio's decision was not only based on who he thought would emerge as the more powerful of the two parties, but also I believe with Michael out of the way he was due a promotion.
A lot of older movies get ranked too highly on those GOAT lists because they were groundbreaking for their era but when you watch them today you don't see anything special. You have to consider that when these movies were released, the Mafia was relatively a mystery to the general public. Now its no big deal I watched Citizen Kane and came away thinking "Did I watch the right movie?" because I had seen it on so many top movie lists.
I dunno, but reading the book, I do recall (going by memory, was it pg. 29?) the part where Mario Puzo had Sonny fucking the 'other' bride at her own wedding: "arching her hips higher and higher until, for the first time in her life-------first time in her life?...oh please!!--she had a 'shattering' climax..." Now THAT'S overrated writing, and what's worse, 'Sonny' was played by the woefully overrated James "I'm a 'tough guy' in the Danny Aiello mold" Caan.
I thought 1 and 2 were great, and 2 was even better than one, but only the Robert Deniro part and Frankie Pantangelli...What are we eatin' shit on a ritz?
Loyalty to Vito was built up over years and died with him. He had a history with Vito and the loyalty was built not inherited.
Great movies. Look at Goodfellas and Casino as a comparison. The Godfather movies had half the gore and sex those films did but carried the weight with great story-telling. And the 70's were not a simpler time with less sex and violence in cinema, quite the opposite in fact.
The first Godfather movie was revolutionary. From top to bottom, that movie had the best cast of any movie ever made. Period. Not ony that, but every one of them (with perhaps Talia Shire as the only exception - she sucks in everything she ever did) -brought their absolute A-Game. The second Godfather movie clearly did not have the cast of the first one, but IMHO, actually exceeded the first one in terms of the plot. It was the best movie of the series. The third Godfather movie never happened. Do you hear me? It NEVER happened.
First is absolutely amazing. The second...its overrated. The stuff with Robert De Niro for me is the best part of the whole trilogy yet I was not digging Michael Corleone in this one Third one is a bit under appreciated, I like it...Aside from the ridiculous casting of Sofia Coppola it was a decent film.
