The Godfather Trilogy

People have loved outlaws since the beginning. Plus, they're set up like soldiers, which is another story
people love... like the regime that they have. I think it's just anyone that goes outside the law and outside
of the norm -- and they do it with a little more flair - - James Gandolfini

Sicilian Actor Al Pacino

The Godfather was probably the first movie that brought the real-life cosa nostra and mafia to reality on the screen. The movie, nothing short of genius, a masterpiece.  The movie, being more than a mafia film (which puts Goodfellas, Casino and The Sopranos to shame) tells about poverty, the turn of the century, a family, and the hypocracy of politics in America.  It is a historical film, all the events are said to be true in one form or another, and it accurately depicts the era of pre and post World War II America.  Many Italian-American defamation groups oppose The Godfather, bundling it with the above mentioned movies such as Goodfellas, Casino, Sopranos, and with all due respect to Martin Scorcese, DeNiro and the rest who made those latter films, there is really no comparison, they are completely in different leagues.  In my opinion, The Godfather was tastefully done, whereas Goodfellas showed the true ugliness and "cavoneness" of the modern mafia.   The Godfather teaches a real history of the intricacies of the Sicilian Mafia, the culture, the language (done in the true Sicilian dialect), it teaches about food, family, pride, and again the contradictions and the hypocrisy on so many different levels.

 The movie itself was put together with a bunch of screen tests featuring the role of Michael Coreleone as both Al Pacino and James Cann.  The truth is that the Paramount Studio never wanted Al Pacino in the main role.  They constantly tried to get Francis Ford Coppola to fire and replace him.  Additionally, the movies Godfather I and Godfather II were filmed back to back, and Coppola insisted on keeping Al Pacino in the lead.

Francis Ford Coppola is notes as saying "The Godfather was such a horrible experience for me, so much in fact, whenever I walk into a restaurant and hear The Godfather theme song "da da da-da da-da da daaaaaaa"  I get sick to my stomach and want to vomit"

The Trilogy

• The Godfather Part I

• The Godfather Part II

• The Godfather Part III

Some Other Valuable References

• Paramount Pictures www.paramount.com

• American Zoetrope Studios www.zoeptrope.com

• The Godfather Trilogy www.jgeoff.com/godfather

• The Official Mario Puzo Library www.jgeoff.com/puzo

• Some Favorite Quotes & Terms www.sicilianculture.com/godfather/quotes.htm

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American Zoetrope and/or Paramount Pictures -- this section is purely commentary and an editorial opinion
of the epic film, we have no ties, links nor connections to the rightful owners at Paramount & Zoetrope.

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