What Was Michael Corleone's True Motives Behind The Deal?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ก.ค. 2024
- We're going to solve one of the best plans ever made in the Godfather saga and how Michael Corleone was setting the trap for Moe Greene in the most famous scene of the casino deal and how Moe Greene sealed his faith in that discussion.
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He sealed his fate when he straightened out fredo. Michael knew that if he knew about it al the way in NY then other people knew about the son of a Don getting slapped around by a casino owner. He knew he couldn't let that slide
Never put your hands on a made guy, death sentence. But the Dons son/ brother (Micheal as acting Don.) He was finished
Moe was done after he did that for sure.
Mo, was visibly uncomfortable when Mike mentioned Fredo being abused by Mo. He must have thought the Corleone family was so far in decline that they wouldn't do anything about it. Mo also showed a great deal of contempt to Michael dismissing him as just a kid who didn't know anything.
Fredo made a huge mistake siding with Moe Green during the meeting.
Moe would have been good if he just let Michael know what Fredo was doing instead of taking matters into his own hands. Fredo was in the wrong too but Moe should have just let Michael handle him.
You know it’s a good movie when we’re still questioning it decades later
Well said.
Completely agree
I’ve gone back to this movie several times in my life and i always see it differently the older i get
50 years, half a century, and still one of the best films of all time
Good book you mean.
Moe Greene, although a fictional character, represents the real gangster Bugsy Siegel. The character accurately represents Siegel's colossal ego, business incompetence, and personal recklessness, which was ultimately too much for his friend Meyer Lansky ("Hyman Roth" in the second film) to protect him from the consequences.
THANK YOU!!! Reading idiotic comments from internet nerds about what Moe was thinking is giving me a headache. A great way to analyze the behavior of several characters in the Godfather films is to watch Boardwalk Empire. Even though Vito was an amalgamation of several bosses, Luciano was certainly one of them and seeing young "Roth" and "Greene" is interesting, as well.
Yup!!!! Siegel literally FOUNDED Vegas!!!!!
Meyer was the one who finally had him shot
@@sgt_slobber.7628 he was only the face though it's Meyer and Lucky's money he was losing
@@sgt_slobber.7628 He absolutely did dream up Vegas as we know it and had a modest role in actually building it up.
That said, Vegas existed long before him, just not as a casino town. So he definitely wasn't the founder and certainly not "literally".
"The greatest advantage a man can have is to be underestimated" - Vito Corleone
Moe Green never had the makings of a wartime casino owner
Not 1 person in 20 will catch what you mean. Good work!
No, nor a wartime consigliere.
@@rufuspipemos Godfather and Sopranos practically share fans, I cant think of anyone who likes one and not the other.
This joke never had the makings of an obscure punchline.
Lol sopranos …
This movie is a lot more complicated than I ever thought it was.
by the time you absorb all the details and their agendas, you will have a Phd in Corlone's affairs.
It is pretty complex.
Mario Puzo when he'd hear his kids running and playing above his basement writing room, would go up and say "I'm writing my masterpiece." And HE FUCKING DID
it's not that complex. People are just milking the views from godfather's fan by simply creating over-thought theories
@@jimhafler8866 Hmm, did you read the book? It is a complex story.
I've lost count of how many times I've seen The Godfather. In my humble opinion it's the best film ever made. A great cast and a great plot. The best!
Movie has a few weak points
Every time I see one of these videos I learn something new that I had never even considered since seeing this movie when it first came out in 72. I was in the 10th grade!
My interpretation was that Moe was convinced Barzini along with the other families, wielded more power and the Corleones were much weaker and eventually they were gonna get pushed out. Countless times throughout the film (directly or not) we're reminded of this. Michael played this to his advantage. He quietly gathered his strength but remained to appear weak in the moment.
Sometimes you gotta play the fool to fool the fool..
@@solrebel7 indeed
@@solrebel7 great quote !
That's a lesson from Sun Tzu and the Art of War.
@@KtotheG “Appear weak when you are strong and strong when you are weak”
Weakness and setup was indeed the major point to it. There was also a personal side to Moe Greene's reaction to Michael. Moe had been in the game a long time, and Michael had only recently taken over the Corleone family. Remember, Michael joined the military and at first resisted being a part of the "family business." Circumstances eventually pushed Michael into it anyway, but Moe saw Michael as an upstart as is evidenced by his remark, "I was making my bones while you were still going out with cheerleaders."
Michael was a strategist trained by his father to recognize his enemies. Barzini was in league with Hyman Roth and his own brother was corrupted against him. Michael had fought a war and was no fool about reading people and planning the unexpected mob revenge.
@@rodbutler4054 True, but his enemies never saw Michael as that kind of threat. Michael used an odd element of surprise against the heads of the five families - he hit them just when they thought the Corleone family was at a weak low point.
Yes, many had been too long at the pinnacle and let their hubris blind them and fatten their egos against the baseline mutual respect and humility between players that allows the game to keep being played as emotion free/effectively as possible
The thing I find amazing about Michael is, so many people seem to underestimate him. He had the heart to do what none or most wouldn't do. Kill a police captain and his man in public. How can one not respect that? Also too, I would love to seen how Sonny would've handle Moe Green in that scenario?
Michael didn't "resist" going into the family business, he was supposed to represent the transition to legitimatecy of the families concerns.
The best line in the movie was" you think Im skimming?!" "Youre unlucky" - a thinly vieled threat.
Casinos unlucky? Come on
@@vincentkosik403he might have meant Moe Green was unlucky, because he was going to get a very bad case of conjunctivitis
That analysis is a total mind blower! In a nutshell - feign weakness before your enemies and your friends, then you will see who is loyal, who is false, and who seeks your demise. Thank you for putting this up.
Thank you for mentioning some things that happened in the book, because it shows off Michael's cunning more clearly by making his regime appear weak to smoke out the true traitors to the family.
The book goes further into the strategy, and the relationship between the Don and Michael. Everyone thought Michael wasn’t as smart as the Don, or as strong as Sonny. But, the Don always understood Michael was the one who was most like him, and the only one who really know how the Don thought.
Appearing weak might have caused T's jumping ship.
@@marksummers463 Weak and indifferent to the lieutenants it was part of the plan to get one to turn
Kind of like a controlled opposition play, they figure one of them would've made a move to take control of the family once they knew of their plans to migrate out to Vegas, so why not push one of them into it for sure. Their betrayal plans are at least already half neutralized just by knowing they have betrayal plans
@@marksummers463 He can’t bitch, he was told by Don Vito that if you are loyal to me remain loyal to Michael. He thought he was the smartest person in the room. Loyalty has its rewards and betrayal has consequences. Betrayal has consequences even with the folks that get you involved with them. You establish that your never trustworthy and hence expendable upon conclusion of your part in the conspiracy. Tessio for all of his brains, wasn’t so smart. He was a battle planner, but not a war time planner like old man Genco Abbondondo.
This was one of Alex Rocco’s finest moments. He totally nailed this casino boss role. Just animated handsome angry I watch the scene over and over even how he opens the door it’s just way too cool.
When I heard it, I wasn't angry; I knew Moe, I knew he was head-strong, talking loud, saying stupid things. So when he turned up dead, I let it go.
This is the business we've chosen.
I didn't ask who gave the order, because it had nothing to do with business!
Moe was definitely small potatoes....small, definitely small😎
He mentioned Barzini's name which sealed his fate. More Greene lost his temper and than lost his life
But he really didn't let it go, did he?
After he straightened out Fredo for doing cocktail waitresses two at a time, I immediately cut down to one myself. I was always good at reading the tea leaves like that.
So we can get drinks now?
Smart move
It was a cautionary tale to be sure, two cocktail waitresses at a time is doing too much
Not "instantly." It took about 45 seconds for Greene to go from "Hey, how ya doing, Mike" to "You goddamn guineas really make me laugh."
FACTS! From friend to hurling racial epithets in less than a minute.
Giving out complimentary chips wasn't helping his bottom line.
well, you know how Moe flies off the handle sometimes.
@@ronyeahright9536 Ron! You don't come to Las Vegas and talk to a man like Moe Greene like that!. 🤣
@@supersizesenpai you are not my brother, but don't ever take sides with anyone against the family again. Ever.
As it is written in the art of War, when you are strong, appear weak, and when you are weak, try to appear strong.
The Art Of War is wrong.
@@marioarguello6989 That's a very strong statement made into
the faces of a huge number of fans here, who have used Sun Tzu to great success many times over, often in serious matters of state, where deception is usually more than half of the strategy. And you are...?
@@asc_missions3080 Not you, much to my relief.
@@marioarguello6989 Wow. So clever. Go ahead and skip to second grade.
@@asc_missions3080 Aah, I hurt your clueless fragile feelings, my bad
I always loved this scene with Moe Greene. I wasn’t surprised when old Moe stood up to Michael. Someone he considers a young punk just waltzes in and announces that he’s taking over his gambling operation! Nor was I shocked when Moe got it. Too bad he couldn’t enjoy the rest of that massage!
On Sahara, about 3/4 of a mile east of the Strat there's a place you can get a massage. It's a heck of a lot better than the one Moe was getting. 😁
@@MegaMkmiller I hope it’s better - hell of a way to lose customers, otherwise!
@@thomaschacko6320 Ya'll got that right!
@@thomaschacko6320 : Yes, the one on Sahara gives you a happy ending.
@@djquinn11 Being alive to pay your bill - there’s a happy ending! And eyeglasses are so expensive these days!
I’ve mentioned this before, Michael was a Marine Corps Officer in WW2. He learned about military tactics and how to read the enemy. Their strength and weakness as well as his own strength and weakness. He used what he learned from Pop and what the Marines and combat in the pacific theatre taught him. He had 2 educations. Michael was a master tactician far away much better than Barzini ever dreamed of being.
That was the crowning achievement of the Corleone family, the baptism of fire. That was a military move 100%. He leveraged his “weakness” into a strength and put every other family in total chaos. He whacked all the bosses and now they’re families don’t know who it was that hit them. Eventually they learned that Michael is the only boss still alive. It must have been him, but how ? It’s never been done before that all the bosses are killed simultaneously. That leaves the remaining underbosses thinking, if they can get whacked, I can get whacked. They immediately fall in line with whatever the hell Mikey tells them is going to happen. They might lose a little territory, because of their prior misdeeds, but it’s a good deal that returns everyone back to their original place. (Before the unwarranted hit on Don Vito.)
The character of Michael Corleone enlisted in the marines and received battlefield promotions, ostensibly for valor. He would have received no formal military leadership training during the war. There just wasn’t the time for it.
Strange....I thought he was an Army officer, having served in Italy due to his Italian background/language skills.
@@oldbaldfatman2766 Nope, he was a Marine Corps Captain. I know that he says that he enlisted, but as a college boy he would have been commissioned a 2d Lt and sent off to war. The non college educated folk from the NYC Area would have been sent to Parris Island for training.
Lol!
Great fukin break down..
Fredo's actions in the Moe Green confrontation laid the foundation for his eventual demise in Godfather II.
Fredo was not dumb like people say but smart.....He just made a mistake and went against the family.
@@WillieDuitt1 He wasn't smart otherwise he wouldn't have showed his hand and he wouldn't been so duped by the other families.
Fredo was in fact even more gullible than people thought. They thought he wasn’t too smart, when in fact he was dumber than a bag of rocks.
Michael committed a leadership error. He did not keep his subordinates informed. He could not trust Fredo too much in front of the meeting because Fredo was stupid enough to spill the beans inadvertantly. But he should have clued Fredo in that we was going to make an offer to Moe, instead of the "make him an offer..." BS. Fredo would have kept his mouth shut and Moe would have been without an ally in the room. Michael did not have Vito's sense of leadership. Only box your enemy in on three sides. It is always better to make a deal than to make a hit.
@@rodneysmith9177 You give Fredo too much credit. Also Moe was trying in his own way to crush the family because Moe was whacked.
He wasnt just buying out his share of the casino. He was effectively taking away any power he had which came from being the co-owner. This is a devastating insult, which is exactly what it was intended to be. He forced Moe into a hopeless situation, either give it up willingly and lose any power you had or could have, or resist and lose it all anyway. Moe chose to resist, not to mention he tried to reach out and undermine Micheal and the Corleones by giving his support to Barzini, which then gave Micheal all the justification he needed to wipe him and his supporters out. One way or another i win you lose style of business.
He made him an offer he really couldn't afford to refuse.
@@terrencedeagle4429 oh he could have. If he had accepted, Michael would have offered him the manager's position. Undoubtedly. Even Michael admits later that the casino has never run better. Moe couldnt deal with the prospect of not being the big dick in the room. Especially not to the new upstart as he saw him. Thats where he made his mistake, believing Michael wouldnt enforce and manage as well as Vito did. He had the machine of the Corleones and the brain of Vito, and Moe really underestimated him.
True
Michael telling Moe in front of EVERYBODY, not just one-on-one, caused Moe to posture up even Moe. He could not look weak with his boys around him, further sealing his fate.
@@shrubby-ov4yw He was either skimming or hugely incompetent there's no way Michael would keep him on
Let's make something crystal clear: this is not a movie, it's complex God-blessed piece of art capable of make us all question and discuss it almost HALF A CENTURY later
Most discussed film all time
It's right there in the film. Michael wants to buy him out and he loses the casino. Moe says that he can get the same deal from a rival family AND keep the casino. Having been a long-time player in the game he felt disrespected by this new upstart who just threatens to push him out.
Feigning weakness is one of the 'ten tells'
The 'ten tells' are behavioral quirks that people do that signal their intent.
By appearing weak and confused, a Predator will reveal themselves, sure of an easy meal.
The 'easy meal' turns out to be armed and ready for the Predator.
Micheal knew that being weak would mean that he would not be seen as an immediate threat, that it would embolden his enemies.
It's a hard game to play; you gotta wait for your opponent to commit to his attack before you do anything.
Sometimes it’s you allowing them to get into your space and then you close the door behind them. First youse wouldn’t leave, and now you can’t- Sonny LoSpecchio , A Bronx Tale.
Everyone knew that they had a reputation for busting up bars and shit, this time they broke up the wrong bar. The one controlled by Sonny.
Friggin brilliant. I sometimes do this, do weak things be it with women or co workers, but when they take advantage of this, I fucking pound them, verbally of course and stick up for myself. It's a way of testing someone, seeing if their genuine. I can be an absolute asshole when backed into a corner, but I never want to be. Sometimes, ripping someone who thinks your weak, standing up to them is something I've done a few times and I've never had to do this twice.
Michael was a master mind! He was a thinker! He truly played chess games!
The bigger issue that needs to be resolved is whether Jimmy Two-Times got the papers got the papers
Michael removed Tom from the consigliere position because Tom was not a wartime consigliere; he said that it was no reflection on Tom, it's just how he wanted it. Tom was now strictly the family lawyer. Vito even tells Tom that he never thought Tom was a bad consigliere--Sonny was a bad Don--and Tom still had both Michael's and Vito's confidence. But with the moves being made, Tom couldn't be involved directly.
Absolutely and the video failed to add that Tom’s position wasn’t truly “vacant” because Michael said that what better consigliere would he need than his father Vito.
@@williamwinburn6378 Perhaps Genco's ghost was giving advice .
Of course it means something.
One thing I remember when I read the book in middle school, and then saw the movie much later. The movie left out so much, I never understood how someone who only saw the movie could even understand it.
Same with Les Misérables. If I hadn’t read the book, I wouldn’t have made heads or tails of the movie. Everyone loved it, but I didn’t really understand why.
I've actually always wondered about this as well, so much of the story is told with subtle hints. You'd have to be extremely sharp and have at least a basic understanding of how the business works in the mafia. That's what makes it such a rewatchable classic, more details that illustrate the big picture are filled in each time. Tbh I thought I was too dumb to follow along while watching it the first time, so I wonder how many people just say that The Godfather is a masterpiece without even knowing why or really understanding the plot
Monie was made 50 years ago and we all are still talking about it. Name me one movie that still has so much reverence?! I was not even born yet and this is my favorite movie of all time. If you ask me this is the perfect movie.
Here's 2. Citizen Kane and On the Waterfront
I know it is a complete other genre..but serious .. The Sound Of Music, Imitation of Life, It's a Wonderful Life, ..there are many films that are 50 years old or older and still great.
Michael was always going to cut out Moe Green from the Hotel/Casino. There were two reason for that: Moe was a hot head who would eventually bring enough bad PR to a Corleone-controlled hotel/casino to attract undue attention from the FBI/Gaming Commission and also because Moe made money for Hyman Roth (who put out the hit on Michael's family in Lake Tahoe). The reason Michael made the insulting offer was to piss off Moe into revealing who was behind the attempted takeover of New York. Moe's shouting out that he's already talked to Barzini, not Tattaglia, was further confirmation that Barzini was behind it all.
The original hope was that Fredo would learn the casino business, and figure out how to keep Moe in line. Presumably, Michael bothered to fly out to Las Vegas as the last chance for Fredo to step up and show he could shoulder his responsibilities, and Green gets his last chance as a side effect. Unfortunately, Fredo proved to be worthless, and thus Moe was even less inclined to back down. Green assumes Michael is nothing more than Fredo's little brother and not cut out for this kind of business. Green assumes he will get away with stealing from the Corleone's because Michael is in over his head with the problems in NYC -- Michael is supposed end up dead before Moe has to pay the piper.
I think you are right that Michael quickly decides to play the part Moe expects, in order to goad him. Michael wants Moe to think he was effectively stonewalled in this conversation. Getting confirmation about Barzini was a bonus.
@@ComradeOgilvy1984 The hope of Fredo taking over the casino died when Vito called Fredo a "lackey for women".
@@johnpauljones9310 He was banging cocktail waitresses two at a time! Players couldn't get a drink at the table!
That was already confirmed by the Godfather, Since it was Barzini from the beginning, Michael went there just set the trap for Moe Green, All orchestrated by The Godfather and Michael, To eventually making the moves of taking total control. This wasn't the first time The Godfather had to make business decisions to build his empire, whether killing off heads of families, or taking over businesses, legal or not, and already knew to check the phone lines, as he first did to find the traitor earlier during his rise to power.
I thought Tattaglia was already RIP by this point in the story. Didn't Michael kill him in the Italian Restaurant, then head to Sicily?
Also in the book before Michael left Vegas he was told that Green didn't come back with a price and Michael just "shrugged" like he didn't care because he knew he was going to wack him eventually.
“ You accusing me of skimming off the top ?” Moe said . Michael said “ No “ but the Corleones of course figured that that was exactly what Moe was doing . Then when Moe said that he talked to Barzini and that he could still make the same deal and keep his motel , it drove another nail in Moe and Barzini’s coffin . It was obvious that Barzini was trying to wipe out the Corleone family . Why else would Barzini be interested in what Moe Green does and that casino except maybe for laundering purposes and Barzini had clean up services probably right at home ? Barzini was the drug kingpin and didn’t need that expansion . I don’t think Mike cared too much about Fredo getting slapped around a bit after he heard the explanation.
Moe had a loose mouth that was greased by his anger. In short, he absolutely cannot be taken into one's confidence; ever. Want to get to the real nitty gritty of a hothead's true intentions and feelings? Say small insults that threaten their self-esteem and what they prize as their personal gravitas. The insults shouldn't be glaring for all to see and retell to others. Just open enough for the hothead to understand. The hothead's outburst response will provide you the information you require.
@@LesterMoore Your 100% right. The kid who was banging cheerleaders, when Moe made his bones, was smarter than him. He should have invoked omertà, instead he shoots his mouth off and gave everyone up.
Cue the song Bang, Bang by the Joe Cuba Sextet, cause that’s what happens when you get stupid with Don Michael Corleone.
Michael cared because when Moe slapped Fredo it showed how little respect Moe had for the whole family
“He was bangin’ cocktail waitresses two at a time!”
That’s still no excuse for laying your hands on a member of the Family Moe.
@@cha5 Fredo can do whatever he wants... he's a Corleone. The fact that Moe thought that that excuse could fly really demonstrated his incompetence. I must say, though, he did glide into that room smooth as hell.
When Moe said the Corleones didn't have "that kind of muscle anymore" and were being run out of New York, that was bad...but the words "I talked to Barzini..." that was all Michael needed to go ahead and wack Moe. Even if that would upset Hyman Roth.
But of course, Moe could have just killed Michael and then HE would have looked like the cunning one. All this crap is based on whether you can succeed at killing some guy or not. Killing somebody doesn't make you smart. It just makes you a successful killer!
Michael, right then after hearing Barzini's name decided it was time to play whack-a-Moe.
@@LesterMoore yes, how are you going to talk about another family that apparently didn't put up any money is now your backer. It looks like Moe never paid that the molinari's family or The Godfather, Michael Corleone any money
First of all the Coleones don’t have that kind of muscle anymore. You are being run out of New York by the families and you think you can come out here and take my casino. I’ve talked to Barzini, I can make the deal and still keep my hotel. Translation….I’m not afraid of you. Barzini has my back and I don’t need you anymore. I need a strong ally not a weak one. Critical misjudgment on his part.
Moe only had 2 choices take the deal or get whacked. Nothing he said made any difference.
It's been stated a lot recently but I'll repeat: you have to be pretty bad at business to lose money with a casino. Greene is also stated in the novel to have a murderous temper, often abusing his employees including Fredo. His words to Michael also indicates he mistakenly believes himself to be someone of great importance in the world like Jack Woltz at the start of the film. Not a reliable neighbor or partner to have.
LOL. Trump lost nearly $1B on the Taj Mahal in 18 months. He makes Moe look like Warren Buffett
He was skimming
@Eight Loco The best, aside from maybe banks. The house always wins, always takes in much more money than it loses.
@@kevingilligan139 cope
Making money from a casino operation is not a problem. The problem happens when you are using borrowed money to build the hotel/casino. If the money generated from the casino doesn't cover the loan payments, it goes under. lot of variables that occur, competition, Covid, etc, any of that can cause a casino to 'fail' even though it is technically making a lot of money.
The meeting with Tessio, Clemenza, Carlo, Tom Hagan & Don Corleone took place “before” the meeting with Moe Green, not after.
The key phrase is when Moe says "You're gonna buy me out? You don't buy me out, I buy YOU out" This is when Michael knew his plan had worked. Moe was losing money on a F'n casino, and the word on the street was that the Corleone's were a house of cards.
In essence, the answer put forth in this video has more to do with the death of Apollonia than some of the stuff mentioned here. It is centrally linked to Michael's statement that he keeps friends close but enemies closer. Because actually he wasn't even considering Moe Green to be an enemy or a friend at the point they had the meeting in Vegas; by the time he showed up and said, "We're going to part ways", then Moe was a dead man to him, just as the video claims, but cast in a different light. He wasn't trying to pry information from Moe, or to get him to self-incriminate. He simply considered Moe to be a bug on the windshield. Why was that? Possibly for hitting Fredo in public, but I personally doubt that. I think it actually had to do more with Michael being anti-semetic to a degree that his father, who had the ability to bridge between the Italian ghetto and the Jewish ghetto, was not. It's a theme throughout the events in both movies, the interactions of the Italian mob with the Jewish mob. I think that that may also underly the statement by Vito that Moe was someone he did not care to talk to. Because Vito had been a Don who treated the Jewish contingent without prejudice (I think that's implied in one of the deleted scenes in GF 2), and they had done well by him. And when Sonny was killed, the Don suspected that it was not orchestrated by Tatalia alone. He didn't know for sure that it was Baltzini until after the "I'm bringing Michael home" meeting. And I suspect that also implied that Baltzini, who was a kind of collage of characters from the real life Genovese / Costello family, would have had to have included the Jewish boss (Hymen Roth as the literary stand in for real life Lansky/Seigel) and presumably someone in Moe Green's organization. In fact when Moe Green says "I can go to Baltzini", he seems like he actually could be pretty high up in the Lansky/Seigel organization. Therefore, the assassination of Sonny would have been something that the Don would have imputed to the Jewish syndicate, specifically the one that Moe Green was attached to, and that (the death of Sonny), possibly just as much as seeing Michael drawn into the family business, was something Don Vito really was devastated by. A few slaps to Fredo in public I don't think he would have cared much about, as Fredo was the Mammoni, but Sonny and Michael were Vito's own legacy.
Mike followed Sun Tzu to perfection. When you are strong, appear weak. That helps weaken your enemy by giving them a false sense of security.
But Moe eventually “kept an eye out” for Michael.
Yeah, I went there!
First time ever coming to this channel...and the first time I will say, a perfect breakdown of what and how the whole plan went down. An expert plan laid out by the Don and Michael, which also at that meeting gave immediate insight who the traitor was or might be...
Nice drop M.C.
Even Michaels body language in concert with his opening line was arrogant. The way he flips his lighter and lights up. Very subtle but coupled with the "Buy you out" it was a slap in the face to Moe in front of his men.
Moe actually said that Barzini would let Moe keep his HOTEL, NOT the CASINO. Aside from that minor miscue at the beginning of this video, this is an excellent summary with critical, detailed information only implied in the movie but spelled out succinctly here.
By pretending weakness, Michael got the heads of the other families to lower their guard. They were open and relaxed when the Baptism by Fire assassins took them down. I think Sonny was planning the same action, but he was strong at that time; as a result, they hid and kept up their guard.
Ha! Sonny couldnt think. that far ahead
@@gregwatson8219 Agreed. Michael could think that far ahead, so he pretended weakness ala Sun Tzu, betting the other families would lower their guard. In contrast, while Sonny was planning the same action, he didn't have the patience to wait for the right moment. As you said, he couldn't think that far ahead.
@@gregwatson8219 sonny wanted to out muscle all the 5 families
@@gregwatson8219 I disagree Michael rivaled Sonny in toughness but was more stable minded similar to his father
In the book, it’s stressed that Sonny had a talent for urban warfare and gangland tactics. Keep in mind he arranged the gun for Michael to be hidden so he could assassinate the Turk. Make no mistake, Sonny could think, and think well. He just disappointingly chose not to because he was a hothead and a horndog. Michael made for a better Don, but there’s no doubt Sonny led well in wartime.
The fact is that Moe Greene pleaded with and begged Mario Puzo and Francis Coppola to let him accept the deal with Michael. But they refused to listen to Moe and told him the script called for Moe to reject Michael's deal and that they would make no further changes. So, Moe was stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Then he shouldn't have slapped Fredo!
Why did he want the deal?
@@williamgullett8071 more screen time
@@gino2591 oh...I was asking why Moe Greene wanted it, not the actor
@@williamgullett8071 lol
The book is easier to follow, but having read it before watching the film I have to say that the film is a much better film than the book is a book. Great book, fantastic film.
because he knew Michael wasn't making him an 'offer'...he was making him an offer he couldn't refuse....those are the only type offers the Corleone Family ever made....
Great analysis. That's what Michael meant when he said he was going to give Moe an offer he can't refuse.
“Not only was it losing money, but it was in trouble financially.” Wow, these are two completely unrelated observations.
There might also have been a problem with liquidity. And maybe some debt. It's also possible that outgoings exceeded income.
So many problems
We now know two people who could lose money owning a casino.
To think 70 million idiots defend him as a ‘great business man’ and get offended at having their Orange Cult Leader as a jumped-up tv personality!
Both for the same reason. They were scamming money off the top.
Don't forget Merv Griffin
Dude, awesome 👌 👏
Excellent!!!
Huzzah!
And yet the 2nd man will be voted back in.
Alex Rocco,the actor playing Moe, has a noticeable Boston accent. He’s originally from Somerville, just north of downtown Boston. He had real life ties to New England mobs, especially the Winter Hill gang and the New England mafia, lead by the Patriarca family. He participated in the gambling rackets, and was a suspect for a gangland hit, that was never proved. He served time in the Boston area for an assault and destruction of a diner in 1961.
Several good points mentioned; however, reading Mario Puzo's book ought to be a MUST if one is a real GODFATHER fan or follower. Way to go Movies Consigliere !
5:57, it was in this scene where there was a hint on Tessio's treachery.
Don Corleone asks, "Do you offer your loyalty towards me?", and something else, where only Clemenza responds and not Tessio.
Moe was Volatile and also a partner/friend with Hyman Roth this was revealed in Godfather 2. Michaels approach would make Moe explode! Great analysis on the plot twists. Plot is an area that Books and Movies excel at to exploit, turn, twist and make the story more interesting. The Godfather a great game of 3 Dimensional Chess...
I think the real question that has to be answered was why Moe's voice channeled Darth Vader when he uttered Barzini's name? Was it the first sign of the dark side? :)
This was due to a sound interruption during shooting. Actor Alex Rocco was not available to go back and re-record the line. So they brought in James Earl Jones to record the line.
@@chuyhou it totally sounds like Abe Vigoda, who played Tessio
The only thought I ever gave to Moe Green was it was the badly shot death scene. Moe looks like he's laying down making himself comfortable. Not like he just got dead from a head shot.
Well, having read the book twice and seen the movie more times to count, my take is this, in a dozen simple steps:
1. There was a dispute between the Five Families over the introduction of drugs into the business. The other Five Families were for it, but the Corleone Family was against it (although, importantly, Sonny was for it and openly expressed his interest). Since drugs are a "dirty business" the Corleone Family's assent was required because only they could provide legal and political protection for the scheme.
2. The other Families reasoned that if the Don were "removed" then Sonny would become the leader of the Family, and he would take their deal. So they attempted to assassinate the Don, but botched it.
3. Sonny rejected the deal, however, preferring instead to go to war against all the other Families and wait for his father to negotiate a deal after he recovered.
4. In the war, Michael was sent into hiding for having killed Sollozzo. Fredo, because he was tied up in the assassination attempt on the Don and, frankly, was stupid, was exiled to Nevada to learn the casino business.
5. Then Sonny was killed. With Michael and Fredo already out of the picture, Sonny had been the last male heir in the Corleone Family and now the Don (who was getting old and was weak from being shot) had no option for turning the Family business over to the next generation.
6. So to end the war, and insure an heir for the Family Business, the Godfather cut a deal: He would allow drugs to be sold by the Families as a "controlled business" in exchange for police/political protection AND the guaranteed safety of Michael.
7. The Godfather then pledged to never be the one to break the peace. However, he never agreed that someone else in the Family would take revenge and break it (Michael).
8. So the plan was to bring Michael back, insure his safety, and use the time of "peace" to sort of "wire him in" to all the Godfather's legal/political connections so he could become the next Don Corleone. Everyone knew that the peace would not be broken so long as The Godfather was alive (since if Michael were to turn up dead The Godfather vowed to "blame the people in this room") . But Michael would surely be assassinated as soon as the Don passed.
9. Michael and the Godfather DID want the other Families to think their power was waning, and that the Corleone's could be pushed around. In reality, their power WAS diminishing, just as the Godfather predicted it would if his Family got involved with the drug trade, which made their move to Nevada and into the casino business a smart course of action. In reality, there was no future for them in NYC.
10. These developments were awful for the business of their two NY caporegimes (Tessio & Clemenza) who both began to lose influence, and it tested their loyalty to the Corleone Family. Despite the loss of personal wealth, Clemenza stayed loyal to Don Corleone and agreed to not start his own Family; Tessio however chose to cut a deal with (I assume) Barzini, probably to allow him to either start his own Family or to just assume the Corleone Family business in NYC after Michael was killed. Michael had been tipped off by his father that the person who offered to arrange the deal would be the traitor ( "It's the smart move. Tessio was always smarter") and he had Tessio assassinated first.
11. Since the drug business was going to kill their influence in NYC eventually, the Family decided to relocate to Nevada and get into casinos. They were, however, a bit heavy handed about it, just deciding to force Mo Greene out with the application of a little muscle. But that didn't work so they had to bump off Mo Greene to get his casino. I thought that Mo Greene was killed simply because he didn't take Michael's deal. I think they would've left him alone had he done so.
12. The Corleone Family relocated to Nevada. But because it's a "Sicilian Thing", Michael settles "all family business" before the move and has the other heads of the Five Families all killed. This is revenge for Sonny and the attempt on his father. Kinda the Sicilian Middle Finger to everyone back in New York before he leaves.
Great explanation.
0:15 “Not only was it losing money, it was also in trouble financially.”
Was it also fiscally irresponsible?
Monetarily struggling?
Financially embarrassed.
Oh my goodness! My faith in the continuance of the English language has been renewed! Just being able to read comments which are properly written? My heart is full right now. Thank you guys! Yes, Moe sealed his fate when Michael learned he was slapping Fredo around.
Fo shizzle my nizzle I feel you peoples be writing all whack
You've Done a good job with this video
excellent vid. as a GODFATHER geek myself i would also add that FREDO was trying to impress MICHAEL that he had actually made a success of something and it was rather inconsiderate of MIKE to not let FREDO know what he was was planning.
one fan theory vid that i would really like to see is that since it was basically SONNY shooting his mouth off that got THE DON shot if SONNY hadn't been killed how would that fact be dealt with within the family? it was never even mentioned after SOLOZZO started pulling his crap not even in the book.
I believe at the time, before Michael took out Barzini and Tataglia, Don Falcone and Don Molinari were still close Corleone allies. That would make sense why the Corleones were moving out West to consolidate power.
I understand Moe Greene's perception, but his behavior towards Fredo and his reaction towards Michael meant he was going to "get it" no matter how "weak" the Corleone family was
"Tattaglia's a pimp..."
Moe Green had awesome power..he had bazzini, he had hyman roth....all his fault was not reading n figuring the move of the new corleone boss, Michael
Damn! Well done, I always enjoy these types of breakdowns 👏👏👏👏👏
I read that part in the book. Thanks for the hard work makes sense now. All I wanted was revenge for Sonny I thought the family was week.
Don’t forget that Tom was also a possible traitor. He was a brother, but not blood. He moved out Tom so that he wouldn’t pick up that Michael was building a secret regime. Tom was aware of it anyway. The Don even commented that he told Michael that he would
Michael did not move out Tom because he was worried about his loyalty. He just didn't think Tom had the required ruthlessness of a Sicilian and wanted to keep Tom in the dark so he could serve other purposes, as he did in GF II.
@@rodneysmith9177 that’s lip service. Michael only knew someone close would betray him. He strung along Tom and the capos to see who would make the move. That’s why Tom was upset. He knew Michael was unsure of his loyalties.
@@rodneysmith9177 No. At the time he removed Tom Michael knew there was a traitor but did not know who it was. Tom, as a non-Italian, had to be one of the suspects (along with Tessio and Clemenza). Plus if Tom was straight your motive also operated. There can be more than one reason for a decision.
moe green didn't making of a varsity casino owner
Michael could have took Casino from characters of Movie. Casino!
That's because he was headstrong - talking out loud, saying stupid things!
Moe had small hands, that was his problem.
Well done recap. Good food for thought.
Good video, great insight!! Keep it up!
What I always loved about the Godfather was Vito and Michael had no problem getting their hands dirty and killing when they needed to. When they became bosses they had other do the work but you knew they had already done it themselves
Also, Moe hates doing business with Italians, ( "...you goddamn guineas really make me laugh...) And Moe was based on Ben " Bugsie " Siegel, who had a violent temper, and mental decline due to syphilis.
Was he banging cheerleaders too?
And who was also murdered.
Al Capone not Ben Siegel had syphilis
@@007ndc Given his times, places and surroundings, he more than likely had it, and the mental decline well - known from it, contributed to his erratic behavior, hence the nickname.
If Moe had the sylph, apparently not only Fredo was banging cocktail waitresses two at a time.
Great analysis!
Wow, nicely done! This really explains a great deal.
When Moe Greene speaks the words "I talked to Barzini' in the film, this is quite obviously an audio overdub that was re-ediited at some point. Those words are critical - but is that what Moe originally said? I wonder if he could have said something like "I spit on Barzini!". His words were definitely changed by Coppola in post production, but why?
I've been wondering about that for years. The overdub is obvious, and clangs in the ear like a gong. It's a rare technical misstep.
Because the actor couldn't say Barzini correctly so they got Able Viggoda to do the line and dubbed it in.
It was dubbed by James Earl Jones
@@icametomakecupcakes71 Hahahaha. They should've gotten Carlo.
In the book Moe Greene was never connected to Barzini - and he was killed off early by Al Neri - they make a line about him being "mugged and numbered" - I get they wanted to connect plotlines - so it was interesting - but in the book it was a separate twist.
All I know is, YOU don't talk to a man like Moe Greene like THAT.
Good job, Spanky... 8-}
Keep up the good work.
Moe didn't sell for the same reason Michael wanted to buy it. It was a huge money-maker. Moe also misjudged Michael. He thought Michael was like Vito, but he wasn't. As soon as Vito died, Michael proved he was not at all like his father.
Michael was a master strategist.
“Not only was it losing money but it was in trouble financially.”…well you made me chuckle 🤭 Just light hearted ribbing guys, have a good weekend.
Nice job, spot on analysis.
The casino was Moe's pride and joy - it was an insult to him personally to try to buy him out
The old man and Michael stuck it to’em all. Clemenza, Rocco, Al Neri, and Tom were loyal until the end and it couldn’t have come off so perfectly without their help. That’s a Family....It’s sad to see the old ways go extinct.
Thank you for the upload!
Yeah. We really miss those cute Italian "families" with their quaint customs such as murder, lone sharking, pimping, extortion... I say that as a guy whose Grandfather was born in a small village at the top of the instep of the boot.
The whole thing with these Dons being urbane and sophisticated is BS. Luciano was that way to a degree. But most of the ones that followed were basically common thugs that were a simply a bit more organized and disiplined than the Crips or the Bloods.
Great take!
“All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near. Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him. If he is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him. If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant. If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them. Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected. These military devices, leading to victory, must not be divulged beforehand.” - Sun Tzu
Clearly, Mario Puzo was intimately familiar with “Art of War”, as the character of Michael Corleone would have been, being that he was an officer in the Marine Corps. Michael’s great strength, and paradoxically his weakness, is that he was a warrior, and he applied the cold, objective oriented, strategic discipline of a warrior.
His father, in contrast, was a negotiator and assassin. Michael, throughout the 3 movies (made much clearer in the reworked Godfather Coda), is unable resolve problems without outright warfare; his remarkable skill in such endeavors, unfortunately for him and his family, ensures that he’s always in the position of having to plan and fight the next war, always a victim of his catastrophic victories.
I Talked To Barzinni
And he said Michael will kill me for it...lol
Straight out of the Art of War. Brilliant.
Great analysis! 👍
In the Book The Don Heated after Moe slapped Fredo around. In the movie Michael says one of my favorite lines about it. Looking at Moe with calm contempt he simply says “You straightened my brother out?”
Great stuff, new sub here!
Your "consigliere" is at your service
I always wonder, was it really Michael that played them, or was it Michael seeing everything that was going on and made a calculated decision to play a roll in what was already going on after weighing the outcomes and coming to a conclusion. I think him deciding to play a role after predicting reactions makes him even smarter than if it was him that played everyone. Both revolve around predicting the outcome, but getting caught manipulating had way more dire consequences and wouldn’t have been as smart as just playing a role.
Excellent analysis!
The fact that you own a casino and are still loosing money. Just goes to show how bad Moe Green knew how to run his own business. He’s a mobster who no doubt uses tricks like every casino to make sure the house always wins… and he still loosing money lmao.
He deserved to be sidelined for being a sorry excuse for a mobster.
See the movie casino. It talks about leakage.
Right, he needed to tighten up all that "loosing".
Because he's More Greene!!! He was making his bones while Michael was dating cheerleaders!!!!
However many times we watch this film, there’s still so much meaning buried in there!
You were spot on everything.
I felt kinda bad for Moe. But the underworld isn't a pretty place. Much easier to just get a normal job and not get whacked by anyone!
"Everybody dies, but not everybody lives"
@@lifeisshort.9869 damn that's some good wisdom
@@aodh5966 It's from braveheart bro, I used to watch a LOT of movies growing up xD
"Mike, you don't talk to a man like Moe Green LIKE THAT!"
like hymen roth said: we accept what we get into
Moe tells you why he didn't in the scene: "First of all, you're all done- the Corleone Family doesn't have that kind of muscle anymore."
While there was more said, it's enough for a sound conclusion: In his mind, the Barzini Family was now the strongest family. Thus, he could do what he wanted (assault Fredo) and decline Michael's offer w/o any reprecussions. He was wrong.
The Corleones projected weakness, as a strategic movie, and then attacked.
If you see the expressions on every person's face who was whacked, it was clear that they were completely surprised.
There was a movie with Chris Rock called "I think I love my wife". When the character played by Rock starts ignoring his work for a beautiful lady played by Kerry Washington his boss sets him straight. He tells him in so many words that he is important to the company but not irreplaceable. His words of wisdom were. If you chase the money you will always have the women, however if you chase the women you won't always have the money.
I remember that scene!!
Yet, the message of gf is completely different.
Wow that’s some intricate nuance I’d never heard, and I’ve been following this film’s and book’s analyses for many years.
He underestimated Michael