@Robert Lee, Countertenor - It might have been, but I don't think I could've killed both Sollozzo and McCluskey with it. It would've had to have been one hell of a carom shot.
Have to disagree with the analysis of Michael's motivation. While protecting the family business may be important to Michael, what is really important is protecting the life of his father. He even says earlier that his father's death is key to Sollozzo's plan and that is why Sollozzo has to die. Period. McCloskey has to die because he's the body guard, but Michael no doubt is not going to shed any tears over killing a guy that punched him and was part of a plot to kill his father. In fact, killing McCloskey is also necessary to protect his father's life. The audience doesn't really care all that much about the fortunes of the Corleone business, but they do get emotionally invested in the desire of a son to protect his father's life and that is where the tension of the scene really comes from.
“ it isn’t personal, Sonny. It’s strictly business. You’re right, he is motivated by loyalty to father. however, it gets to that place most politicians of weight are at, that is balancing dual motivation. It’s a director’s toggle switch for tension and release.
I came here to post a similar comment, and agree completely. Not to take away from this video at all, but Michael just wanted to protect his father at this point, and did not want to start riding the tiger which he could never get off of without getting eaten. I listened to the audio version of the book a few months ago, and it's not only fascinating in itself, it adds to one's respect for how masterfully the movie is done.
Referring again to the book: Solozzo and his men weren't going to stop until they finished the job of killing Don Vito, so someone had to put a stop to Solozzo by killing him. Of the three sons, Fredo was an inept doofus, and Santino/Sonny was a hothead and the heir apparent of the family business; only Michael, a straight-laced, Ivy-League guy who had no interest in a life of crime, could be both competent and be sent in to perform such an ambush without arousing too much suspicion. He was only protecting his father, and the next morning he would be on a ship to Sicily to ride out the s***storm that would be unleashed by a cop getting killed at the flashpoint of a mafia war. Part of the genius of this story is seeing such an unwilling participant eventually come to fully wear the mantle of Godfather.
Something else our host misses: Michael doesn't carry out Clemenza's instructions. He was supposed to come out of the bathroom shooting, but he hesitates - for so long, Sollozzo turns around and looks at him. I wondered, seeing it for the first time, if the movie might be going somewhere else, since Michael apparently lost his nerve. When he finally shoots, it's only one shot to Sollozzo's head rather than two, and then he shoots McCluskey in the throat before he shoots him in the head. Then, he doesn't let the gun slide out of his hand while his hand is down; he holds it up and drops it; no one nearby could fail to notice it. Clemenza wanted the other guests to think Michael still had the gun. In each of these steps, I wondered what was going wrong and if it would lead to failure. I'm kind of surprised this wasn't mentioned.
Ernie Lederman it’s a good thing he didn’t come out of the restroom all shooting wild at the two targets, Had he done that I’m sure he could have hit a few others in the restaurant such as their waiter who was standing close by . It would have too like too of the “Wild West” scenes.
@@steve-852 Yes he does. Mike: "I have to go to the bathroom. Is that all right?" Sollozzo: [intensely suspicious look] McCluskey: "[If] you gotta go, you gotta go." Sollozzo searches Mike. McCluskey: "I frisked him. He's clean." Sollozzo: "Don't take too long." Mike leaves. McCluskey: "I've frisked a thousand young punks."
Michael didn't come out shooting because he wanted to wait for the loud sound of the elevated train to muffle the sound of the gun. Go back and watch it. Genius move. Vito did the same thing in part II in the hallway.... using the fireworks to muffle the sound of the gun when killing the Don of little Italy....
Yes, through his eyes, Pacino seems to be conveying that Michael recognizes he is reaching the point of no return. The course of his life changes forever and Michael spends the rest of his life trying to reclaim who he was before pulling the trigger on Sollozzo. First time viewers may wonder if Michael is really going to do it.
The sound of the train is set up in the beggining of the scene, then we hear it once again when Michael is at the restroom, and we hear it once again over the close up of Al Pacino's face.
You really missed out on Michael's want in this scene, Michael was never part of the Family business, he never cared for it and never wanted to be a part of it. The reason he involves himself to the point of killing a drug lord and a police captain is to save his father. That's the one and only reason Michael would ever get involved in the business Bec at the end of the day, he loves his father and wants to protect him. And the only way to protect him is for Michael (the least suspicious character) to do the deed, no one else.
You don't seem to think that the success of this scene also has to do with the acting of Al Lettieri as Sollozzo and Sterling Hayden as Capt. McCluskey. Without their intense portrayals, a well as Pacino's, the setup would be a fizzle.
Of course - its an ensemble scene. Lettieri in paricular is wonderful - as with Pacino you could read every passing thought in his face. But one reason Godfather 1 & 2 are considered great films is that there are a LOT of stunningly good performances in them, even among minor characters. You had to wait for Godfather 3 to see a poor performance - by the director's daughter, no less.
Agree. Al Lettieri is perfectly cast as is Sterling Hayden (one of those incredible eccentric John Houston style actors). Richard Castellano deserves mention too. His Clemenza portrait one of the overlooked elements of the film. He is sorely missed in Part II. Numerous stories exist: that he wanted to write his own lines etc. one of the articles I read is that he argued with FFC that Clemenza would never do a Frankie Five Angels and ever betray the family. I tend to agree. Hsi presence in II would have made the film even better (if that is possible). In the same way that Robert Duvall's absence in III is a key. Duvall has said he wanted to do it, but it was down to salary; that even though a lead role, Al Pacino was being paid 3 times more than him. Shame on you Paramount.
Michael did not come out of the restroom and start blasting as Clemenza instructed . That worried me. Also, he did not drop the gun until he was nearly out of the restaurant. That worried me too. I still worry every time I watch it.
xstugee- thanks. I might add that there is train noise earlier in the scene, to set up the train noise after michael leaves the mens room. All that stuff about what a character wants, intention, objectives, motivation, and all, is old school Stanislavski technique. I like what Hitchcock said. When Gregory Peck asked him what his motivation should be in a particular scene, Hitchcock said,"Your salary".
how does a movie guy completely miss the characters motivation and mistake it. Michael didn't give a shit about the family business, he cared about protecting his family at this point in the film.. it wasn't until after
This guy misses entirely the fact that Michael is dealing with a bent cop who colluded in trying to kill his father. He's also a coward, he has cops hold Michael while he clubs him - the audience WANTS revenge.
Notice how Michael only shoots Sollozzo once,but he shoots the cop twice. He was supposed to shoot both of them twice. He wanted revenge against the corrupt cop.
If you read the book, the shot in the throat was "bad, not mortal" So it was accidental. It does look like he did it on purpose, but he didn't according to the book, and the movie was very close to the book. But in the book, Solozzo was shot between the ey and the ear, not in forehead, and the captain was shot on the top of his white-haired skull, not in forehead.
NO. It's not the audience that wants revenge - it's Michael. This killing - something Michael really, really never wanted to get into - is an act of love for his father. Unlike his later killings, including that of his brother, this one is not mainly about business. If it was, Michael would have followed instructions and come out of the bathroom firing. I think the post is quite wrong about the setup.
One thing we DO know going into the scene is that Michael was extremely brave, resourceful, devoted to family and SMART during the earlier hospital scene and his clever strategy for dealing with the messy issue of killing a cop showed that he was thinking 3 moves ahead...unlike anyone else that we’d met thus far in the film. No way was this guy going to die. The question from here on in is what price the Corleone family will ultimately pay for Michael’s unexpected ultimate journey to Don.
Ok and of course the set-up is important, but Pacino is still acting it out, performing it. His face speaks without saying a word. So it's kinda stupid saying you disagree on his performance. Shut up.
The scene is so powerful because it is the moment where the innocence submits to the desire to safeguard love/family through violence. Obliged to commit cold blooded murder, Michael keeps his cool composure knowing that the safety and the future of his family depends on his performance. And as irony should have it, to him it was a logical move motivated strictly by the preservation of love, and not a hateful desire for revenge.
I wonder if Sterling Hayden was directed to act that way when he gets shot? Or if that was his own idea. it's a little disturbing because it almost looks as if he's trying to say something to Michael.
Don't forget the sound!!! He pulls out the gun as the wheels of the subway intensify. Steels grinding against steel louder, louder LOUDER, then BANG BANG BANG. Enter dramatic music! PERFECTION!!!
Great insight into an incredible piece of cinema. Studio people weren't happy with Al Pacino. FFC brought shooting of this scene forward and presented it to them. They changed their minds. Plus when location scouts showed FFC the restaurant he agreed, perfect. He noticed the carpet and saw a glimpse of uncovered tiled floor in a corner, took up the carpet revealing a beautiful mosaiced floor. He asked the owner and the carpet was removed. A lot of the science was shot with cameras in ceiling corners to ensure it was a beautiful feature of the scene.
I like how the darkness around Michael's eyes grows, and grows, but then FFC juxtaposes that against the bruise on the outside of his face/jaw line. As each moment passes, after Michael's jaw is busted by McCluskey, the bruise is constantly aging and morphing... Almost as if to suggest that the more the bruise ages/fades away, this means that Michael's soul and innocence too, shall fade away. The audience see's this by the way his eye's keep getting darker as the bruise fades. I love this movie. I love the second one, too (all because of DeNiro).
The sound of the footsteps on the wood floor acoustically echoed off the metal ceiling along with the cash register sounds, for the audience in 1972 these were familiar sounds for a normal weekday night in an old NYC restaurant. This normalcy of the scene draw the audience into the scene along with the sparse patrons at the other tables.Also try playing the scene by turning the sound up with headphones and not watch the video so it becomes a radio play.
Ok I've read through a ton of the comments and jumping straight to this clip and watching 10 seconds convinced me I don't want to waste time with the analysis. The mispronunciation of Solozzo, and over analysis of Michael's motivation I can't handle. Lol. Thanks for saving me 10 min of my life.
With all the scene lead up, i always found it interesting that: 1 Michael didn't come out blasting, 2 he only shot Solozzo once, 3 he shot McClusky in the neck, and 4 he didn't drop the gun right away and dropped it from up high. I don't know if that was all by design somehow as if to say that Michael's future would not go as planned.
Every battle plan falls apart after the first shot is fired. I believe that is what is being conveyed. But he did meet all his goals though not exactly as planned.
Exactly! What's brilliant about this movie is how it evokes a feeling of realism. Shocking acts like this don't go down letter perfect in real life especially when it's your first one.
I would just point out that the Corleone family (except for the Godfather himself) wanted to do business with Sollozzo. "If the old man dies, you make the deal Sonny". It was only that Michael got his face beat in by McCluskey that prompted the restaurant scene. "you're taking this very personally Michael!" Sonny joked. Michael's main motivation was fear for his father's life. At this point in the film, Michael had no desire to be the head of the family and wasn't even involved in the family 'business' by choice. It wasn't until an attempt on Michael's life in Italy (killing his new bride instead) and Sonny's murder that Michael took the big leap to become actively involved.
You have to savor the sound of the braking of the elevated train then the crash-bang! Because of Michael’s actions his past life has gone up in smoke. Perfect sound design.
This video just wants to push certain commercial type academic theories. I was hoping the narrator would step outside of his agenda and talk about Michael's eyes which speaks volumes... The lighting, the feel of late night where even a great restaurant has humble quiet moments
All in the eyes, and now that we know what is going to happen, i think the eyes even back then would say someone or someone(s) going to die, and someone is going home with a Cannoli.
........ at the Godfather reunion, Francis Coppola made a point of mentioning the actor Al Letierri as Sollozzo and how dangerous his character comes across on film. In fact, Al Letierri was on the directors early list of possible actors to play Don Corleone.
Underestimating the value of the supporting performances is more than remiss. Both of them. On par with the lead's, the Turk's involuntary squint, the Captain's casual dismissal, it's the symmetry between the three, the DP, sound and light, art department and of course, never mentioned all important writing, the script itself ("tu padre'.. piensa' antigua.." ) that makes this scene/film the the unqualified masterpiece it is. BTW, Mike f*cks up, not coming out blasting as instructed happends because we all f*ck up sometimes, even in the clinch, and sometimes recover as he did. Get it? He's one of us. We're one of him.
That of course is why the Godfather is considered a great film - every performance was just brilliant, with all the characters alive before your eyes. Pity about the director's daughter in Godfather 3 ....
I'm not into the movie business, the link of this video happened like many other on this site. But, you got my attention, and that is the easy part, you got me to see the whole clip. Thank you, I accepted the offer. I'm a kid at the movie each time I see the Godfather, Casino, Goodfellas, name it, it's good time in front of the screen.
I've always loved the fact that so many people worked on a film from the producer to the guy that sweeps the floor, and I sit on my dead ass watching all their work.
Why did Micheal have to drop the gun? Isnt it bad for someone to leave the murder weapon behind? Also its hard to believe so many great scenes were in one movie. The horse head , the attempted hit on vito, micheal killing the turk & the police captain, micheal going to sicily & meeting appolonia, her car bomb death, micheals visit w/ moe green , sonnys massacre at the tool booth , the baptism murders , vito 's death & the killing of carlo. Such a suburn film w/ such iconic images.
Al Pacino played this brilliantly. From the time he sat in the chair and formulated the plan to kill Sollozzo and McCluskey. Those scenes set Al Pacino's career up for life and he has shown just how great he is as an actor ever since. I can't even think of one movie that Al Pacino hasn't put in a 100% outstanding performance. The man is an actual working professional. Kind regards. Johno.
No, you have Michael's motivation wrong: it is you who assumes Michael will -- or wants to -- become the next Don, or make sure his family's criminal business stays on top. It was apparent both in the film (and the book) that at this point in the story, Michael still wants a life outside his family's business. Only the continued threat to his father's life from Solozo and the corrupt captain is Michael's motivation -- as he's said over and over, and deliberately built a life outside of that criminology. The tension in the scene is Michael weighing for himself the two things he wants -- a normalnlife outside of crime or to save the life if his father. That was apparent to me watching that scene for the first time when the film opened, and every subsequent viewing since, as well as in the book.
Pacino played two other roles, one as Frank Serpico in "Serpico", where he pays the bill at the diner after his girlfriend runs out on him, and then as Sonny in "Dog Day Afternoon", where he pays for the pizza to feed his hostages and even tips the delivery boy. You know Michael Corleone had to feel worse about not picking up the tab, than he did about mowing down Sollozzo and McCluskey.
What does Michael want? Your analysis here is *wrong." ALL HE WANTS IS TO PROTECT HIS FATHER. He doesn't care about the families positions. He wants to eliminate Solozo so his father will be safe.
Great analysis. Many people don't know that Paramount Studios didn't want Pacino in this film due to the fact that Pacino backed out of a project and Paramount sued him and Pacino counter-sued and WON. This was the main reason Paramount didn't like/want Pacino in this role........Until the executives saw this scene and realized he was the right choice.
The 2 separate train sounds have always seemed to be the rush that must have been going through his head at 2 separate times. The first, at the realization that he was actually about to do this..(in the toilet area) and the second rush occurs at the moment of the deed itself. I was irritated each time the name Sollozzo was mis-pronounced for the record but enjoyed the analysis. (whenever 2 "z"s appear together in the Italian language, the sound is like a "ts" together. Think "pizza". :)
Peter P. Thanks Peter. I totally agree with the “rush” of the heart analogy. Thanks for overlooking the pronunciation. I’d fix it if I could. But those who get hung up on it are missing the point. Free comes at a cost. Cheers!
Hard to take serious when he keeps mispronouncing his name. You're supposed to convince us that you can see the inner workings yet you can't see the obvious?? This isn't petty. That means you didn't talk to a single Italian speaking friend or coworker when you made this!! How nice!!
This comment shows an understanding of a global objective but misses and Important point. My reply explains why he's not wrong but his understanding is incomplete. See below. @0:20 "Without a good setup, the actor's performance isn't connected an the audience's desire" Well, that's bullcrap; Because in proper storytelling: "A good setup connects the audience to the Hero's desire." It's the basic. In other words, with a good setup (aka story), the audience relate to the hero's desire. The audience doesn't have a desire per say. - Hey Martin, I could have an actor walk into a room with a tremendous desire for chocolate but if the audience doesn't know he has this desire they don't care about him getting the chocolate. Or, I could set up the need to find an important note before the cops bust in. If the audience knows of the note and it's contents (setup) and that the cops are on the way, they are invested in the specific action. This gives the scene conflict. The hero's desire is the global objective every scene needs a specific objective that aligns with the global objective. This is 101 basics - not bull crap :)
The subplot is why the five families need Sollozzo. The needed the Don to share his judges. They felt that even though he was sharing, he was not sharing enough. The fact being that he was growing richer than the other families. The plan was to get rid of the Don and renegotiate with the family who would have become weaker. The arc is that they under estimated the inherent power and cunning of Micheal. Micheal was a chip off the old block.
All this intrigue is contingent on the viewer seeing these scenes for the first time unknowing the outcomes... But that was a long time ago...!!! But it sells your book as a point of concept.
Film critics seem to have a remarkable ability to communicate absolutely nothing of interest while sounding very important and "analytical". Turner Classic movies has recently enlisted these types, who generally just like the sound of their own voice.
agreed that this was one of the greatest scenes in movie history...for tension, build up, lighting, atmosphere, ambience, train sound, nervousness, story changing, character development, shock resolution..you name it, it`s all there...al pacino was brilliant...they say this scene kept his job, which was under threat, in the godfather. but francis knew how good he was and showed the studio bosses these rushes....also brilliant was al lettieri as sollozo...all menace and charm...enough to put the wind up of a young potential killer...and sterling hayden as mccloskey was the typical corrupt cop...we we almost cheering when he got his come uppance.
He originally gave a discription of Micheal but Vito bribed him to give a discription of a bocchicchio that was already given the death sentance, with permission of course and a settlement for the bocchicchio wife and kds to be paid handosmley.
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I like how for a minute, the viewer wonders if Michael will find the gun behind the toilet tank.
I once found a Raisinet behind my toilet tank. At least I think it was.
I didn't think he would find it for a while the first time I saw it
Yeah..😃😃
@Robert Lee, Countertenor - It might have been, but I don't think I could've killed both Sollozzo and McCluskey with it. It would've had to have been one hell of a carom shot.
@@johnaddeo2251 It was probably an ant turd.
First time I watched this film, I was worried that the gun wouldn't be there for Michael.
Me too 😬
I was worried about solozzo changing the restaurant venue lol
Clemenza : the gun will be there.
I still do after seeing it a dozen times!
Have to disagree with the analysis of Michael's motivation. While protecting the family business may be important to Michael, what is really important is protecting the life of his father. He even says earlier that his father's death is key to Sollozzo's plan and that is why Sollozzo has to die. Period. McCloskey has to die because he's the body guard, but Michael no doubt is not going to shed any tears over killing a guy that punched him and was part of a plot to kill his father. In fact, killing McCloskey is also necessary to protect his father's life.
The audience doesn't really care all that much about the fortunes of the Corleone business, but they do get emotionally invested in the desire of a son to protect his father's life and that is where the tension of the scene really comes from.
NO! McCloskey has to die because he is giving the Tataglia and Barsani families protetction in the narcotics business because he's a police captian.
“ it isn’t personal, Sonny. It’s strictly business. You’re right, he is motivated by loyalty to father. however, it gets to that place most politicians of weight are at, that is balancing dual motivation. It’s a director’s toggle switch for tension and release.
I came here to post a similar comment, and agree completely. Not to take away from this video at all, but Michael just wanted to protect his father at this point, and did not want to start riding the tiger which he could never get off of without getting eaten. I listened to the audio version of the book a few months ago, and it's not only fascinating in itself, it adds to one's respect for how masterfully the movie is done.
Referring again to the book: Solozzo and his men weren't going to stop until they finished the job of killing Don Vito, so someone had to put a stop to Solozzo by killing him. Of the three sons, Fredo was an inept doofus, and Santino/Sonny was a hothead and the heir apparent of the family business; only Michael, a straight-laced, Ivy-League guy who had no interest in a life of crime, could be both competent and be sent in to perform such an ambush without arousing too much suspicion. He was only protecting his father, and the next morning he would be on a ship to Sicily to ride out the s***storm that would be unleashed by a cop getting killed at the flashpoint of a mafia war. Part of the genius of this story is seeing such an unwilling participant eventually come to fully wear the mantle of Godfather.
@Roger B train go "buy"?
Something else our host misses: Michael doesn't carry out Clemenza's instructions. He was supposed to come out of the bathroom shooting, but he hesitates - for so long, Sollozzo turns around and looks at him. I wondered, seeing it for the first time, if the movie might be going somewhere else, since Michael apparently lost his nerve. When he finally shoots, it's only one shot to Sollozzo's head rather than two, and then he shoots McCluskey in the throat before he shoots him in the head. Then, he doesn't let the gun slide out of his hand while his hand is down; he holds it up and drops it; no one nearby could fail to notice it. Clemenza wanted the other guests to think Michael still had the gun. In each of these steps, I wondered what was going wrong and if it would lead to failure. I'm kind of surprised this wasn't mentioned.
Ernie Lederman it’s a good thing he didn’t come out of the restroom all shooting wild at the two targets, Had he done that I’m sure he could have hit a few others in the restaurant such as their waiter who was standing close by . It would have too like too of the “Wild West” scenes.
He also doesn't ask to go to the bathroom!
@@steve-852 Yes he does. Mike: "I have to go to the bathroom. Is that all right?" Sollozzo: [intensely suspicious look] McCluskey: "[If] you gotta go, you gotta go." Sollozzo searches Mike. McCluskey: "I frisked him. He's clean." Sollozzo: "Don't take too long." Mike leaves. McCluskey: "I've frisked a thousand young punks."
@@ernestitoe My bad
Michael didn't come out shooting because he wanted to wait for the loud sound of the elevated train to muffle the sound of the gun. Go back and watch it. Genius move. Vito did the same thing in part II in the hallway.... using the fireworks to muffle the sound of the gun when killing the Don of little Italy....
I can never be in an Italian restaurant now without telling the person i am there with
"Try the veal, its the best in the city"
Pacino's eyes darting back and forth and the sound of the Elevated train going by is intoxicating
Yes, through his eyes, Pacino seems to be conveying that Michael recognizes he is reaching the point of no return. The course of his life changes forever and Michael spends the rest of his life trying to reclaim who he was before pulling the trigger on Sollozzo. First time viewers may wonder if Michael is really going to do it.
The sound of the train is set up in the beggining of the scene, then we hear it once again when Michael is at the restroom, and we hear it once again over the close up of Al Pacino's face.
You really missed out on Michael's want in this scene, Michael was never part of the Family business, he never cared for it and never wanted to be a part of it. The reason he involves himself to the point of killing a drug lord and a police captain is to save his father. That's the one and only reason Michael would ever get involved in the business Bec at the end of the day, he loves his father and wants to protect him. And the only way to protect him is for Michael (the least suspicious character) to do the deed, no one else.
Pacinos' eyes are the key!
So Intense!
His eyes were epic !!!
Yes, it's all in the eyes. Then consider Scent of a Woman, in which Pacino can't use his eyes.
Absolutely!!!! Intense.
@@yankeespy3
Again, the eyes!
You don't seem to think that the success of this scene also has to do with the acting of Al Lettieri as Sollozzo and Sterling Hayden as Capt. McCluskey. Without their intense portrayals, a well as Pacino's, the setup would be a fizzle.
Of course - its an ensemble scene. Lettieri in paricular is wonderful - as with Pacino you could read every passing thought in his face. But one reason Godfather 1 & 2 are considered great films is that there are a LOT of stunningly good performances in them, even among minor characters. You had to wait for Godfather 3 to see a poor performance - by the director's daughter, no less.
Agree. Al Lettieri is perfectly cast as is Sterling Hayden (one of those incredible eccentric John Houston style actors). Richard Castellano deserves mention too. His Clemenza portrait one of the overlooked elements of the film. He is sorely missed in Part II. Numerous stories exist: that he wanted to write his own lines etc. one of the articles I read is that he argued with FFC that Clemenza would never do a Frankie Five Angels and ever betray the family. I tend to agree. Hsi presence in II would have made the film even better (if that is possible). In the same way that Robert Duvall's absence in III is a key. Duvall has said he wanted to do it, but it was down to salary; that even though a lead role, Al Pacino was being paid 3 times more than him. Shame on you Paramount.
Michael did not come out of the restroom and start blasting as Clemenza instructed . That worried me. Also, he did not drop the gun until he was nearly out of the restaurant. That worried me too. I still worry every time I watch it.
What about Sollozo he too acted with perfection
The audience knows that when the train noise reaches it's peak, mike will act. It[s the train that makes the scene brilliant.
this is THE best summary of the whole scene...well done...its the train!
xstugee- thanks. I might add that there is train noise earlier in the scene, to set up the train noise after michael leaves the mens room. All that stuff about what a character wants, intention, objectives, motivation, and all, is old school Stanislavski technique. I like what Hitchcock said. When Gregory Peck asked him what his motivation should be in a particular scene, Hitchcock said,"Your salary".
xstugee- Thanks dude.
Very true, the train noise sets everything in motion. Like, Mike is a freight train that can't be stopped. I never noticed this. Thanks man!
Ezekiel Major- Coppola does it again with the music during the Baptism scene.
how does a movie guy completely miss the characters motivation and mistake it. Michael didn't give a shit about the family business, he cared about protecting his family at this point in the film.. it wasn't until after
This guy misses entirely the fact that Michael is dealing with a bent cop who colluded in trying to kill his father. He's also a coward, he has cops hold Michael while he clubs him - the audience WANTS revenge.
Notice how Michael only shoots Sollozzo once,but he shoots the cop twice. He was supposed to shoot both of them twice. He wanted revenge against the corrupt cop.
That's when it became personal,instead of business.
A lot of it was about the cop too. Mike got double justice.
If you read the book, the shot in the throat was "bad, not mortal" So it was accidental. It does look like he did it on purpose, but he didn't according to the book, and the movie was very close to the book. But in the book, Solozzo was shot between the ey and the ear, not in forehead, and the captain was shot on the top of his white-haired skull, not in forehead.
NO. It's not the audience that wants revenge - it's Michael. This killing - something Michael really, really never wanted to get into - is an act of love for his father. Unlike his later killings, including that of his brother, this one is not mainly about business. If it was, Michael would have followed instructions and come out of the bathroom firing. I think the post is quite wrong about the setup.
The way this guy say Sollozzo annoys me.
I was literally feeling the same thing in the first 10 seconds.
annoying point. You made me feel the same now
One thing we DO know going into the scene is that Michael was extremely brave, resourceful, devoted to family and SMART during the earlier hospital scene and his clever strategy for dealing with the messy issue of killing a cop showed that he was thinking 3 moves ahead...unlike anyone else that we’d met thus far in the film. No way was this guy going to die. The question from here on in is what price the Corleone family will ultimately pay for Michael’s unexpected ultimate journey to Don.
Liam Neeson explaining a Godfather scene, awesome...
I learned how to open a bottle of wine, with a corkscrew, WHILE holding the bottle in your arm, from this restaurant scene!
I was scared to shit watching that scene first time, heart beat was out of this universe
Same 😬
This is why The Godfather is the greatest movie ever made
Ok and of course the set-up is important, but Pacino is still acting it out, performing it. His face speaks without saying a word. So it's kinda stupid saying you disagree on his performance. Shut up.
The scene is so powerful because it is the moment where the innocence submits to the desire to safeguard love/family through violence. Obliged to commit cold blooded murder, Michael keeps his cool composure knowing that the safety and the future of his family depends on his performance. And as irony should have it, to him it was a logical move motivated strictly by the preservation of love, and not a hateful desire for revenge.
I wonder if Sterling Hayden was directed to act that way when he gets shot? Or if that was his own idea. it's a little disturbing because it almost looks as if he's trying to say something to Michael.
Don't forget the sound!!! He pulls out the gun as the wheels of the subway intensify. Steels grinding against steel louder, louder LOUDER, then BANG BANG BANG. Enter dramatic music! PERFECTION!!!
Great insight into an incredible piece of cinema. Studio people weren't happy with Al Pacino. FFC brought shooting of this scene forward and presented it to them. They changed their minds. Plus when location scouts showed FFC the restaurant he agreed, perfect. He noticed the carpet and saw a glimpse of uncovered tiled floor in a corner, took up the carpet revealing a beautiful mosaiced floor. He asked the owner and the carpet was removed. A lot of the science was shot with cameras in ceiling corners to ensure it was a beautiful feature of the scene.
Every time Marlon’s in the shot, an orange is within arms reach.
I like how the darkness around Michael's eyes grows, and grows, but then FFC juxtaposes that against the bruise on the outside of his face/jaw line. As each moment passes, after Michael's jaw is busted by McCluskey, the bruise is constantly aging and morphing... Almost as if to suggest that the more the bruise ages/fades away, this means that Michael's soul and innocence too, shall fade away. The audience see's this by the way his eye's keep getting darker as the bruise fades.
I love this movie. I love the second one, too (all because of DeNiro).
The great brilliance of the scenes are that they make their point in far less time than this video
Liam Neeson analyzing a Godfather scene? Count me in!
The sound of the footsteps on the wood floor acoustically echoed off the metal ceiling along with the cash register sounds, for the audience in 1972 these were familiar sounds for a normal weekday night in an old NYC restaurant. This normalcy of the scene draw the audience into the scene along with the sparse patrons at the other tables.Also try playing the scene by turning the sound up with headphones and not watch the video so it becomes a radio play.
06:52 not quite. Michael's main interest is to protect this father as he knows that as long as Sollozzo lives he will try to kill his father.
Ok I've read through a ton of the comments and jumping straight to this clip and watching 10 seconds convinced me I don't want to waste time with the analysis. The mispronunciation of Solozzo, and over analysis of Michael's motivation I can't handle. Lol. Thanks for saving me 10 min of my life.
If there were a time machine, and I could go back to 1972, I could have directed Godfather.
Have watched this movie for the hundredth times.
With all the scene lead up, i always found it interesting that: 1 Michael didn't come out blasting, 2 he only shot Solozzo once, 3 he shot McClusky in the neck, and 4 he didn't drop the gun right away and dropped it from up high. I don't know if that was all by design somehow as if to say that Michael's future would not go as planned.
Every battle plan falls apart after the first shot is fired. I believe that is what is being conveyed. But he did meet all his goals though not exactly as planned.
This is the best movie, (I and II ) I've ever seen. Why oh why can't we get more movies like this, escapes me. Sollozo is my favorite character.
For me, it’s that Michael starts to walk away, then remembers to drop the gun. Exactly how it would be in real life!
Exactly! What's brilliant about this movie is how it evokes a feeling of realism. Shocking acts like this don't go down letter perfect in real life especially when it's your first one.
I would just point out that the Corleone family (except for the Godfather himself) wanted to do business with Sollozzo. "If the old man dies, you make the deal Sonny". It was only that Michael got his face beat in by McCluskey that prompted the restaurant scene. "you're taking this very personally Michael!" Sonny joked. Michael's main motivation was fear for his father's life. At this point in the film, Michael had no desire to be the head of the family and wasn't even involved in the family 'business' by choice. It wasn't until an attempt on Michael's life in Italy (killing his new bride instead) and Sonny's murder that Michael took the big leap to become actively involved.
You have to savor the sound of the braking of the elevated train then the crash-bang! Because of Michael’s actions his past life has gone up in smoke. Perfect sound design.
Dude, it’s not “Solozo” anymore than it’s “Piza” . It’s “Sollozzo” like “pizza”
McClusky forgot to frisk the toilet.
A fascinating reminder of why college drama class was so interesting and helpful 50 years ago. Thanks so much for posting; the video is excellent.
The Solozzo assassination scene is epic.
My favorite part of this scene is when they speak Italian !
All that and they didn't even show the scene.
This video just wants to push certain commercial type academic theories.
I was hoping the narrator would step outside of his agenda and talk about Michael's eyes which speaks volumes...
The lighting, the feel of late night where even a great restaurant
has humble quiet moments
"Invisible details made by the director" pretty much resume what you're saying and it was widely covered in the video.
Danielchai S Check out the analysis by a channel called Analyse This. That analysis makes a lot of sense.
I think you're right. I'd watch a video you made on that subject.
All in the eyes, and now that we know what is going to happen, i think the eyes even back then would say someone or someone(s) going to die, and someone is going home with a Cannoli.
"Everyone in says this, but they're wrong. The fact of the matter is ..."
~Every TH-camr since TH-cam began.
this is my most favourite scene in the entire godfather series.. Thanks a lot
It's your favorite, not your "most" favorite. You said the same thing twice.
........ at the Godfather reunion, Francis Coppola made a point of mentioning the actor Al Letierri as Sollozzo and how dangerous his character comes across on film. In fact, Al Letierri was on the directors early list of possible actors to play Don Corleone.
Al Lettieri was made for the role of Sollozzo and was way scarier looking than Luca Brasi!
I love Clemenzza!
As if he's giving cooking lessons 🔫
This is great. Thank you for doing this...
I disagree. Michaels motivation is not to maintain the strength of the Corrleone family. It’s to protect his father!
This is great, John, thanks for sharing your own perspective, insights, expertise - enjoyed it immensely.
Underestimating the value of the supporting performances is more than remiss. Both of them. On par with the lead's, the Turk's involuntary squint, the Captain's casual dismissal, it's the symmetry between the three, the DP, sound and light, art department and of course, never mentioned all important writing, the script itself ("tu padre'.. piensa' antigua.." ) that makes this scene/film the the unqualified masterpiece it is. BTW, Mike f*cks up, not coming out blasting as instructed happends because we all f*ck up sometimes, even in the clinch, and sometimes recover as he did. Get it? He's one of us. We're one of him.
That of course is why the Godfather is considered a great film - every performance was just brilliant, with all the characters alive before your eyes. Pity about the director's daughter in Godfather 3 ....
The casting for the scene was impeccable. I'm sure even the food was fantastic.
I'm not into the movie business, the link of this video happened like many other on this site.
But, you got my attention, and that is the easy part, you got me to see the whole clip. Thank you, I accepted the offer.
I'm a kid at the movie each time I see the Godfather, Casino, Goodfellas, name it, it's good time in front of the screen.
I've always loved the fact that so many people worked on a film from the producer to the guy that sweeps the floor, and I sit on my dead ass watching all their work.
happy birthday Al Pacino
How can this guy be a fan of the Godfather and not know how to pronounce Sollozzo? It seemed like he was reading it phonetically off a sheet of paper.
Why did Micheal have to drop the gun? Isnt it bad for someone to leave the murder weapon behind? Also its hard to believe so many great scenes were in one movie. The horse head , the attempted hit on vito, micheal killing the turk & the police captain, micheal going to sicily & meeting appolonia, her car bomb death, micheals visit w/ moe green , sonnys massacre at the tool booth , the baptism murders , vito 's death & the killing of carlo. Such a suburn film w/ such iconic images.
One would think that you would know how to pronounce "Sollozzo."
Wow. What a great video. This was fun.
Al Pacino played this brilliantly. From the time he sat in the chair and formulated the plan to kill Sollozzo and McCluskey. Those scenes set Al Pacino's career up for life and he has shown just how great he is as an actor ever since. I can't even think of one movie that Al Pacino hasn't put in a 100% outstanding performance. The man is an actual working professional. Kind regards. Johno.
No, you have Michael's motivation wrong: it is you who assumes Michael will -- or wants to -- become the next Don, or make sure his family's criminal business stays on top.
It was apparent both in the film (and the book) that at this point in the story, Michael still wants a life outside his family's business.
Only the continued threat to his father's life from Solozo and the corrupt captain is Michael's motivation -- as he's said over and over, and deliberately built a life outside of that criminology.
The tension in the scene is Michael weighing for himself the two things he wants -- a normalnlife outside of crime or to save the life if his father.
That was apparent to me watching that scene for the first time when the film opened, and every subsequent viewing since, as well as in the book.
many thanks for sharing with us your amazing videos and explinations!!!
And to think for all these years I enjoyed the movie without the benefit of all this analytic mumbo jumbo crapolla.
this was an awesome breakdown, really nice work and thank you.
I always wanted Michael to shout out "check please" as he exited the restaurant.
That would not fit in with his character, that's somthing Santino maybe would have said.
@@e-towncoz9897 - You're right. Michael would've calmly asked for the check before McCluskey's head hit the table.
Pacino played two other roles, one as Frank Serpico in "Serpico", where he pays the bill at the diner after his girlfriend runs out on him, and then as Sonny in "Dog
Day Afternoon", where he pays for the pizza to feed his hostages and even tips the delivery boy. You know Michael Corleone had to feel worse about not picking up the tab, than he did about mowing down Sollozzo and McCluskey.
This is a great video. Excellent job!
The scene where Mikey assassinates Solozzo was epic.
What does Michael want? Your analysis here is *wrong." ALL HE WANTS IS TO PROTECT HIS FATHER. He doesn't care about the families positions. He wants to eliminate Solozo so his father will be safe.
I've always wanted to try the veal at Louis'.
If you’ve read the book (which I did twice) before seeing movie your experience is going to be different
I get a kick out of some people trying to sound so brilliant over analyze things just like this guy does! Lesson in snobbery
Great analysis. Many people don't know that Paramount Studios didn't want Pacino in this film due to the fact that Pacino backed out of a project and Paramount sued him and Pacino counter-sued and WON. This was the main reason Paramount didn't like/want Pacino in this role........Until the executives saw this scene and realized he was the right choice.
Why am I engaged? Cuz I'm waiting for Mike to cap their ass.
Michael has his own instinct about what to do before he leaves the Bathroom.It was written in The Godfather Novel.
The 2 separate train sounds have always seemed to be the rush that must have been going through his head at 2 separate times. The first, at the realization that he was actually about to do this..(in the toilet area) and the second rush occurs at the moment of the deed itself.
I was irritated each time the name Sollozzo was mis-pronounced for the record but enjoyed the analysis. (whenever 2 "z"s appear together in the Italian language, the sound is like a "ts" together. Think "pizza". :)
Peter P. Thanks Peter. I totally agree with the “rush” of the heart analogy. Thanks for overlooking the pronunciation. I’d fix it if I could. But those who get hung up on it are missing the point. Free comes at a cost. Cheers!
Hard to take serious when he keeps mispronouncing his name. You're supposed to convince us that you can see the inner workings yet you can't see the obvious?? This isn't petty. That means you didn't talk to a single Italian speaking friend or coworker when you made this!! How nice!!
This is the scene that got me into The Godfather. .....
This comment shows an understanding of a global objective but misses and Important point. My reply explains why he's not wrong but his understanding is incomplete. See below.
@0:20 "Without a good setup, the actor's performance isn't connected an the audience's desire"
Well, that's bullcrap;
Because in proper storytelling: "A good setup connects the audience to the Hero's desire." It's the basic. In other words, with a good setup (aka story), the audience relate to the hero's desire. The audience doesn't have a desire per say.
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Hey Martin, I could have an actor walk into a room with a tremendous desire for chocolate but if the audience doesn't know he has this desire they don't care about him getting the chocolate. Or, I could set up the need to find an important note before the cops bust in. If the audience knows of the note and it's contents (setup) and that the cops are on the way, they are invested in the specific action. This gives the scene conflict. The hero's desire is the global objective every scene needs a specific objective that aligns with the global objective. This is 101 basics - not bull crap :)
Piss piss or cum cum?
The subplot is why the five families need Sollozzo. The needed the Don to share his judges. They felt that even though he was sharing, he was not sharing enough. The fact being that he was growing richer than the other families. The plan was to get rid of the Don and renegotiate with the family who would have become weaker. The arc is that they under estimated the inherent power and cunning of Micheal. Micheal was a chip off the old block.
I always saw it as Michael wanting to protect his father and that's it, not so much the political angle, at least not at this stage.
In his eyes, he isn't there, he is a million miles away I think and feel. He has so much riding on the decision in that one moment.
All this intrigue is contingent on the viewer seeing these scenes for the first time unknowing the outcomes... But that was a long time ago...!!! But it sells your book as a point of concept.
@8:32 Actually, Sollozzo's attempt to have Vito shot was a rousing success. He just failed to kill him. 😜
Film critics seem to have a remarkable ability to communicate absolutely nothing of interest while sounding very important and "analytical". Turner Classic movies has recently enlisted these types, who generally just like the sound of their own voice.
This scene is so fucking brilliant.
Amazing video, thank you very much
agreed that this was one of the greatest scenes in movie history...for tension, build up, lighting, atmosphere, ambience, train sound, nervousness, story changing, character development, shock resolution..you name it, it`s all there...al pacino was brilliant...they say this scene kept his job, which was under threat, in the godfather. but francis knew how good he was and showed the studio bosses these rushes....also brilliant was al lettieri as sollozo...all menace and charm...enough to put the wind up of a young potential killer...and sterling hayden as mccloskey was the typical corrupt cop...we we almost cheering when he got his come uppance.
you sound so scientific.., this is art.
I was sharing something I find artful. Sorry my performance let you down.
great insights, thanks John
Why can't he pronounce Sollozzo correctly? Didn't he see the film?
It's the little things going on in this scene. The waiters to most people would be skipped.? Waiting for the wine to be opened etc.
He originally gave a discription of Micheal but Vito bribed him to give a discription of a bocchicchio that was already given the death sentance, with permission of course and a settlement for the bocchicchio wife and kds to be paid handosmley.
If you've read the book.....? Before you watch the film....?
facts
He doesn't even pronounce Sollozzo correctly. 🙄
One thing that is missing is the grafic visuals, not typical until the x rated Midnight Cowboy earlier.
Lettieri was great, too. Convincing!
This is no Godfather Part 1, it's just The Godfather.
This is one of the many reasons I think the first film is far better than the second
One of the greatest movies of all time
He still doesn't explain how McCloskey gets his food so fast.
Once this guy mispronounced Sollozo name I was done! He said “... killing So-LO-zo”