The Godfather - Book vs. Movie
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 ส.ค. 2020
- Which one is better?
A review and comparison of the 1969 novel "The Godfather" by Mario Puzo and the 1972 film "The Godfather" directed by Francis Ford Coppola. #TheGodfather #BookTube #Mafia
SUBSCRIBE: / @adamwrightreviews
couldn't agree more. saw movie first - then read the book. I was blown away by how brilliantly the movie depicted the book. One point which you only touch on - but deserves, in my opinion, far more credit than I typically see it given - the casting in this movie was perfection. Just go down the list. Pacino was an unknown that Coppola had to fight for. The studio wanted Robert Redford, Warren Beatty or Ryan O'Neal. Just the blink of a thought about any of them being Michael instead of Pacino - inconceivable. Duvall. Keaton. Caan. Not just great performances but brilliant casting. The talent who played, Clemenza, Tessio, etc. Perfect. the extras in the wedding scene. Perfect. Coppola completed absorbed the book - and then used his massive talent and incredible passion and persistence to bring to the screen - to the benefit of movie-watchers forever.
I watched the movie numerous times before reading the book. Personally I think they did a great job with how much they managed to fit into the movie... I love the book too coz it offers alot of additional information and scenes and slight alternatives to the movie. Both the book and the movie are masterfully complimentary to eachother
Totally agree!
Can someone tell me how many books are they for the godfather
In the book it's Vito himself who changes surname from Andolini to Corleone out of nostalgia towards his hometown whereas in the film it's a customs official at Ellis Island who confuses his surname with his hometown.
I think they included that because it was very common when Italians mass-immigrated to the US. Same with misspelling names. That’s why you got a bunch of Italian-Americans today running around with surnames that either don’t exist in Italy or are completely misspelled.
@@harlemraider3347 In the film the reason for the surname change was done just to simplify the story onscreen.
You articulate everything I felt about the book when I read it as a teenager back in the days when dinosaurs still roamed the streets, and you do so perfectly. I always felt the Johnny Fontane material could have better been included in a separate book by Puzo. I am pleased to become your new subscriber.
Thanks so much Richard!
I had already seen the movie a dozen times before I ready the book. I was blown away! There was so much more rich detail than they could squeeze into the movie. You nailed the review!
Thank you!
You've got a great little channel here, Adam. Quality commentary and production.
Keep it up.
Thanks Nero!
Great idea for a channel. You earned a sub. Hopefully this channel blows up
Thanks Andrew!
Brilliant presentation! Thank you, sir.
The best content in youtube right here, deserves more sub my guy
Thanks Muhammad!
Your channel is a hidden Gem!
Thanks Mohammad!
Fabrizio's death was actually filmed for GF1 but never made the final cut because it was considered too bloody. The scene involves Michael walking into Fabrizio's pizza parlour and machine gunning him to death. Unfortunately this deleted scene was damaged and only a few still photographs of it exist. Fabrizio's death scene was then redone for GF2 in which he gets blown up in his car but this scene also never made the final cut because they didn't think it connected well with the scenes before and after. it's in the chronological made for tv version and can also be found here on YT. They should have kept it at then end of GF1 because Michael does say to Vito he knew where Fabrizio was and would "wait a year". Leaving the scene out doesn't resolve Michael's revenge.
So Fabrizio was essentially killed in all 3 movies.
@@nrkgalt Fabrizio was never in GF3.
@@nicky29031977 I thought Fabrizio was the one disguised as a priest who shot at Michael and instead killed Mary. Turns out it was someone named Mosca.
The real question is ... how factual is the Fontane character to the real life Sinatra ?
Coppola claims that he purposely tried to reduce the character in the film because he believed it sensationalized Sinatra's life, though Sinatra himself, believed someone betrayed private or perceived information about him directly to Puzo ... I believe that's why Sinatra considered optioning the rights himself ... either to change or downplay the elements attributed to him, or need to play the Godfather himself, to gain more sympathy for how he was the basis of a character that is throughout a popular novel.
You're so right about needing subtitles!
Thank you for the review! After watching this, I feel that I have to read the book cause I loved the movie
Thanks for watching and subscribing! I’m glad you found it interesting!
I just finished the book for the second time today. Still blown away. I’ve watched the film countless times over the last 20 years and it never fails to blow me away every time I watch it. Even all these years later, I pick up on things I didn’t notice before. The novel really fleshed out a lot of characters and their background, but I agree with you on how unnecessary it was to include much of that. The book’s stamina is unstoppable all the way to the restaurant scene. Then, we get 30 pages of Johnny Fontane’s story. Completely killed the pacing. Same with the chapters on Lucy Mancini, although I think the Sicilian woman recounting the brutality of Luca Brasi and the short chapter of Al Neri’s background added something, despite how unsettling it was. In the end, this book was a literary achievement of many bounds and is responsible for two of the greatest films ever committed to screen.
P.S. I’m subscribing to your channel. Looks like we have a lot of similar interests!
Great input. Thanks for subbing. Next review will be The Shining!
I just finished the book and rewatching the movie. This is a really good review.
Thanks Jared!
A new sub here!! entertaining as always
Thanxx for that wonderful Review
I love the book and the movie
Thank you, this gave me a A on my project
However, the first film leaves out the early years arrival to New York from Sicily, and Vito's return to avenge his family's deaths. Thankfully, Coppola picked up and built on these threads in Part II.
But that doesn't happen on the book either... Right? I mean the coming back to italy part. Don ciccio actually gets killed by vito's father, who is murdered in revenge, hence the reason vito has to flee.
@@joaoclaudio6060 No. Don Ciccio killed Antonio and Paolo Andolini - Vito's father and brother (when the father refused to pay and then Paolo when attempted revenge) and then mother when she pleas with Ciccio to spare Vito, but he declines. They kill mama, allowing Vito to the escape and flee to America eventually.
SPOILER*******
9:30 Fabrizzio's execution is shown in a deleted scene from The Godfather Part 2 which is an extra in 'The Godfather: The Coppola Restoration' Blu-Ray set,
He gets blown up in a car, the same way Apollonia died.
But I'd have to say his movie execution is no where near as compelling and satisfying as it is in the original 1969 novel in which Fabrizzio gets gunned down in his pizzeria
up in Buffalo New York after being asked to show his chest tattoo by the gunman.
"I hear you got a great tattoo on your chest." the customer said. "I can see the top of it over your shirt, how about letting me see the rest of it?"
The counterman froze. He seemed to be paralyzed.
"Open your shirt," the customer said.
The counterman shook his head. "I got no tattoo," he said in heavily accented English. "That's the man who works at night."
The customer laughed. It was an unpleasant laugh, harsh strained.
"Come on, unbutton your shirt let me see."
The counterman started backing toward the rear of the store, aiming to edge around the huge oven.
But the customer raised his hand above the counter. There was a gun in it. He fired. The bullet caught the counterman in the chest and hurled him against the oven.
The customer fired into his body again and the counterman slumped to the floor.
The customer came around the serving shelf, reached down and ripped the buttons off the shirt. The chest was covered with blood, but the tattoo was visible,
the intertwined lovers and the knife transfixing them. The counterman raised one of his arms feebly as if to protect himself.
The gunman said, "Fabrizzio, Michael Corleone sends you his regards."
He extended the gun so that it was only a few inches from the counterman's skull and pulled the trigger.
Then he walked out of the store. At the curb a car was waiting for him with it's door open.
He jumped in and the car sped off."
For me that passage from the book was far more memorable than that little two or three second deleted scene that Coppola gave us.
I love every single frame of the movie, and yet I like the book a tad more, which says a lot. :D
Lonesome Dove is the best book to screen adaptation to me. I didn’t care for The Godfather book....but I love the movie. In my opinion the movie dialogue was much better than the book dialogue, I agree with you about Jonny Fontain story being a distraction in the book. Great review, I’m gonna subscribe, and check out your other vids. Thumbs up too.
Thank you!
I heard that Sinatra thought that the Fontain character was based on him, and he wasn’t happy and caused a lot of problems for the studio, so they edited a lot of Fontain out of the movie.
I did not like the lonesome dove movies. I felt them to be plodding.
The series was fun, though...for what it was, anyway.
I challenge that with The Great Gatsby but I've also never read or saw Lonesome Dove
@@josephthibodaux6033 in my opinion, there has never been a good adaptation of Gatsby. Lonesome Dove, on the other hand has less ambitious source material. Still very good books, but easier to adapt them to film.
Great video !!
Saw the movie a number of times also read the book a number of times. What I also really enjoyed was the outstanding audiobook narrated by Joe Mantegno. The most underrated performance was by John Cazale in both Godfather 1 & 2. I can't imagine anyone playing Fredo better than John Cazale. The only knock I have in the book was that the Johnny Fontaine character was overdone. One big mistake in the movie was to cut the scene where Genco was dying and he is asking the godfather to make a deal with God. Genco dying performance was one of the best dying acting I ever seen in cinema. In that one scene it tells you the perceived power of the godfather where in the book the godfather power is consistently repeated in chapter one. All in all, the godfather movie and book and audiobook are my favorite ever.
The Godfather book was pretty cool to read. I did like that they cut Fontaine out and soem of the other elements to focus completely on Michael and Vito and that was the strength that made the film richer.
As far as the books I loved Ed Falco's The Family Corleone (it's on YT) but hated Mark Weingarten's Godfather Returns. it sounded like it was his story FEATURING the Corleone family. I may read The Godfather's Revenge (by Mark Weingarten as well) just to say I read them all.
I should take a look at The Sicilian too
In the book Lucy Mancini was clearly not pregnant when Santino was killed, so in that narrative there would have been no Vincent.
Great video
Worth mentioning the cat in the opening scene, it was not in the script and Brando improvised. Excellent review.
Didn’t know that. Thanks for dropping a comment!
Excellent review. I agree on all counts. I was in my late teens when the movie came out, but I remember when that book came out and everybody was reading and commenting on the book and who should play what roles. For the life of me I don't get why Puzo had that entire unneeded segment about Lucy and her gyn issues. Also, with all the top talent and energy and attention to detail, why on god's good earth did they not edit that fight scene between Sonny and Carlo? Sonny's punches missed by a mile.
I know, right? Thank you Robert!
Hey ....I m not american so I haven't seen these old majestic movies that were made in 80s/90s .....but I'm a reader..... So just a little suggestion if u can, could u add in the beginning of your videos "Should I choose to read the book first and then watch the movie or doing the other way around doesn't matter my experience" ......if u could that would be amazing since then I can watch the whole video without having spoilers. Thank you
Hi Rubina, thanks for the suggestion. I think you should always read the book first if you can, since that is what came first. Also, I find books can be a little boring sometimes if you already know what happens from watching the movie first. I don’t find that to be the case the other way around though. There’s something so cool about seeing the book come to life on the screen that it doesn’t ruin the movie for me having the read the book first. Hope that helps.
Gone With The Wind, Ben-Hur: A Tale Of The Christ (1925, 1959), Bram Stoker's Dracula, and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein are also very faithful adaptations of their source materials.
I liked how the movie expanded on Vito's revenge, when reading the book I was looking forward for Don Ciccio to die but that never happened :/
That happens in the second movie actually...
In the book it's Vito's own father who kills Don Ciccio and then is himself killed by Don Ciccio's henchmen. His mother , knowing Vito would be next, sends him to NY. Her ultimate fate in the book is never revealed.
@@nicky29031977 just read it and no you're wrong don ciccio doesn't die, his mom grabbed him for a second got shit to death and let her son run away
@@jacobh2147 My comment was in regards to what happens in the book, not film. What you are referring to is what happens in the film.
@@nicky29031977 i literally just read the book, i am talking about the book
Nice video👌👌👌
PS-is it coreleoni or Coreleone???
Percy Jackson thanks! I think one is the Italian pronunciation and the other is the American pronunciation.
“-eh”
Nice analysis but wish that it could have been longer
I too love the scene where Michael pitches his plan to kill Solozzo/McCluskey. FFC places Michael centre stage and gradually focuses on him with the others in the room being depicted as satellite characters. A turning point in the story.
I loved Brandos bit of business in the garden while talking to Michael "reads the funny papers .... anyway ..". You can see the chain of thoughts going thru his mind. Instinctive and masterful
I don't agree, however, that we needed to see Fabrizios killing. It is a bit of a distraction to the plot of Michael consolidating his power and Fabrizio was just a hired killer, not a rival to Michael. Not every loose end needs to be tied up.
Lastly, thank God that FFC didn't decide to devote a few scenes to the unfortunate anatomical situation of Sonnys mistress. A very peculiar side track for Puzo to take and, unfortunately, the storyline that so many readers of the novel remember.
I wonder if Adam has read Puzos 'The Dark Arena' ? It's a novel based on his experiences in post war Germany. Unflinching, unsentimental and excellent in my opinion.
Keep up the good work
I have not read it, sounds interesting. Thanks for your comment!
not me jealous of your book collection and book shelf :D
This one is tough, they are both on my favorite books & films lists. I agree the whole Fontane in Vegas episode in the book was mad boring so I’m happy they cut that out of the movie but I think some of the characters, especially Sonny, was much better depicted in the book.
Please consider reviewing a James Bond review. The Bond of the novels is not quite the thoughtless cocky guy from the movies. Could be fun.cheers!
What other genre do you read?
I think watching the films few times before reading the book is the best way to do it.
I have no idea what was the point of the subplot with Nino Valenti and Johnny Fontane (beyond the taunting of Jack Wolz). Another bizarre one was with the mistress of Sonny Corleone and the doctor who she dates, Jules Segal.
great video Adam. I read the book for the first time in high school back in the 90s and then read it again just recently. The first time I read it, I had never read anything like it and was blown away. I read Wiseguy (the Henry Hill book) right after I finished the godfather and it was such a disappointment lol.
Jo B thanks! I’m glad you liked the video. I’ve never heard of Wiseguy, but maybe that’s a good thing lol
@@AdamWrightReviews its the book that Goodfellas is based on.
The deleted scene of Fabrizio's death was deleted from The Godfather, Part II not the first movie.
Remember Amerigo, not a word to anyone and bury them quickly
Dude, you totally deserve way more subscribers! Great job.
Edit: not only the Johnny Fontaine arc were left out in the movie, don't forget the large female genitalia plot. lol
Edit2: yes, that thing were a side plot in the book. 😂
That would be Lucy Mancini, right? Vincent's mom.
@@RenePeraza that's correct!
@@RenePeraza Sonny's lover. that was quite literally all her personality about halfway
I absolutely loved and enjoyed both the book and movie versions I read the book a few years and I absolutely enjoyed it but the movie version is far better 🌟🙂🤗😊💖
I dislike how vulger the book can get in regards to women and how they're talked about. Way too much time spent on Sonny's mistress Lucy and her doctor boyfriend out in Nevada that didn't really need to be there at all. I definitely liked the movie more personally.
I agree about the vulgarity and the Lucy/Nevada storyline seemed way out of left field and unnecessary.
there is about close to an hour of deleted scenes from the first movie, and a lot were amazing and shouldnt have been cut.
The last don movies & book were equally mirrored 👌🏿👌🏿👌🏿
I didn't see the movie until I was in my early 20's. I didn't watch the whole thing. I think, I started watching the part where Michael was at the restaurant and was getting ready to kill the heads of the other crime families. It was on AMC at the time. I didn't think much of it, the first time. I did buy it almost a year ago, sat down and watched it, the whole way through. I was completely mesmerized with it. Yes, It's a long movie. But if you don't have anywhere to be for the next 3 hours. I never read the book. How long is it? I've seen it at Barnes & Noble. Once I see the movie, I don't really feel the need to buy the book.
The book is average length, around 300-400 pages
For someone who hasn't read the book, the movie might not look as great as it actually is, because a lot of explanations have been skipped in the movie.
Lucs Brasi, the most fearful person, is just shown as such and without any background details, making it difficult to understand the point of existence of his character.
the working of system, Capos, Consiegliori, many Sicillian terms have to self understood by the viewer..
i think this movie isn't made for general audience who might just wanna watch it casually, but it is for people who would put an extra effort and read and learn a lot to appreciate this gem.
The characters in the novel is vastly more developed than the movie. But holy moly there's so many unnecessary subplots and details. Still really good though.
I watched the movie first, but after i read the book. I will say that the movie is one of the best movie adaptation of a book!
I lile harry potter and in that universe the movies are so bad compared to the books!
In the movie i like ( like most everyone) sonny, but i would have liked to see in the scene where Michael suggest to kill solozzo and mcclkusky had been more like the book.
In the movie they kind of make fun of Michael, where as in the book, Sonny is proud and glad that Michael finnally shows he is a true Corleone like Sonny has always thought he was.
Great point!
@@AdamWrightReviews thanks😁
I feel like Sonny is one of the best characters in the movie, but also one of the characters they could have done a lot more with.
Your analysis is myopic and reductive. I agree with all you said. Leave the gun.
I have read the novel four times. Seen the movie a thousand times. Rocco opened the drapes.
Fun fact johnny fontaine was frank sinatra and the film he was talking about was from here to enternety thats how he got his career he was under that guy who wanted to ruin his career for sleeping with that girl he talk about that actually happened. Frank was tight asf when he read it and almost started a fight with mario for that
Johnny Fontanes story is one of attempted redemption. He unfortunately puts his curse on his best friend. In a way, its arguable necassary.
Gotta disagree on the Johnny stuff. At the time GF was written, Frank Sinatra was one of the most iconic artists. So much of what Puzo wrote turned out to be spot on. Very intriguing.
The revenge on Fabrizio is shown in the godfather saga
I’ve been trying to find that saga for months
This and no country for old men. Awesome adaptations
im too lazy to read. i’ll just watch your videos. lol
Johnny Fontaine
Luci Mancini
Luca Brasi
Al Neri stories in the book were interesting
Which one is better? Very hard to say. What I can say, is that the book is my favorite novel, and the film is my favorite picture. Unlike Adam, I really like the parts about Johnny Fontane because it was based on one of my heroes Frank Sinatra. The only part of the book that I thought was useless, was the story of Lucy Mancini and her oversized vagina. Now how sick and pointless is that? However, when it comes to novels about the gangster genre, this book is the best, and set the gold standard. I would give the film the edge, because it highlights all that is great about the novel. The Godfather films both I and II WINS!
The book is better than the movie because the characters feel more fleshed out.
The one thing I'd criticize this video for is that for the title being what it is, you don't spend much time comparing the film to the book. You only made like two points of difference and kinda ignored others, notably Luca Braci, personality differences between Vito in the book vs. Vito in the film, Michael being far more caring and considerate towards Key in the book, and many others.
The Godfather Trilogy is one of the greatest sagas ever filmed!
Couldn't agree on Fontane, it gets so boring in the book. You could have included Young Vito in this video too
In GF2 the slum landlord who argues with Vito is obnoxious whereas in the book he's portrayed in a much more sympathetic light.
True although, I really do love the way in which the landlord is about to wet and fill his pants when he goes to see Vito again after learning all about him in GF2.
@@cha5 Made me laugh aswell...for a minute you'd think GF2 was a comedy watching that scene.
The movie didn’t go into enough detail about Lucy’s vagina.
Watch THE OFFER
How THE GODFATHER
was created
Book is incredible. But I definitely prefer the films. Johnny shouldn't have been such a central character, and the whole Lucy storyline was completely unnecessary and just kept going and going.
🗣️👍👍👍👊👊👊
Book good Movie better . Mario puzo said if I knew the movie was going to be iconic I'd have written a better book . Others movie that r better cuckoos nest , jaws , LA confidential, forest gump
Corleoni..
Martins Danisevics yeah sorry if my pronunciation bothers you, I didn’t put much thought into it and a lot of the characters in the movie pronounce it the way I did so I just went with that. The Italian pronunciation I guess.
That's how the Senator pronounces it in Part 2. But he's being a dickhead.
Bawnjorno
The Godfather movie was boring in my opinion. I watch a lot of mafia movies because I write fiction crime mafia stories. So I bought the Godfather book by Mario Puzo so far I don't like the book either. Now I am writing a fiction crime mafia book myself and I have to read the Godfather book to understand how to write a book myself. I heard it was a bestseller back then but in today's generation if 2023 I don't like it. I think back then it was for people in the late 1960s- 1980s people loved, but this is a new generation now a lot has changed and I was born 1986 someone my age probably wouldn't like it. I am writing a fiction mafia story myself and I wasn't going to write it because I am planning on becoming a police officer that's my main goal and I don't want to waste my time writing a book that's not going to be a best seller when I can be working on becoming a cop, but when I wrote the opening of my book I said to myself this is going to be a good book and maybe a TV show because now producers are making books into TV shows instead not movies because TV series are cheaper back in the days they used to adapt books into movies but now it's TV shows because the producer saves a lot of money.
The book is so much better
After reading the book i dont like the movie anymore. The movie made Mike an evil person, not about gaining respect. Mike didnt go " evil". Even Kay went along after Hagen talked to her.