The Godfather (The Godfather, USA 1972) OF FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA
Mario Puzo's book was a considerable best-seller, while welcomed by reviewers in his mouth twisted to the considerable doses of violence and raw language romanzo.Per placed in regard to the director the producer ROBERT EVANS contacted SERGIO LEONE , having loved his movies, but director Italian, after he was exposed to the project and the history of film, declaring declined slightly interested in what it considered a glorification of the Mafia: years later, Leo admitted that he regrets that choice, and probably the design of 'C' ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA " daughter is part of this project is not undertaken by the author of " GIU'LA HEAD " . Evans then proposed the film to Peter Bogdanovich, then a young director very much considered by producers for the excellent result of "The Last Picture Show" . After the rejection of these, then you chose FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA , Oscar-winning writer for "PATTON " , and author of two or three films. Evans had assessed that many movie gangsters had experienced a substantial failure, and he wanted in the film that would have felt "the smell of spaghetti." The young director was not very sure you want to make this film, and Paramount, after viewing the first shot was very close to oust him from the operation and replaced by ELIA KAZAN : the thing came back, and Coppola appropriated most of the work, shaping many characters on his family and friends of the Italian American community. The option of which to play the boss Family, Vito Corleone, foresaw the consideration of Ernest Borgnine, Edward G. Robinson, Orson Welles, Richard Conte, GEORGE C. SCOTT . BURT LANCASTER stepped forward to get the part, but got no response. The producer in-chief of Paramount consulted Coppola had to ask what preferences in describing the actor engaging: he took two names, and LAURENCE OLIVIER MARLON BRANDO . But the British actor was ill for some time, and despite a certain resemblance to the real boss Vito Genovese, his British accent was too unconvincing to play a gangster born and raised in Sicily, however, in an Italian-American community: Brando was more likely, even if his name was not enthusiastic about the production. At age 47, had more failures in the last decade that statement, and in particular the last film made, "Queimada" , was a disaster economically, despite the signing of the prestigious Gillo Pontecorvo. Furthermore, Brando had serious economic and legal problems as a result of a marriage gone bad: Coppola took along Evans to deal with the fallen star, the actor offered the role, which left them there waiting for him, and returned to the room with cheeks stuffed with cotton, oil and greasy hair slicked back, convincing director and finally produttore.La Paramount offered to Marlon Brando pays a union, but the two sides agreed to a salary of $ 50.000 plus an additional percentage of revenue receipts of the film but the studio did not behave properly with the star, and for This Brando refused to participate in the promotional tour to introduce the film to participate, albeit briefly, on the second film, and appear to pick up the Oscar statuette, the second, who won his role as Don Vito for Corleone.Anche role of Michael Corleone, the choice was not simple. Dean Stockwell, MARTIN SHEEN supported auditions for the part, while Jack Nicholson, Warren Beatty, Dustin HOFFMAN was offered the role, but the actors, enough already launched, declined, Beatty serving as producer, but he agreed with the Paramount.Evans Coppola insisted to take Robert Redford, but the director resisted fiercely, saying which the blond actor "Butch Cassidy" was too WASP (white Anglo-Saxon and) to represent credibly the son of a Sicilian boss of malavita.Ad some point, it seemed that Ryan O'Neal was the favorite to become Mike Corleone, but Coppola found it interesting to a young Italian-American, AL PACINO, and insisted at length with the producers, who found it unsatisfactory, until he saw Evans "Panic in Needle Park" , and was conquered by the performance of the young performer. JAMES CAAN, initially regarded as short as possible for Michael Corleone, was seized along with Robert Duvall . For the role of Apollonia, the girl who married Michael Corleone in Sicily and falls victim to an ambush, was proposed OLIVIA HUSSEY ; Coppola wanted to instead engage STEFANIA SANDRELLI , who did not accept the so parte.Venne taken Simonetta Stefanelli . The actress who played the wife of Vito Corleone was a rather gospel singer, MORGANA KING . GEORGE LUCAS arranged to provide photos of Mafia killings in Coppola, as a favor personale.Per the scene of the patio last dialogue between Mike and Vito Corleone, the dialogue was rewritten by Robert Towne . The scene in which the producer Jack Woltz finds the head of his favorite horse in his bed, according to the actor JOHN MARLEY was very good, because it had not been informed about what he would find under the sheets that would have raised. The cat that Don Corleone takes on his knees at the beginning of film was a stray that wandered close to the Studios, and purred so loud because of the strokes actor, that some sentences had to be redubbed to be heard chiaramente.Ad Al Pacino was applied to a prosthetic latex on his face to simulate swelling after the fist given by Captain McCluskey at Corleone Junior .. The Marine Corps ordered that from the moment when Michael Corleone officially enters the family no longer wear his shooting uniforme.Le durono sixty-two days, and there are sixty times in the film they see people eating or bere.Brando modulate the tone of hoarse Corleone the true voice of the boss Frank Costello. One of James Caan and Gianni Rizzo, the actor who plays Charles, the brother who betrayed him, there was a lively antipathy, and the scene where Sonny beat up the in-law is most likely because it seems that Caan has given us in too deep bruise providing some other attore.Coppola prepared a first version 126 minutes long, but Paramount urged the author to expand the scene of the Corleone family, up to make other fifty minutes longer than the duration of the final. LENNY MONTANA , the interpreter of the colossal hit man Luca Brasi, was a former wrestler, he worked as a bodyguard, apparently also had been in the pay of some criminal organizations, feeling very nervous about the chance to play alongside Brando , and easily forgotten battute.Brando, enthusiastic interpreter of genuine tension, for accentuate pretended to forget the script and also attacked on the forehead with a piece of Montana a few sentences from recitare.Nella restaurant scene where Michael Corleone kills Sollozzo and McCluskey, actor AL LETTIERI spoke Sicilian in so quickly it is impossible to put subtitles in inglese.Marlon Lettieri Brando had known back when she starred in "On the Waterfront", and had remained on good terms: it did so with help from the Sicilian accent less famous colleague, who invited him several times for lunch and dinner with his family to get used to spoken siciliana.Brando took part in the filming for 35 days, then had to leave for Europe, having signed a contract to turn "LAST TANGO IN PARIS" . The scene of the final showdown, during the baptism of the small Corleone, according to Coppola did not work until it was placed the organ music. According to Mario Puzo, for As much press had reported in FRANK SINATRA the inspiration for Johnny Fontane, there were references that they did not think Sinatra crossed the writer in a restaurant and attacked him verbally, despite Puzo stubbornly denied that he had inspired its history to create the character, and preferred by carving out a couple of scenes from the script that concerned Fountains . Al Pacino is in serious danger of being even fired a half working: Paramount's executives view the first scenes, those of marriage, asked the director when the actor chosen would have decided to do something interesting. opinion changed markedly when attended to the scene where Mike Corleone kills Sollozzo and McCluskey.Francis Ford Coppola insisted, unsuccessfully, because the title of the film was "The Godfather by Mario Puzo," believing that the script was more attributable to the writer, who had accepted cuts and changes, while remaining essentially faithful to the novel. Evans, under pressure from the majors, had to be present at the Coppola film contained so as not enough action, and that the boss of Paramount were seriously considering replacing it with a director more suited to give rhythm to the story then put the director, for example, the scene of the fight between Connie Corleone and Carlo Rizzi, shot in four days, and it was considered major soddisfatta.Tra Marlon Brando and actors who impersonate her children, did not run more than seventeen years apart, in realtà.A Coppola liked that his interpreters were allowed to go and improvisations during the recitation, learned to give more true to their characters: the kiss of Vito Corleone Johnny Fontane was found in a spontaneous Brando, as a gesture of anger with which Sonny Corleone at the wedding slams the ground, the FBI agent's camera are clear examples, and note the reaction astonished other actors in front of the two characters oestrus momentary importanti.Diversi performers chosen by Coppola, however, had knowledge about Mafia families or relatives, as Gianni Russo, RICHARD CASTELLANO , Lenny Montana, Art Director James Caan.Lo DEAN TAVOULARIS Coppola advised to place the oranges in important scenes, even to dilute the stock of often obscure GORDON WILLIS . At the end of the film, Michael Corleone would have to kill the person who betrayed Fabrizio, played by actor Italian Angelo Infanti, who fled to America after murdering his Italian wife of the protagonist, but Coppola seemed to, reviewing the sequence, too much blood on him to ridicule Infants riddled with a machine gun from Pacino, and turned over the death of the person with a car, but then not including it in the final cut of pellicola.La death of Sonny, however, it was decided to take it with a lot of cameras placed in different positions to give greater effect to the devastation of his body from numerous firearms contemporaneamente.Nel film there are seventeen crimes.