Line #25 Fridge/TheGodfather


1	[[AC:FridgeBrilliance]]
2	* Michael was widely regarded to be a noncombatant by the different Mafia families, despite being the son of Vito Corleone, due mainly to the fact that he stayed out of the Family Business, kept his nose clean, and was a certifiable war hero. He might as well not be part of the family as far as they are concerned, when there are far more relevant targets such as Sonny (or Vito himself) whose deaths would actually affect how the family was run. Once Michael gets drawn in, he is shown to be [[BewareTheNiceOnes very ruthless]], and [[TranquilFury very cold]]. When asked what he would do after killing Sollozzo and [[DirtyCop [=McCluskey=]]], he replied that he would sit down and finish his meal. When his godson is being baptized, he has his men do a [[ThePurge mass-killing]] of the rival family heads [[AndZoidberg and Moe Greene]]. In the second movie, he is told that he pissed off a ''lot'' of people when he did that, as it wasn't ''how things are done'', and it is implied that this bought him a short term advantage at the cost of long-term problems. Why does he take this approach? Because he doesn't have any direct background in the Mafia. He is a Marine[[note]]Fought in the Pacific in World War II, awarded the Navy Cross for bravery, and discharged as a Captain to recover from wounds in 1945.[[/note]], who was trained to deal with his enemies far more directly than what is considered appropriate in the American Mafia. If someone is an enemy and is dangerous to you, ''you kill them'' before they can do the same to you... if you are talking about two armies on the battlefield.
3	* The opening scene of ''Film/TheGodfather'' gives us Amerigo Bonasera asking Don Vito to kill (implied) the men who savagely beat his daughter as vengeance, describing how "she will never be beautiful again." This scene is mirrored later in the film after Sonny's death, where we find Don Vito asking Bonasera not for vengeance, but simply for him to use his skills as an undertaker ''to make Vito's son beautiful again.''
4	* In ''Part I'', Vito says to the other dons, "I swear, on the souls of my grandchildren, that I will not be the one to break the peace we've made here today." [[ExactWords Technically]], he kept his promise, but in ''Part III'', his granddaughter Mary, an innocent civilian, is killed by a bullet meant for Michael.
5	** Even more appropriate considering how heavily implied it is that Vito orchestrated the whole thing, with Michael just "pushing a button", so to speak.
6	* Vito refusing to kill the two men who brutalized Amerigo's daughter seems, at first, to be a PetTheDog moment for Vito. He says he's doing it because it wouldn't be justice. Instead, he's just going to have them badly beaten. It allows us to see Vito as a [[NeighbourhoodFriendlyGangsters Neighbourhood-Friendly Gangster]]. However, if you take a step back, there's numerous practical reasons why Vito would do it this way. Murder is a very serious crime which runs the risk of endangering his family and soldiers on behalf of someone who is of very little social and economic importance. Two dead civilians would also draw police attention more than dead mobsters.
7	** Amerigo is also an outsider who might suffer an attack of conscience and turn to the police. He'd then have knowledge linking Vito to two murders. By contrast, Vito having two men beaten up badly for harming a young woman is unlikely to draw nearly as much attention, especially if their crime is common knowledge. It also would be far easier for Amerigo's conscience to stomach in the long-term, even if he wants them dead now.
8	** In addition, it's made clear in the novel that the boys come from powerful families. One's father is even a very powerful politician. Their families would be likely willing and able to exact revenge for death. A brutal beating may be seen as something they deserve.
9	* The use of ''Cavalleria Rusticana'' in ''Part III'' becomes even more poignant when the ''Intermezzo'' plays over Mary's death, and ultimately Michael's during the ending. As the ''Intermezzo'' is only played in the ''middle'' of the Opera, it highlights the realization that Michael's death is not really the end, but simply the closing of one tragic if bloody chapter in the Corleone saga. Something that Kay voices out earlier in the film: "It never ends."
10	* Don Vito uses his connections and influence as an actual godfather (i.e., a guardian) rather than as a crime lord. This is because he did not wish to stay a criminal, or to let his children take to crime; he is aware that criminal life will eventually destroy the people who stay in it too long. He himself had gone down the path of crime only because he had no other choice to survive. He sadly comments to Michael that he had hoped his family would leave the underworld life behind and achieve legitimacy, which reinforces this theory.
11	* Listen to Tom Hagen's words very carefully when he's questioned by the Senate committee chairmen about Frank Pentageli's brother's presence at the hearing in ''Part II''. The senators, clearly suspicious about Frank's sudden recanting of his testimony in the presence of his brother, asking Tom to clarify if Vincenzo Pentageli "knows nothing about these matters." Tom's only reply is "To my knowledge, nothing." Tom obviously ''knew'' what was going on, but it was Michael who arranged to have Vincenzo brought to the hearing from Italy. Tom (likely on purpose) was kept out of this, meaning that he was never explicitly told by Michael what his intent was in bringing Vincenzo to the hearing. Ever the legal mind, Tom cunningly found a way to not commit perjury by using ExactWords.
12	* This may not be intentional, but Sollozzo's death could be interpreted as the death of the "classic" movie gangster from UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfHollywood. In old, pre-Godfather gangster movies, the wiseguy gangster, who always looked, dressed and talked like Sollozzo, would get killed by the incorruptible police in the end. That's how the audience was supposed to learn that "crime doesn't pay" and keep the censors from clamping down on the movie. In the Godfather, the character designed to represent the classic gangster archetype, Sollozzo, is gunned down right alongside a [[DirtyCop distinctly corrupt police officer]]. And by whom? The quiet, decent war hero son of the most respected figure in the community, born into a world of family, honor, tradition, respect, etc. Basically telling the audience once and for all that this would not be like the older gangster movies.
13	* It's men from ''Tessio's'' crew that are lured away from the hospital where Vito is recuperating, to make the way clear for a second assassination attempt. Was Tessio in [[spoiler: Barzini's]] pocket, even then?
14	* When Tom (in Part 1) tries to convince Sonny to take Sollozo's deal and avert the impending gang war, Sonny refuses, still furious over the attempted assassination of Vito. He tells Tom it's easy for him to ignore the attempt on the Don's life a "he's not your father", causing Tom (who is adopted) to immediately retort 'I'm as much a son to him as you or Mike". '''Santino''' or '''Mike.''' Once again, Fredo is the odd man out.
15	* The logo for the series, the hand holding the marionette puppet strings, might seem an odd choice for a saga about a mafia family, until you remember the quiet conversation between Vito and Michael shortly before Vito's death, about how he didn't want to be anyone's puppet, and hoped that one day Michael would be the one holding the strings.
16	* Fredo turns out to be the traitor in ''Part II'' and Michael intends to have him killed when he finds out. When the deed is done, the traitor is saying a "Hail Mary" while fishing. Some believe that those who die while praying automatically get into Heaven (this is why Theatre/{{Hamlet}} didn't kill his uncle while he was praying) and that may have been Michael's intention. The traitor may have been a traitor, but he was still Michael's brother.
17	** Except that actor Creator/JohnCazale set up a definite rhythm for Fredo's prayer: "Hail Mary ... full of Grace ... The Lord is with thee..." Members of the audience who know the prayer are pulled into repeating it along with Fredo, in the same sing-song rhythm Fredo (and presumably, the audience) learned in Sunday School. Even though we no longer hear Fredo's voice, the audience is mentally finishing the prayer: "Now... and at the hour of our death... Amen" And then: BLAM! The gunshot clearly comes ''after'' Fredo finishes praying.
18	** The gunshot happens so immediately after the "Amen" that Fredo was still in whatever state of Grace he had achieved with his prayer.
19	* Why does Clemenza say "Take the cannoli"? Because the reason he had cannolis in the car in the first place was because his wife had asked him to pick some up while he was at work that morning. He may be a tough as nails mobster, but he's also a good family man and wanted to complete the errand his wife gave him.
20	* Both assassination attempts on Michael in Sicily? They worked. Captain Michael Corleone, USMC, died in that car with his wife. Don Michael Corleone of the Five Families is what remained when the smoke cleared. Don Michael Corleone died on the steps of the opera house with his daughter Mary. All that remained was a man-shaped lump of meat that continued breathing for another 17 years.
21	* In Part II, the sight of a suicide attack by a Cuban rebel on a police captain made an impression on Michael's decision to not invest in Roth's activity in Cuba. And for good reason: not only was assassinating a police captain what started his descent into crime, he knew that people willing to go that far were determined to win.
22	* The five Children (including Tom) are each a part of Vito’s personality and character arc: Sonny is his aggressive side, Tom is pragmatic side, Fredo is his sweet and caring side, Michael is his cunning side, and Connie went from meek nobody to respected leader.
23	* The deaths of Vito, Sonny, Fredo, and Michael all seem very appropriate: Vito dies fairly peacefully while having a happy moment with a loved one. Sonny dies a ridiculously violent death, Fredo dies meekly and pathetically. Michael dies alone.
24	* When Tessio and Clemenza express their discontent with Michael's inaction, Vito ask if they have faith in his judgment and if he has their loyalty. Only Clemenza answers, Tessio stands silent, only giving a very small nod.
25	* Vito kisses Ciccio's hand, like his mother did, in her memory.
26	* The climatic killing sprees towards the end of each film, and the different ways they're framed, echo Michael's state of mind.
27	** In ''Part I'', the assassinations are shown viscerally yet with a sense of catharsis, interjected with Michael at his nephew's baptism. Not only is justice being served for the wrongs done to his family, but much like the audience, he's savoring his ascendance as Godfather.
28	** In ''Part II'', the deaths of Michael's enemies are chillingly clinical, coming across almost as an afterthought despite a lack of visible bloodshed. It drives home how by this point, such brutality has become so normalized for Michael, that even having Fredo killed doesn't seem to elicit much from him.
29	** In ''Part III''/''Coda'', the climatic killings are more akin to the first film, with the family's enemies taken out in shocking fashion, all while Michael is enjoying an opera, seemingly relieved for the first time in years. After all, it's no longer ''his'' business but Vincent's, and he's just enjoying the show.
30	* In Part 1, when Clemenza gives Mike the gun to kill Sollozzo, he mentions he left it noisy to scare off bystanders. That's probably true, but we also see that Mike is picked up very quickly after the hit by men who were presumably waiting a block or so off and listening for a gunshot.
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32	[[AC:FridgeHorror]]
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34	* The ending to ''Part III''. Before the passing of Mario Puzo, he and Francis had plans to make the next Godfather as Vincent's time as the Don, and he would have gone into the drug trade. It would have ended with his death sometime in the mid-90s, after being hunted down and killed in a police shootout. Taken this account, Michael's death in '97 makes it all the more tragic since the Corleone name was by that point a worthless name because of the damage Vincent had done. Michael Corleone would have truly died broken and alone.
35	** Technically, according to a "Corleone family tree" found in the Coppola Restoration compilation as an extra, Vincent gets gunned down in 2005 after soiling the Corleone name by getting into the drug business.
36	* A flashback in ''Part II'' reveals that Sonny was the one who introduced Carlo to Connie. That means Sonny had to live with the knowledge that he introduced his little sister to the man who would later abuse and mistreat her. He probably regretted that for years. Sonny's anger issues aside, it's no wonder he flipped out so badly when he saw Connie had been beaten. It's likely he was as angry at himself as he was towards Carlo.
37	* Michael goes to the hospital to visit his father. It turns out that Vito's guards have been turned away by the police, leaving Vito totally open to the imminent follow-up assassination. And Michael is there all alone until Enzo (the baker) just happens to show up, looking to pay his respects. Mike has the good idea to have a very willing and appreciative Enzo stand with Michael, pretending to be an armed guard, to ward off the new attackers, which works. If Enzo hadn't arrived, it's likely the hitmen would have gunned Mike down on their way to finish the job on Don Vito.
38	* More on the flashback in ''Part II'', it's revealed that of all his siblings, Fredo is the only one who supported Michael's decision to join the Marines. At first, it looks like a heartwarming moment... But then, once we put it together with just how badly Fredo resents Michael, his father's favorite son, for stepping over him, the scene takes a much darker turn. Of course Fredo ''wanted'' Michael to join the Marines; of course Fredo ''wanted'' Michael to keep out of family's business. Michael's mere presence makes him feel weak, ineffectual, and conscious of his shortcomings. His resentment to Michael has been growing all this time.
39	* In the late 1950s it was not impossible for wealthy, well-connected women to get an abortion in the US. And it was not unusual for a woman to give a false name to the abortionist. Which means that there is a doctor in the Lake Tahoe area of Nevada who might not realize that he just killed Michael Corleone's "son", and that Michael has a history of getting his revenge even if it takes years of investigation.
40	* It can seem a little odd in ''Part III''/''Coda'' how Connie seemed to buy into Michael's cover story of Fredo's death as an accident, despite her becoming wiser and more ruthless with age. Yet as much as it could be passed off as vestigial naiveté or even willful ignorance, there's another possibility. While Connie's love for Michael as a brother is ultimately genuine, it's likely that she'd known all along of what really happened and was biding her time until someone else could succeed him as Godfather, in one final act of revenge. This could also explain why she's so keen on supporting and goading Vincent, having found someone who seemed to embody the Corleones' legacy better than her brother.
41	** Connie knew Michael had Fredo killed. So did everyone else in the family, as Kay brings it up that the kids know, Vincent knows despite not really even being part of the family at that point. The scene followed Michael confessing his sins, and telling Connie that he did so. She was forgiving him, not being duped or plotting.
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Context Fridge / TheGodfather