Miscellaneous Movie Musings

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by Gemini Cricket

I've never read the Godfather novel. I wonder how Puzo handles the transformation.

That was the first thing CP said too.

They certainly didn't want to telegraph the transformation, or the end would have been less powerful.

Sure they didn't want to telegraph that he was going to become the new Don over Sunny, but they made no bones about the fact that he was now ready willing and able to kill for revenge. That leap was made with no insight into his character. One second he was a war hero who wanted nothing to do with the family business, the next he was putting bullets into criminals' brains.

It's not even like it would have taken much to fill that in. The motivation is straight forward, they tried to kill his dad. Just show something to let us know what he was thinking. Was it an easy decision? Did he struggle with it? Does he miss his identity as a hero or was it easy for him to let that go? There was just nothing that reconciled the guy who clearly wanted no part of the family business with the guy who concocted an elaborate high profile revenge killing.

Better see which library branches have the book.

[Alex]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

One second he was a war hero who wanted nothing to do with the family business, the next he was putting bullets into criminals' brains.

Reading these comments (it has been years since I last saw The Godfather) one thing that maybe the book did that the movie did was work through the politics and logistics that meant Michael was the only one who had a chance of making the hit and how he came to that conclusion and accepted that this was to be his role and that it was a Rubicon that couldn't be uncrossed.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by Alex

Reading these comments (it has been years since I last saw The Godfather) one thing that maybe the book did that the movie did was work through the politics and logistics that meant Michael was the only one who had a chance of making the hit and how he came to that conclusion and accepted that this was to be his role and that it was a Rubicon that couldn't be uncrossed.

Yeah, that wasn't handled well. They sort of addressed it and it was obvious that the reason he had to do it was that he was the only one who could easily disappear afterwards. But he was instantly on board, and actually came up with the plan, which just didn't make much sense from a guy who, to that point, had been presented as loyal to the family but entirely removed from the business.