I've got a question that I should know the answer but don't. What is the significance of Pentangelli spilling what glass in GFII at the beginning while the family was eating at Anthony's celebration? And what is the translation of what he said in English...
Or was it even intentional?

I can’t remember what Pentangelli said so I cannot help you there, but… the spilling of wine: In my country we have this custom that we spill some drinks (whatever we have in our glass) as if we share the drink with the dead. I cannot remember well the scene you talk about but maybe Pentagelli mentioned Vito or somebody else who isn’t among the living?

I always figured it was a little touch to emphasize Frankie's impatience and crudeness...but also an ever so subtle way of setting us up for his now low priority status in the modern-day Corleone/Roth world. We know he's got what he considers serious business to discuss with Michael, we know Michael's putting him off because here they are eating dinner under the moonlight when Frankie's been hanging around since the afternoon. That he dares point this out in front of all the family obviously annoys Michael and the spilling of the wine plus looks from Mama and Kay among others just adds to the tension. It further isolates (poor) Frankie from the rest of the Family.

Apple

Hm… I so have to watch it again. I kind of forgot that scene.
You may be right there Apple, Frankie was indeed very untactful maybe even arrogant in believing he is being someone ‘important’.

It's because he was drunk. The old man had too much wine.

At dinner Frankie tells this to Michael, in Italian :

"Hey, Michael - excuse me. With all respect I didn't come here to eat dinner!"

And then knocks over the glass.

Then he later goes on to tell Michael, in Italian :

"You'll have to excuse me -- I'm tired, and I'm a little drunk!"


So like Michael said, "That old man had too much wine."


Don Cardi

Yeah I knew he was drunk, but just didn't know if it still was intentional when he knocked the glass over, I agree with you Apple about the whole isolation of Frankie and him thinking he was more important than he actually was...

Don Cardi, I am not Italian but want to learn the language any suggestions on the best way?

Yes. Watch the Godfather Trilogy over and over again!

Why don't you go and take a class at a local college?


Don Cardi

LoL I'd much rather leanr it from The Corleone Family...See thats what sucks Im a college student and the school I go to doesn't offer Italian otherwise Id already be in the class!

You should get interested in Italian opera: the librettos have the English translation side by side with the Italian lyrics; and most operas are even more violent than the GF Trilogy, but they sound prettier.

Recall Frankie's very first scene, in which he complains to a somewhat astounded Fredo that Michael has him waiting in line.

There's also the deleted scene that can be spotted in The Saga/Trilogy/Novel for Television...where Fredo bursts in &interrupts Michael's 'family' meeting with his niece and her fiance...to announce that Frankie is waiting.

In the original movie, Michael also sees Johnny Ola and Connie/Merle prior to that evening dinner.

So we see there that not only does Frankie have to wait on line, but he also takes a back seat to both Michael's business and personal matters.

Apple

Eric Burdon and War thought it was important enough to write a hit song about the scene.

Yeah, but it wasn't an Italian aria.

Okay same scene, Carmella whispers something to Tom in Italian while point at Fredo and his wife and Tom responds...
Translate....

I had always wondered about that but it never weighed too heavily on my mind; it was actually discussed once here on the BB. After Merle & Deanna are introduced by Connie, Mama mutters that those two are 'made for each other'. (We see her pointing back & forth with her fork.)

To which an amused Tom responds by trying to get Mama's attention directed elsewhere.

Cute little moment, ain't it!!

Apple

AHA! Thank you Apple..
That part always has cracked me up a little bit

Mama says that Merle and Deanna are "precise in sieme" or precisely the same, two peas in a pod.

And it always bothered me that the translation for Frankie's subtitles was incorrect. He does NOT say he's drunk. He says: Io sono stanco e sono biliato, which means "I am tired and bilious." Literally, he was full of bile, sick to his stomach, at the idea of making peace with the Rosato brothers.

SB is correct. The translation for "You'll have to exuse me, I'm tired and I'm a little drunk" from english to Italian becomes "Lei me dovrà si scusare. Mi sono stancato, e sono un poco bevuto."

But SB, isn't it possible that when he said "Io stono stano e sono biliato" he was saying that he was tired and bilious, full of bile, sick to his stomach because he drank too much?

Isn't the term um biliato an Italian slang or a different dialect for : drunk or drinking until you are sick to your stomach? Or is that umbriago? (pronouned UM-BREE-AGO)




Don Cardi