...everytime I see the movie. I'm talking about the scene where Talia Shire gets beat up by Carlo right before Sonny gets murdered. When he chases her into the bathroom with his belt and she finally succumbs to him. Very powerful and captivating. Am I weird?

Also, what part of Shire's performance do you think led to her landing the role of Adrian in Rocky?

Captivating? Hmmmm. Sickening is more like it! A man beating a Pregnant woman with a belt, not captivating by any means! Sickening, disgusting is how I veiw that scene. Obviously Shire and Russo did a good job with that scene, at least with me becasue they conveyed the sickness of the scene and made the anger rise up in me. Sonny was more generous than I would have been with Carlo, I would have killed him!

As for Shire getting the part of Adrian, don't know if any Godfather Acting played a role in her landing the part in Rocky. I do know that Stallone did NOT have any money to pay the actors, and all that played in Rocky agreed to a deal where they would be paid based on how well the movie did at the box office. Maybe that is how Shire got the part of Adrian.

Don Cardi

The only arousal I got out of that scene was anger and disgust!! A great scene, well acted, and showed a part of "real life" and what goes on in some marriages/relationships, but nothing exciting about a woman (pregnant no less) getting beaten with a belt by some power hungry, punkass, sorry excuse for a man that doesn't have the b***s to pick on someone his own size, let alone his own gender. In case you haven't picked up on it, I hated Carlo!


TIS

Well said, Don Cardi. But yeah, Russo and Shire did do a great job at capturing the whole feeling of it.

uhh, I dunno, but you're cuttin' it kinda close. I wouldn't describe it as 'arousing,' that's for sure.

The main effect that scene has on me is that, along with Carlo's role in giving up Sonny to the Tattaglias, when Michael has Carlo whacked, my thought is, "the MFSOB had it coming," and when Connie goes into her screaming fit, if I were Michael I would have screamed at Connie and probably Kay too, "You're damn right I killed Carlo ...I only wish Id'a done it with my bare hands. Anybody who endangers my family like that is dead meat. And I'm tellin' you Connie.. I just did you the biggest favor of your life."

Gianni Russo did a fantastic job, and it was his performance that i found captivating especially when you think he had NO acting experiance before this film, ill tell you Coppola's got a great eye for talent. Talia was excellent too, and i reckon these films certainly helped her win the part in rocky, shes a major playor in 2 major franchises, how many people can boast to that

The fact that you used the word arousing concerns me. Wrong choice of words. Curiosity maybe, disgust definetly, but arousing should never be used to describe a man beating a woman.

yes i agree it wasnt the best choice of words

"Arousing" would be a word used by a sadist or a person with some other form of pathos. Get some counseling.

Thanks for the responses. Now that I've revealed myself to the board as a sadistic freak.

Of course the idea is despicable, whether she was pregnant or not, but it was for some reason an extremely captivating scene, especially when they leave the camera. Russo acted really well I thought as Pacino explained how he would not be killed, but sent to Vegas. His fear for his own life was palpable.

As far as setting up Sonny for death, this confused me a bit because Carlo had to count on Connie calling Sonny right away and telling him, and I figured she would not do this since she was trying to protect Carlo. After all, she didn't call him the first time, Sonny acted when he saw Connie's black eye.

Connie had taken as much she could, and probably feared for the baby.

The only captivating part of the scene is the performances of both actors, certainly not any arousal factor for me

I understand that. What I don't understand is how Carlo could expect her to call Sonny that one time, so much so that the bad guys were waiting at the toll booth. Of course she did, because that is how Puzo wrote it.

what do they lose if she doesnt call sonny as expected? no one will be any the wiser and they can have a another go at sonny

HF, I believe also that the cause and effect can be questioned here. Consider this; Carlo didn't beat Connie with the SOLE intent of enticing Sonny out of hiding. Carlo was a wife beater anyway. Plus, how could they be sure Sonny would come by himself?? I believe there was a plan to get Sonny. Most likely they would have been "sitting" on him for several days waiting for the right circumstances. Afterall he did come out for a little nookie with Lucy. If memory serves me there were 3 cars of Barzini/Tattaglia men at the tollbooth? They were prepared for more than Sonny. The toll booth was the perfect ambush unless Sonny's firepower outnumbered them. Keep in mind it made for great cinema.

There are so many dramatic scenes in the film, but that has to be one of the more intense. I wonder how many takes they did? Connie breaks dishes, wrecks the table, throws wine, throws the poker chips at Carlo's crotch and gets whipped. How many full dress-rehearsals did that take?

Yeah, well i think Barzini relied on Sonny's explosive temper to come after Carlo on his own. There were loads of cars there to make sure the job was done and not bungled a la The Don. 'Sonofabitch'

Sonny had already warned Carlo after that first beating..."If you touch my sister again, I'll kill you."

When approached by Barzini he may have been asked a way he knew that Sonny could be lured away from the protection of the mall. He also knew what might get Connie going, what buttons to push to get her hysterical enough to warrant a beating. And who she might call on for help, once he was finished with her.

This whole thing was staged perfectly, right from the phone call Connie answered from that mysterious woman to the massacre at the toll booth.

Let's face it, both Connie & Santino took their bait. And true...if it hadn't worked this time, then it would have the next.

Apple

Which bring a good point. If Connie would have done something before all this came to a head, then maybe it would have been avoided.

How much guilt did Connie have? How much of it was her fault? How much did she blame on herself? Her weakness in handling her homelife caused the death of her brother in a way.

Do you think any of this was running thru her head?

She was probably thinking something on the order of, "If I had told Papa what was really going on before he was put in the hospital by the hit attempt, he woulda sent Luca Brasi to pay Carlo a little visit, and that woulda solved the whole thing."

Here's what they lose: they tip their hand. Look at all the logistics involved. They paid off the ticket dude, they took over at least two booths. Had to divert traffic, etc. They left a lot of tracks doing that and no doubt drew attention from the feds or police. I can't see them setting that trap up anytime they thought Sonny "might" come running without his bodyguards.

Would it have been more arousing if they had included in "Special Features" rehearsal footage of Talia and her nephew (FFC's little boy) doing that scene?

LITTLE BOY (looking up at Talia): HEY BOOFONGOO, HUH?

TALIA: I'll BOFFONGOO YOU!!!!!

Later, LITTLE BOY chasing TALIA through set whipping at her calves and kneecaps screaming, "CLEAN IT UP!!!"

.... nah, on second thought, it would be disturbing...Trilogy-of-Terror-type spooky

riiiiiight

Umm, one of those "S & M" guys, eh?

No, just intrigued by my reaction to the scene. What exactly would make a woman like Connie stay with a guy who beat her like that? I don't think it was just the Catholic tradition (or what used to be) to stay married. I think she accepted the fact that Carlo would beat her occasionally, as if that was a normal part of a relationship.

I'll admit I can be a sick individual at times.

But I wouldn't use the word arousing, like Don Cardi said earlier Sonny was a lot nicer than I would've been.

I don't have a sister, but I have a cousin whom I treat like a sister(we're that close) and I've told her boyfriend that if he hurts her in anyway, he'll have to deal with me. And I won't be very kind.

Actually, it was probably a little bit of both.
Alot is explained in Connie's hysterical rant to Michael just after Carlo's death:

" ...You blamed him for Sonny - you always did. Everybody did. But you never thought about me - you never gave a damn about me. Now WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?..."

This and even the pleas to Sonny (when he discovered the earlier beating)...indicates that
Connie WAS willing to accept and even take responsibility for the beatings ("It was my fault, I hit him..."), AND live with the fact that her husband may have responsible for the death of her brother and the whole family knew it...JUST to keep her marriage and family intact -as was the accepted way at the time.

And I guess she DID come to accept that it was going to be a normal part of life with Carlo.

Even if you go by the novel which I have yet to read...others have pointed out that Connie did attempt to inform her parents of problems between herself & Carlo, but was basically sent back to tend to her marriage.

Apple

yes but surely the Don wouldnt have stood for excessive physical abuse. It was a tough decision for Michael, but Blood is thicker than water, and this was Michaels BROTHER!