In The Godfather, when Michael is talking with Solotzo (sp) and the police captain, Solotzo starts speaking Italian to Michael, and Michael seems to ignore him, then answers in English. Later in the movie, he lets his bodyguard do all the talking while hiding out in Sicaly. My question is, was he able to speak Italian, or did he ignore Solotzo because he couldn't understand him?

He didn't know Italian that well and felt he could communicate better in English.

Mike understood Italian fine, he wasnt ignoring Sollozzo, he was listening to him. The line right before Michael starts speaking English in that scene (ask Angie to spell it for you) Mike says- "How do you say...." He knew the language, but he could better express himself in English, the exact opposite of Sollozzo. Thats why Fabrizzio translates in Italy, for something as important as that, Mike didnt trust himself to properly express his motives in Italian.

Yeah, he begins his response to Sollozzo in Italian, and then when he stumbles over words, ("Come si dice...") he just gives up and goes to English ("What I want...").

If you have immigrant parents, you can understand that he'd stumble a bit over his second language. He knows Italian, and understands it well, but remember, his parents spoke mostly English to him in the house... that has a lot to do with it, I bet.

My dad is remarkably fluent in italian despite learning the language as a child only at home from his parents, and only speaking it periodically today at the neighborhood italian social clubs. None-the-less, he'll still say words, phrases, and occasionally whole sentences in english then immediately shift back to italian because his vocabulary, grammar, and knowledge of idiomatic expressions isn't at the same level as a native speaker. Rather than risk a poor literal translation, he'll say it in english.

"Come si dice" is used a lot in his conversations...

Under the stress of what was about to take place, and his conversational, but not fluent, command of italian, it's not surprising that Michael would revert back to english to make a point as important too him as "a guarantee that there will be no more attempts on my father's life."

tony b.

The main reason Michael asked Fabrizio to translate for him when he met Sr. Vitelli for the first time was to impress him with the fact that he (Michael) was a pezzanovante, not just an ordinary contadino , and the boss of the two bodyguards. Look at Michael's facial and body language--he's showing power to Sr. Vitelli. But he understands everything that Vitelli says, because every time Vitelli answers, Michael doesn't wait for Fabrizio to translate for him: he replies immediately. Later, when he's courting Apollonia, he doesn't use a translator.

Does anyone have (or know how to obtain) a translation of the conversation between Mike and Solozzo?

Most of it can be found here: http://www.jgeoff.com/godfather/gf1/transcript/gf1transcript.html

There are some of errors in that transcript, in the scene with Sollozzo and Mike.

The scene, as I would translate it: (probably still a few errors)

SOLLOZZO

Me dispiace... [I'm sorry...]


MICHAEL

Io saccio ["I know"] (Sicilian dialect) / Could be "Lassa-i" [forget it]


SOLLOZZO

You know that what happened between your father and me was business. I have alot of respect for your father. But your father, thinks in an old fashion way. I'm a man of honor.


MICHAEL

You don't have to say that. I know (that).


SOLLOZZO

You know? (confirmingly)

SOLLOZZO (after the waiter brings McCluskey's veal, then exits)

You know that I have been a big help to the Tattaglia family. I think we can agree. I want peace.

Let's forget everything that has happened.

MICHAEL

What I want... How do you say?


[English]

Then after Mike comes back from the bathroom:

SOLLOZZO

You feel better?
You understand me, right? You're Italian, like your father.
You can make alot of money.
Let's set things right (Can't figure out a better translation), and the madness will end.


[End of dialog]