I know he had to die at the end of GF I as a matter of the plot, but I kind of wish we could've seen him interacting directly with Michael--How Michael might've contended with Barzini; Who was the smarter man, the better "chess" player. Barzini seems to have been just as respected as Vito and about equal in intelligence, but with more of a modern edge to him. I just wonder how the two would've dealt with and contended with each other. In general, I wish Barzini would've gotten more screen time.

I would've liked to have seen just what the other Dons--Barzini, Tattaglia, Cuneo,and Stracci were like in comparison to Vito and Michael; How they came up and how they ran their families--If any of them were "Godfathers" in their own right, or if they ran a colder and more business oriented ship like Michael later did.

In any case, I think Puzo created enough compelling side characters that I would've loved seeing a spin off dealing with the other 4 Heads of the Families prior to and after the events of the first Godfather.

Maybe the new novel will detail more early events regarding the other families as well?

We saw enough of Barzini at the Commission meeting to get a feel for his style. He was clearly younger, more modern, and ready to step into a leadership role, than the other Dons. One of my astute GF-watching buddies noted that Barz is the only Don smoking a cigarette, not a cigar. I wasn't that interested in the rest of them.

I once thought about an alternate denouement for Barzini and Michael: Barzini asks for a private sit-down with Michael and Vito. He congratulates Michael on his position, then tells them that Moe Green talked to him about the future of his hotel. Barzini notes that he knows the Corleones have a big stake in the hotel, and he wanted them to know about that contact that was taken behind their backs. From that opening, perhaps Barz and Michael might have struck a deal to get rid of Moe and put their own, mutually agreed-upon front man in charge of the hotel.

I don't think the cigarette is as visually important as the fact that he's the only Don involved in the war who doesn't have a moustache. Vito and Philip Tattaglia do.

He might've been younger and more astute, but he overplayed his hand by making clear it was he who was behind the War all along by being so insistent about the drug trade. Basically gave himself away in much the same fashion as Sonny gave away his interest in the drug trade which led to Vito being shot. What Barzini had in youth and ambition, Vito had in experience and quiet listening--Which is what led him to quickly determine that Barzini was behind it all along. Vito probably had suspicions about Barzini having some part (given Vito saying that Tattaglia could have never outfought Santino), but Barzini's own words made it so that there was no doubt.

Had he listened instead of talked, he might never have given away that HE moreso than anyone was interested in the drug trade, and thus gave away that he was the mastermind behind the war, and he might not have been targeted by Vito/Michael in their vengeance.

And with regards to your alternate ending, I don't see Vito/Michael putting aside the fact that Barzini was behind the war and had Sonny killed. I don't see them entering into a partnership with a party whose aim was to destroy the Corleones.

I always felt that even though barzini and tattalgia had to die since they were clear enemies of the corleones the stracci and cuneo seemed like the weaker families and would probably fall in lline when mike killed barzini and tattalgia

In the novel, Barz and Tatt were the only Dons to die. Presumably the others did fall in behind Michael, or at least stepped out of his way.

ya true. Cuneo and Stracci werent apart of the war against the corleones like barzini and tatt were

Michael was a man much like Barzini. If they hadn't been opponents, they would have probably been friends.

But by the time of the Dons' meeting, Barzini had already accomplished his goal so much so that he didn't need to hide himself anymore behind Tattaglia. Also, he needed to give a signal that he was the new power by chairing that meeting.