What if Sonny lived longer?

While watching Godfather, part 1, the other night i was thinking what if sonny lived longer? I know he came off as....i really dont know how too describe, but im sure you know what i mean. I liked Sonny, and the way he was portrayed in the movie. But what if Sonny were to have lived longer as the head of the Corleone family, what do you think things would of been like? I think he would of done some of things that Michael did- such as: whacking the heads of the five families. He probably would of got more involved in the drug business, instead of going out to Nevada. Sonny would of wanted to stay in NY, but eventually I think he'd be whacked.

What do you think would of happened?

if that seemed ridiculous, maybe i was just thinking into too much.

That doesn't seem ridiculous at all. As GF obsessed, we love to (over)speculate. Honestly some members tend to push it to the limit of sanity sometimes... but it's not your case (yet! ).

Now back to Sonny. I totally agree with you about him. I like the character, I mean who doesn't? James Caan is so amazing in the role you cannot help liking that hotblooded guy. Anyway, if he had lived longer, the whole plot would have been way less interesting from a dramatic point of view IMO. The mere fact that Michael had to be involved in the family business and give up all of his previous plans of living a life by himself, fulfilling himself as a totally different human being from his father and family, adds a tremendous dramatic impact to the plot, at least from a psychological POV. Sonny, who wanted to be the Don, didn't live enough for it. Michael, who had no real will to be the Don, was obliged to become the Don and lived enough to see all the tragedies connected with this.
A doomed destiny in both cases.

If Sonny lived longer, the story line would of been more intresting to watch. Sonny was the most impulsive and violent of Vito's three sons, and, before Michael's rise to power, the most involved in the Corleone crime Family.

That's funny...considering the popularity of the book & film, it seems to have turned out pretty interesting as it is.

The stalemate Tom complained about would've most likely have continued on as long as Sonny remained alive. His death triggered a series of events that got the story moving to the next level. Such as Vito making peace, by agreeing to the narcotics deal, enabling Michael to come home, work for his father and eventually become Don Corleone.

Apple

Apple

I meant it would be intresting to watch Sonny grow.

If Sonny had lived, Vito would have had more time to tutor him. Sonny may have continued to fight a long drawn out war, but eventually would have succumbed to Vito's orders, and the top priority would still have been to get Michael home safely. Sonny would have never defied Vito. The plan still would have been to show weakness to the other families, and then strike. However I think that Sonny would have been the boss, and Michael either Sonny's consigliere or underboss. And if Sonny were alive then the attempt may have been made on his life with a setup by Fredo. But the difference would have been that Sonny would have beat the shit out of Fredo, and never would have had him killed. And if Michael would have advised Sonny that Fredo should be killed, then Sonny would have beaten the shit out of Michael also!


Don Cardi

Sonny is hot-headed, violent, and reckless, a combination that leads him into a death trap set by a rival family, I don't feel as if it was he's time to die, but different people, different opinions. And Fredo was always thought of in the Corleone crime Family as the emotionally weak and most foolish of the three Corleone brothers, and so was given its unimportant businesses to run, while Michael was appointed Godfather after Vito's death in 1955

Frankie, welcome to the boards. Are you new to The Godfather movies?


Don Cardi

Like Fredo, I think Sonny was simply incapable of growing beyond a certain point. Sure, a recuperating Vito would certainly have tried to guide him and sure, Sonny would not have defied his father but still, in the long run he could never have become an decent Don or even anything close. And all of this would've kept the story effectively dead-in-the-water until Sonny's death, which was an eventuality no matter what. Michael would've had to remain in Italy far longer than he did. He might have enjoyed a longer marriage with Appolonia, but still that leave the story hanging. Sonny's killing by Barzini (and Puzo) was specifically planned in order to get things moving. I guess it's fun to speculate what might have happened if he'd lived a year or so longer, but in terms of the actual storyline, he died exactly when he was supposed to.

Apple

heh' heh' DC, you needa get your facts straight kid

First of all I'm not your kid, so get that FACT straight. Second of all, I advise you NOT to start off on the wrong foot with me, or anyone else on these boards.

It's up to you.


Don Cardi

You're talking outta your arse

Strike two Frankie!


Don Cardi

Yo, Don ,Yo,Frank, make nice.Like they said in the GF"I don't want you guys going on the mattress".


"why can't we all just get along"
Rodney King

Frankie - Whats with the attitude?

Don't try to live up to the title under your avatar.

Welcome to the boards Frankie_Pedrino

But some advice from someone who met DC in person, He's a GREAT guy but, dont piss him off.

If Sonny had lived longer, he would have gone into drugs, and when Vito died, he would have been assassinated by Tessio who would have betrayed him. More importantly we would not have had the ending of the Godfather as we know it, nor a GF II nor, for better or worse, a GF III.

I think it's really a question of what we know and are used to.

If the entire storyline had been different, and a compelling novel and film had been written about Sonny's ascension as Don, and then 35 years later someone suggested that a story about Michael might've been more interesting, we'd be saying "Nah, what could be interesting about a story about a dopey, drippy college kid who wanted nothing to do with the family business."

If Sonny had lived, and Michael had still carried out the murders of Sollozzo and McCluskey, I always thought that the brothers would've made great partners. After the peace had been made, Michael could've gone back to school, gotten a business degree, and run the legitimate aspects of the business in Vegas. Sonny could've stayed in NY and kept up the original family interests.

At the wedding, we don't see Michael and Sonny together. Although Fredo and Tom stop by the table, we get the feeling that Sonny and Michael are not that close. However, when Sonny says goodbye to Michael just before he leaves to meet Sollozzo, we see real and true affection between the brothers, and I think that the two joining forces could've been an interesting story.

SB good post. Most viewers tend to dismiss Sonny as a hothead but in reality Michael also had tragic faults as large as Sonny and Fredo.

Vito was an extraordinary Don because he would both inspire great fear/respect and LOVE among others. He had a way of binding others to him that were thought untamable like Luca Brasi and yet his lightest touch had a profound impact on those who barely knew him like the baker who refused to leave Michael's side at the hospital.

Michael's tragic fault and the tragedy of the trilogy is his inability to balance these aspects. While Vito was benevolent even when he had men killed, Michael's actions serve to alienate him farther and farther from not only those he loves but himself as well.

Sonny had an aspect from Vito that commanded respect. To the end, Michael was never able to command the respect or love his father had and that was his undoing. If Sonny had remained alive the other families and the Corelone's allies would not have underestimated him as they did Michael. I believe that eventually he would have been in a position to bargain with the other families as Vito did for Michael's return and also that Tessio would not have turned traitor. I believe that Tessio's primary motivation is not greed but his lack of faith in Michael's "weak" leadership and the Family's weak position after the Don's death. While Sonny might have been overly violent, you can see from all 3 movies that the conflict in these movies were all put into play when both the Corelone's lieutenants and their enemies misread Michael's complicated long-term internal machinations as weakness,

It's hard to say what would have happened if Sonny had lived. Certainly Michael, having been linked to the murders and fled would never have been able to go completely legit or have been elected Senator as Vito hoped but he probably would not have been personally responsible for so many deaths that eventually drove Kate and his kids from him.

Ultimately, Sonny would not have been as good a Don as Michael, since he didn't have Michael's cunning and long-term vision. In intellect and material successes Michael surpassed the old Don, which Sonny would have been very hard pressed to come close to. For Michael personally, he wouldn't have ended up alone such a tragic figure

wow interesting topic...
how about this If Sonny had lived longer, and knew that it was Barzini all along ! He would beat him to death...

If Sonny had lived longer he would have either changed his mind and goone along with the drugs, in which case he would have been swallowed up (if not killed) by Barzini because Tessio would still have betayed him. Michael would have been assassinated in Sicily, and Fredo would have stayed in Vegas banging cocktail waitresses two at a time.

if sonny was to live longer then we would lose the classic meeting of the five families and corleones classic "Im a superstious man.." speech which arouse after sonnys death

one thing is sure...there would've been alot of killing..a real big blood shed!!
because sonny had alot of enimies...but the family was lucky that he got killed early..

Puzo

With all do respect DC..
if Sonny stayed alive..I wouldn't think that micheal would've been in the picture at all..Don't you think? HE didn't want to be a part of his father's business until he found himself responsible for everything after his father weakened..and his brother died..

Puzo

Puzo! Come on, huh?! Micheal was in before his brother was killed. I don't think you are "out" after killing a couple people.

Obviously the story is perfect as is, but IF Sonny had lived it could have been interesting. I'm guessing Fredo might not have turned on the family. But, like mentioned, we would have missed a great speech by the Don.

What about Carlo and his bruised ego....not to mention bruised face?? He still had it out for Sonny......I do think that Michael would have sniffed him out and put an end to his "wife beating" ways.......Sonny embarassed Carlo, that is why Sonny was wacked, Michael would have done it the way he did in the end......Carlo would have been dead not knowing what hit him.
Bottom line.....We are forgetting about the Carlo Factor...LOL....
Love you guys......you all have great info.

I think SOnny and Michael had more similarites than people think.

They are both cunning. Sonny thinks very logically after he is told his father has been shot, he writes information on the wall, and does NOT lose his rag with Sollozzo when he phones him. He knows Paulie Gatto is responsible, possibly Clemenza too. So he logically uses Tessio's men only. The only time Sonny gets mad if is a family member is directly affected. Same for Mike...

Sonny hits Bruno for what they did to Vito...
Michael hits Carlo for what they did to Sonny...
Sonny beats the crap out of Carlo for smacking his sister about, only stopping short of killing him becuase his sister is pregnant.
Michael hits Moe Greene for smacking Fredo about in public (and to help close the casino deal - obviously)

Michael's temper...while clearly not as physically violent as Sonny's, is there very much there, he loses it with both Tom and Kay during part II and gets very annoyed with Vincent throughtout part III.

The pair also agreed that killing Sollozzo was the only way forward against Tom's better judgement.

Sonny if he just learned to calm that temper would have been a great and loyal Don. He aslo would not have alienated Fredo as he was his elder and therefore not ordering his older bro about. Fredo worshipped Sonny as is evidenced from the flashback scene at the end of GFII. Sonny would have trusted Freddie to handle a wing of the family. His confidence was up from Las Vegas.