The Best "Looks" in "The Godfather"

A few years ago I started a thread describing what I thought were the best "looks" (facial features caught in a single scene) in "The Godfather". Here, with the aid of some pictures, I'd like to re-create that thread.

#5. The look of fear on Carlo's face when he realizes that Mike had been "on to" him (and his complicity in Sonny's killing):



#4. Tom Hagen's look at Tessio in response for a plea of getting him off the hook for "old time's sake". He's thinking, "You f*cking traitor":



#3. Mike's icy cold stare at Barzini during Vito's funeral. You just know he's thinking that Barzini is a dead man!:



#2. Vito's look of pure anguish as he declares, "Look how they massacred my boy":


And the #1 look: Virgil Sollozzo's expression after Tom Hagen "warned" him about Luca Brasi (Sollozzo already knew Luca was dead). The look is pure evil:

I've always liked the look Kaye gives to Michael at the end of GF3 when Mary is killed.

You have one of Moe Green, doing that little bit of business when he fingers his tie and shirt collar and kind of extends his neck during his meeting with Michael?

I always loved that nervous look on his face.

Great list, but...

What about the famous abortion scene? How 'bout Mike's famous look, in part II, when he's sitting by the lake with his hands entwined, before the birthday flashback after having his brother murdered?

Thats a goody, too.

I wanna post some pics from the other two parts soon.

Feel free to join in with yours, guys and gals.

This is the best expression in my opinion, along with the final image in Part 2.

Who can forget the look Michaels gives to Kaye when he closes the door in her face after she visits the children.

I don't know whether this is a look or a reaction, but what about after Kaye mentions the drapes being open and Michael looks out them and for a split second he realizes what's about to happen.

You mean this one?

My favorite, and probably the best expression in the trilogy, next to Mike in the abortion scene:

Thanks, SC. That's the one. Always reminded me a bit of Rodney Dangerfield.

"Look how they massacred my boy."

Great looks, every one of them!
I'd add a few:
1. Tom grinning outside the door when Sonny's banging Lucy, after Sonny says, "one minute," and Lucy's moaning, "Oh Sonny!" Patented Robert Duvall look.
2. Vito making his face crumble, then lifting it again, with that heart-wrenching sigh, when Tom tells him, "They shot Sonny on the causeway."
3. Senator Geary being smug when Michael says, "Oh, Senator, you can have my answer now."
4. Kay, utterly baffled, after Michael tells her the Luca/bandleader story.
5. Vito rolling his eyes in a deleted scene when he asks if Michael's "American girlfriend" got home ok."

Some other great ones i haven't seen posted yet.

Michael looking Kay dead straight in the eye and saying 'No' at the end of GF I.

Michael's eyes just before he shoots Solozzo and McCluskey in the restaurant.

Michael's thunderstruck look when he sees Apollonia for the first time.

Vito's face after Tom tells him abt Sonny's death.

Michael's 'gangster walk' right after Carlo is killed in the car. His face is so expression-less but cold in that scene. His defining moment in GF I.

How about Michael's face when he's dancing with Apolonia? That's the sweetest smile!

Where is that?

Never heard of that...I'd like to see it.

Three more:

1. The look on Tessio's face when he realizes that Hagen is on to him, as they are standing around the cars. Tessio has this frightened and resigned grin as it sinks in that he has been discovered and will surely be killed.

2. Michael when he looks with subdued fury at Moe Green right after Moe says he had to "straighten out" Fredo. This is right before Mike says back, calmly but with anger, "You straightened out my brother?"

3. Vito's look, and his tear of joy/relief, when Michael tells him solemnly at the hospital, "I'm with you Pop."

A single frame from that sequence doesn't do the scene justice.... its almost comical to watch Vito make that face. Here's a look at it:

How about Luca being garroted? That's memorable.

Wow. Is that scene on the DVD?

I always thought that the look on Michael's face when he hears Fredo say that "Johnny Ola knows these places like the back of his hand," spoke volumes! In that scene Pacino's look makes you feel the neausea and sickness that Michael is feeling.

I also liked the looks that are exchanged between Michael and Neri when Michael is hugging Fredo at mama's wake. I always felt that when Michael gives Neri that cold look, as he raises his head to look at Neri, that Neri is saying to himself " I can't believe that he really wants me to kill his own brother now that his mother is gone."

The third best look in my opinion is when Geary insults Michael when they meet. ....."you and your whole f**k*ng family!" If
looks could kill, Geary would have been dead right on the spot.


Don Cardi

That really was a brilliant piece of acting.

Pacino actually looks like he's ready to throw up.

Wasn't Al actually sick during the filming of those scenes? That could have something to do with it.

The part where Al Neri looks at Kay,as he closes the door on her at the end of GF1,As if he's thinking Michael's the Don now, he can do anything.

I always liked the look Diane Keaton gives Al Pacino right after the shooting, when she's sitting on the couch. I believe she may be holding little Mary on her lap. She shoots some very serious daggers at him with those eyes.

How about when Luca goes to see Sollozzo. When Sollozzo starts talking Luca squints and leans forward to hear him, he looks scary as hell right before he is killed.

I agree w/ Don V and also Anthony Lombardi who was the first to actually mention this chilling 'slow burn' of Michael's.

Another of my favorites is the slow turn & look from Don Fanucci...after Genco shouts at him to sit down in the theater.

Come to think of it, Genco's face after realizing who that is is pretty priceless, too!

AppleOnYa

there are a number of great "looks" but the one the always gets me is the look Tom Hagen gives Senator Geary - then (shifting only his eyes) to Michael - then (eyes only again) back to Geary, when Geary gives his "squeeze" speech to Michael. Tom is thinking, "you have NO idea what you're saying and to who!"

Senator Geary: Because I intend to squeeze you. I don't like your kind of people. I don't like to see you come out to this clean country in your oily hair -- dressed up in those silk suits - and try to pass yourselves off as decent Americans. I'll do business with you, but the fact is, I despise your masquerade -- the dishonest way you pose yourself. Yourself, and your whole f**king family.

Michael: Senator - we're both part of the same hypocrisy. But never think it applies to my family.

The Vito eye-rolling scene is in a deleted scene that's on the "extras" disc in the DVD set. It's the scene where, right after Connie's wedding, Vito, Johnny F. and his sons visit the dying Genco.
SC: GREAT topic! Thanks!

I like the look Michael gives Geary when Geary points the toy canon at Michael. I think if the setting had been different, meaning not a big party with many guests, Michael would have considered having Geary whacked on the spot.

The best looks are any involving Mr. Tom Hagen of course.

I'm adding my top ten choices for Part II. Many of them have already been mentioned by others.

10. Al Neri lowering his eyes (he's ALMOST showing some humanity) when he's watching Mike embrace Fredo at Mama Corleone's wake. Neri knows he's still going to kill Fredo:



9. A young Vito realizing that Fanucci is not as powerful as the neighborhood thinks:



8. Kay's look of disgust and anger (as she's looking at Michael) after the Tahoe assassination attempt. You can almost feel the contempt:



7. Johnny Ola's smug look after Mike got "dressed down" by Hyman Roth (about who killed Moe Green). You almost want to punch out Ola:



6. Fredo proclaiming that he's smart. One of the saddest (but best acted) scenes in the movie. Fredo's look of weakness was excellently done by Cazale:

5. Frank Pentangeli's brother looking at Frank during the Senate hearing. The look is that of shock, disgust and disapproval as the brother reproaches Frankie (for breaking omerta):



4. Mike's far-off, thought-filled stare at the end of the movie. He's reminiscing about earlier (happier and less confused) days:



3. Mike, upon hearing Senator Geary calling Mike's family, "F*cking". Its a cold look covering up some fury, but Mike won't let that be shown:



2. Mike realizing that Fredo lied (about knowing Johnny Ola and Hyman Roth). That realization hit Mike like a hammer, and Pacino really caught the essence of that:



1. Mike, upon hearing Kay aborted their baby. This time the anger could not be hidden:

Those are all great SC.

I'd be interested to see your Part III best "looks".

I always like the look of concern on Vincent's face when he is shaving Michael and Michael is telling him what to say to Don Altobello while at the same time, without directly threatening him, giving Vincent the messege that he must give up Mary or else!


Don Cardi

Tom grinning outside the door (listening to Sonny bang Lucy Mancini). This look always disturbed me (almost as if to say Tom was a "peeping Tom"):



Vito right after he learned Sonny was dead. For an instant it looks like Vito was going to cry:



Kay, not knowing how to react to the Luca Brasi story she heard at the wedding:



Related to Kay hearing the stories (at the wedding), I like this one better.... she just heard that Vito took in (ie. adopted) Tom Hagen as a young boy. Kay's look is one of admiration:

I thought the exact same thing.

Tom Hagen looking at Senator Geary, thinking, "You stupid f*ck, you don't know who you're talking to":

The look on little anthoney's face when vito puts the orange peel in his mouth and scares him, just before his death,"Bless Him" the little boy was really scared when filming.

YES! Good one DeNiro!


Don Cardi

Sonny getting chastised by his father. Holding his tongue, feeling humiliated. A look that says, okay I'm a grown man, but I am still his child. The ultimate look of humility.

Don't think anyone has mentioned Woltz finding Khartoum's head where he didn't expect it.

hell yeah that a good one

The look of complete anguish and loss, the "silent" scream that becomes real while cradling Mary on the steps at the end of GF3. Pacino totally nails it and for me is one of the most powerful images of the trilogy.

I agree the most powerful scene in the movie.always brings a tear to my eyes.

From some of the secondary characters:

Clemenza: When he's teaching Michael to shoot in the basement and then his expression changes when he says: "we was all proud of ya..."

Paulie: Looking at the silk purse.

Vitelli: When he realizes that Fabrizio is describing his daughter.

As anybody Noticed the look on Don Tommasinno's face when Michael is about confess his sins to Lamberto,when he is wheeled away he looks to mad.

Some of my favorite looks are in Part 2 when Michael finds out about Fredo's betrayal.

Another one of my favs is the look of concern young vito in the flash back scene in which baby Fredo is crying and they are treating him with that remedy.

Hey SC! Where are your top Part III looks? I have been eagerly waiting.

I think, Barzini answers Mike with the look which is also wery remarkable, when he bows. It says, "We both seem to know, there's a vendetta between us, and only one of us will stay in this world." They are like two knights before deathly duel. Pity I can't find it anywhere.
My favorite look is this.
I'm about to cry here.

"I have my own plans for my future..."

I just love this look. It makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I made this the background on my computer.

It never fails to amaze me how much Fredo resembles Vito in this scene.

And De Niro as Young Vito

What about the look of the thunderbolt hitting Michael??? The look when he first sees Appolonia!!

Another great, deep look is the one Michael gives right before he shoots Solozzo and the captain. You know how his eyes move all crazy, left then right. The anticipation!!

Yeah!! Definitely one of my favorite scenes, and my favorite looks, too. That "realization" is such a definite and natural-looking change.

Holy Hell, he does!

There's another interesting look in part1. When Mike talks with Vito in the garden. After the talk Mike lays back on the coach he was sitting on and looks in his future, guessing: who will betray me?

One of my favorites is in part II near the beginning when Pentagalli is having dinner with the Corleone family and is getting inpatient to speak with Michael. When he knocks over the wine glass the look that both Michael and Mama Corleone give him is unforgetable.

And what about the "kiss of death"?

Good choices SC.

How about the look on Kay's face as Michael shuts the door on her after catching her visiting the kids? She looks hopeful at first, as though she thinks he's going to talk to her, then as the door swings shut we can just see her expression change to one of pure anguish. I also like the contemplative look on Mike's face at the end of GFII.

And WHAT A LOOK he gives her at this moment! Half kingdom for this look!

I definitivly like Al Pacino's look when he says: "Just when I thought I was out, they pull me *BACK IN*!".

All of those are great examples of wonderful acting. My best scene (and my most memorable face!) is the complete look of surprise when Jack Woltz shouts at Tom as he explains why he was running Johnny Fontane out of the business. Both actors used such emotions. Jack Woltz is absolutely surprised, thinking that Tom is going to discuss it with him further. And Tom calmly gets up, and leaves looking at him like "you really have no idea who you are dealing with" The book really does that scene justice as Tom thinks that on the surface, Jack Woltz should win this exchange.

Ha Ha!!!

Yes, that's a very genuine look! Million to one, he was thinking about Paramount and GF3!

How about in the first one at the church when he is being baptized, and the preist asks him, "Micheal, do you renounce satan?"
And he says he does.
"And all his works?"
"I do renounce them."

That was very important because at that time the heards 5 families were being murdered, and its the start of micheals empire, and also the start to his dis-honesty and cold heartedness.

Was it really him crying in white lacy bonnet He must be baptised as Sophia Coppola...
But, without joking, this is my greatly fav too! All the scene from "Do you beleive in God, Father allmighty... " etc. As if the God himself asked him, if he was positively determined at last to go against him. And he answers "I will."

this is exactly the one look I would have quoted myself. Not only Michael's look when he first sees Apollonia, but also Apollonia's one.

Vitelli was in fact played by a great Italian actor, Saro Urzì.

"The Best Looks" SC---Thanks so much for this topic i am going out of my mind over these pictures Kiss

Just Excellent every single one of them. There are so many looks.
In fact, very few that are not. Agree?

Another good look is the expression on Brando's face when he says "Look how they massacred my boy."

Just Unforgettable!

With the utmost respect and admiration: Where do you people find all these pictures?

I think I can help you there. These sites have collections of Godfather photos that were posted in this thread:

• J Geoff\'s Godfather Trilogy site - GF1 Photo Gallery
• J Geoff\'s Godfather Trilogy site - GF2 Photo Gallery
• J Geoff\'s Godfather Trilogy site - Wallpapers (can click on link you want and, when it loads, save it as a picture instead of wallpaper)
• Godfatherfilms.com Photo Galleries
• Godfatherfilms.com Video Downloads (can save the video stills on these pages as a picture)
• IGN: The Godfather DVD Collection (4 pages of pictures)

In addition, it appears that some members have compiled their own collection of GF photos, which they have uploaded to their own personal albums on a photo publishing web site. One member has made his album public (meaning anyone can view it):

• Photopile.com - Public Album: Godfather

HINT: If you want to see where people got their photos in a particular thread, do this:

1. Look for some text that immediately precedes the photo you're interested in (eg., in the first post by SC that text would be "in Sonny's killing")
2. Choose "View Source" from your browser's menu. A separate window will open up showing the HTML code of the forum page you are viewing.
3. In this new window (the "source"), do a search for "in Sonny's killing" (usu done by choosing Edit > Find from your browser's menu).
4. Immediately after those words, you will see some code with the words "img src" (image source). Eg., <img src="http://photopile.com/photos/Consigliere/Family/154572.jpg". Everything in " " shows the source of that picture -- where it came from on the web.

Cheers,
Cristina

Obsessed With The GodFather, the scene you are mentioning is my favo scene of the whole trilogy! And yeah, it is a great look.

Thanks Cristina for all this Info can't thank you enough!
Wink

You're very welcome, Obsessed With The Godfather. Here are more sites with good Godfather pictures:

• Gonemovies.com
  Click on "Search" and type Godfather or Godfather Part II. It will list a lot of links on the gonemovies site with that contain photos from the film. (Even the non-English links are good because they have different pictures from the English pages)
• DVD Times UK: The Godfather
• Movie Market UK: The Godfather
• Movie Market UK: The Godfather Part II
• Movie Market UK: The Godfather Part III
• Homevideos.com: The Godfather
• Homevideos.com: The Godfather Part II
• Movieimage5.tripod.com: The Godfather

You probably know this, but I'll mention it for others who may be reading. If you want to post a picture that you see on a web site to this board, (1) obtain the picture's URL (address) by opening it in a separate window (the URL will be on the web page's address bar), then (2) copy this URL to your post, placing [img] in front of it and [/img] at the end of it.

Note: The above won't work for photos from Movieimage5 on tripod.com (above). I believe tripod has built-in protection for their images so their URL can't be used on another site. If you do use their URL, instead of seeing a picture in your post, everyone will see a tripod logo instead. To work around this, you have to save their picture(s) to your own computer, and then upload it to a web site that allows you to host photos, such as Photobucket or Village Photos . Use the photo's URL from the Photobucket or Village Photos (or similar) web site to post the photo to this board.

Another hint: If you want to see even more images from the Godfather movies, go to www.google.com or www.altavista.com and click on "Images." In the "Search" field, type in Godfather or Vito Corleone Godfather or Marlon Brando Godfather or just Vito Corleone (or whatever character or actor you're interested in). You will get a bunch of results from all over the internet showing various images from the films.

I love the way Tom averts his eyes from Sonny's body in the funeral parlor. Poor guy can't bear to see it; maybe he's even blaming himself (though I don't think he should). That gets me every time.

I like the look when bruno tattaglia gives to his henchman when luca brasi bends over to light his cigarette and the face of sollozzo after he stabs luca

Michael's face when he looks up at Al Neri when hugging Fredo at Mama's funeral.

Thanks to all who posted!

For a very informative pleasurable topic!
Thanks again Cristina's Way for all your help! Wave

The best scene in the Godfather trilogy. That scene alone should have one oscars.

Another angle...




Also, this is in the first film where Michael immediatly after this take says: You straightened MY brother out?!

After watching the film last night, for the first time in two years, I reckon Cazale gives the best performance out of all of the fantastic performances. Brando's a close second.

One scene, a brief moment, if you like, where all faces and gestures are spot on: when Michael introduces Fredo to Kay, at the party. "Kay, this is my brother Fredo." Fredo's drunkenness, Kay's confusion, Michael's confident embarrassment.

I also love several Vito moments: his look to the children during the Luca Brasi meeting. When he throws a peripheral look to Sonny when asking Johnny if he spends time with his family. When he asks Tom "what's that?", upon hearing the screams greeting Johnny's entrance. And, most of all, the gesture to Barzini to "hold up a minute" when he's about to challenge Tattaglia.