Santino sees?

In one of the legendary scenes of the young Vito stalking Fannuci and killing him in the book Sonny tells Vito he saw him kill fannuci, he followed him on the roof...
Why do you think FFC and Puzo decided to leave this out in the movie...There could have been shots of Santino following Vito and seeing him
Why do you think this wasn't in the movie??



Joe Batters

Well...what do you suppose it would've added to the movie, having little Santino following his daddy across those rooftops?

Not much. In fact it would've slowed down the scene tremendously, and taken much of the audience attention away from Vito where it should be and onto this little tyke nearly killing himself.

Then, after witnessing his father's crime, another scene would have to be set up having little Sonny run back & arrive at the stoop ahead of Vito without Vito ever realizing he was being trailed by his boy.

Not to mention, the audience would now have concern for little Santino, wondering how the poor kid will react to what he's just seen.

Instead, we get the absolutely flawless sequence of Vito slithering across the rooftops, never for a second losing sight of the cool, calm, pompous, unsuspecting Fanucci...shooting him, removing his wallet and the cash in it...destroying then discarding the gun and serenely rejoining his adoring wife & children and declaring his love to baby Michael on the front steps of their building.

I guess that's why FFC and Puzo decided to leave this out in the movie...

Apple

YEAAAAHHH you are probably right on the money there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But this is why Sonny wants to work for his father and why his father lets him, because he SAW Vito kill Fannuci, so I just thought it would ahve been cool to do something with that but I guess you are right it wouldn't go with the flow of the movie at all, but it woulda been pretty cool to have a history/flashback shot of around the time Sonny enters the family business
I mean two genius's like FFC and Puzo could have come up with something that would go with movie and work......

I just thought it was a good thought, But maybe not



Joe Batters

Yes, but the way you describe the passage in the novel (which I still have not read)...Sonny tells Vito years later that he saw the whole Fanucci killing. Is lettle Santino's presence made known while reading that in the book?

Also, by the time The Godfather takes place, Sonny is already working for and with his father; there would be no reason or place to even fit in that 'confession' that he witnessed what Vito did.

Of course...those who endlessly argue for a GFIV 'prequel' might insist that this would be a good scene between Vito and a Santino in, say his early 20's !!!

Apple

I've always wondered the same thing. I figured they could have at least shown him quickly right after the scene, like he just saw it happen and runs off. Kinda explains alot about his mental state later on.

There was a six year difference in Sonny's age between the novel and the movie (he was older in the novel). Sonny was only four years old (in the movie) when Vito killed Fanucci. That would've made him too young for it to be an effective scene.

This is only one example of differences between the book and movie.

Y'mean they're differrent...???

In case anybody doesn't know, I haven't yet read the novel. So maybe Don Cardi or somebody like that could clue me in on stuff that happens in the book that are not in the movie...

Apple

Be careful what you wish for. I just may give you more information from the Godfather novel than you can even imagine By the time I'm done, you'll have all you need to know about the book. So make sure you show up at the dinner next week!


Don Cardi

what's wrong with that?

Well...it'll probably be more enriching than politics and we'll be in the middle of the Godfather Saga week so what better time???

I guess I could handle it.

Apple

Apple, why dont you read the book instead? It really is a great book, even if there are a couple of odd stories - they are not that big and most of the novel is excellent.
I've seen the movies before reading it, and it was still an amazing read. If youre a big fan of the movies - you will love this book. It gives more background, more detail about characters such as Al Neri, Rocco etc, and a great description of the chain of command and how everything works -many things the movies do not explain, also how decisions are being made by Vito or Tom - in much more detail.

You will not be sorry. I HIGHLY recommend it.

In fact, it's one of the best and most intensely focused scenes in the entire movie. Adding Santino to it would have weakened it considerably.
I always thought that Sonny's little speech about having seen Vito kill Fanucci was contrived. Vito's response--in effect, "I can't lecture you on how to behave"--was way out of character. He more likely would have said, "If you don't want to grow up to be a killer and a ganster like me, go to law school. Then you can be a killer and a gangster with a license to steal."

I read somewhere that the reason for Sonny's temper...among other things...was that he saw Vito murder Fanucci. This may be stated in the book, but I haven't read that far yet. Putting it in the movie would actually something, 'cause Sonny is a firecracker of a lad, I tell ya.

Sonny's witnessing the murder of Fanucci is to me very relevant. It would explain a few things, but most importantly the "BADA-BING!" phrase Sonny keeps using - think about when he is lecturing Michael on what it is really like to blow someone's brains out. Fanucci's murder clearly had a lasting affect on Sonny. When Vito finds out, I think a lot of things in his head go 'click' and he understands a bit more of Sonny's nature. This is why he backs down to him. It saddens him.

I believe the 'Bada-BING' business was an ad-lib on the part of James Caan.

But I'm sure Caan read the book as part of his preparation to play the role; it can be assumed that witnessing his father's killing of Fanucci as a boy might have have played a role in the characterization of Santino.

Apple

Does he not "bada-BING" in the novel though?

Perhaps you're right...I may have been thinking of the camera breaking and then paying for at the wedding.

Still I don't think the revelation of a younger Sonny having seen Fanucci's murder would have a significant impact to the movie. Remember, by the time frame of the film, all Vito's children are well into adulthood and this conversation between Sonny & Vito would have been years in the past.

Apple

Athough it was not used in the film, it helps to know that the young Santino witnessed the murder.

It is not deemed necessary for the film to work, and this is but one of the differences between film and novel. It is not hugely important, but it is interesting.

I was just thinking about the "bada-BING!" when it occurred to me, that this is why he is so enthusiastic when informing Michael of what it's like to blow someones brains out from 2 feet away...."you wanna do that? You wanna live that kinda life? Well let me tell ya kid, this is what I grew up with"... and bada-binging for other people too. Seemed to make sense.

(sorry below post an accident)

Not really. I'd been watching and enjoying the film for 20+ years before I ever even knew about this revelation in the book that young Santino watched his father kill a man. A well written novel always provides insights and incidents that give depth and background to a character, because a novel has the time to share such things. Using this particular moment in the movie or even referring to it would've done no such thing.

Sonny's 'enthusiasm' in the 'BADA-BING' speech is partly due to his amusement at his civilian, war hero kid brother who presumedly knows NOTHING about the Family Business daring to come up with this outrageous master plan to kill a New York Police Detective.

Apple

It's exclusion from the film is is not in dispute. Understand, wether or not it is in the film makes no difference to me.

It is simply an interesting point that i felt worth sharing.

Oh, ok...thanks for sharing.

Apple

So basically, it is obvious he is surprised with his little brother.
It is also obvious that the bada-BING! is a lasting impression of the Fanucci murder.

No, it isn't quite so obvious how the "BADA-BING!" phrase ties in with Sonny's witnessing Fanucci's murder.

But you're more than welcome to try & elaborate on your reasons for thinking so.

Apple

I did already didn't I?!

It's his memory of the noise of the gunshots!

What's that got to do with anything??

By the time Sonny & Mike are having this conversation, it can be assumed that Santino has made his bones and seen quite a few killings both upclose and from afar.

Look...read into it whatever you like, you're free to do so. But there's no indication whatsoever that Vito's murder of Fanucci gave Sonny any lasting 'BADA-BING' impression.



Sayonara,
Apple

In the novel, Sonny witnessing Fanucci's murder and then bringing that fact to his father's attention at thevery moment that his father is chastizing him for participating in a stupid armed robbery - almost as if it were an excuse - helps to reinforce one of the many minor "sub-themes" of the book, sort of like what I might call "The Philosophy of Vito Corleone".

Stuff like "Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer".

In this case, it reinforces Vito's belief that "Every man has but one destiny."

Yes, it seemed almost like a throwaway line in the novel--almost like a rationalization for Vito to give up on the idea of Sonny becoming a lawyer. But it looms very large as a statement--a prediction--about Michael's life.