The Sicilian

The Sicilian had everything a Book takes to make it to Film and yet it never happened... Mr. Puzo a screen play for TURI GUILIANO is in serious need.
Not that "The Godfather" wasnt Great but the story of TURI and ASPANU is just something I cant get out of my head. since I was a little boy...
Who else Agrees~~I would love to hear what others think

The Sicilian (1984), the book, is one of my all-time favorites. Puzo is the master.

The Sicilian (1987), the movie, is one of the most disappointing I've seen. Christopher Lambert is the devil.

Have to agree with that assessment!

I couldn't agree more. I really would love to see them remake it properly, and actually stick to the book.

Doesn't this look like the perfect Turi to you?

http://www.empireonline.co.uk/futurefilms/film.asp?id=9991

I have a question.If i have read The Godfather and loved the book.But i just hate the realy boring stupid novel "Fools Die"-should i consider reading The Sicilian?Is it a nice real complicated mafia novel,or just love shits like Fools die.

Oi vey.

I wouldn't say it's a extremely complicated mafia novel, however I actually enjoyed it more than the Godfather as I preferred it being set nearly entirely in Sicily. I also found it's main character to be really interesting, as well his morals and beliefs. It has several twists you would expect from a book regarding the mafia, and overall I'd say it was a brilliant book, though I wish it had a different ending...

I got da sicilian given to me, read about 2 chapters and found it really slow. Does it pick up? ive got da lost years is that any good aswell? i know i should have read them but been reading books about football violence and got a bit side tracked from da good stuff.

Of the ones I have read (The Family, The Godfather, The Last Don, Omerta, The Sicilian) The Sicilian is definitely the best of Mario Puzo's work with The Family and The Godfather close behind (in my opinion). The movie was an abomination and I would most definitely like to see a remake if it is directed by one of today's best such as: F.F. Coppola, John Dahl, Bryan De Palma, Stephen Gaghan, Barry Levinson, Michael Mann, Guy Ritchie, Martin Scorcese, Jim Sheridan, Steven Soderbergh, Oliver Stone or Quentin Tarantino.

The Puzo books i own are : The last don,The family,Omerta,The godfather.

I am currently borrowing The Sicilian off a mate, and it is amazing!

I really loved the book ... I cannot really say which Puzo's book is my most favorite but there is no question that The Sicilian and The godfather will be at the top of the list.

As for the movie: again I agree with you: bad directing, bad casting, bad photography.... there is no Michael in the movie (he does have a small yet important role in the book!)
I wonder: who would you cast for a new production?

Cast?

Michael Corleone - 1975 Al Pacino

Turi Giuliano - Johnny Depp

other ideas???

:p



Welcome to the boards Hagit2!

I think Depp would be a good choice, Every since he played in Once Upon A Time In Mexico I think he would a brill Guiliano.

I thought the Sicilian was slow at first, but I think it was because I was wanting to read more about the Corleone's. I really loved the ending, it made me cry.

oh jeez oh the film is garbage christopher lambert can't act worth a shit! the book is good though

The movie was on Sky again this morning so i forced myself to watch it again.....
It was either that or Fraggle Rock

You made the wrong choice.

I know

You know, now would be the perfect time to make this movie correctly. Paramount should acquire the rights and film it with Coppola at the helm.

My thinking is this: Michael's part is small enough that purists won't bitch and moan that it wasn't made with Pacino way back when. If the 30ish actor does a good enough job at becoming Michael Corleone, Paramount has him on their back burner for a possible Part IV, for a flashback sequence, should they ever decide to go that route.

I really think it was Puzo's best novel, possibly the only one that didn't get thrown off course and cheapened by tacky sex scenes. The dialogue exchanged between Michael and Clemenza was wonderful. And just think, when Michael returns home in 1950, as he did at the end of the novel, DeNiro could play the part of Vito.

I don't think that the Corleone's need to be in it at all. They were woven into what is a mostly true story. I think that the story of Salvatore Giuliano needs to be told correctly. He was a fascinating and complex man, and a great film could be made on his life alone, without the Corleone's added.

I understand that Giuliano's sister wrote a book about her brother and their cousin. I need to add it to my Christmas list.

Babe, have you seen Francesco Rosi's docudrama Salvatore Giuliano? It's now available on dvd.

I've read his sister's book, it may be a bit of a whitewash, but maybe I'm just being cynical.

It's out of print, but you must read King Of The Mountain, by Billy Jaynes Chandler. It was written in the late 80's, and is considered to be the definitive Giuliano bio.

I'll look for it in the library. My cousins still talk about him as if he were still alive. It's eerie.

When I was last in Sicily, my cousin was reading a book about what happened at Portella della Ginestra, but I could only glean little bits and pieces. My Italian is far from good.

I didn't see Rosi's film. It was good??

Exceptional, Babe.

You'll find out a lot of interesting truths that weren't apparent in THE SICILIAN. The biggest one, and this has been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt: Gaspare Pisciotta and Giuliano were NOT actually cousins. According to the dvd and KING OF THE MOUNTAIN, this was urban legend.

Really?? Because my cousins believe they were, too.

By the way, just an interesting little bit of trivia. My family is from Partinico. My grandfather and his brother had a farm, which now belongs to my cousins. My great-uncle hid Giuliano on that farm when the police were looking for him.

I saw The Sicilian and after I read reviews against it, it made me think that it ain't no real Mafia picture like Goodfellas.

You'd have to watch it from the other angle: the scenery, the "quiet" acting etc.

I love the book, and I loved the Micheal was in it

I have the book and read it. I have also seen the movie. I think they should remake the movie into something on par with the Godfather series. And with an unlimited budget instead of the low budget one that is out there.

Definitely, the book and story is quality, most amazing story I've ever heard and at the time I didn't realise it was based on true events, couldn't believe it when I found out months after reading it...
The movie was incredibly disappointing, it has the promise to be the best movie ever made with a story like that, it would be amazing if someone would do another remake.

I couldn't stop reading it. If you are a fan of The Godfather or Mario Puzo's work you should read it, can't be disappointed.

If only they didn't butcher it with that terrible film adaptation...

Fools Die sucked, The sicilian is no comparances. read the book, if you liked the godfather, you will LOVE The Sicilian.

Re-reading this book about 10-11 years after I read it the first time. It still holds up well. I really wish Puzo would have taken the rights to this book to Paramount where they would have done this movie the right way...maybe even with FFC, since he was going through money troubles around that time...

I recently had the oppurtunity to go to to Sicily and while there I visited Montelepre and was fortunate enough to meet Guisseppe Giuliano who wrote the book My Brother Salvatore Giuliano with his mother Marianna who was Salvatore's sister. He gave us a quick tour of the house Salvatore grew up in. It was pretty cool actually being there and walking around the town where these events took place and was one of the highlights of my trip to Sicily.

Wow ledblimp, that would have been an incredible experience.
Turi's life story is incredible, especially at such a young age.
To have done the things he did.
I have always in my mind thought one day I would trek through Montelepre to try and gauge what his life would have been like. Amazing, you're so lucky.
Any photos?

I was able to take pics of the outside of the house but they didn't want any taken inside which was a bummer. Could've snuck a few if I had wanted but they were pretty nice people so respected their wishes.

If you ever get the time to upload them here it would be be much appreciated! Be great to see. I think Turi's story is incredible.

Ledblimp, after going there and knowing the story yourself, aren't you incredibly disappointed in the movie 'The Sicilian'?
I mean, it has one of the best stories of all time, I think they should remake it. I saw the original movie, a 1967 film called 'Giuliano' (I think) which was far better but the Christopher Lambert/Mario Puzo novel based movie is shocking...

That movie was an all around disappointment even without reading the books or knowing the story but after reading the Sicilian and books about Giuliano it's even worse. The only movie I can think of that I liked Christopher Lambert in was Highlander.

I've never seen the other movie but do remember hearing several people say it was good.

I remember starting "The Sicilian," on Friday and finishing it on the following Monday. I really enjoyed it.