Sitting here watching GF I (At the baptisim scene right now, and yes I saw the ghosts. They're there also in shots from the other end, i.e. a car reflection or something like that. I think it's just a lighting trick that affected the film.) and was thinking: what if Anthony had been more aware of what was going on, or what if someone else had spotted Vito on the ground, could he have survived longer? (Hehe, there goes Moe Greene ) Or was he too fargone anyways?

It would appear from his coughing and then literally choking (masterfully done by Brando) that Vito pretty much dropped dead. No one could've helped him even if the whole family had been there.

Anyway...Vito had to die in order for Michael to take over accomplish all he did by the conclusion of the movie. There would've been no reason to have him live any longer.

Apple

.,..plus, the novel notes that Vito'd had at least one heart attack earlier. And the multiple gunshot wounds he'd suffered twice in his life (once in the Thirties, according to the novel, and the Sollozzo hit) must have weakened his constitution.

Perhaps he died from inhaling the insecticide sprayed by Anthony--they hadn't banned DDT yet.

Although Brando was exceptional in that death scene, I actually prefer the way it was written in the book.


SPOILER ALERT!!!!


In the novel, he dies holding Michael's hand, and his last words are, "Life is beautiful."

I have to admit I did find the details of Vito's 'novel' death interesting and quite touching...and like several other things, it did come as a surprise after being so accustomed to the movie.

I guess in making the film, FFC preferred it to happen much more quickly and unexpectedly - even though most viewers already know that he's definitely going to be dead by the end of the movie.

Apple

I forgot about the death in the book, but this sparks my memory. However I would have to prefer the death in the movie, since it is one of the best acted scenes in the entire trilogy.

Funny how this turned into a 'vote' between Vito's novel and screen death. Maybe ronnierocket should start one of his 'polls' over this.

Anyway, hard to pin it as one of the 'best acted scenes' when the first two at least are chock full of them!

The thing I always like about the movie death is the story behind Brando coming up with the orange peel teeth that scares little Anthony. FFC tells it wonderfully in one of the Brando 'Biography' specials.

Apple

I prefer the death in the novel. It is really much more poignant, as the whole novel is, in general.

Definitely, that was one of the parts in the book I remember best. It's just a beautiful way to let such a powerful man perish. Rich material.

Had Laurence Olivier gotten the part of Vito...he probably would've played the 'novel' death beautifully.

Apple

Laurence Olivier as Don Vito!! Now there's a thought... Oh, and how about Sir John Gielgud as Luca Brasi?! LOL!

It's a shame noone called IX I I. Also, could it have been that Connie poisoned him?

Connie, poison her own father? WHY?!

Well, she was the only daughter and might have felt shunted to the side because of all her brothers. Her father failed to stop Carlo from beating her and, in fact, he stopped Sonny from intervening. She knew that Carlo held at fault for Sonny's death and in an effort to protect him decided she needed to eliminate dad.

I don't think she felt shunted to the side in lieu of her brothers. She grew up in that culture and it was known that the Men were primary. But the poisoning idea is intriguing.

He did star in the movie Khartoum , he'd be perfect for the job, it would make him a big star.