My sentimental pick is in III,when Michael flashes back to the dance scene with Appolonia,just before his death.
Although the scene lasts only a few seconds,the expression on his face speaks volumes. We see a happy Mike,a man who still has a chance to take a better path than the one he ultimately chose.
We see the sparkle,the impish grin that must have swept Kay off her feet the first time she met Michael.
The phrase that comes to my mind every time I watch that scene is "What might have been?"

After Sonny destroys the photographer's camera at the start of GF1, Paulie gives it a little "me too" kick which I think is pretty funny.

The way Fredo twitches when he says" It ain't the way I wanted it!" after Michael tells him "It's the way pop wanted it."

A brilliant piece of acting on the part of John Cazale.

DC, I think almost every moment of Fredo's were favorites. He had a gift for under statement that became a big statement.

Sonny's wife gesturing to the other women about the size of his manhood, and the look on her face when she suddenly realizes he's run off with Lucy.

lmao... too bad she couldn't run after them with a shot gun.. modern Thai bitch style "Ima keal heeemmm!"

In a number of ways, I found myself actually liking young Vito quite a bit. He's basically an honest person by nature. He's loyal. He's generous. And he's compassionate to others, seemingly sincere about helping people out, as his circumstances allow. Hardly the stereotypical gangster sociopath - like Al Capone, or Bugsy Siegel, or Willie Moretti.


I agree completely with this one... that slum lord needed to be wacked... he was on everyone's jock, he was not fair, and he was basically useless... I myself wouldn't kill him but I wouldn't be balling my eyes out running around town asking for him when he disappeared... if I was the wife I'd say "oh he's gone? for good I hope..." ha ha

My favorite scene was when Vito danced with Connie at her wedding. My Italian grandfather looked very much like Don Vito and danced like that with his daughters.

My favorite scene in Godfather II was the boat scene where all the immigrants in their tattered clothing looking at the Statue of Liberty hoping for a better life. My own grandfather was 9 years old when his father brought him from the hills of Naples to America. My grandfather told me when he saw that scene in the movie that that was exactly how it was when he came here. Very touching. He's gone now, and every time I see that part, I think of my grandfather.

Ooh, I know! I can't believe I didn't think of this before now:

Two of my favorite little moments are from the first scene of Godfather I; the scene with the dialogue between Vito & Bonasera.

* While he's seated at his desk and talking with Bonasera, Vito is playing with a cat that's lying in his lap. That cat is a complete hoot! So sweet; so playful. I always thought that its trusting innocence was a statement of ironic contrast to the dastardly deeds being discussed at that very moment.

* After Vito agrees to avenge the beating of Bonasera's daughter, and issues orders to Clemenza via Tom, he utters a subtle little sigh of resignation as he leans against the interior of the door to his office: a slight shrug as he utters: "Eh". Such a small gesture - from which could be inferred so much. Fatigue? The constant weight of responsibility? Something else?

~ Q

Very astute observation, Q. Did you hear the cat purring in the background?


Also note that he rubs or scratches his moustache at the same time as he's telling Tom to "give this job to Clemenza." Could be he was pondering his decision. Also could be Brando had just grown a 'stache for the part, and it was itchy.

BTW: Have you noticed that your namesake appears in Havana, in the scene where the Cuban President is meeting with the American business bigshots. He's seated behind Roth.

Now that you mention it, I do recall hearing the purring. It's quiet, but audible. Brando must have been wearing a microphone that was situated just close enough to pick it up. (Unless it was dubbed in.)



Yep, I have noticed that. He isn't on screen more than a moment or so. But I'd recognize that mug anywhere!

Yet another example of the subtlety of FFC's craft, with narrative that doesn't hit you over the head with the obvious, but instead makes you work for it - not unlike the way events often play out in real life. (Pet peeve: I detest movies with so little respect for my intelligence that they insist upon spelling everything out in detail. Note to director: Don't tell me. Show me. )

As for the bigshots' scene in Havana, only if one happened to pay close attention and actually recall having seen his face, would the significance of Questadt's presence at that meeting start to become apparent by the time he was formally introduced into the film at the first Senate committee hearing scene. It isn't until several minutes later in the film, when Fredo utters: "The Senate lawyer, Questadt. He belongs to Roth", that the full significance of Questadt's role in the narrative is finally made explicit.

~ Q

Q: Years ago a sharp-eyed member posted a screen grab of Questadt sitting behind Roth in Havana. A lot of people on this board hadn't noticed it before. It raised an immediate question: If Michael had seen Questadt sitting behind Roth in Havana, he'd have known, as soon as Questadt turned up as the lawyer questioning him at the Senate hearing, that he'd fallen into a trap set by Roth--and he would have comported himself differently. Some people here speculated that Michael's diabetes, which manifested itself in III, had already begun to affect his vision in II. Another member resolved it: He found an earlier script treatment in which Michael was to meet with Questadt in Havana. FFC dropped that idea from the final cut--wise decision, since Michael finding out (from Fredo, no less) that Questadt belonged to Roth--after he perjured himself--made for far better drama.

That left another question: Why did FFC leave that snippet of Questadt in the final cut? My guess is that FFC had already shot the Presidential meeting scene and may have shot the Michael/Questadt scene later (if it was shot). After he made the decision to drop the Michael/Questadt meeting, he was unable to cut out that snippet of Questadt in the Presidential meeting--probably because, in that pre-digital era, he couldn't have done so without disrupting the visual and audio content of the scene. All of the Havana scenes were shot on location in the Dominican Republic, and it would have been prohibitively expensive--maybe impossible--to redo that scene just to cut out two seconds of Questadt. So, I'm guessing, FFC left the snippet of Questadt in, hoping no one would notice. Of course, that was before this Board existed.

TB, I agree. Reshooting and even post-production can run into money. That's probably why alot of mistakes get left in movies.

In GF2 when young clemenza and Vito are "stealing the rug" i love clemenzas stance when he hears the policeman behind the door and pulls his gun out..

Another little golden moment that just came to mind:

When Michael and Fredo are having their intimate little tete a tete at the café in Havana, Fredo says: "Sometimes I think I shoulda married a woman like you did -- like Kay. Kids -- have a family. For once in my life -- be more like..."

...and we're anticipating that he'll say, "...you." Instead he says "...Pop." Then he sort of reaches for Michael's hand, but withdraws his own. And he says, somewhat angrily, "Why didn't we spend time like this before.?

I guess there's a limit to brotherly love and intimacy when your brother set you up to be machine-gunned at your home.

It's a very telling scene. We get a good look into Fredo's deeply conflicted feelings toward Michael: Resentment and anger, coupled with genuine admiration and affection, plus real fear of Michael's retribution - should Fredo's treachery ever be found out. The tension that's there presents a foreshadowing of dire events yet to come...

I liked the blinking lightbulb before Vito shot Fanucci. Also... Fanucci's strutting and preening was a nice touch.

Genco Abbandando, dying in his hospital bed. Although obviously delirious with pain and medication, his absolute devotion to and belief in his Godfather shines through. A brilliant mixture of dark humor ("so it's been arranged then?") and touching sentiment when Vito remains alone by the side of his old friend to "face Death" with him, granting Genco the Corleone Family equivalent of peaceful Last Rites. Epic scene.

I always liked the way Fredo withdraws from Michael in that moment. Michael's finally being somewhat nice to him and Fredo doesn't think he's worthy to accept it at this point considering what's happened. If only they'd made the effort to communicate earlier.

The scene were Clemenza, Pauli and Rocco are driving and they stop way out in the middle of no where and FFC made sure the Statue of Liberty was in scene, ironic. Then the famous leave the gun take the cannoli line, FFC reminding us about how the mafia life and the family life is interwoven.

There are so many great subtle moments to comment on in the Trilogy that I love. A lot are already mentioned.

Here are a couple of my favorites.

In II, when young Vito is back in Italy. He and Tommisino go to Don Ciccio's to "get his blessing on their Olive Oil Business". Right after Vito whisper's "Antonio Andolini" and rips Don Ciccio's stomach open with the knife, He's walking away and it looks like he "tweaks" his cheek a little. Like a final F you!

When Sonny comes out of Lucy's apartment (I guess that's what it was) and says to one of his bodyguards who was reading a book. "Hey, save it for the liberry"

When Michael, Calo and Fabrizio are talking to Apollonia's father about a girl they seen that day. Fabrizio is describing her and Calo is sort of agreeing yet not in a non-impressed way.

Good catch on the tweak. I thought he was just wiping off the blood but, watching it again, there does seem to be an extra tweak as well.

I've always wondered whether Don Ciccio, in his final seconds, was able to put together who it was who killed him, and realize that his prediction of "when he grows he'll grow strong" was dead on accurate.

I always thought the funny thing about Calo in the scene you mention is that he is saying the exact same words as Fabrizio.

Mrs. Woltz and I have an inside joke from that - whenever we hear someone repeat what someone's else just said we whisper "Piu Greca d'Italiana" or "a bocca"

One of the most expressive expressions (how's that for alliteration?) is in II when Michael meets with Ola and tells Ola that Tom only participates in certain aspects of the family business. Tom forces a smile and a few agreeable words then walks to the sun porch and shoos the kids away. He then casts a very brief glance at Ola and Michael as he walks away while his face says it all - monumental hurt. A great bit of Duvall's acting on displpay.

Yes, that was one of Duvall's best. Trying to contain the hurt. "I'll be outside if you need me," he says hopefully. "Just tell Rocco we're waiting," Michael replies--a real kick in the ass.

I love when the Corleone family is able to get Sen. Geary in their pocket. Fredo's brothel, dead hooker on the bed, and Tom Hagen is there to save the day. Just out of Sen. Geary's view is Al Neri cleaning up, and Hagen gives Neri that "come on, WTF" look.

One little thing I love in that scene is the change in Geary's expression when Tom says, "It will be like she never existed."

You can see Geary suddenly realizes that there may be a way out of his predicament.

That expression was really good.

One of my favorites is still the scene in Part II where Young Vito is driving the truck, and all of a sudden Fannucci jumps onto it and goes "Ayyyyy!" before asking for his cut of the money.

I always liked Michael sitting alone at the end of II in his compound no doubt contemplating his life and his future. This time though I noticed that he was wearing a wedding ring. Anyone else notice that?

When Sonny storms out of Connie's wedding to rough up the guy taking pictures of license plates, he has Paulie Gatto in tow, well behind him. After he spits on the FBI guy's credentials and says, "Goddam FBI don't respect nothin'," he and Paulie turn away. When Paulie is well distanced from the FBI guy, he makes a "cornudo"--the two fingered "horns" that are the classical Italian sign of the cuckold--but does it so surreptitiously that you barely notice it. A perfect sign of what a weasel he was, and a hint of treason to come.

When Geary fails in his attempt to extort Michael, he turns a toy cannon on Michaels desk to point it at Michael. Foreshadowing of the hit? Did Geary know something?