The main actors of the “godfather” who went down in cinema history. The Godfather (novel)

“Listen, this traffic policeman - he doesn’t respect himself at all!”
Mimino

"Damn it, the FBI doesn't respect anyone!"
Sonny

"It's nothing personal, Sonny. It's just business."
Michael

"I'll make him an offer he can't refuse."
Don Vito Corleone's catchphrase

"Don Corleone! I am honored by this honor and happy that you invited me to your daughter's wedding... on your daughter's wedding day. And I hope that their first child will be male. I assure you of my deepest respect."
The oratorical masterpiece of Luca Brasi

Probably everyone knows the phrase about “your daughter’s wedding.” It is impossible to count how many times during wedding ceremonies one of the guests stood up and said it to the father of the bride, while the guests were having a lot of fun, because it really is funny. It is also impossible to calculate how many times in different parts of the planet completely various languages Ma's catchphrase was uttered...

Ykla: “It’s nothing personal, Sonny. It’s just business”... And there’s nothing surprising about that. "The Godfather" is one of the best, if not the best, films of the twentieth century. Listed on the International Internet Film Database (IMDB) best paintings of all times and peoples, "The Godfather" comes first. Almost one hundred thousand people voted for him...
The film "The Godfather" is based on novel of the same name Mario Puzo, and placed quite close to the text. Both Puzo and Coppola were repeatedly reproached for the fact that the film, they say, “romanticizes gangsters,” but they indignantly rejected such claims. Nevertheless, this question still remains open, and in this article we will try to figure out what is there and how. But first - according to tradition - just a little about the plot...
The film tells about a certain period in the life of the Corleone family - Americans Italian origin. Moreover, the term “family” in this case means not only ordinary family ties, but also “family” as a mafia clan under the leadership of the head, who, according to Italian tradition, was called the godfather. The Corleone family was dominated by Don Vito (Marlon Brando). He was also the “godfather” and head of one of the “families” of New York - mafia clans that led a large number of various criminal businesses from Eastern to west coast America.
During the period of life described, the Corleone family began to have serious problems. Some people from the leading echelons of the "families" came to the conclusion that, along with the era of racketeering, prostitution and gambling - traditional types business of mafia clans - begins new era- drugs. “This type of business can bring in a lot of money, so you need to do it: invest money, bribe the police and judges in order to ultimately lead the drug trade,” these people said.
However, Don Vito did not agree to support such ideas. He categorically refused to deal with drugs and said that he would not use his own extensive connections to pave the way for this new business. Don Corleone believed that being involved in drug trafficking was unethical. Racketeering, prostitution, gambling- This is a completely normal and even traditional business, Don Vito believed. All small shopkeepers still have to pay for the “protection” that the mafia provides them, and prostitution and gambling are traditional human sins from which it is impossible to make money. But getting involved with drugs - no, this is not for Don Vito.
And here his own favorite phrase worked against Don Corleone - about an offer that cannot be refused. Don Vito should not have refused to support the drug trade. Because it started with his refusal Great War between mafia "families", because of which many people died with different sides. Moreover, the war began with the shooting of Don Corleone himself. He was seriously injured and spent a long time in the hospital. All power in the “family” during Don Vito’s absence passed to his eldest son, Sonny (James Caan). However, Sonny - with his explosive Italian temperament, genuine fearlessness and assertiveness of a young bull - was an excellent warrior, but a poor strategist. Where it was necessary to act with cunning, Sonny preferred to go ahead. Therefore, the situation of the Corleone family worsened more and more.
And then he entered the arena younger son don - Michael (Al Pacino)... Michael always kept to himself in the family. His father tried not to involve him much in family affairs, and Michael first studied, and then, against his father’s will, he went to war to fight for America. Upon returning, Michael began to live separately from his family and was about to marry an American woman, Kay (Diane Keaton), when suddenly his father’s injury radically changed his whole life. Michael realized that during this difficult time for his family, he could not stay away. And since Michael, by his nature, could not limit himself to the role of a passive participant in hostilities, he took upon himself the burden of solving the most difficult issues...
As a result of this, Michael was not only forced to leave America for Italy for a long time, but later, when he was able to return back, after the death of his father, he had to prove to the rest of the “family” that he could be a don instead of Vito Corleone. That he, still a very young man, has wisdom, foresight, and an iron will. But it was very, very difficult to prove this. For this, Michael had to go to war with several very influential members of the so-called “five “families” of New York”...
***
We immediately answer the main reproach that opponents leveled at Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola: does the film serve to “romanticize” gangster “families”? No, it doesn't. There is no trace of romanticization there. Puzo and Coppola do not at all admire Don Vito, Michael and people of this sort. They explore them. They try to understand and show how and why Vito Corleone became the godfather. They demonstrate how Michael - smart Michael, a man who always had a certain dislike for his father's business - under the influence of completely positive human qualities, comes to the defense of his father and family and how he subsequently turns into a real monster - a criminal and murderer .
In fact, the book and film "The Godfather" are also very interesting from a historical perspective. It clearly shows why the Italians became so influential in the criminal business of America, why their mafia scheme for creating organizations and subordinating them for a long time was actually the standard.
And just in “The Godfather” it is quite clearly demonstrated how omerta - the Sicilian code of silence - and other methods that in Sicily were a means of struggle for survival, in America gradually began to serve completely different goals and objectives. And these methods for solving such problems were so effective that the Italians (more precisely, the Sicilians) actually became the head of almost the entire criminal business. But at what cost all this was done - the film and book also show it in sufficient detail.
"The Godfather", in my opinion, is best for its characters: very bright, vital and ambiguous. In first place, of course, are Don Vito and Michael - brilliant works Marlon Brando and Al Pacino. Don Vito is not a killer monster at all. This is a man with a powerful mind, excellent strategic talents and clear principles. Well, yes, exactly the principles. One part of these principles is deep respect, but the other is perhaps a sardonic grin. For example, Don Corleone’s constant hypocritical desire to force (namely force) everyone to consider him their “friend”. They say that Don Corleone completely disinterestedly helps everyone, without demanding anything in return - well, except perhaps respect. Nevertheless, when the time comes and Don Vito needs the services of this “friend”, he will not be able to refuse. Don Corleone's numerous personal connections were largely based on this system of “friendship” - connections thanks to which he became one of the most powerful mafia “dons.” If a person refused to become Don Vito’s “friend,” he became his enemy. “Whoever is not with us is against us” - this principle worked absolutely ironically...
Interestingly, despite the fact that Coppola saw Marlon Brando in the role of Don Vito, the producers and management of Paramount actively objected to this candidacy. Negotiations for the role of Don Vito were held with Laurence Olivier, Edward Robinson, Orson Welles and George C. Scott. But Coppola insisted so actively on Marlon that he himself was almost removed from the directorship of the film. However, Francis still managed to persuade the head of Paramount, Stanley Jaffe, as a result of which we got exactly the Don Corleone we know today.
Marlon Brando, despite certain hooliganism that he committed during filming, took the role of Don Vito very seriously. It was Brando who decided that Don Corleone’s face should look like a bulldog, so he played the entire role with cotton swabs placed behind his cheeks - they created “square” jaws, and in addition, made Brando’s voice similar to the voice of real-life mafia boss Frank Costello ...
Brando played his role simply amazing. A wise strategist, a loving but strict father and a mafia boss - a very bright, ambiguous and extraordinary personality. The dialogue scenes involving Don Vito can be re-watched endlessly. Many of the lessons that he gives to his sons and subordinates are very, very useful for many.
But the most, in my opinion, interesting character the paintings are, after all, Michael Corleone. Because if Don Vito appears in the film as a fully formed person with his own clear views, then Michael, before the eyes of the audience, goes through a whole chain of successive transformations: young hero wars and all that, a member of the family, the Punishing Hammer of the "family", an exile, a candidate for "don", Don Michael. Michael's motives were quite pure and even highly moral, and this led to the fact that he turned into a real mafia boss, without really noticing it. He was simply protecting his family, he was fulfilling his filial duty. But this family was quite unique, and yet the family defeated Michael, although at first he tried to do everything to prevent this from happening.
Al Pacino brilliantly showed this entire transformation, all the strength and power of Michael’s character, without resorting to any special external effects. Just the look and the manner of pronouncing the words... “Today I decide all my family matters”... This phrase still gives me goosebumps, although I hear it about the twentieth time. I also often rewatch the scene when Michael introduces himself to Apollonia's father for the first time in Sicily. With what dignity he does this and how majestic he looks at the same time - at his still quite young age...
By the way, Michael could not have been played by Al Pacino. Warren Batey (this sugary handsome guy would have killed the whole film), Jack Nicholson, Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman were invited to play the role of Michael. They all refused. Martin Sheen was offered the role of Michael, and he even auditioned for it. At one time, James Caan was also considered for the role, but he ultimately got the role of Sonny.
But Al Pacino was supposed to play during the filming of The Godfather main role in another film, “Bang the Drum Slowly,” but Coppola pushed some buttons, and Pacino was released from this picture, giving the main role to Robert De Niro, who, by the way, also tried on the roles of Sonny and Michael. But Coppola decided that De Niro was not suitable for the role of Sonny, and Al Pacino would play Michael. But De Niro got the role of the young Don Vito in the second “The Godfather”, and he received an Oscar for it. Many of the actors on "The Godfathers" won Oscars. Almost all. Except Al Pacino. Incredible, but it's a fact...
The same Francis Ford Coppola insisted on the indispensable participation of Al Pacino. However, unlike, for example, the names of Robert De Niro, Robert Redford and Jack Nicholson, the name of Al Pacino was not known to anyone at that time (The Godfather brought this magnificent actor to the top of the Hollywood Olympus), so the studio management and producers sharply objected to his participation. But Coppola insisted - and still managed to insist on his own, just as in the case of Marlon Brando. Practice has shown that Coppola is not mistaken...
We can also talk about the remaining roles for a very long time, because almost all of them are very bright and memorable (especially Sonny played by James Caan and Tom Hagan played by Robert Duvall). But I think that this does not make much sense, because in such cases the saying that it is better to see once than to read verbal descriptions for a long time and tediously always works clearly.
Also, I will not talk about the magnificent music of Nino Rota, which has long become a classic, the composer who wrote the music for Fellini’s films. I haven't said much about the direction, but The Godfather is Coppola's film! He is the creator of this masterpiece, he insisted on the actors’ candidacies, largely thanks to him the acting work turned out to be so magnificent... By the way, few people know, but the director of “The Godfather” could have been... Sergio Leone. The management of Paramount offered him to take on this project, but Leone refused because he had plans to shoot another film about the mafia (of course, we're talking about about "Once Upon a Time in America"). The audience only benefited from this, having received two magnificent films, but Leone, they say, later regretted his refusal for a long time...
Finally, let's talk a little about the prototypes of the heroes of the novel and film... In some articles I came across the idea that the prototype of Vito Corleone was the famous mafia boss Vito Genovese. However, besides the name literary hero This character has nothing in common. But the book Vito Corleone has quite a lot in common with Joe Bonanno, the head of one of the five “families” of New York, and it seems that Bonanno was one of the prototypes. Just like Joe Bonanno's son, Bill Bonanno, has quite a lot in common with Michael Corleone's character. However, in reality, of course, everything was very different from the book, judging by non-fiction about those times and according to the book by the same Bill Bonanno...
Let me summarize. This is truly one of the best films of the twentieth century. It's a must see because it's a classic and, unlike many other old films, it still looks great. You can know it by heart, but you will still want to put on the disc and watch a few of your favorite episodes or just re-watch the film from beginning to end. He deserves it.
P.S. And one last “by the way”... Actor Lenny Montana, who plays Luca Brasi, was so embarrassed while rehearsing the scene of his meeting with Marlon Brando that the words got stuck in his throat, and all this hesitation and stuttering of Luca happened for real, and was not at all planned. But Coppola liked the way this scene looked, so he included it in the film and only completed the scene of Luca rehearsing his “speech” to Don Corleone...

Alex Axler. www.exler.ru

At this time, Don Vito - the head of the Corleone mafia clan, known to everyone as the “Godfather” - and the family’s personal lawyer Tom Hagen (Robert Duvall) accept congratulations and listen to requests from friends and partners, which they express, knowing that “no one a Sicilian will not be able to refuse a request on his daughter’s wedding day.” Meanwhile, the don's beloved youngest son Michael (Al Pacino), the eminent sea ​​hero, returning from World War II, tells his friend Kay Adams (Diane Keaton) funny stories regarding her father’s criminal activities, assuring her that he himself is not like his family.

Feature film The Godfather

Vito Corleone - Godfather of the Sicilian mafia, a highly respected don in America. A man of the old school who prefers strong friendship instead of big money, his list of friends included famous politicians, respected businessmen and aristocrats. One day, Don Corleone receives tempting offer to organize a drug business, but he, as a self-respecting person, refused.

A little later, Don Corleone is attacked, receiving several gunshot wounds. Vito survived and was in the hospital for a long time. The youngest son Michael, who returned from the war, did not want to participate in the family business, however, after an attempt on his father’s life, he begins to take revenge on his offenders.

The Godfather movie summary

Fanucci, a gangster who extorts money from shopkeepers, places his nephew in Vito's place, leaving Vito without a job, and Vito is forced to join his friend Clemenza and his accomplice Tessio, who are raiding trucks with silk dresses, otherwise his family will die from hunger. When Fanucci demands his share of the money raised from this, Vito, having carefully calculated everything, kills him in cold blood. This makes Vito a respected man on the block. Fanucci's clientele goes to him.

Vito Andolini was twelve years old when his father, who had fallen out with the Sicilian mafia, was killed. Since the mafia is also hunting for his son, Vito is sent to America. There he changes his surname to Corleone - after the name of the village where he comes from. Young Vito goes to work at Abbandando's grocery store. At eighteen he marries, and in the third year of marriage he has a son, Santino, whom everyone affectionately calls Sonny, and then another - Frederico, Freddie.

Fanucci, a gangster who extorts money from shopkeepers, places his nephew in Vito's place, leaving Vito without a job, and Vito is forced to join his friend Clemenza and his accomplice Tessio, who are raiding trucks with silk dresses, otherwise his family will die from hunger. When Fanucci demands his share of the money raised from this, Vito, having carefully calculated everything, kills him in cold blood. This makes Vito a respected man on the block. Fanucci's clientele goes to him. He eventually forms a couple with his friend Genco Abbandando trading house for the import of olive oil. Shopkeepers who do not want to stock up on their oil are dealt with by Clemenza and Tessio - warehouses are burning, people are dying... During Prohibition, under the guise of a trading house, Vito smuggled alcohol, after the abolition of Prohibition he switched to gambling business. More and more people work for him, and Vito Corleone provides everyone with a comfortable life and protection from the police. They begin to add the word “don” to his name, and he is respectfully called the Godfather.

Time passes, the Corleones already have four children, and their family is raising an orphan and street child, Tom Hagen. Sonny, at the age of sixteen, begins working for his father - first as a bodyguard, then as the commander of one of the armed squads of the mafia along with Clemenza and Tessio. Later in family business Freddie and Tom enter.

Don Corleone is the first to understand that it is necessary to take politics, not shooting, and that in order to protect his world from government interference, criminal groups in New York and throughout the country must stick together. Through his efforts at a time when external world the second one shakes World War, inside the American underworld - calm and complete readiness to reap the benefits of the rise of the American economy. Only one thing saddens the Don - his youngest son Michael rejects his father’s care and volunteers to go to war, where he rises to the rank of captain, and at the end of the war, again without asking anyone, he leaves home and goes to university.

The actual action of the novel begins in August 1945. Only daughter Dona Constance - Connie - is getting married. Don Corleone doesn't like it very much future son-in-law, Carlo Rizzi, but he appoints him to the position of bookmaker in Manhattan and makes sure that the police reports drawn up on Carlo in Nevada, where he used to live, are seized. Faithful people also deliver information to the Don about legal gambling houses in Nevada, and the Don listens to this information with great interest.

Among other guests coming to the wedding famous singer Johnny Fontaine, he's also the don's godson. Johnny's life with his second wife did not work out, his voice is lost, he has troubles with the film business... What brings him here is not only love and respect for the Corleone family, but also the confidence that the Godfather will help solve his problems. And indeed, the Don arranges it so that Johnny is given the role, for which he subsequently receives an Oscar, helps with family matters and lends him enough money for Johnny to become a film producer. Fontaine's paintings are wildly successful, and the Don makes a big profit - this man knows how to profit from everything.

When Don Corleone is offered participation in the drug business together with the Tattaglia family, he refuses, since it goes against his principles. But Sonny was very interested, which did not hide from Sollozzo, who conveyed this proposal to Corleone.

Three months later, an assassination attempt is made on Vito Corleone. The killers manage to escape - the weak-willed Freddy, replacing the don's bodyguard, is numb and cannot even pull out a machine gun.

Meanwhile, Hagen is captured by Sollozzo's men. Having told Tom that Don Corleone has been killed, Sollozzo asks him to become a mediator in negotiations with Sonny, who will now become the head of the family and will be able to sell drugs. But then news comes that, despite five bullets, the Godfather survived. Sollozzo wants to kill Hagen, but he manages to deceive him.

Sonny and Sollozzo begin endless negotiations. At the same time, Sonny “evens the score” - the informant Sollozzo dies, Tattaglia’s son is killed... These days, Michael considers it his duty to be with his family.

One evening, upon entering the hospital, Michael discovers that someone has recalled Tessio's men guarding the Don's ward. This means Sollozzo will now come to kill his father! Michael quickly calls Sonny and takes a position at the entrance to the hospital - to hold out until his own people arrive. Then police captain McCloskey arrives, bribed by Sollozzo. Furious that the operation failed, he breaks Michael's jaw. Michael bore it without attempting to retaliate.

The next day, Sollozzo conveys that he wants to enter into negotiations through Michael, because he is considered a harmless weakling. But Michael is filled with cold hatred for his father's enemies. Having agreed to negotiate, he kills both Sollozzo and Captain McCloskey, who is accompanying him. After this, he is forced to flee the country and hide in Sicily.

The police, taking revenge for the murder of the captain, suspend profitable activities that are carried out in violation of the law. This brings loss to all five families of New York, and as the Corleone family refuses to hand over the killer, the underworld begins to internecine war 1946 However, when through the efforts of Hagen it is discovered that McCloskey was a bribe-taker, the thirst for revenge in the hearts of the police subsides and the pressure from the police stops. But five families continue to fight the Corleone family: they terrorize bookmakers, shoot ordinary servants, and lure people away. The Corleone family goes into martial law. Don, despite his condition, is transported from the hospital home, under reliable protection. Freddie is sent to Las Vegas to come to his senses and familiarize himself with the situation in the casinos there. Sonny runs the family affairs - and doesn't in the best possible way. In senseless and bloody war with five families, he manages to win a number of individual victories, but the family is losing people and income, and there is no end in sight. Several profitable bookmaking outlets had to be closed, and Carlo Rizzi, thus left out of business, takes his anger out on his wife: one day he beat her so much that Connie, calling Sonny, asks to take her home. Losing his head with rage, Sonny rushes to intercede for his sister, is ambushed and killed.

Don Corleone is forced to leave hospital bed and become the head of the family. To everyone's surprise, he calls all the families of New York and family syndicates from all over the country to a meeting, where he makes a peace proposal. He even agrees to take up drugs, but on one condition - no harm will come to his son Michael. The world is concluded. And only Hagen realizes that the Godfather has far-reaching plans and today’s retreat is just a tactical maneuver.

Michael meets a beautiful girl in Sicily and gets married. But his happiness was short-lived - the Barzini family, who from the very beginning stood behind Sollozzo and Tattaglia, causes an explosion in Michael’s car with the hands of the traitor Fabrizio. Michael accidentally survived, but his wife dies... Returning to America, Michael expresses his desire to become his father's real son and work with him.

Three years pass. Michael marries an American, Kay Adams, who was waiting for him during his exile. Under the guidance of Hagen and the Don, he diligently studies the family business. Like his father, Michael prefers to act not from a position of strength, but from a position of intelligence and resourcefulness. They plan to move business operations to Nevada, completely switching to a legal position there (a person who did not want to give them his territory in Las Vegas is killed). But at the same time they are developing plans for revenge on the Barzini-Tattaglia alliance. Having partially retired from business, the Don appoints Michael as his successor, so that in a year he will become a full-fledged Godfather...

But suddenly Don Corleone dies, after his death Barzini and Tattaglia violate the peace treaty and try to kill Michael, taking advantage of Tessio’s betrayal. But Michael proves that his father's choice was correct. Fabrizio is killed. The heads of the Barzini and Tattaglia families are killed. Tessio is killed. They kill Carlo Rizzi, who, as it turned out, on the day of Sonny’s murder, deliberately beat his wife at the behest of Barzini.

Upon learning of Carlo's death, Connie rushes to Michael with reproaches. And although Michael denies everything, Kay suddenly realizes that her husband is a killer. Horrified, she takes the children and leaves to live with her parents.

A week later, Hagen comes to see her. They have a terrible conversation: Tom describes to Kay the world that Michael has been hiding from her all this time - a world where you can’t forgive, a world where you have to forget about your affections. “If Michael finds out what I told you here, I’m finished,” he finishes. “There are only three people in the world whom he will not harm: you and the children.”

Kay returns to her husband. Soon they move to Nevada. Hagen and Freddie work for Michael, Connie remarries. Clemenza is allowed to leave Corleone and start his own family syndicate. Things are going well, the dominance of the Corleone family is unshakable.

Every morning Kay goes to church with her mother-in-law. Both women earnestly pray for the salvation of the souls of their husbands - two dons, two Godfathers...

, Robert Duvall, John Cazale and Diane Keaton.

The plot of the film "The Godfather"

The film takes place in America in 1945-1955. There is a celebration in the house of mafia boss Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) - his daughter Connie (Talia Shire) marries Carlo Rizzi (Giani Russo). Among the invited guests, many want to see the “godfather” Corleone, knowing that at this joyful moment he cannot refuse a single request. Together with his personal lawyer Tom Hagen (Robert Duvall), Vito listens to his petitioners and makes important decisions.

Vito Corleone comes to see famous singer Johnny Fontaine (Al Martino), who is one of the godsons of the authority. He asks " godfather» help you get a role in a new Hollywood movie. Film producer Jack Woltz (John Marley) refuses to give the role to the singer, but Don Vito decides to “make him an offer he can’t refuse.” Tom Hagen flies to California and tries to solve the problem peacefully first, but Volz is adamant. Then Tom decides to take a different route - he throws the severed head of his favorite breeding horse into the obstinate producer’s bed. This move brings results instantly - Johnny Fontaine gets a role in the film.

After the release of the film “The Godfather”, the phrase “an offer you can’t refuse” became a catchphrase and found its way into all encyclopedias winged words and expressions.

The Corleone family is one of the most powerful in America. The numerous connections of the “godfather” Vito provide cover for the work of most Sicilian clans in the New World, which is a guarantor of the growth of capital and authority of the Corleones. This state of affairs does not suit his competitors, and they decide to declare war on the influential clan. They try to kill Vito Corleone, but it ends with a non-life-threatening wound, which temporarily takes the “godfather” out of the game. At this moment, one of Vito's sons, Michael Corleone (Al Pacino), comes to the fore, who is determined to win this war against other mafia clans, no matter what the cost.

Making of the film "The Godfather"

In 1969, Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather was published, which instantly became a bestseller. The film company Paramount bought the rights to this film in order to film it. It was originally planned that the director of the new film would be Sergio Leone, but he refused to work on his own gangster epic Once Upon a Time in America. Robert Evans, the producer of the project, really wanted the film to be directed by an Italian-American, as he believed that this would have a good effect on the box office. Then his choice fell on another director with Italian roots - Francis Ford Coppola.

It should be noted that at that time the Paramount studio was experiencing another crisis, so it was decided to rely on a film adaptation of the bestseller. To attract the public, it was decided to make a very tough film that would excite the public. Coppola was put under some pressure to add some additional scenes of violence to the script.

The slogan of the movie “The Godfather” is “ Real power cannot be given - it can be taken."

Cult status of the film "The Godfather"

With a modest production budget of $6 million at the time, the film's release brought the creators of the film more than $250 million.

Immediately after the film was released worldwide, it became clear that the film was a masterpiece. Critics and audiences unanimously admired the epic gangster drama, and Coppola and Al Pacino became idols of millions. Interestingly, over time, interest in the painting did not subside. Even in the 21st century, The Godfather is considered one of the best films of all time.

The film "The Godfather" received three Oscar awards: for best movie, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Actor (Marlon Brando).

"Godfather" - classic novel about the life of one of the most powerful crime syndicates in America - the mafia clan of Don Corleone. Written with stunning authenticity, it allows the reader to peer into the inner sanctum of the mafia without risking his life. Puzo's novel formed the basis for the famous film directed by Francis Ford Coppola. This picture received nineteen different awards and is rightfully considered one of the best in world cinema. Peculiarities. "DETECTED. The mystery that captivated the world" is a modern thriller and detective story, sometimes with a small dose of mysticism. Advantages. The books in the series are included in the TOP lists of the most serious ratings, sell millions of copies and always create a sensation in the market. The series is the successor to the Millennium (Misterium) series. Authors. The series features leading modern creators of action-packed literature (Stieg Larsson, Jo Nesbø, Elizabeth George, Camilla Läckberg, Brian McGilloway, Robert Dugoni, Ioan Colfer, etc.), as well as...

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"The Godfather" - plot

Vito Andolini was nine years old when his father, who had fallen out with the Sicilian mafia, was killed. Since the mafia is also hunting for his son, Vito is sent to America. There he changes his surname to Corleone - after the name of the village where he comes from. Young Vito goes to work at Abbandando's grocery store. At eighteen he marries, and in the third year of marriage he has a son, Santino, whom everyone affectionately calls Sunny, and then another - Frederico, Freddy or Fredo.

Fanucci, a gangster who extorts money from shopkeepers, places his nephew in Vito's place, leaving Vito without a job, and Vito is forced to join his friend Clemenza and his accomplice Tessio, who are raiding trucks with silk dresses, otherwise his family will die from hunger. When Fanucci demands his share of the money raised from this, Vito, having carefully calculated everything, kills him in cold blood. This makes Vito a respected man on the block. Fanucci's clientele goes to him. In the end, he and his friend Genco Abbandando founded a trading house for the import of olive oil. Shopkeepers who do not want to stock up on their oil are taken care of by Clemenza and Tessio - warehouses are burning, people are dying... During Prohibition, under the guise of a trading house, Vito smuggled alcohol, after the abolition of Prohibition he switched to the gambling business. More and more people work for him, and Vito Corleone provides everyone with a comfortable life and protection from the police. They begin to add the word “don” to his name, and he is respectfully called the Godfather.

Story

The prototype of the personalities of the Corleone family was the real-life Bonanno family. Joe Bonanno is the prototype of Vito Corleone, Bill Bonanno is the prototype of Michael Corleone. However, the largest importers of olive oil were actually another criminal family. The absolute prototype of Johnny Fontane is Frank Sinatra, who received an Oscar for his role as Angelo Maggio in Fred Zinnemann's film From Here to Eternity. According to rumors, he received this role due to pressure on the film’s producer from the mafia. Also having bad marriage with the actress and lost his voice for some time. Sinatra's daughter confirmed to journalists his connections with the mafia. The novel is full of phrases and expressions that have become popular. Almost all of them are in the form of dark humor.

Reviews

Reviews of the book "The Godfather"

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Anastasia

Godfather - pretty famous work, and also based on it was filmed no less interesting film. The book describes the life of the mafia - accurately, in detail and interestingly! Many quotes from the book have long become popular, and the Sicilian mafia arouses interest and inspires horror. The author managed to accurately convey the atmosphere, talk about all the traditions, customs and life of Sicilian families. The story of each character is very accurately described.

The main character is Vito Corleone - he is the head of a Sicilian family, kind at heart, caring and understanding. Vito Corleone is a good father to his children. The main motto for the clan is to help your neighbor in any situation, because perhaps someday you will need his help. Of course, from this work you expect constant gang wars, mafia shootouts and the like, but strangely enough, in this book this is far from being in the first place. Here first of all we see human qualities- respect, devotion and gratitude.

The book is an avid read - a fascinating plot, unexpected turns events - and all this is complemented by an incredible atmosphere, which is closed from prying eyes!

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