Rewatchables Reference

• Michael and Vito on the garden benches – written by Robert Towne. 'I never wanted this for you.' 'I drink more wine than I used to.' One of the greatest scenes in movie history.
• The baptism/christening montage – Michael renouncing Satan while simultaneously having all his enemies killed. The greatest montage in modern cinema.
• Michael deciding to kill Sollozzo and McCluskey – Sonny's 'What are you gonna do, nice college boy?' speech, leading to the restaurant scene.
• The 'I believe in America' opening – the Undertaker's speech that perfectly sets up the entire world of the film.
• Vito with the Five Families – 'I'm a superstitious man, and if some unlucky accident should befall him... then I'm going to blame some of the people in this room.'
• Sonny beating up Carlo on the street, which took four days to shoot.
• Michael meeting Moe Greene in Vegas – 'Do you know who I am? I'm Moe Greene. I made my bones when you were going out with cheerleaders.'

• The wedding scene – every single line of dialogue functions as exposition and character building. Shot like a documentary. By the end of 30 minutes, you feel like you've known this family for 20 years.
• The family as a whole – it feels like a real family. These actors all knew each other in New York. Coppola populated the backgrounds with actual family members.
• Every single Fredo scene, including Fredo's Vegas outfit.
• Clemenza's tomato sauce recipe – you can actually follow it. 'Leave the gun, take the cannoli.'
• Michael's subtle performance – knowing where Godfather 2 is going makes every gesture meaningful.
• 'Who's being naive, Kay?' – Don Corleone's comparison of himself to senators and presidents has aged remarkably well.
• Tessio's betrayal – 'Can you get me off the hook, Tom? For old times' sake?' 'Can't do it, Sally.'
• The Don's death in the garden with the oranges, playing with his grandson.
• Gordon Willis's cinematography – playing on the edge of darkness, giving the film an incredible yellowed antiquity.
• Don Corleone's prediction about drugs in America.
• Clemenza comparing the mob war to Hitler – 'These things gotta happen every five, ten years. Helps get rid of the bad blood.'

• Kay Adams as a character – Michael disappears for five years, marries someone else in Sicily, comes back for a year, then shows up at her job and she just hops in the car.
• Apollonia being played by a 16-year-old actress.
• The Five Families meeting with Don Zaluchi's comments about keeping drugs 'with the dark people, the coloreds.'
• The missed punches in the Sonny-Carlo fight scene.
• Al Martino as Johnny Fontaine – terrible performance of a character supposed to represent Frank Sinatra. Looked like he should be playing at a Holiday Inn in Hoboken.

• 12 directors passed before Coppola. Paramount almost sold the rights to Burt Lancaster, who wanted to play Don Corleone.
• For Don Corleone: Laurence Olivier, Ernest Borgnine, George C. Scott. Puzo wanted Brando.
• For Michael: Warren Beatty and Jack Nicholson passed. Robert Evans wanted Ryan O'Neal or Robert Redford. Dustin Hoffman and Martin Sheen also auditioned.
• Robert De Niro was supposed to play Paulie Gatto but quit, creating the chain reaction that gave Pacino the role.
• Carmine Caridi was supposed to be Sonny but was moved when Pacino got Michael because Caridi was a foot taller than Pacino.
• Sylvester Stallone auditioned for Paulie and Carlo.
• Mia Farrow auditioned for Kay.

• Marlon Brando – caught at the absolute perfect moment of his career. Four years earlier, buying low on him. Four years later, too crazy.
• Al Pacino – three different characters in one movie. The all-time Oscar travesty that he lost.
• Francis Ford Coppola – goes from being a nobody to directing the greatest movie ever made.
• Gordon Willis – 'The Prince of Darkness' at his absolute best.

• Never go against the family.
• 'It's not personal, it's strictly business.'
• Clemenza's recipe: start with oil, fry garlic, throw in tomatoes and paste, don't let it stick. Add sausage and meatballs, a little wine, and don't forget the sugar.
• You should never let anyone outside the family know what you're thinking.

• Was Paulie Gatto actually sick or was he really a traitor? What if he just had a cold?
• Is this the greatest movie of all time?
• What if De Niro had stayed as Paulie – does Pacino get Michael?
• What would this movie look like set in 1970s Kansas City with Burt Lancaster as the Don?

The movie won. Everyone involved won. But if you had to pick: Coppola – he went from $400K in debt and being the 13th choice to directing what might be the greatest movie ever made.