I know, I know. "How have you never seen that?!" Both of these movies have always been in the back of my mind of movies I should probably watch, but just have never gotten around to actually seeing them. These both represent the epitome of mobster movies and I've had so many people mention these movies as being a staple in life. There are many lines in The Godfather that I've heard people quote that I probably don't even know some of them are from this movie. One of the most memorable quotations that I've heard from this movie came from a completely different movie. In the movie, You've Got Mail from the early 2000s, Tom Hanks quotes The Godfather when he's telling Meg Ryan that she needs to "go to the mattresses." He tells her that all of the answers to life's questions are in this movie. With Scarface, the only line I know is, "Say hello to my little friend!" Since that "friend" is one serious weapon, it leaves a strong impression on anyone that sees it. Since I have recently visited the Mob Museum in Las Vegas, this also seems quite fitting to watch two mob movies. I don't think either of these films follow actual mafia families, but creates a story around the general idea and philosophy of a mafia family and the kinds of lives they lead and struggles they face. I'm not sure if you're supposed to love the families in both of these films, but I get the sense that people love the family in The Godfather. The patriarch of the family has a cool, even temper which makes him look more ruthless and calculating. I haven't gotten the same feeling about Scarface. I feel that Scarface is more about vengeance and the struggle between mafia families. Pacino seems to have a bit of a "hot head" personality in this, which makes him unpredictable. I could be completely off because I really don't know much about either of these films. Time to get my head in the game and find out what these movies are all about!
So, I didn't realize that Al Pacino was one of the Corleone sons in The Godfather. So, aside from being about organized crime, both films also have Al Pacino in common. They're both about loyalty, but in different ways. The Godfather is about loyalty to the family. Scarface is about loyalty to those you choose to be loyal to, but sticking to it through thick and thin. Although Tony shows some loyalty to his family when trying to protect his sister, but he generally is a lone wolf that prioritizes his own ambitions over others. Vito Corleone prioritizes the future of the family over any personal needs and short term ambitions. He's always playing the long game, even if it doesn't benefit the family in the short term. These two films are quite the juxtaposition of each other. The further I got into Scarface, the more I realized how different it really was from The Godfather. I had always lumped the two together, but I had no idea just how different they actually were.
The Godfather is an incredibly strong film. I never thought I would enjoy this film, which is why I never watched it. This film sucked me in, though, and I found myself getting very interested in how the family would respond to the situations they were forced into. James Caan was excellent at portraying the "hot headed" mafia man. It was a surprise to see Al Pacino so meek and quite at first. After his father gets shot, though, you see an entirely different side of him come out. He is methodical and calculating. In one scene, you hear Vito Corleone tell Sonny that he never should tell anyone outside the family what he's thinking. I can definitely see that Michael has taken that lesson to heart. He keeps his thoughts close to the chest. He figures out the connecting pieces and how to deal with each situation. He's definitely taken after his father and thinks about the long goal, not just the here and now. I feel like Sonny never would have been the right choice to lead the family into the future. He was too impulsive. Michael may have had plans to go into politics, but he was always the right choice for the "head of the family" role. I loved how this film delved into the loyalty and tradition of this family, branching all the way back to Italy. That the Italian family stepped up to protect Michael from their enemies showed that no matter the distance, you took care of your own. It's a very potent thing, having deep family loyalty like that.
Scarface is a drastically different film. This isn't about family loyalty, though loyalty does play a big role in this. This film is more about one man with a strong drive to make his way to the top. He works his way through lower ranking positions for a drug lord until he's one that is recognized as reliable and loyal. At this point, he's being sent out with one of the other members to meet with a cocaine supplier and it is shown that he really understands this business and knows what consists of a good deal. The supplier recognizes the strength of Tony and decides he would rather work with him than with Tony's boss. As Tony rises up and shows he's ready to go bigger, his boss grows uneasy and begins to plot Tony's downfall. Unfortunately for him, Tony is a resilient man and finds a way to protect himself. As Frank's plan unfolds, Tony goes to him for retribution, even bringing up the fact that despite doing a little extra for himself on the side, he never turned on Frank, staying loyal to the end. It was Frank's actions that brought Tony's wrath down on his organization. But in the end, it was Tony's need for more, never being satisfied, that brought down retribution from someone else even bigger and badder than him. To be fair, he did go down in style and with flair. A true legend, to be sure.
I feel that I enjoyed The Godfather more than I did Scarface. Although Scarface had an intensity that wouldn't let up throughout the film, I found myself enjoying the thoughtfulness of the characters in The Godfather. I definitely want to watch the follow up films for The Godfather, even with the general opinions that the second one isn't that great and the third brought it back. I still feel like I'll need to watch them both at least once. As for Scarface, I'm glad I've finally seen this film, but it isn't one I feel I'll go back to for future watches. I liked Michelle Pfeiffer's character in this and could appreciate her strength. Seeing Mary Elizabeth Mastrontonio as a Latina, on the other hand, was a bit weird for me. I first saw her in The Abyss as a typical American engineer, so seeing her with a Latin accent felt forced. Oddly enough, I didn't feel like Al Pacino's accent was as forced, though. I enjoyed his performance of this character. It was strong and intense, quite perfect for this role. I see why this has lingered in the minds of those who've watched it. It's a strong film that has you mentally replaying scenes in your head for days after watching. To me, though, The Godfather has much more re-watchability. I know it's not a word, but my spell check isn't freaking out so I'm going with it. Lol. There's more to pick apart and take in with this film on successive watch throughs.
These were good movies to watch and if you haven't seen them yet, then you totally should. Classic films are called that for a reason and it's not just because of their age. It's because they've weathered the test of time and still hold up as films that mean something to those who watch them. Check them out. They're worth it.
I still have one more movie for my monthly theme of men's health awareness and that's going to be Rocky. After that, it's the month of Christmas movies, so stay tuned!
For more movie love, check out my other blog, "You're Watching That Again?!"
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