Francis Ford Coppola’s impressive filmography is just as well known as the director’s varied history when it comes to troubled behind-the-scenes productions of those very same cinematic classics. The iconic filmmaker has made such masterpieces asApocalypse Now, The Conversation,The Outsiders, and is perhaps best recognized for his trilogy ofGodfatherfilmsthat would set a new standard for Mafia and crime films for decades to come. There are plenty of iconic moments in the films thatwould be referenced or paid homage toin various forms, but, it turns out, the production on the first film was a struggle for Coppola, who fought to keep the creative integrity of his adaptation of Mario Puzo’s novel intact.
In fact, Paramount wanted one line spoken early on by Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) in the opening wedding sequence of the film to be removed. In an excerpt from “The Godfather Treasures"by Peter Cowie, it was revealed that Michael telling his girlfriend"that’s my family, Kay, it’s not me"almost didn’t happen. However, Coppola thought the line to be too important, so it was ultimately kept in…but not without Coppola having to fight for it.
Michael’s insistence on how he is different from his family is integral not only to his character development, but also to the overarching themes of the entire movie.Pacino’s performance as the reluctantyoungest son of an influential crime family taking the reins of the organization is a big reason whyThe Godfatherworks so well, especially regarding the dark nature of the ending as his new crime “family” closes the door on his wife.
‘The Godfather’ Production Was a Constant Battle for Francis Ford Coppola
Besides that iconic line, the production of the first film was a constant battle for the director, who was nowhere nearas well known or influentialat that point in his career. Even before cameras would begin rolling, Coppola had to fight for several other integral aspects to the script, and even for his casting choices for the lead roles in the film. One of the most well-known struggles was the choice of Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone.
Robert Evans, the head of Paramount at the timeThe Godfatherwas going into production,would write in his memoirsthat “the war over casting the family Corleone was more volatile than the war the Corleone family fought on screen.“The people in charge of the production company were against Brando’s casting, with Coppola and his co-writer on the film and author of the original work, Mario Puzo, fighting hard for the actor, eventually winning over the executives with Brando’s audition tape,proving his acting prowessand potential the film had.
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Michael Corleone, meanwhile, was also almost played by Robert Redford, which is further proof of how much more different the film would have been without Coppola’s strict adherence to his vision. The director’s instincts, along with sharp writing from him and Puzo, would prove to be a success— the film was the highest grossing both in the year of its release and of all time for a certain period, and the winner of several Academy Awards. While Michael’s line about his family may seem unimportant at first glance, it’s the small details like those that helped tomakeThe Godfathera seminal work of art.
The Godfather
