Nicholas Ray’s joke, “Close the doors, they come in through the windows,” doesn’t apply to the finality Francis Coppola brings to that gesture in both “The Godfather” and “The Godfather: Part II” (1974). There is no escape. There is no air. There is only malefic, exclusive success. Not only must I succeed, not only must Family sustain, but weakness must be weeded out ruthlessly. There are few portraits of the cold side of organized behavior that are this sustained, and a reading of the tale as critique of capitalistic ruthlessness flickers off the surface of every scene. The negatives of the “Godfather” films had been damaged almost beyond repair through neglect; this restoration includes the creation of new photochemical negatives, supervised by Coppola and cinematographer Gordon “Prince of Darkness” Willis, for future generations, as well as the digital reissue. This was long before Al Pacino warned that you could get killed crossin’ the street walkin’ yer doggie. This is American screen acting. And don’t let me get started on Robert De Niro right now… 200m. (Ray Pride)
Ray Pride is Newcity’s Senior Editor and Film Critic. He is a contributing editor of Filmmaker magazine.
Ray’s history of Chicago Ghost Signs is planned for publication next year. Previews of the project are on Twitter and on Instagram. More photography on Instagram.
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