The Godfatheristhe greatest gangster movie ever made, and it’s probably going to stay that way.
Some of the most famous lines inThe Godfathercan be very amusing but not exactly the most intense or insightful.
For example: “Leave the gun, take the cannolis” didn’t make the cut.
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Then Vito asks if Johnny spends time with his family, and the singer says he does.
Don Corleone’s reply speaks to the man’s dedication to his family: “Good.
Because a man who doesn’t spend time with his family can never be a real man.”
This quote is pretty straightforward, but it also has a much deeper meaning regarding the godfather himself.
9"You talk about vengeance.
Is vengeance going to bring your son back to you?
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Or my boy to me?"
Corleone’s reply is convincing: “You talk about vengeance.
Is vengeance going to bring your son back to you?
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Or my boy to me?”
Vito’s oratory prowess moves even Don Tattaglia, and they’re able to reconcile their differences then.
Vito’s oratory prowess moves even Don Tattaglia, and they’re able to reconcile their differences then.
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And then they will fear you."
The very first scene ofThe Godfatheris impeccably written, and there are many memorable lines.
And if, by chance, an honest man like yourself should make enemies, then they would becomemyenemies.
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And then they will fear you."
Overall, this is an extremely insightful summation of the social expectations in one ofthe best mobster movies.
7"Who’s being naive, Kay?"
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Michael’s defense is that his father “is no different than any other powerful man.
Any man who’s responsible for other people.
Like a senator or president.”
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Kay calls him naive, asserting that senators and presidents don’t have men killed.
Michael looks at her, “Who’s being naive, Kay?”
It’s no less appealing to audiences today, too.
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This famous quote ties things back to the notion ofa corrupt and unjust system that the mafia replicates.
6"It’s not personal, Sonny.
It’s strictly business."
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It’s strictly business."
5"That’s my family, Kay.
It’s not me."
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It’s not me."
There is a lot going on in this scene.
4"I believe in America."
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After she refused to sleep with them, they beat her severely.
The courts didn’t punish these boys in any real way, hence Bonasera’s appearance.
3"I’m with you now."
The best part, though, is the tear that rolls down Don Corleone’s face.
Unfortunately, tragicallythere doesn’t seem to be much of a choice at the moment.
2"I never wanted this for you."
Near the end ofThe Godfather, Vito and Michael are talking.
After Vito says he forgot, Michael asks him what’s troubling him.
Vito explains, “I never wanted this for you.”
Instead,he wanted Michael to have a more legitimate way to make a livingand have influence on society.
1"Don Corleone."
He then kisses Michael’s hand and says, “Don Corleone.”
The respect that Clemenza pays Michael is the same he had paid to his father.
When a scene is shot this evocatively, the dialogue need not be extensive.
NEXT:‘The 10 Least Intelligent Characters in The Godfather Trilogy, Ranked’
