(5 of 5)
Enormous Pains. Brando's stunning performance seemed to spur the entire cast. Coppola, working from the emotional inside of his subject, was able to succeed as few American film makers have in evoking the texture and variety of an ethnic subculture. He took enormous pains to project a believable period milieu, using old cars, plastering buildings with correctly dated posters and handbills, even making sure that such minute items as pencils and lipsticks were authentic. He and his cinematographer emulated the visual style of the period, eschewing zoom lenses, fast cuts and jarring closeups. They used many longer tableau shots, achieving emphasis with subtle framing and lighting. Coppola edited it all together in what he calls a "legato" rather than a "staccato" rhythm, enabling him to build tension gradually and effectively over the picture's three-hour labyrinthine development.
The result is a movie that — despite the mayhem and gallons of gore — is far more than the soap opera full of raw energy that might have been expected. It is far more than an efficient action melodrama — more, even, than just a good solid movie. It is a movie that exemplifies what is great in the Hollywood tradition. Out of all the false starts and chaos and hassles, Coppola has created something that promises to open a rewarding new phase in Brando's career and put Coppola in the forefront of American film artists.
Does it give an accurate portrayal of the Ma fia? Perhaps not. Many real-life Mafiosi were reportedly amused and somewhat flattered by their portraits in the book, despite the protestations of Colombo's now discredited league. They may well be equally amused and flattered by the movie.
They are, however, angry about one thing. They have not been invited to the Manhattan premiere.
"Look," a top-ranking man in Vito Genovese's family recently told a federal agent, "if some picture company did the life of Audie Murphy, he'd be invited to the premiere. If the movie was about the military, they'd turn out the generals. So when they do one about us, we should be there too." Your move. Paramount.