Everytime I see this scene I just don't get that this outburst from Sonny meant he wanted the family to go into this deal.

"Aw, you're telling me that the Tattaglia's guarantee our investment?"

What he said and the way he said it always comes across to me like disbelief or kind of sarcastic. This scene never sits right with me in making me believe that he wants Sollozzo's deal.

If he would have said something like this, I would get that he's siding against his dad's decision to not get into the drug business.

"Look Pop, what do we have to lose? Tattaglia's going to guarantee our investment!"

What do you guys think about this?

I'm sorry if this topic has been discussed before.

Rick

I think the idea of the guarantee excited him so he really was hot for the deal.

It's not so much what he said or how he said it, I think the fact he became impatient with discussion showed he was eager to get a deal done.

And in Sollozzo's eyes, that was enough.

I think Vito disagreed. Remember, he scolded Sonny for letting someone outside of the Family know what he thought.

IMO, Sonny's "outburst" showed Sollozzo that there was SOME interest in the deal, even if it was only from Sonny.

Also dont forget Sonny says before the meeting,"theres alot of money in that white powder".

Vito's attitude towards Sollozo's offer, in a respectful way of course, was one that said "It doesn't matter what kind of offer you make me here today because I am not getting into the drug business, no matter what."

So when Sollozo mentions a guarentee, Sonny's outburst of "you're telling me that the Tattaglia's guarantee our investment?" Shows that in his head, he would now consider the offer. Just by asking that question it gives the impression that there is some interest on his part.

Vito had his mind made up that he would not get in on this drug business. So no matter what Sollozo offered, Vito was not going to ask Sollozo to elaborate on the offer. Vito was not going to show any interest.

Sonny's outburst however, was one that almost asked Sollozo to elaborate. It showed that Sonny was now interested to hear what Sollozo had to say which translates to "Well in that case we just might re-consider it."
Sonny should have waited for Sollozo to leave and then said

"Hey wait a minute pop, if the Tattaglias are willing to guarnetee our investment, then maybe we should re-consider."

This way he wouldn't have let anyone outside the family know what he was thinking.

The outburst became the ch*nk in the Corleone armour. The weak link in the Corleone chain.

But Sonny's outburst can mean any and many things other than his interest in the drug business For example he was surprised that Sollozo still came to his family when he had already got guarantees from Tatta family. The message his sudden outburst sent us is so obscure and can be intepretated in different ways.

Sorry wtwt5237. I don't agree. And for what it's worth, that outburst set the stage for the whole plot of the movie. So there really is no other way to interpret that scene.

Besides, had Sonny meant it as being surprised that Sollozo came to the Corleones when he already had dealt with the Tattaglias, then Vito would not have been upset with his outburst.

The guarentee was for the Corleone's investment and that is what peaked Sonny's interest and made him want to hear more from Sollozo.

I kiss your ring Don Cardi. This is the best explanation and I feel better about that scene! Thank you

Rick

It's clear that Sonny's outburst made Sollozzo think that, if Vito was out of the way, Sonny would make the deal. However, I disagree with the reasons cited above.

When Sonny says "you're telling me that the Tattaglia's guarantee our investment?" I don't think that he is re-evaluating the risk-reward factor of the deal.

I think he is taking offense, saying "We're the top family. How dare you suggest that we need some pimp like Tattaglia to guarantee our investment!?"

So how does this tip Sollozzo off that Sonny wants to do the deal? Because it allows Sollozzo to read Sonny's personality - impulsive, direct, live-in-the moment. The drug deal is indeed a no-lose proposition - if all you're thinking about is the short-term.

Vito foresaw the long-term costs of entering the drug trade. Sonny's outburst showed Sollozzo that he never would.

If Sollozo thought that Sonny was taking offense to his offer, than Sollozo wouldn't have had any reason to try and kill Vito. If anything, he would have looked to get Sonny out of the way. But Sollozo read right into it when Sonny made that outburst. He realized that Sonny's utburst meant that he wanted Sollozo to elaborate/explain further. And that tipped off Sollozo that Sonny was showing some interest in the deal. Unlike Vito.


"Sonny was hot for my deal, wasn't he?"

What gave Sollozo that notion?

Sonny's outburst.

I'm sure I'm in the minority on this one, but I don't agree.

The way the line is delivered, it does not sound like a request for more information or a clarification of the details of the deal. Sonny is challenging Sollozzo, not negotiating with him.

Even if you believe that Sonny is looking for more information, the notion that merely asking a question makes him "hot" for the deal seems like a stretch to me.



Agreed. But for a slightly different reason.

Then I guess we'll have to agree to disagree.

I think that when Sonny says "theres a lot of money in that white powder" he is informing the audience what he thinks about drugs and later disrupting Vito in the meeting showed sollozo that sonny wanted the drug trade and sealed what sonny thought about drugs to the audience.

"We had a meeting a few months ago, Sollozzo came to us with a proposition on drugs. The old man turned him down. But during the meeting I shot off my mouth a little, I showed I wanted the deal" (p. 93).

--Sonny Corleone

In the novel, Puzo writes that Sonny was itching for some action of his own to get out from under Vito's thumb. That's why he was hot for the deal.

I agree with the idea that Sonny's outburst is supposed to indicate curiosity, not incredulity, about the deal. But in that case I think James Caan botches the line reading, because his tone conveys the opposite. As I said elsewhere, it's not a stretch if you watch the screen-tests/rehearsal footage in the GF Extras and see Caan repeatedly misdelivering the line, "That's easy for you to say; he's not your father."

Sonny's outburst showed Sollozzo he was hot for the deal. Vito had already said "no," Sollozzo was trying to keep the negotiations going by saying the Tattaglias would guarantee the Corleone's safety. Suddenly Sonny jumps in and is also trying to keep the negotiations going, which tells him that Sonny does not agree with his father.

Also, Sollozzo was a crafty guy, later when he is talking to Tom he says that Sonny was hot for his idea and "You knew it was the right thing to do," which is exactly what Tom did think, even though he kept his mouth shut during the meeting.

Was Sonny hot for Sollozzo's deal?

Has anyone considered that maybe Sonny was hot for Sollozzo!

Right. The interpretation that Sonny is indicating curiosity makes total sense IF you think James Caan blew the line.

Otherwise, an alternative explanation is required.

It does almost seem that way to me also. But, I can't believe that Coppola wouldn't make Caan retake his line until he got it right. A botched line to me couldn't be a reason for misunderstanding his response.

Rick

Sonny was being naive about dealing with someone like Sollozzo. That's what he was conveying through the line's delivery. Unlike Vito, he was focusing on only one aspect of the deal and a not very important one at that. It exposed his naivete to Sollozzo which, to Sollozzo, meant that he could manipulate Sonny into accepting the deal once Vito was out of the way.