So many to choose from, but my favorite has to be Pentangelli saying 'see ya Tom' with a perfect gesture of the arm at the end of the jail scene

Those little gestures are wonderful. Like Vito moving his right index finger from right to left to tell Tom to get Bonasera a drink. Or the little shrug he gives after Bonasera finally says, "Be my friend...Godfather."

One of my faves is the Havana nightclub with Michael, Fredo, Geary, Ola and the businessmen. Geary, ogling the gal in the floor show, says, "I'll try one of those red-headed Yolandas." The camera shifts to Michael's face. If you go through that moment frame by frame, you'll see Michael rolling his eyes as if to say, "There he goes again--thinking with his dick."

My little moment is in Sicily, when Michael inadvertently offends Signor Vitelli. After Michael apologises and makes his honourable intentions clear, Vitelli senses that the balance of power has changed. The way he stands up and ostentatiously puts on his suspenders makes me chuckle.

That scene is a marvel from start to finish.

After watching for the billionth time just now, I noticed Kay visibly emotional at Vito's funeral. Quite a ways from "Senators and presidents don't have men killed"....

So much great little moments mentionned already.

Here are some others I love. I don't think I've seen them yet.

- During the Johnny Fontane/Godfather meeting, when Vito says something like : " I want you to rest and in a few weeks ...", before he finishes his sentence, you see Sonny in the background startle. He is off focus but you then see him gesture to an off-camera Tom that it is in the bag for the singer-would-be-actor.

- Near the end of G1, Carlo enters the car and is greeted by Clemenza. Then, and it is beautiful : you ear a crow-Tom Hagen loosen his tie-immediately after, Clemenza garrots Carlo.

The tie loosening is an anodine move Tom does several time throughout the movie. Yet, it really comes across as the signal for Peter.
It is the vengence as planned by the father : lead by Michael, but with Sonny's godfather and closest brother taking part in it. Tom never attends the murders usually.

And if it is not ! It doesn't matter! The editing of the crow-the tie-the garrot is still awesome !

- The way Sonny stutters his apology to Tom after he criticized him for not being Sicilian. "Pop had Genco, look what I've got !"

We don't see Tom's reaction, but Sonny's face says it all. Besides, Hagen's silence is eloquent.

Much has been said about Hagen's competence as a wartime consigliere. But it is not what this is about in this scene. Sonny might instinctively be on to something, but he was more likely lashing out, being impulsive.
Sonny is all about family, above all else. As soon as the words are out, he realises he is telling his adoptive brother : "You are not one of us."
The way he immediately deflates is a nice touch and very in-character. He also hastily adds :" Mom prepared a lunch for us". Includes him back in the family.

- In G2, people have noted how Tom puts on a brave face when Michael says he won't take part in the Ola meeting, but then looks hurt when he lingers a few seconds in the hall. I've noticed for the first time that the scene of him politely asking the three young adults to leave the hall, mirrors the scene in G1 where he kindly prevents three small kids from running into Vito's office as he meets Luca Brazzi during the wedding.

It seems to me that it is a few seconds after talking to the kids, that the hurt fully registers and he takes the mesure of his fall since 1945.
During the wedding, he was involved in everything, his father's closest assistant. This time is over.

I wonder if they are supposed to be the same three kids 14 years later.

- When Michael comes back to the mall, after the hospital incident, one of the new button man, standing far away on the stairs (?) nods to the young Corleone out of respect. Michael just stood up to a corrupted policeman and paid the price.
QUESTION : The actor is too far away for me to tell, but is it supposed to be Al Neri ?

I know in the book he comes on board later, but in the movie ? Why not ? That would be cool.
What do you think ? Can anyone confirm ?

This was a very nice analysis. It looks to me, though, that the geography is a problem. I think that Carlo and then Michael-Tom are approaching almost from behind the car. I think Tom would have to signal the guy who put Carlo in the car, who would then relay the signal to Clemenza. That would be pretty clumsy.

Yeah, probably! 😄

It still makes for an interesting sequence. Crow-loosened tie-garrot. I love it.

I love the idea that Tom might have indulged in vengence just this once.
But it might not be to that degree.

Interesting, though: just after everyone loads Tessio into the car, Tom is watching and he straightens his tie. Same gesture.

Indeed !
Still. The ambiguity is what make people discuss the films all these years later !

Gestures matter. For example, Vito is always courteous and even kindly to Tom, and Tom never acts subserviently to him. But, Tom is still his subordinate. In the opening scene, as the camera starts to pan away from Bonasera's face, and Bonasera breaks down, Vito makes a snappy, ordering gesture to Tom to get Bonasera a drink. Later, at the Commission meeting, as Vito starts talking, he gestures to Tom to move his chair for him. Both beautiful touches.

Also, during the first scene with Bonasera, when Vito puts back the cat on the desk and stands up, Tom , who was sitting, stands up too, out of respect for his boss/father.
As for Sonny, who was already standing, he rectifies his position. These are small details, but it gives authenticity to the world and the time depicted..
An employee sitting while his boss stands would pass for a slouch.

I always wondered. Is it Tom or Sonny who gives the drink to Bonasera ?
Tom seems very likely, as he does a lot of little things during the wedding scenes.
But, when the camera leaves Bonasera, we see Sonny was the one closer to the alcohol.

Funny you should ask that as I was just about to comment without seeing the last message.

I have somehow always been under the impression that it is Tom who hands the drink (glass of water?) to Bonasera until a few years ago... Look at the hand gesture right after, that is totally Sonny!

Yes ! The hand gesture is very Sonny-esque ! One of the reason why I wonder.
And Sonny is standing near the table with alcohol.
Tom was sitting, so he might not have moved as quickly ?

From where the Don is sitting, I try to locate where the glass provider might be, but I lose my way each time.

Not that important, but it is fun to make deductions.

Couple others:

* Tom's face when Geary is speaking his opinion to Michael about Italians and their silk suits, etc.

* Tom speaking to Vincenzo in Italian

* Kay's outfits throughout the first two movies. She had some nice jackets (fun fact, in Portland, Oregon where I live one of her dresses is on display at a video rental store in town called Movie Madness)

Oh, yeah. Definitely, Tom's face during Geary's xenophobic attack. Silent but so eloquent.

Also, the silent (again!) exchange between the two brothers, once Geary exits and they are left alone. A complete conversation takes place, only with their eyes.
Al Pacino deserves his nomination in G2, but I wish Robert Duvall had been nominated again.

Speaking of Tom's face:
--The utter distaste he shows when Moe Greene blows into the hotel room with his "greetings."
--The patented Robert Duvall grin when Tom is listening to Sonny banging Lucy.

In Die Hard, Holly McClane berates Hans Gruber when she realises he was after the bonds all along by saying "After all your posturing, all your speeches... you're nothing but a common thief." He responded indignantly with "I'm an exceptional thief..."

Now imagine the scene between Michael and Kay early in part 3.
Kay: "Now that you're so respectable, you're more dangerous than ever. I preferred you when you were just a common Mafia hood."

There was nothing common about Michael's Mafia career. I wonder if the thought would have crossed his mind?

A bit different from the book:

Out in the garden, Hagen searched anxiously for Sonny Corleone. He told the waiting
Bonasera to be patient and went over to Michael Corleone and his girl friend. “Did you see
Sonny around?” he asked. Michael shook his head. Damn, Hagen thought, if Sonny was
screwing the maid of honor all this time there was going to be a mess of trouble. His wife, the
young girl’s family; it could be a disaster. Anxiously he hurried to the entrance through which he
had seen Sonny disappear almost a half hour ago.