mustachepete's The Godfather Notebook thread:

From the Preface, and on the cover:

"When I realized that I was actually going to make a movie out of the novel 'The Godfather,' I sat down and began to read the book again, very carefully, my pencil poised. Upon that second reading, much of the book fell away in my mind, revealing a story that was a metaphor for American Capitalism in the tale of a great king with three sons:
1. the oldest was given his passion and aggressiveness;
2. the second his sweet nature and childlike qualities;
3. and the third, his intelligence, cunning and coldness;

Glad Vito's aggressiveness and coldness is acknowledged but sweet nature and childlike qualities; How so?

also deviated from all live happily for a hundred years -- the family.

Well, I think many would consider taking in an 11-year old orphan and raising him as part of the household as an expression of kindness. At the time Vito made that decision Vito wouldn't know Tom was destined to be a lawyer. Also, Vito inviting very old friends from the neighborhood to Connie's wedding would be termed considerate by many.

For me , the interesting aspect of "the second his sweet nature and childlike qualities" passage is that it has very little to do with Fredo/Freddy as portrayed in the book. He's quite a cold character, actually.

Vito also encouraged Tom to keep his own identity and surname Hagen because Tom is not a wartime Consiglieri and uh -- there are reasons why Tom must have no part in what is going to happen!

Michael too invited very old friends! to Anthony's party
Coppola: Upon that second reading, much of the book fell away in my mind
That is very kind of him You tell him! that's greatly appreciated binning those awful, boring stuff....

Grand sons
1. petty thief Victor
2. Anthony's not fine!
3. two-bit punk bastard Vincent

I'll second that!

I will have to search for that passage but as I remember it is fleshed out in the novel that he was a model son and fell out of favor because of his sexual excesses

Great King Vito did nothing to nurture Fredo even before he was displeased with Fredo's "sexual excesses"

Poor Fredo copped it from everyone - Vito, Carmela, Sonny, Michael, Greene, Deanna

He got no fatherly love fatherly guidance fatherly responsibility Great Mafia King but no father

He was quite a cold character, turning traitor for his brother's murder, to be Don

I reckon, the Great Mafia King neglected his blood family, leaving all sorts of needless problems behind

Sonny
No guidance to hotheaded, bad Don and blind eye to his infidelity

Fredo
He was left rudderless, resulting him turning traitor for his kid brother's murder, to be Don

Michael
The only mentoring he got was coaching him about the Baptism massacre and leaving him with a murderous legacy

Connie
deaf ear to spousal abuse, resulting in Sonny's murder

the oldest was given his passion and aggressiveness;
1. What is this passion Coppola envisaged? I can't recall them being passionate about anything though
2. Sonny's aggressiveness; was pure aggression, brutal force
3. Vito didn't fly off the handle like he did

the second his sweet nature and childlike qualities;
1. Where did Coppola get this qualities; that it has very little to do with Fredo/Freddy as portrayed in the book.
2. if He's quite a cold character, actually.

and the third, his intelligence, cunning and coldness;
1. reckon pretty much sums it up!
2. though greed for Roth's business was nearly his undoing

"How did things ever get so far? I don't know -- It was so -- unfortunate -- so unnecessary"....

Fredo "turning traitor for his kid brother's murder, to be Don" and Michael killing Fredo

The more we discuss the Great King Vito, the more I am baffled how Vito is fêted as the family man
Vito was instrumental, contributed and caused the misery of every one of his children to their gloom and doom including the violent deaths of Santino and Fredo Thanks! Pop

Why agree daughter to marry Carlo

Vito had him checked over before their marriage and kept tabs on him after

I think you're being a bit harsh on Vito here.

We see him criticize Sonny for the "comedy" with Lucy Mancini and his outburst in the Sollozzo meeting. Surely there was plenty of other guidance we didn't see onscreen. And the coaching of Michael we see is clearly just part of their interactions after Michael's return from Sicily.

As for Fredo, we really don't know what support he got from his father. He did seem to be treated well and warmly, although Vito's "Fredo was..well..." comment was dismissive but also probably accurate as to his potential. I've always wondered whether Fredo's childhood pneumonia we see in GFII left him permanently diminished.

I do agree that Vito's apparent unwillingness to meddle in Connie's romance with Carlo was very harmful to pretty much everyone in the Family, including Connie.

Vito pursued the best available options to secure a relatively good life for his children.

Santino was never going to be anything but a gangster,and Vito knew that for the Corleone Family business to survive, Sonny had to be the one at the helm.

Vito provided for Fredo,the weak and dimwitted son by placing him under the protection of the Molinaro Family. He would still have an income,but would never be a target for a takeover by any rival Families, since no one took him seriously as a potential leader.

Initially,Vito wanted Mike to pursue the legitimate world,and I believe that he would have used any of his influence and resources to bring that about.
When Sonny was killed,Vito realized that the future of the Corleone organization now rested squarely on Mike's shoulders,and acted accordingly.

Even though Tom was not blood,Vito knew the value he brought,and made sure that his hands were kept as clean as possible.

As far as Connie,she was not a "masculine child" and in the old school mentality that Vito possessed, her job was the 4 C's (cook,clean,children,church) I believe that in the novel,Vito's solution to the domestic violence in her home was that she should not give her husband a reason to beat her. Once she married,she no longer belonged to her Father,but instead,to her Husband.

My two cents worth!
Maybe so However from what was seen onscreen

I reckon Vito pursued his best available options to secure a relatively good life as he saw for his children not what was best for them

Sonny
Family man Vito, criticized him only when his "comedy" with Lucy Mancini affected business

Fredo
It was Sonny, placing him under the protection of the Molinaro Family and sending him off to learn the casino business

Don't know Woltz He's quite a cold and cunning character, actually in GFII

Michael
He could have walked away, handing over the future of the Corleone organization to Clemenza and Tessio instead of dragging him in, to settle all Family business and then try to pursue his “legitimate” future life as if

only guidance seen was coaching him about the Baptism massacre and leaving him with a murderous legacy

Carlo
He let his daughter marry him, then treated him as an outcast and the family man father did nothing about her domestic violence because of which her brother was forced to get involved, resulting in Sonny's murder

Sonny gumar, bad Don Still Don

Fredo dismissive, stepped over because of which turn traitor

Michael which future important? Thanks! Great King

Connie family man father did nothing very harmful resulting in
1. Sonny's murder
2. Fredo betrayal
3. Michael misery

Great King's delusions and failings
1. Gangster Sonny and Senator, Governor Michael can coexist No conflict of interests
2. Fredo would go along with being stepped over
3. Michael can live a legitimate life after the Baptism massacre
4. Connie would go along with Carlo answering for Santino

The Corleone Family - Great Mafia King Vito and his three sons: - bigger than US Steel!
1. Gangster Sonny
2. Gypsy Fredo
3. Murderer Michael

• Short of sons

Sonny dead and Michael in hiding in Sicily

It is fleshed out in the book that Vito, cruelly and contemptuously dismissed Fredo that Carmela can still cook their meals or similar when Tom asked should Fredo be brought home

• Carlo

Extracts:

Vito's That solution gave everyone a place to hang their hat!

It is fleshed out in the book, Carlo and Connie were moved into the Corleone Mall after Sonny's murder Keeping the enemies closer

The siblings looked after each other unlike their Great Mafia King, family man, father Vito

among others -
Sonny

• Sonny as acting Don foresaw the family's future, bankrolled the casino/hotel and sent Fredo over to “learn the casino business” having arranged Fredo's protection with the Molinari family
• Sonny was forced to get involved in his sister Connie's domestic violence and ended up losing his life because of their family man father Vito's inaction

Fredo

• What a welcome party! Fredo had organised for Michael in his territory
• Fredo is the only one who congratulated Marine Michael and got his hand nearly broken! by Sonny

Michael

• Michael always taken care of Fredo
• Michael invited Connie to live on the Tahoe estate with her kids that Connie won't be deprived of anything and Connie can have everything she wants

Connie

• Connie moved into the Tahoe estate after Mama's death, to take care of Michael
• I believe Fredo’s “drowning” was something Connie self-invented, to obscure the truth of the horror of her brother Michael killing another brother Fredo and also as comfort and support for tormented Michael

Especially that ghastly stuff about Lucy! But as I wrote in another thread, I would have liked to have seen Paulie's backstory in the film.

True lucab19 there were some great backstories and story lines Though I will have to search for that passage about Paulie's

from what I remember,
1. Luca Brasi's how evil he was and why he was so loyal to Vito
2. paedophile Woltz

and my point about Vito is seen through rose-colored glasses
1. as long as Luca was killing for him, his baby can be thrown into a fiery furnace while still alive
2. as long as Woltz gave the movie part to his Godson, he can keep molesting children

Neri's how brutal he was and why he was so loyal to Michael

Bocchicchios very lucrative negotiator business

True Lana The siblings looked after each other unlike their Great Mafia King, family man, father Vito

Sonny
1. lucky with his wife like Vito's and unlike Michael's horror Kay
2. could have been a great family man if not for his "comedy" with Lucy Mancini
3. would have always been a bad Don because of that famous temper of his

Fredo
1. I reckon Sonny conveniently packed off the useless and big liability, to Vegas while they are gonna catch the hell
2. while it was a business meeting, he could have shown appreciation for his welcome party! before dismissing Get rid of it
3. No wonder Poor Fredo jumped at the chance of something in it for me -- on my own.

Michael
1. That's my family, Kay. It's not me.
2. Tragic hero did what he could, to protect the family from the horrors of this kill or be killed world that he was thrust into by Vito

Connie
1. except the passage on The Queen and of course no Merle
2. Fredo’s “drowning” was in denial and self-preservation, blocking out the horror

To summarise, he was given the task of exacting revenge on the punks who defiled Bonasera's daughter. And he carried it out perfectly.

Michael happily married need and care for wife No Vegas girls

What reason she give her husband to beat her

Her father only gave him a living and never discussed the Family business with him.