How true.

As Sollozzo so eloquently puts it, "I don't like violence, Tom. I'm a businessman. Blood is a big expense."

That said, a Don who would NEVER sanction violence would not be a very good Don. However, I'm not convinced that Tom would be unwilling to use violence if negotiations failed.

Tom was cool as a cucumber in that whorehouse. The dead whore didn't phase him. I don't think he'd have a problem with violence.

Yep and he was pretty slick when he told Tessio he wasn't going to try to get him off the hook for old times sake.

That smile was as bone chilling as Young Vito's, "can't do it Sally."

Don't remember who it was, but I saw a comedian (maybe it was Leno? or Dennis Miller?) who said that Hagen's no to Tessio was the coldest "no" in history.

See, and I always took it as though a part of Tom felt bad that Tessio had to go.

Maybe he felt badly, but he was pretty direct when Tessio first says tell Mike I always liked him and it was just business. Tom
quickly says "He understands that." Then Tessio asks the famour get me off the hook question and Tom says "No chance Sally" then he makes a gesture with his eyes indicating to the buttonmen to put him in the car.

But you have to look at what Tom says when Mike talks about wipng out Roth and when sonny wants to kill sollozo - Tom is way to cautious - If he did that type of talk when someone was trying to kill him he wouldnt be a good don. Even Vito knew when to attack and when not to, same with Mike. Tom in my opnion didnt have a clue when to attcak and when not.

Tom was just a business man with little bottle.

Last night I was watching GFII and I realized that there is another scene that Duvall just shines in.


In the scene, right after the attempt is made on Michael. He's conversing with Tom about his always trusting him, how he's going to be the Don, etc. etc.

It's when Michael tells him that he's always thought of him as a brother, that once again, Duvall shows what a fantastic actor he really is.

The way that he makes himself well up and become partially emotional is so convincing. It's probably one of the most underated scenes in the movie. Duvall just makes that scene so convincing, like he does several others, with his brilliant acting.

"I always wanted to be thought of as a brother by you, DC, a real brother."

Watch that scene very closely next time PB.

A brilliant piece of acting.

I just watched it and I concur!

So, True. And if you match that scene up with the one where he tells Frankie that the Corleone family used to be like the Roman Empire, you can see the emotional parallels that Duvall portrays.

Absolutely! Those scens go right up there with the "they shot Sonny on the causeway, he's dead" scene from GFI.

Brando, Pacino and Gazzo themselves are magnificent in those scenes. And of course Brando and Duvall, Gazzo and Duvall, and Pacino and Duvall feed off of each other in those scenes. But Duvall is just superb in everyone of them.

These posts are making me thing they should have given Duvall the money he wanted for GFIII. It would have been a much better movie.

Unh, ya' think, counselor?

Yea, I think Duvall i a level or six higher than George Hamilton.

Here, compare :

Duvall : "SENATOR! SENATOR! This committee owes an apology, this committee owes an apology -- an apology SENATOR"

Great acting by Duvall once again.


Hamilton : "Now we had an agreement! And this meeting was to be merely, a formality, that's all it was."

I want to smash my f**k*ng TV when I watch Hamilton in that scene. Trying so hard to be Duvall/Hagenesque in his delivery of that line. He fails sooo miserably. Vincent should have shot him instead of Joe Zsa Zsa! Although I like GFIII overall, FFC really took the cheap way out!

Freakin CHEAPSKATE!!!!!