From: FAC_JCLARK@JMUVAX.BITNET
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.cinema-l
Subject: Re: Searching for Coppola
Date: 12 Nov 92 15:59:14 GMT
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Let me add a few extra two cents on the Godfathers, in the wake of all the
discussion on their romanticism/realism vs. Goodfellas and what not, since I've
already brought them up a while back.

Yes, I do think they're largely romantic in tone, without most of the detailed
verisimiltude that seems to come more naturally with the lower echelons and the
portrait these receive in Goodfellas.  But I don't think the Godfather films
lack completely a sense of realism about empirical operations of the mafia, in
their given historical period, nor especially do they lack that elusive sense of
   realism of the way things work, once we stop harping only on the gee-that's-t
   he-
way-things-look-in-everyday-life standard of measure.  I'm particularly partial
to Pauline Kael (whom I usually disagree with) and her noting the films for
their "tragic realism" about the American history of its free enterprise system.
   You may extend that and entertain other notions about history and system in
looking at what the films deal with on a metaphorical level.  But certainly they
   can be considered honest, truthful or realistic by one definition or another
   of
those terms.

I'm not sure how all three films will cut together chronologically when Coppola
releases his reedited version next month.  But I didn't dislike III, and am
uncertainly wondering if my lesser affection for it is the combined result of
the long passage of time since the first two (me and my/our cultural milieu are
now different...) and the new content and very recent historical period it's
set in--rather than merely a logical falling off of Coppola/Puzo's craft and
art.  And though I love II the most of the individual films, with its very
artful and telling juxtapositions of theme and behavior and the cross-cutting
used, I still feel that the chronological stringing together of the films is
its best overall form.  If the films can be said to be about a history of our
country in some particular aspect, as well as the history of an individual
"family" and segment of society, then the chance to draw together the parallels,
   developments and repetitions of theme and behavior over the whole course of a
   ll
those hours, can engage the viewers faculties in a way that's less "forced" or
and more "rich" than even in the excellent II.  And, of course, the chronolo-
gical version can show just to what extent Coppola and crew had a deep and
carefully articulated overall vision and style, that can withstand stringing
together the disparate pieces and looking at their components as part of a
larger creation.

As for Goodfellas, I think that's a work of its own kind of genius, too.
Scorcese isn't only "realistic" about his subject in the way we usually mean,
but is exemplary (as Scorcese usually is) at putting you inside the situations
it evokes.  Flashy film technique almost always pays off in Scorcese.
Jeff Clark
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