The glorious mistake in ‘The Godfather’ that proves Francis Ford Coppola is a genius
We’re taught from a young age that when we face adversity, it is how we overcome the barriers that define our success. In the immortal words of Rocky Balboa, it’s not about how hard you can hit but about how hard you can get hit and keep on going. If so, then Francis Ford Coppola is undoubtedly one of his generation’s most gifted directors.
Across a host of incredible films like Apocalypse Now and Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and self-financing his most recent movie Megalopolis, Coppola dealt with issues and mistakes that could have sunk his ship. Most notably, on the former project, Coppola nearly bankrupted his finances and left his mental health in the thick, smoggy swamps of Indonesia. It was a picture that almost cost him both his livelihood and his life.
Of course, the director’s most famous project, The Godfather trilogy, was not without its own issues to overcome. Marlon Brando and Al Pacino’s appointment was one such issue; the leading duo were not his preferred cast choices but were pushed into the frame thanks to studio pressure. Things didn’t get much easier during filming either. After a long time filming, with little progress being made and with studio executives getting impatient, Coppola was even put forward for the chop.
It’s hard to imagine any other director in charge of the Mafioso epic, but Coppola was almost whacked from the project. He staved off professional execution and delivered a film highlighting his incredible eye for detail and the subtlety of style that would underpin the entire gangster film genre for decades to come. One scene in the film typifies Coppola’s approach and confirms his genius.
As mentioned, working with your favoured cast is something a director would always like to be blessed with. Sadly, at the time, Coppola didn’t have such a situation, and he managed to cobble through the production with the ensemble at hand. It should be remembered that the cast was chock-full of some of the greatest actors of the century, but they weren’t Coppola’s choices. Though the film would be a huge success, much of that was down to Coppola’s ingenious working methods.
The director would ask his actors to improvise and create scenes loaded with tension, like any good director he would also push them towards certain feelings and moods. The ability to craft scenes and hone dialogue and expression towards a desired sentiment is all in a day’s work for most filmmakers. However, one scene showcased how quickly Coppola is able to think on his feet.
Luca Brasi is the most dangerous man in The Godfather. Vito Corleone’s personal bodyguard acts as the only man The Godfather truly fears. Famed for murdering six men who attempted to take Corleone’s life, the brutish bodyguard is one of the film’s pivotal figures. To capture the terror and fearsome violence Brasi had within him, the production looked to the former wrestler and ex-Mafia bodyguard Lenny Montana to take on the role.
As such, and with little acting experience in a feature film, Montana was somewhat mawkish in his performances. Montana was a little starstruck when moving around the set and, given the opportunity to stand across from Marlon Brando to deliver a scene, Montana froze up. On the set and the duo are in the study and Montana cannot seem to get his lines right — Montana couldn’t get a single take down. Coppola was exasperated with the day’s filming and had no time for a re-shoot.
As a mark of his quick-witted filmmaking, Coppola thought outside the box and added a new scene of Luca Brasi (played by Montana) rehearsing his lines before seeing The Godfather. It showed a different side to Brasi. Here was the ultimately murderous bodyguard, now reduced to a fearful, subservient employee. A man left nervous and unable to act like himself when in front of the boss.
It may only be a small scene in The Godfather and it certainly isn’t one that the film’s brilliance hangs on. However, if you’re looking for a way to prove Francis Ford Coppola is an esteemed and cherished filmmaker, that he can overcome barriers better than any other, then this is the scene to point too. It showed that the director’s willingness to overcome adversity is perhaps his greatest asset.
