With the nice and very intriguing response yesterday’s post garnered, I thought it good to do another post regarding The Godfather Trilogy. The question today is, who is your favourite character in the saga? Now the Corleone Family by definition are an interesting group of people, but there are many other characters outside the family that stand out. And rather than the family just being villains, I admire how Coppola shows them as a family not unlike anyone else’s, except for their involvement in crime. They are characters that all go through a journey in the trilogy and are all richly written and acted. So who stands out for you in this epic trilogy?
Who Is Your Favourite Character in The Godfather Trilogy?
02 Sunday Apr 2017
Posted in Movie opinions and thoughts
vinnieh 
The one that my father named me after! Michael.
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Michael is a very complex character who forms the deep core of everything. Watching him change from innocent bystander to cold and calculating Don is riveting yet tragic.
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I hope my dad didn’t choose it because of what he wants for my destiny.
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Haha, who knows Mike?
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I don’t wanna die alone!
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I’m sure you won’t Mike. You’re a popular guy after all.
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So was Elvis but he died alone on the shitter!
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You’ll be just fine Mike. Don’t you worry.
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Michael, no doubt. 😃
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Another vote for Michael. I have a feeling he’s going to be the most popular choice.
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I’d imagine that’s the case. 😃
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The main basis of the saga is around him so it seems right that he’d get the biggest share of votes. Yet again, there’s so many good characters that populate the trilogy.
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I always enjoyed Tom Hagen, played by Robert Duvall. He is supposedly part of the family, and active as Consigliere, but Michael is quick to get rid of him, when it suits his purpose. Hagen provides an outsider’s view on the events, as he is never involved in any of the crimes.
Cheers, Pete.
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I liked how level-headed he was, the quiet voice of reason among everyone. He would have made a good Don, because he had the judgement and patience.
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Great choice, Tom has to be mine as well. Hearing how he joined the family at a young age, the relationship he shared with Sonny and his ultimate discardment is such an incredible arc for a secondary character.
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He is a very good character who provides us with both an insider and outsider’s perspective of the family.
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Tom for me too. I’m a sucker for mentors and while Tom is not a mentor he shares those qualities. Thoughtful, caring, level headed. Maybe he wouldn’t have been a good Don because he lacks Michael’s ruthlessness but what does that get Michael in the end. Them falling away says everything about where Michael is. Damn tragedy Duvall asked for too much money to do Part III. I would have liked to have seen that very much.
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I feel bad for Tom. He was so loyal and by the end of Part II, he can see that his role is diminishing and Michael is heading into darkness. The subtle look on his face says it all.
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This is a tough question. I can’t choose only one. Here are my five favourites.
Tom, Clemenza, Sonny, Michael, Connie.
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It’s a tough group of characters to choose from. I’m surprised no one has mentioned Vito yet.
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It certainly is. Well, I love Vito too. I think all the characters in the family or connected to them(Tom, Clemenza etc)are likeable in some way. Can we just call them all favourites? 🙂
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Haha, it would easy to call them all that, wouldn’t it? Clemenza makes me laugh at times with his humour, but can easily be just as menacing in another breath.
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Totally. Oh yes, Clemenza is great fun, he’d be a good friend, just don’t get ever cross him.
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He would be a good an loyal friend, who you’d know not to get on the bad side of. I think Vito is like that as well, he commands deep respect and is pragmatic in his actions.
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Vito…in both forms, young and old. DeNiro and Brando as power with dignity. And the restraint on the part of both actors. Brilliant.
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Finally, someone says Vito. He’s a very dignified and respected man, he just exudes wisdom and a clear thinking mentality.
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Vito. I was gonna say Michael, but then I knew it was Vto. Wait, can I choose both?
I also sometimes think Luca Brasi was misunderstood.
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You can choose both. Luca was a good character, shame about his fate though.
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I’m a fan of Fredo.
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Any particular reason why? For me, I feel immense sympathy for him.
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Me too, he always gets passed over, and you feel bad for him, he never realizes the consequences of his actions, he just wants to be loved.
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At heart, he’s a misunderstood character. He means well but is very awkward which accounts for the way others view him. Quite a tragic guy when you think about it.
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It’s a tie between Fredo and Tom Hagen. Fredo because he’s a guy that just wants to be loved despite his actions and wants to prove himself to his family. Tom because he’s kind of the film’s conscience that is appreciated by Vito but is underappreciated by Michael. Even as he tries to help Frank Pentangli where he makes a promise to take care of his family knowing that the Corleone’s family is pretty much trapped in their own power.
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Poor Fredo, he sure has a rough ride of it. All he wanted was to be accepted and loved. Tom is definitely the moral compass of things and it’s quite sad to see how Michael uses him yet never quite appreciates his input once he’s become the Godfather.
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Gosh, I need to watch them all over again – it’s been too long. Horse head was certainly memorable!
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Yes, that definitely sticks out a lot. The way the camera moves towards the bed and the music rises suspencefully is menacing yet haunting.
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Michael is a very close second for me, but my fave is the younger version of Vito played by De Niro. He provided the foundation the rest of the trilogy rests upon.
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Vito was a very commanding guy I thought. I loved watching his emergence as Don. He had a good set of conduct about him and knew how to repay a favour. Michael eventually got corrupted by everything and turned into a tyrant rather tragically, whereas Vito exuded a respect and wisdom.
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I guess I’d have to say Al Pachinos character
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Michael is a very complicated and layered character. The tragedy of him forms the spine of the narratives as his humanity disappears and coldness takes its place.
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I guess that’s what I like about it. Thanks V man
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His journey is so well played by Al Pacino through subtle degrees of expression and occasional bursts of fury. Wonderful acting.
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Totally agree
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Any other characters really stand out for you?
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Tom Hagen and Vincent Corleone
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Ah Vincent, good to see someone give him a shout out.
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As I haven’t seen these, I can’t answer, but awesome topic!😊
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It’s been wonderful doing these posts and hearing the opinions of everyone. There’s simply so much to talk about.
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For me, that is Michael Corleone, no question about it. How I wish Pacino could go back and play roles like this again. Everything he has been doing lately is just as if he is on some kind of mental breakdown or something. Truly such a shame for such a terrific actor 😊 He was once my favorite actor, but that position has now been take by Tom Hardy 😀
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Michael is the character that everything hangs on. It’s his downfall as a man that shapes the overall tragedy. I get what you mean about Al Pacino. At least though, he has countless outstanding movies to his name that make sure he won’t be forgotten. I bet he’s got a few good performances left in him.
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I sure hope he does. Pretty much the same goes for deNiro. He is also going down the hill as far as I am concerned. Real shame about them both. How I loved seeing their performances in Heat. Such a terrific film, and one of the best ones from their entire career 😊
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That scene where they finally meet in Heat is all sorts of brilliant.
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So true…together with the shoot out scene in the streets….how awesome was that ? 😀
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You’re making me want to watch it again.
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Michael for sure. At first, he didn’t wanted to be involved in the family business and it’s interesting to see how a series of events totally changed the destiny he wanted for himself. After all that, he starts to see life in a different way. With his older brother Sonny dead and his father in danger and sick, he knows that he is the one to protect his family. With a cold heart and a calculated mind, he doesn’t trust in almost anybody and ruthlessly kill anyone who threats him or his family. He is such a compelling character because he is a tragic hero. He became part of something he didn’t want for him and although he was sucessful in the family business, he failed as a family person. We see that in the end of Part 2. He is the winner in a war that defeated him at the same time. The people that he loved or fought for were gone and he is all alone in the room reflecting on his bitter victory. Besides, I can’t remember of someone that fitted so perfectly in a role like Pacino as Michael.
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Yes, the journey of Michael is so effectively done. He goes from largely innocent to completely crazed and power mad. But the transformation is where everything is at.
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Vito Corleone (both young and old), Michael, Sonny and Vincent all my favorites. But Vito is 1st to me.
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Vito is the one who started it all
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