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Mafia Fiction and its Detractors
There is animus among many in the Italian-American community
regarding the popularity of the mafia in film and television...
By Vic Fortezza,
12/15/2001
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There is animus among
many in the Italian-American community regarding the popularity of the mafia in
film and television. Although I feel the theme has been over-done, I do not
believe the works reflect bigotry. If prejudice against Italian-Americans still
exists, it has little to do with the portrayal of organized crime. In fact,
I've always sensed a misguided respect for the mob in non-Italians, even though
most know we are now in all walks of American life. No one is more admired at
present than Rudolph Giuliani. Alas, there will always be that small percentage
of humans of all nationalities that fails to see beyond prejudice. I'm more
miffed at the Italian-American politicians who helped drive New York to the
brink of financial and social disaster before Rudy and the dot.com
entrepreneurs came to the rescue.
I've watched only one entire episode of The Sopranos, one in which a friend,
John Billeci, had a small role as a manager of a mob run Wall Street firm. He
and Michael Rispoli, another actor, jokingly refer to the pidgeon-holing to
which they're subjected as something like: "Guineas on call."
It's not that I don't think The Sopranos isn't good - I just don't see anything
new there. I find it extremely difficult to devote hours to creeps, especially
week after week. Of course, one may argue that all art recycles the same few
themes again and again, and that only spin makes it fresh. Mayor Giuliani is a
fan of the show, as are many of my friends. I wonder if I'm merely ticked at
its popularity, as my fictional portrayals of every-day Italian-Americans
continue to languish in obscurity.
America's fascination with the Cosa Nostra is more a reflection of its long
love affair with the outlaw than bigotry. Billy the Kid, Jesse James, Butch and
Sundance, Dillinger, Bonnie and Clyde, the films of Bogart, Cagney and Raft,
enthralled Americans long before the Mafia became a staple of screenwriters.
Like porn stars, gangsters connect with a longing for freedom, a shunning of
convention, a doing what please whenever it pleases. Of course, these rebels
may be no more free than the rest of us, but the mythology that builds around
them makes it appear they are.
While I do not think The Godfather is a literary masterpiece, it is highly
entertaining, and it spawned a great film trilogy. Mario Puzo, who also
collaborated on the screenplays, deserves the utmost credit and respect. The
Godfather Part II is as good as any film ever made, and The Godfather is as
entertaining as any. Should Italian-Americans shun these works because of a
perceived insult to them? That is a turning of the back on high art. The Mafia
is a fact of life, not an invention of Hollywood, which has always loved those
who live on society's margins. Of course every-day Italian-Americans are
under-represented in film - all people of decency are. Decency, the struggle
for it, does not sell many tickets. The search for meaning sells virtually
none.
The only criticism of the Godfather series that I find irrefutable is its
sanitization, especially in the original, of the mob. Unlike
"Goodfellas," whose characters bludgeon an audience with unrelenting
thuggery, the Godfather has good mafiosi and bad mafiosi. Puzo cast Vito and
Michael Corleone in a heroic light. I don't know if he really believed certain
mafiosi were heroic or if he was merely storytelling. It doesn't matter. It's
still great. While I admire Martin Scorsese's uncompromising passion in
presenting the truth, I prefer the fiction of The Godfather. It is better art.
The story of Michael Corleone, a potential renaissance man who shelves his
dreams to come to his family's rescue, resonates with anyone who has forgone a
dream. The fact that the family business is crime makes the tale all the more
compelling. The evolution of Michael from war hero/scholar to cold autocrat,
the antithesis of the renaissance man, is a tragedy of Shakespearean proportion.
I am one of the few who like The Godfather Part III, although it pales in
comparison to its predecessors. Even Francis Ford Coppola believes the film
fails, citing Michael's frailty as the reason. I see this weakness as
inevitable devolution. Michael's sins, especially the murder of his doltish
brother, have beaten him down. Despite his wealth, power and intelligence, he
is unable to save his family. It may even be argued that he contributed to its
demise. In the end he loses that which he loves most, his daughter, who
unwittingly takes a bullet meant for him. It is his death blow. Shakespeare
would have loved it, Dostoevsky too. I've always believed The Godfather was
influenced by The Brothers Karamazov. The tyrannical father was transformed
into the benevolent Don; the hot-tempered Dmitri became Sonny; the saintly
Alyosha became Michael; the adopted, sickly Smerdyakov became Fredo; the
intellectual Ivan became the family lawyer/consigliere, the adopted Tom Hagen.
The parallels end there, however, at least as far as I can see.
There has never been a more appropriate, more ironic opening quote than that of
the original: "I believe in America," says the undertaker, who has
come to the Don for justice. Of course, the Mafia is a perversion of the
American dream. Italians have prospered in this great land as far back as the
Revolution - legally. Still, this work about a minority within a minority hits
home. How many lines of dialogue from part one and two remain in the memory?
Too many to mention. "Leave the gun. Take the connolis."
Although the Mafia is an infinitesmal portion of the Italian-American
community, it accounts for seemingly 99% of its presence on screen. It is no
wonder, then, that the most genuine portrayal of an Italian-American is
contained in the Godfather series. Michael V. Gazzo's depiction of Frankie
"Five Angels" Pentangeli rings so true. He reminds me of many of my
family's friends, although none were mafiosi. His genuineness allows him to
steal each scene in which he appears. On the other hand, James Caan, widely
praised in the original, was not genuine, at least to me. I always have to
remind myself to cut him some slack. After all, it is acting, and he is not
Italian-American. No doubt the general public thought he was excellent, too. Brando,
an incredible talent, was almost genuine as the Don.
And just when I thought I'd had my fill of gangster fare, along came
"Donnie Brasco," and the great performance of Al Pacino, and a
surprising one, at least to me, by Johnny Depp. "Fuhgeddaboutit."
Pacino is awesome when he underplays, when he avoids the bizarre tangents he
takes in so many roles. I'll never forget the look on his face in The Godfather
Part II when Kay tells him she aborted their child to put an end to the
"Sicilian thing" going on for a thousand years. Although not a single
drop of blood is shed, it is the most violent scene in the trilogy, a rivetting
psychological maiming, one of the all-time great moments in cinema. Kudos to
Coppola and Puzo.
Who knows - maybe in ten or 20 years the Russian mob will be the object of the
public's fascination, and not its scorn. Gangster movies are not likely to go
away, and one group or another must fill the void, unless a multicultural mob
developes. And even that would likely offend someone.
What do you think?
"The Godfather" Albert S. Ruddy/Paramount 1972, Screenplay: Francis
Ford Coppola/Mario Puzo
"The Godfather Part II" Francis Ford Coppola/Paramount 1974,
Screenplay: Francis Ford Coppola/Mario Puzo
"The Godfather Part III" Paramount/Zoetrope 1990, Screenplay: Francis
Ford Coppola/Mario Puzo/Vincent Patrick/Dean Riesner
"Donnie Brasco" Mandalay/Sony Pictures Entertainment/TriStar 1997,
Screenplay: Paul Attanasio
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