Apocalypse Wow

 “Just Thinking”

I was talking to Cole (Son #3) last night and he told me that he and his buddies watched “Apocalypse Now” the other night, he hadn’t seen the movie before (my bad). We took some time and talked about what an impactful movie it was, the Vietnam war, the surreal atmosphere and haunting visuals, how young Martin Sheen was how imposing Marlon Brando was. How far outside the box Francis Ford Coppola went in showing the humanity and the horror of war. We talked about how Coppola used Robert Duvall and Marlon Brando who were both featured actors in the Godfather.

Our conversation got me thinking got about not just “Apocalypse Now’ which came out in 1979 but “The Godfather” 1972 and “The Godfather II” 1974 the actors that were involved and the impact they had on our culture.

Marlon Brando who started as Vito Corleone, the patriarch of the Corleone family in “The Godfather” and Colonel Kurtz. the rogue officer in “Apocalypse Now”. Brando was an established actor who won his first Academy Award in 1954, but will ever be synonymous with the Godfather, which won him the Academy Award for Best Actor.

Al Pacino was a young and upcoming actor that played the role of Michael Corleone the youngest son and future Godfather. Throughout the 1970s, Pacino delivered a series of iconic performances, including roles in “Serpico”, “Dog Day Afternoon”, “And Justice for All” then his unforgettable portrayal of Tony Montana in “Scarface” in 1992, he won an Academy Award for “Scent of a Woman”. Pacino continues to be a frontline actor into is 80’s.

Robert Duvall as Tom Hagen the family's consigliere and adopted son in “The Godfather” and “The Godfather II” and Lieutenant Colonel Bill "I love the smell of napalm in the morning” Kilgore in Apocalypse Now”. His career is a testament to his extraordinary range and versatility as an actor with a best actor Academy Award for his role in “Tender Mercies” in 1983. He will always be Ranger Gus McCrae to me for his role in “Lonesome Dove.”

Robert De Niro as young Vito Corleone “The Godfather II”, he plays a younger version of Vito Corleone in flashbacks, chronicling his rise to power. De Niro won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for this role.

James Caan, Diane Keaton, Dennis Hopper, Frederic Forrest, Sam Bottoms and Laurence Fishburne have also been featured actors in the years that have followed.

“The Godfather I & II” were huge box office successes and critically acclaimed. The movies shaped the portrayal of organized crime and Italian-American identity in America. The film humanized the mafia, portraying its them not as simple criminals but as complex, multi-dimensional characters navigating the moral and emotional conflicts of family loyalty, power, and business. For many, it represented the immigrant experience, from impoverished immigrant to powerful patriarch symbolizing the American Dream.

If you haven’t got the chance, you should check out the TV series "The Offer". about the making of “The Godfather “on Paramount+, well worth the watch.

Let me know what you think.

@ChuckBarberini - #ChuckBarberiniRealEstate - @ChuckBarberiniRealEstate

@Golden_State_Guide_Service - @Citizen.Number.One