DON EMILO BARZINI (RICHARD CONTE)
TIED WITH
HYMAN ROTH (LEE STRASBERG)
FROM THE GODFATHER SAGA
As most of you all know, "The Godfather" tied with "The Godfather Part 2" are my favorite films of all time. I love them so much that my reviews on the films can't describe my love for them. It has great casting; great characters; great directing; great story etc etc and also has two great Villains who give our main characters problems.
I know a lot of people find Michael the real villain of the films (Hey, even Francis Ford Coppola says he's the Hitler of the Saga) but personally I see him more as a tragic character. He starts out as a young man who wants to have a normal life, but due to the events of his father and the death of his wife, it all has turned him into this monster. If you watch Part 2 carefully you can tell he doesn't want to be this person and wants to have a happy family, but due to so much business and war he spends little time with his family and thinks business comes before family, but worries about losing his Family. He does kill his own brother which a lot of people find evil (I do too) but he did it to set an example on the other families on how serious he takes business. Most of his tragicness is shown in the 3rd film and is probably the only good plot in the 3rd installment, but I'll review it later, explaining why the 3rd film is not with the first 2. Many can also argue that everybody's a bad guy in this film, even though that statement is very true if you read what I said about gangster films when I talked about film on my Top 10 Favorite films I reviewed in 2010" I said (Not only referring to "The Godfather" but other gangster films as well) "The actors, the story, and the characters make us forget they're bad guys, the only bad guys in the film are the traitors and enemies". When I watch a gangster a film I'm so attached in they're world that they're the heroes of the films, or should I say anti-heroes. I'm not trying to glorify the Mob, I'm just saying that's the feeling most us get when we watch a gangster film.
With all that said, let's now talk about the Villain from the first Godfather film...
DON EMILO BARZINI
WARNING: THERE WILL BE SPOILERS
Don Barzini is the head of the five families in New York. He's friends with many powerful people (Which I'll talk about very soon) and his business is gambling and prostitution and he is joining in the new business, the Narcotics trade. Barzini is a man who moves with the times and as result makes him a successful Don. However, even though he's a powerful man, The Corleone family have more power than he does and as result makes Barzini want to wipe out the Corleones and take their power. Barzini doesn't show up too much in the film, he's basically an off screen villain, but still when you see him, he not only looks threatening but he looks cool too. You see him most of the time smoking a cigar and surrounded by bodyguards, which by the way if you take a picture of him in a public event, kiss your camera or photo good bye. The scene he shows up the most in is the truce meeting to the Mob War where he has a few lines to say as well. Barzini is such a respected man that he even gets invited to The Corleone's Wedding and to Vito's Funeral.
The real power of this Villain is who's he's connected with and how he uses his power. So let's talk about the people he's allied with.
DON BARZINI'S ALLIES AND BUSINESS PARTNERS
THE TATTAGLIA FAMILY
Even though Barzini is the head of all the five Families, the family he gives most of his power too is The Tattaglia family. Don Phillip Tattaglia is an old "Pimp" who's very small minded and makes love to younger woman. Barzini helps him by having them join forces with the head of the Narcotic's trade Sollozzo The Turk (Will get to him later); supplies the family with weapons; and Barzini is the mastermind of Sonny Corleones death who has the Tattaglia's pull the trigger as revenge for killing Phillip's son Bruno Tattaglia and killing Sollozzo which starting a war. Don Tattaglia in the end, gets whacked in a bed with a young prostitute woman by Rocco Lampone and another Corleone hitman.
VIRGIL SOLLOZZO AKA THE TURK
Sollozzo is the head of The Narcotics trade who is very good with a knife. He's backed up by The Tattaglia, but he's really backed up by the Barzini Family. Barzini sends Sollozzo to talk the Corleone family to join the trade and give him protection from the police; Vito refuses and as a result, Sollozzo and Barzini try to make the Corleone's "An Offer They Can't Refuse". This guy is such a badass and does so many horrible things to the Corleone family that you know that he means business .He kills the muscle of The Corleone family Luca Brasi by stabbing his hand to the Bar and has a hitman strangle him with a garrote wire and then leave a message to the family with Luca's bullet proof vest with a fish in it, which is a Sicilian message that means "Luca Brasi Sleeps With The Fishes". He kidnaps the Corleone's Consigliere to convince the family to make the deal and he and Barzini send out two hitman to kill Vito. Vito survived the shooting and they tried to kill him again at his hospital bed by sending a few hit man and the crooked Cop Captain McClusky to send away all of Vito's bodyguards, but that attempts fails thanks to Vito's son Michael, however, Michael gets his jaw broken by McClusky. Sollozzo along with McClusky gets killed at "Louie's Restaurant" by Michael during a meeting, which results with a Mob War.
MOE GREENE
The Barzini's doesn't have a big connection with Moe Greene, Moe Greene’s more connected to Hyman Roth (Which will talk about in the second part). Moe Greene doesn't accept Michael's offer to buy his Casino because he talked to Barzini who he can make a deal with and still keep his business, which not only shows that Barzini is also after Las Vegas, but he will have a great partnership with the king of Vegas himself.
Now that I talked about his Allies, let's now talk about the people from the Corleone family that turned their back on the Don to join the Barzini family.
THE CORLEONE TRAITORS
PAULIE GATTO
Paulie works for the Corleone’s capo Peter Clemenza and
serves as Vito's personal bodyguard. He betrayed the Corleones due to his greed
(Which his greed can be reveled at the Wedding scene) and joins Sollozzo. He
called in sick leaving Vito to be protected by his non threatening son Fredo.
Just as Vito is buying fruit two hitman shoot Vito five times while Fredo tries
to pull out his gun but accidentally drops it. Sonny finds out through phone
taps that Paulie helped “sell out the old man” and as a result gets whacked by
Rocco Lampone in the car as Clemenza takes "A leak". After the hit, Clemenza
tells Rocco to "leave the gun" and "Take the cannoli". One
of the best lines in the whole movie.
FABRIZIO
While Michael was hiding out in Sicily
during the Mob War, Fabrizio served as one of Michael's bodyguards who had
a dream of living in America.
He tries to kill Michael by blowing up his car with Michael and his wife in it,
but instead his wife dies before Michael can get in, leading Michael to become
what he is in the end of the film and the second film. In a deleted scene to
"Godfather Part 2", it is revealed that he tried to kill Michael
because the Barzini Family agreed to smuggle him illegally to America if he
killed Michael. After the truce meeting and for trying to kill Michael, The
Barzini Family brings him to America
under a new name called Fred Vincent and he opened his own Pizza shop in Buffalo. In another
Deleted Scene, we see Fabrizio close his pizza shop, and as he starts the car,
it blows up, which was a hit that Michael ordered as revenge by making him
suffer the same fate, that his wife has suffered.
In another deleted scene that was filmed, Michael finds Fabrizio in the first film after he kills Carlo and kills him himself. The scene never made into the first film, nor can it be found, but pictures of it can be found on the internet. The picture of Michael carrying a shotgun was also used as a publicity photo for the film.
SALVATORE TESSIO
Salvatore Tessio was Vito's good friend and is not only his capo but also has helped Vito rise to power. Ever since Michael took control, Barzini has been moving in on his territory and Michael's not doing a thing. After asking to have a family of his own, Michael refuses to grant him his wish and as a result he joins the Barzini family, by setting up a meeting with Michael where he’ll be assassinated. Michael was warned by Vito about this and at Vito’s funeral Tessio tells Michael that the Barzini meeting will be held at his territory under his protection (Not knowing that Michael already knew about the meeting). Let's just say what ever happens to Tessio, Michael made sure that we never see him any more.
CARLO RIZZI
Carlo Rizzi married Vito's only daughter Connie but constantly abuses her making Sonny upset. After getting beat up by Sonny for giving Connie a black eye; Barzini approaches him telling him his family can rid his problem with Sonny once and for all. Barzini sets up Sonny's death by having a prostitute call his house telling Connie she can't see Carlo. Connie destroys the house as Carlo's getting ready to leave and not eat dinner that she just made for him and as a result hits her while she's still pregnant. Connie calls Sonny about the incident with Carlo (Not knowing it's a set up); a pissed off Sonny drives to see her and beat up Carlo but gets killed by gunmen waiting for him at the Tollbooth. Michael makes Carlo admit what he did and after admitting it, he gets strangled by Clemenza in a car that's supposedly taking him to the Airport.
Barzini fate is while he's leaving the Supreme Courthouse at Foley Square, the new Luca Brasi of the family Al Neri disguises himself as a cop to get closer to Don Barzini. He kills Barzini's bodyguard and driver and shoots Barzini in the back and runs off as Barzini tumbles down the stairs.
Barzini may not have to much screen time, but he's the main enemy to the Corleone Family and without him there would be no plot.
"I didn't know until this day, that it was Barzini all along."
Vito Corleone
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