MovieChat Forums > The Godfather (1972) Discussion > Carlo scene

Carlo scene

posted 3 years ago by spurtle467 (1498)
9 replies | jump to latest

Did Carlo's death scene make sense? His death made sense because of his betrayal to the Corleone family in getting Sonny killed but I'm talking about the way it was presented on film. Usually those deaths are made when the car is parked in a quiet spot with no witnesses, like we saw earlier in the film. Here he is strangled while the car is being driven away in front of quite a few people. I get that the people watching him die are part of Michael's crew but I didn't think that was how it was done, and it seemed an unnecessarily sloppy way of offing him. The driver ended up driving with a broken windscreen which can't have helped.

[–] strntz (10818) 3 years ago

The answer is simply it was better cinema.

[–] GirlNamedSue (232) 3 years ago

It was better cinema. He was killed immediately after talking to Michael, not off screen or later in the movie.

[–] Adam60z (3749) 3 years ago

He shouldn't have said it was Barzini.

[–] strntz (10818) 3 years ago

Agree.

[–] Rolltide (964) 3 years ago

When Michael tells him to not insult his intelligence by denying it he should have told Michael to bleep off and go to hell. He was just too dumb.

Then he finds out that Barzini was dead he starts crying like a moron. Why would he actually believe Michael would spare him after admitting something like that?

[–] Ace_Spade (9349) 3 years ago

Maybe there is an explanation besides how darned cinematic it was. Imagine the thoughts of a bunch of soldiers who have just been through a mob war and don't know if the new kid has what the old man had. I bet any doubts evaporate like dewdrops in the sun when they watch Michael order the garotting of his own brother-in-law. This m-f-er means m-f-ing business.

[–] spurtle467 (1498) 3 years ago

It certainly shows Michael to be a ruthless guy. Whether the guys around him would see that death in that way or the way I see it in the OP is another matter, but yes it was the more cinematic option for the film.

[–] Ace_Spade (9349) 3 years ago

Ultimately, I think a lot of it had to do with the image, the style of it, and not so much the story or practicality of it.

[–] Who (5146) 3 years ago

The car was not moving. It was still parked in the walled off driveway. Crew would never snitch or they’d be next in line for a ride like that.

https://youtu.be/85iUqTbak3Y