The Godfather director and cast reunite to discuss struggle of making the film
It’s been 45 years since The Godfather was released, and it’s hailed as one of – if not the – greatest movie of all time.
The Godfather’s cast, and director Francis Ford Coppola, reunited to celebrate the film’s legacy, 45 years down the line; reflecting on what it’s like to be part of what’s frequently considered the greatest film of all time.
Organised by Robert de Niro, one of the founders of Tribeca, the panel also saw Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, James Caan, Diane Keaton and Talia Shire all in attendance.
The two films won nine Oscars and their tale of how an orphan from Sicily emigrated to the United States at the turn of the 20th century and formed the Corleone crime family became movie classics.
“It was a great script,” said Pacino. “But … at the time we were so young and inexperienced. We didn’t know what filmmaking was, really.”
Yep, it was Pacino who had his doubts. He noted that he would be doing scenes and hearing “people snickering on the other end. You say, ‘Well, this isn’t going well.'”
De Niro spoke of how he was “honoured” to be part of the movie.
“I haven’t seen these movies for years,” Coppola said. “I found (watching) a very emotional experience. I forgot a lot about the making of it and thought about the story, and the story used a lot of family and my personal stuff.