By Deepan Joshi

Released in 1972 ‘The Godfather‘ sits at number 2 with a rating of 9.2 in the all time top movies on IMDB with 1994 released ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ at 9.3 above it. ‘The Godfather’ has an ensemble cast with every part fitting like a custom-made glove. Marlon Brando plays Don Corleone, the patriarch of the Corleone family that has three sons and a daughter. Al Pacino plays the youngest son Micheal Corleone, who inadvertently takes on the mantle as the head of the family from his ageing father. Robert Duvall stars as Tom Hagen, the family’s consiglieri and Diane Keaton as Kay Adams is cast as Micheal’s wife.

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The toughest role as the seething, muscular, and volatile eldest son came to James Caan and he set the screen on fire with a once in a lifetime kind of performance. Even the family’s caporegimes (Clemenza and Tessio, who head their own group of the muscle end of the family) are seen telling Sonny to cool down. The sister Connie is seen begging Sonny not to harm her husband Carlo when he sees that she has bruises. Hagen is constantly at odds with Sonny while trying to prevent an all-out war once Don Corleone has been shot and is recovering in a hospital. Sonny though is a force of nature, impossible to reason with from the first scene onwards with only his father having the upper hand with him.

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Francis Ford Coppola’s brief and Caan’s instincts must have been completely aligned as Sonny’s emotional side, his warmth within the outward violence, is apparent in the film. Sample this dialogue after Micheal introduces Tom Hagen as his brother to his girlfriend Kay as the film opens with Connie Corleone’s wedding reception.

“Kay: If he’s your brother, why does he have a different name? Micheal: Oh, ah, that…when my brother Sonny was a kid, he found Tom Hagen in the street. And he had no home and so my father took him in – and he’s been with us ever since. He’s a good lawyer. Not a Sicilian, but I think he’s gonna be consiglieri. Kay: What’s that? Micheal: That’s um, like a counselor…an advisor…very important to the family.”

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Unlike the Mario Puzo novel the film never spells out that it was only Sonny who accepted Tom as a real brother though it makes up for the fact through the intuitive cinematography. Everyone is polite and nice to Tom and Micheal with the support of his father becomes cold when he has to. Sonny and Tom’s exchanges are full of heat throughout. Sonny invariably hits below the belt but the only ‘Sorry’ from his lips in the entire film is also extended to Tom.

“Sonny: Well, then, there ain’t no more stalemate. I’m gonna end it by killin’ that old bastard! I’m gonna… kill…Tom: Yeah, well you’re getting a great reputation! I hope you’re enjoying it… Sonny: Well you just do what I tell you to do! Goddamn it! If I had a wartime consiglieri…a Sicilian…I wouldn’t be in this shape! Pop had Genco, look what I got. (after exhaling) I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that. Ma made a little dinner – it’s Sunday…Tom: It’s alright…”

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When Tom is put out of action, Don Corleone says to him that I never thought that you were a bad consiglieri. I thought Santino was a bad Don, rest in peace. It is not the hot-headedness but the warmth and care for his loved ones that gets Sonny to drive alone to the fatal causeway. In a runtime of 2 hours and 58 minutes, Sonny meets his demise at around 1 hour and 58 minutes and it is the only death amid dozens and dozens in the film where sorrow is explored. Sonny’s shadow refuses to leave the last hour or even the last minutes. Famous dialogue after the heads of the five families of New York are taken care of: “You have to answer for Santino…”

The 1940 born James Caan who died earlier this week at 82 would have been at the peak of his prowess shooting for the film while being in his early-thirties. Caan’s only Oscar nomination came for the portrayal of Sonny Corleone though many would not remember who won that year. Viewer’s choice: Caan could well be in the running for the best supporting actor of all time.