Mike86

I’d personally choose Goodfellas easily over any of The Godfather films. I appreciate them for what they are but I just have never really been that into them. I just feel like Goodfellas tells a more interesting story and is more rewatchable whereas with The Godfather films they just feel long and drawn out and I sort of check out about halfway through them.

dex14

Black Mass??? That isn't even in the same league as the films listed.

Casino most certainly is.

mcnabb

While I love both movies, and the genre in general, Godfather 1 is probably the greatest movie of all-time, IMO. This is like comparing Empire Strikes Back to the Original Star Wars, their both great, but one is alittle better then the other.

Ash Ketchum

Exactly.

inri222

Of all the films in the poll for me The Godfather II is the best followed by the Godfather and then Goodfellas.
Goodfellas is an excellent film, but if we're talking Scorsese and organized crime, for me Mean Streets is his best.

d2cheer

I am not totally in love with either of them, but can watch and enjoy them. I own the DVD of Goodfellas and do not own the Godfather so I guess it is Goodfellas. However I have not watched it in at least 10 years.

mcnabb

Both movies are telling a different story. Goodellas is telling a story of moblife through Henry Hill, where Godfather is telling a story about Michael Corleone through the moblife. On the surface, it looks like Godfather is romanticizing the Mob Life, but look at what happens to everyone by the end of Godfather 2? (I don't count Godfather 3). Sonny has been killed because he was setup by his brother in law, and Michael essentially turns on everyone because he is so paranoid. He has his brother shot after he finds out he was deceived by him (even waiting for his mom to die before doing it), he shuts out Tom Hagan, and he shuts out his ex-wife from her kids after learning she had an abortion. And the final shot of him sitting there by himself is the collateral damage for that lifestyle as this guy was a War Hero who wasn't supposed to go into the family business. Godfather has always been a more personal story, where Goodfellas is really about how the Mob worked, and what eventually led to their downfall.

inri222

Yup, The Godfather I & II does not romanticize organized crime, it is more like a Shakespearean tragedy. It has elements of Hamlet, Macbeth & King Lear.

brayzie

So, if you're basing this on the ending of the second film, are you saying the first one does romanticize the mafia?


Sonny is killed, but it's portrayed as not necessarily because of his life of crime, but because of his reckless actions. He slips up with Sollozzo, he ignores his advisor Tom Hagen in order to start more wars, and is shown cheating on his wife, something his father was against.
Vito Corleone even says, "I thought Santino was a bad don."
But notice, that Sonny is portrayed as one of the good guys in the mafia. He cares about his sister, and dies trying to avenge her. We never see any good traits of rival mafia families. Vito's family is good because they don't deal in drugs or prostitution, and we don't see them extorting innocent people like Fanucci.

But the contrast in the film is that Vito Corleone was able to keep his family together and have the love of those around him, while his son Michael lost his family and those closest to him hated and feared him.
So it's kind of sending the message that there are mob bosses with hearts, and one's who are complete monsters. Even Michael says as much in Godfather III when he asks why his father's mob boss partner in Sicily was so loved, while he [Michael] was so hated.
I think those who view things more critically would see that it was Vito's decision to enter into a life a crime that started this tragedy.


It can still be a Shakespearean tragedy and romanticize organize crime.
Notice that the Coreleone's are portrayed as the "good" mafia family.
Under Vito Corleone, his crime family doesn't deal in drugs nor do they deal in prostitution unlike Barzini and "that pimp Tattaglia."

Look at that why Vito Corleone is portrayed. He's this regal figure who speaks so elegantly about being a man and loyalty, which feeds into that bullshit "men of honor" that's attached to mafia.

DePalma's Scarface is also a tragedy, but that doesn't mean that film didn't romanticize criminality either. Stuff like this

was being worn by lots of teenagers and young adults when the film was released on DVD. It probably had a lot to do with all the cool lines Tony had, and the comic book-like actions scenes. "Say hello to my little friend!"
There was even a documentary featuring all these hip-hop artists who said they looked up to the character of Tony Montana.

Sonic

You hate Black Mass?

dex14

I don’t hate it. But I don’t think it is that great. And it is no where near the level of the films in the poll.

Mike86

Yeah I agree. Black Mass is pretty good though. One of the only films starring Depp I like.

dex14

It is? https://forum.dvdtalk.com/12592446-post17.html

Your comments are even relative to this thread too with the point you make about Goodfellas.

Mike86

I mean I guess seeing it a couple times since my initial viewing I don’t mind it. I should clarify its not a favorite or anything but it’s watchable and Depp’s performance at least stands out. I agree though that it doesn’t hold a candle to any of the films that are the topic of this thread.

Sonic

For me Blass Mass is on the mafia list (near to last though) of good fun movies. It's very underrated.

Daytripper

Just saw this poll for the first time and have to say that I'm surprised to see "Goodfellas" outranking "Godfather 2". Don't get me wrong, I love "Goodfellas". I thought it was the best film of 1990 and an instant classic. But feel "Godfather 2" is the best of it's trilogy and (sorry) the godfather of all mafia movies.

OutRun2

What do you guys think of Millers Crossing? Is it any good and should I watch it?

Sonic

I have it on blu-ray (bought it for $5). It's a great movie but it's more of a dark comedy/Broadway style type movie. At times it feels like you're watching a Broadway show. It's got some graphic violence, and it's got some sillyness. It doesn't take itself seriously.

I recommend it though if you like anything mafia related.

Ash Ketchum

Compared to THE GODFATHER and GOODFELLAS? It's like a student film. Y'know...silly.

thematahara

Wow. To each their own, but to me Miller's is the best Coen Bros movie.

If I was lumping together all mafia/mob movies. I would go Godfather 1, Miller's, Godfather 2, Casino, Goodfellas.

inri222

I'm not a fan, but it's definitely worth watching. If you want to see something on the scale of The Godfather or Goodfellas you should see Once Upon a Time in America.

Others worth watching

Gomorrah
Eastern Promises
The Long Good Friday
Carlito’s Way
Donnie Brasco
Mean Streets

If you want Asian gangsters check out the films of Takeshi Kitano, Johnnie To, Kinji Fukasaku, John Woo & Ringo Lam.

Ash Ketchum

Fukasaku did his own GODFATHER-style series, the five-film THE YAKUZA PAPERS (1973-75), covering a Yakuza gang from post-WWII to the '70s.

inri222

It's all subjective, for me Miller's Crossing is middle tier Coen Bros and wouldn't make my top 10 gangster films.

Goonies85

I basically agree. I'm a giant Coen Brothers fan (despite their more recent movies not being very good, aside from Inside Llewyn Davis), but I think Miller's Crossing falls in the middle of their filmography.

I also am not a fan of Black Mass. That movie should've been way better, based on the material that the filmmakers had to work with. The books on Whitey Bulger are much better than the movie that was produced, which is unfortunate because there were a lot of great actors in that movie, and I still consider the trailer for the film to be one of the best ever made.

In terms of what we're discussing on the board, I'd go with The Godfather Part I, followed by Part II, and then Goodfellas. I can appreciate Goodfellas, but have always felt it was a tad overrated. I actually prefer Casino to it. I'd also rank King of New York higher than Goodfellas, as Christopher Walken gives one of the greatest performances of all-time as Frank White. But The Godfather Part I remains one of my top ten favorite films. Too many classic/iconic scenes, and it really seems to go by fast, despite its lengthy running time...Brando, Pacino, Caan, and Cazale at the top of their games...

Goonies85

I need to get around to watching these...I've owned the Arrow boxset for a year or two now...Been meaning to check these out...