Since this column (at its worst) amounts to a glorified blog, brace yourself for an uncomfortably intimate confession: I have never seen “The Godfather.”
I realize it’s a vibrant adaptation, a meticulously crafted period piece and the nucleus of New Hollywood. I realize it’s universally beloved, badass entertainment, usually ranked as one of the best films of all time. I realize that my neglecting this movie is inexcusable, and that I’m probably not qualified to be on the Film Board.
Admittedly, I could even have borrowed the DVD from my brother (who keeps his copy lodged in a Trapper Keeper between “Old School” and “The Boondock Saints”). I’ve seen “Goodfellas” and both versions of “Scarface”; I take “The Sopranos” pretty seriously; I’ve even drunk wine from Francis Ford Coppola’s vineyard (12 bucks at Forest City!). And I’m usually skeptical about people who enjoy a genre without engaging its historical touchstones. But, somehow, I’ve managed to avoid watching all three “Godfather” films.
This is an omission that I hope to remedy on Friday. In my defense, I’ve been expecting this movie to appear in our series for a while now. The print is notoriously elusive, and we’ve tried to program it several times. But it’s here, finally, God willing, this weekend, and you’re not likely to see it on a big screen anywhere else. So if you’ve never seen it, join me. Together, we will be initiated into a cultural fellowship and begin to quote compulsively from the mafia shibboleth. I’ll screen the sequels on my laptop. In no time, we will uncover new, inhuman ways to make jokes at Sofia Coppola’s expense.
If, on the other hand, you, like most culturally-literate humans, have already seen the “Godfather,” come take another look. That way, it will be fresh in your mind when you see F.F. Coppola’s soon-to-be-released “Youth Without Youth.” Now almost 70 years old, Coppola has said that he wants to be a “young independent filmmaker,” and “Youth,” which is about a Romanian linguist, will make for an intriguing comparison with his earlier work.
On Saturday we’re showing the central incarnation of another cultural archetype: the 1938 Technicolor jewel “The Adventures of Robin Hood.” It’s not the original Douglas Fairbanks silent, and it’s arguably less masterful than the animated Disney movie it inspired, but it’s definitely an essential and enjoyable work in its own right. Before the screening, Associate Professor of Film Studies Scott Higgins will harness the Technicolor rainbow in a brief lecture, placing the movie in context. I know that you’re busy with finals and all, but take a break from perfecting that half-assed sociology paper on your disdain for Brooklyn subcultures and come watch the proto-revolutionary Hood redistribute royal wealth and woo the sexy Maid Marian.
Sadly, that wraps up our semester, but don’t worry: our next calendar will be even better! We’ve taken a somewhat more inventive approach to our tradition of programming classics on Saturdays, and we’re also screening an entire night of selections from the American avant-garde. Of course, to compensate for the indulgent fantasies by Maya Deren and Kenneth Anger we’ve shown for the anthro crowd, we’ve agreed to host a Michael Bay retrospective! And an experimental dance collaboration featuring American film critic David Denby and Chair of Film Studies Basinger is even in the works!
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