De Niro, who is only 1/4 Italian, spent a few months learning to speak Italian in a sicilian dialect for the film. To those who are fluent, how believable did he sound as Vito?
Its just a little Turkish heroin, what was the big fucking deal? He could've nodded his head and the five families would have become richer than God and probably taken over the entire City/State of New York. Than he could have all the Senator and Governor grandkids he could want. Instead he has to take a few, start a war, and the heroin trade moves into New York anyway. Bunch of chaos for nothing.
When Vito was talking to Michael just before he died. He emphasized to Michael that the person who approaches him with a meeting is "the" traitor.
At this point, there were 2 traitors that we are sure about, Paulie and Carlo Rizzi. I don't think Tessio was at this point a traitor as he was clearly with the family and assisting them with assassinating Sollozzo and seemed to still be friends with Vito and trying to negotiate with both Michael and Vito to get his own crime family.
So first, why did Vito assume that there is an existing traitor? And how did he know that this traitor will approach Michael and arrange a meeting? Or is he just so experienced that he knew how things work after other crime bosses anticipate a weak link?
Add to that, Tom told Michael "I always thought it was Clemenza", so it seems that there was already someone betraying the Corleones other than Paulie and Carlo.
I just watched the movie, maybe the novel has something that the movie isn't explaining well.
? if mary was married
So lets say Vito lived 10 more years, Michael becomes a Don but Vito doesn't give everything up. They each rule a part of town or part of the business, maybe one has casinos, other has gambling, one has senator, other has a judge you know.
They conflict over an issue and try to outmaneuver one another. They are not full bloodlusted, keep in character.
