Early 1971, young upstart director Francis Ford Coppola, who had already founded his own independent production company to sidestep studio meddling and had recently produced George Lucas’s debut feature THX 1138, was weighing the offer to direct the adaptation of Mario Puzo’s bestselling novel, a project that was ostensibly Paramount’s, and particularly the vainglorious Robert Evans’s, baby. It was exactly the for-hire scenario Coppola didn’t want to be in, but good friend Lucas, after his film financially flopped, encouraged Coppola to cash them checks and ensure their future projects. Coppola took the job, and the rest is history.
In this discussion, we share perspectives on toxic masculinity and the fandom of the franchise, the origins of the modern mob/crime drama and why this film took the world by storm in ‘72, and what the story says about capitalism and american assimilation.
Next week: Spirit of the Beehive (1973) by Víctor Erice
UnauthorizedPod.com for more. Hosted by Zachary Domes and J Brooks Young. Music by hetchy
