MovieChat Forums > The Godfather (1972) Discussion > the restaurant scene

the restaurant scene

posted 4 years ago by daveyh (641)
27 replies | jump to latest

Why didn’t the Corleone’s just have a couple of button men in Louey’s restaurant once they found out the meeting would be held there? That way, there’d be no need for Michael to be directly involved in the shooting.
My only guess is that because it’s a family restaurant, a couple of mob hitters sitting there might have aroused Solozzo’s suspicion when they entered....but maybe they could have had a couple of girls with them to make it look less obvious
The only other possibility I can think of is that Michael WANTED to take care of it personally. It’s funny that it wasn’t even suggested though (when they were suggesting other things like putting a tail on the vehicle or just shooting the car when it arrives)

[–] BourbonKing (5788) 4 years ago

From a story standpoint it's an effective plot point and it drives the dramatic rise of Michael's profile in the family business. From a criminal enterprise standpoint it makes ZERO sense to have Michael execute Sollozzo and the Police Captain, no matter how many news people the Corleone's have on the payroll. That's the part as an audience that we suspend our disbelief and accept the reach the Corleone family has with corrupting not only law enforcement but also the 5th Estate. The end result still ended up with warfare and the Corleone crime enterprise taking a huge financial hit. Either way, I agree that it seemed strange that they couldn't hire a sniper or a really good hit team to trail Sollozzo after the meeting and when he splits away from McCluskey. Since Sonny has a mole at McCluskey's precinct they could have used that contact to trace Sollozzo's whereabouts as well.

[–] marktayloruk (2590) 3 years ago

Surely any reporter would be interested in a story about a cop involved in the rackets?

[–] Adam60z (3781) 4 years ago

The whole set up was Michael's idea. It's not personal, just business. However it WAS personal because of what the cop did to him and what Sollozzo did to his father https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=by5YzWJ9W4U
What I don't get is how Clamenza was able to plant the gun with no one noticing.

[–] kwestmo (4385) 4 years ago

Clemenza didn't plant the gun. One of his people did.

[–] ak47wong (639) 4 years ago

And that person was good and I mean very good. Otherwise Michael might have come out of the toilet with just his dick in his hand.

[–] Adam60z (3781) 4 years ago

I just realized; if they got someone "very good" to plant the gun, why didn't that person just do the job?

[–] kwestmo (4385) 4 years ago

Because the plot required for Michael to shoot them. It is really that simple.

[–] strntz (12773) 4 years ago

Michael's intention was to get Sollozzo to call off the attack on his family and his father in particular. If Michael had gotten a promise, I think he would not have killed them.

Besides, there's a good possibility that Sollozzo had Louis' Restaurant under surveillance and would have spotted Clemenza's guy. Even if they spotted the guy, he ate, used the restroom, and left. They probably knew everyone in the restaurant at the time of the meeting, and if anyone approached the restaurant during the meeting, they would have been confronted by Sollozzo's goons. If there was a suspicious guy there, Sollozzo and McClusky might have diverted to a backup location.

[–] Adam60z (3781) 4 years ago

That makes sense, except for Michael calling it off if he got a promise. Why did they bother to go to all the trouble of setting it up? Can you picture Michael returning, "Sonny, I changed my mind because Sollozzo gave me his pinky promise he won't be mean again."

[–] strntz (12773) 4 years ago

I agree, but if you watch Michael's face during the exchange, he was visibly upset that Sollozzo told him he didn't have that power to call off the hit, that *he* was the hunted one, and that Michael thought too much of him. You could see that moment when Michael made up his mind and asked to go to the restroom.

[–] Adam60z (3781) 4 years ago

I don't agree with that interpretation. I know it's kind of a minor plot point, but Michael was going to kill them no matter what they said. The whole conversation was just a ruse that filled up time until he could ask to go to the restroom. But the conversation mattered much more to Sollozzo, who was worried about it. However another thing that didn't make sense "I'm the hunted one"...yes, hunted by the Corleones whose future head he was sitting with.

[–] strntz (12773) 4 years ago

I know it's kind of a minor plot point, but Michael was going to kill them no matter what they said.

We're just going to have to disagree on this. They way I see it, Michael had no reason to be so vociferous with Sollozzo about his father if he was going to just kill them regardless. The best thing he could have done was to placate them (make them feel at ease as Clemenza suggested) and at least consider their offer and promise to talk to Sonny about it. His continued pushing for his father's safety and the absolute disgust on his face when Sollozzo told him he couldn't promise anything put Sollozzo on edge to the point where he frisked him again when he went to the can.

Your earlier post mentioned something that I believe would have happened: if Michael got a deal he trusted, he would not have killed Sollozzo and the police captain (which would change Michael's life forever) and Sonny and the rest of the family would have been quite upset with him for caving.

[–] daveyh (641) 3 years ago

thanks for the replies everyone. While i don't have an answer for Michael's intentions when negotiating, isn't it a brilliant parallel to when Vito negotiates with Don Fanucci before killing him anyway?!

[–] strntz (12773) 3 years ago

Someone else pointed out (and it makes sense) that young Vito decided to kill Fanucci *because* he accepted Vito's lowball offer. This showed Vito that Fanucci was weak and not worthy of being such a kingpin in the neighborhood. If Fanucci stood firm and threatened Vito and his friends, Vito would have backed off.

Interesting possibility.

[–] strntz (12773) 4 years ago

And that person was good and I mean very good. Otherwise Michael might have come out of the toilet with just his dick in his hand.

Yes, but at least he would have been wearing a nice Ivy League suit when he was fondling his junk.

[–] Mez7 (2) 3 years ago

Nice reference. They could have had Michael beak out in song at the table in front of a bemused Sollazzo and McCluskey, and then say: "After I sing, I can usually use a nice tinkle"

[–] Who (5146) 4 years ago

They’re mob guys, not rocket scientists. They are not even legit businessmen, just bullies with suits and guns.

[–] Adam60z (3781) 4 years ago

I don't like to see them come to this clean country with their oily hair, dressed up in those silk suits! I despise the way they pose themselves and their whole effing families!

[–] strntz (12773) 4 years ago

I think we're all part of the same hypocrisy here..

[–] strntz (12773) 4 years ago

One possibility is that they were afraid Sollozzo would spot a button man by sight and just kill Michael on the spot. The only Corleone family member that was there was by invitation from Sollozzo. Anyone else might have inadvertently messed up the plan. Since Michael was indeed able to assassinate both Sollozo and McClusky, the plan was a good one.

[–] Rolltide (964) 4 years ago

That is the best response but then the question might be why Sollozo did not have a guy or two planted in there covering his back? Just in case?

We have to analyze the scenario. Family restaurant at dinner time in the Bronx. 2-3 guys sitting at a table with no wives or girlfriends might be a bit unusual. Not at lunch time but at dinner time. It is a family restaurant probably not a common meeting place for lawyers or businessmen. That would be more likely in Manhattan.

The bottom line is that they never saw Michael as a threat. They saw him as a law abiding civilian. People in Michael's own family did not respect him remember they laughed when he brought the idea up? Remember Clemenza teaching Michael how to make gravy? That's what makes the scene so awesome and it is one of the great story arcs in the history of film.

[–] daveyh (641) 3 years ago

I asked that question a while ago, and my friend suggested that, with having a police captain as his body guard, maybe Solozzo felt untouchable and therefore didn't need any further reinforcements.
Not seeing Michael as a threat prior to the hospital incident made sense. After it, not so much. He'd successfully pretended to be a button man himself, and done a convincing enough job to scare off the hitters, before giving a lot of lip to McClusky. And after breaking his jaw, he might also want a little personal revenge. Even if he didn't, it was naive to think of him as just a civilian after all that.
So many threads about this film in which each answer raises more questions. It's great.

[–] corey (774) 4 years ago

Maybe Michael wanted the veal. Best in the city, according to Solozzo.

[–] strntz (12773) 4 years ago

McClusky certainly seemed to enjoy it.. at least some of it.

[–] Rolltide (964) 4 years ago

I love restaurants like that. Beats the Olive garden.

[–] strntz (12773) 3 years ago

Good food. Everyone minds their business.

[–] daveyh (641) 2 years ago

just read this on the thread about Michael not quite carrying out the hit as per Sonny/Clemenza's instructions. The post is from 6 years ago but the thread was recently added to which is why I'm only just seeing it:
N the book some of these issues get explained.

"On sitting back down, it was a bit absent minded of him. But he also believed that Sollozzo had a guy there and if he pulled the gun right out he would have been shot immediately. He figured that if he sat down it would seem more natural. And he was right. In the book one of the other diners was a Sollozzo henchman and he got caught unawares. He basically puts his hands on the table to show he will take no action."

Another post a couple of comments down also mentions that Michael didn't come out of the bathroom blasting because he believed Sollozzo may have other men in there so he sat back down to put anyone watching at ease.
I guess that's easy enough to describe in the book but impossible to portray in the movie. Well, difficult, not impossible wahey