8. Don Corleone Is Made Fearsome By One Terrified Actor
When casting the role of Luca Brasi for The Godfather - that's the hired goon working for Don Corleone (Marlon Brando) - Francis Ford Coppola scanned his eyes around the set - yes, they hadn't cast him by this stage, apparently - before spotting Lenny Montana, a wrestler and occasional wrangler for the mob, who was immediately cast as Brasi due to his imposing size. The original introductory scene for Brasi merely called for him to congratulate Corleone on his daughter's wedding, yet a nervous Montana kept screwing the lines up. However, Coppola decided to incorporate this into the script, so as to heighten the fearsome reputation of Corleone. Furthermore, Coppola decided to film an additional scene to come before this, where we see Brasi rehearsing his speech. The point is that without such a terrible, unnerved, not to mention massive actor playing Brasi, Corleone wouldn't have been thought of as so terrifying so early on. Instead, it's a happy accident that makes those opening scenes all the more compelling.
Shaun Munro
Contributor
Frequently sleep-deprived film addict and video game obsessive who spends more time than is healthy in darkened London screening rooms. Follow his twitter on @ShaunMunroFilm or e-mail him at shaneo632 [at] gmail.com.
See more from
Shaun