Sujoy Ghosh: Sonny’s death was the turning point in 'The godfather'
It was the book where the scene originated from, but because I was introduced to The Godfather through the film first, it will always be a memorable cinematic moment for me.
When I watched Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather for the first time, I hadn’t read the book then. I was a teenager, but the memories are vivid. I remember being spellbound, sucked into the drama and left with my mind blown. Not having read the book, every part of the drama was a surprise to me.
As soon as I was introduced to Michael Corleone, I liked him. Honest, simple and innocent, Al Pacino brought a vulnerability so required for the role. You couldn’t help but root for the character. At one point in the film, everything seemed to have been going right for the Corleone family. And then Sonny, the elder brother, is gunned down by the family’s enemies. Not having expected that scene, I was left stunned.
Till that point, it seemed quite obvious that Sonny would take over from Don Vito as the next Godfather. Sonny, according to me, was the perfect man for the job. He would make for a great second generation don — brash and cocky. Also, Sonny always seemed in control of things, and under him the Corleone empire seemed set to grow tenfold. His death, then, confounded me. I loved Michael, but surely he couldn’t replace Sonny.
Which is what made me love Michael even more. It was a masterstroke by writer Mario Puzo. For him, Sonny was no more than the perfect set up to make Michael’s character shine even more — that was his only real purpose in the story. It’s his death that makes you empathise with the Corleone family, and makes you want to root for Michael to do well. He is weak, unsure and simple. His transformation, then, gives you that much of a kick. Of course, Al Pacino was absolutely dynamic on screen.
The most important scene of The Godfather for me, then, was where Sonny’s killed. It’s where the story takes a massive turn. Of course, it was the book where the scene originated from, but because I was introduced to The Godfather through the film first, it will always be a memorable cinematic moment for me.
Sujoy Ghosh is the director of films like Jhankaar Beats and the recently released, Kahaani
— Ghosh spoke to Aniruddha Guha