This film was something of landmark when it came out in 1973 - the year after the original Godfather. While Charles Bronson wasn't yet the big star he became after Death Wish was released the following year, he carries the film very well. There are also some other noteworthy performances, particular Lino Ventura as Vito Genovese and Joseph Wiseman as Salvatore Maranzano.
I found the film still quite entertaining. The film was criticized at the time for its level of violence as well for some sloppy production values including two well known goofs. The first being the World Trade Center under construction in the background of a scene and and the other being the presence of modern day cars along with period cars in a driving scene with the Gap and Genovese's wife.
Despite its good qualities, I found myself constantly diverted by the many inaccuracies in a film which is really unforgivable in a film purported to be following the well researched book by Peter Maas. Many of the real life characters are factually mixed up. For example they show Tony Bender being a top aide to Maranzano when he was actually a close associate of Vito Genovese and was on the opposite side -the Masseria side not the Maranzano -side during the Castellamarese War. Gaetano Reina was not the underboss of Maranzano but was head a separate family (presently the Lucchese Family) who sympathized with Maranzano and was killed for it. He became post mortem Valachi's father in law so Valachi know very well who he was. Valachi even regretted in the Peter Maas book book how he should stayed with the Lucchese Family instead of going with the Genovese crowd after the Castellamarese War.
The worst error was showing Albert Anastasia as taking over as boss of the Luciano Family (now known as the Genovese Family) after Vito Genovese goes into exile in Italy in 1937. It was Frank Costello who took over from Genovese. Albert Anastasia at the time was underboss of an entirely separate mafia Family -The Mangano Family (now known as the Gambino family).
All this quibbling aside, it still holds up pretty well,
I found the film still quite entertaining. The film was criticized at the time for its level of violence as well for some sloppy production values including two well known goofs. The first being the World Trade Center under construction in the background of a scene and and the other being the presence of modern day cars along with period cars in a driving scene with the Gap and Genovese's wife.
Despite its good qualities, I found myself constantly diverted by the many inaccuracies in a film which is really unforgivable in a film purported to be following the well researched book by Peter Maas. Many of the real life characters are factually mixed up. For example they show Tony Bender being a top aide to Maranzano when he was actually a close associate of Vito Genovese and was on the opposite side -the Masseria side not the Maranzano -side during the Castellamarese War. Gaetano Reina was not the underboss of Maranzano but was head a separate family (presently the Lucchese Family) who sympathized with Maranzano and was killed for it. He became post mortem Valachi's father in law so Valachi know very well who he was. Valachi even regretted in the Peter Maas book book how he should stayed with the Lucchese Family instead of going with the Genovese crowd after the Castellamarese War.
The worst error was showing Albert Anastasia as taking over as boss of the Luciano Family (now known as the Genovese Family) after Vito Genovese goes into exile in Italy in 1937. It was Frank Costello who took over from Genovese. Albert Anastasia at the time was underboss of an entirely separate mafia Family -The Mangano Family (now known as the Gambino family).
All this quibbling aside, it still holds up pretty well,