Lebo, Harlan. The Godfather Legacy: the Untold Story of the Making of the Classic Godfather Trilogy. New York: Fireside, 1997. 130-153.

Director, Francis Ford Coppola resorted to all measures in order to piece together the most authentic movie possible. Coppola was only given a few million dollars and far too few days to shoot a period piece based on Mario Puzo’s book, The Godfather. Initially Coppola was given very little leeway in the film’s production and operation by Paramount and Producer Al Ruddy, yet he fought tirelessly for what he believed would make the film great. In fact, at one point Coppola threatened to quit if he was not given the flexibility of many of the auteur directors. Interestingly, Coppola refused to cast some of the greatest actors, such as Warren Beatty and Burt Reynolds as Michael Corleone in place of the little known Al Pacino. Coppola insisted that Pacino had the certain Sicilian look that was necessary for the role. As aforementioned, actual mob members from the Colombo families and other organizations were brought in to share insight into the intricacies of inner mafia workings. Moreover, Coppola refitted many cars with authentic bumpers of the 1940’s and received permission to alter some of the sets, including street signs, even though most of the movie was not shot in a back lot.

            Coppola’s insistence on absolute authenticity down to the last detail provides the viewer with a voyeuristic experience. This can partially explain the great popularity of The Godfather, as average citizens were able to sit in on what felt like real mafia operations. Prior gangster films such as Little Caesar depicted the gangster lifestyle but did not reveal the everyday life of a mobster, like The Godfather.  From the accents, to the clothes, to the sets, the movie successfully grabs the viewer into the world on screen. Those who had lived during the 1940’s were particularly lured in by the accurate replication of the sets. To have a widespread cultural impact, the film must be popular at the box office and the incredible authenticity of The Godfather was fundamental in capturing the viewer and in turn selling the product.