Did Scorsese Direct ‘The Godfather’? Could be… now that someone’s seen ‘Megalopolis’ (Humor)
A humor piece by Scott Fivelson
It’s been said that in Hollywood, you often have to read between the lines. In the era of Barbenheimer, perhaps even between the syllables.
Did Martin Scorsese direct The Godfather? That’s the seemingly preposterous argument that’s been made since the seven-minute pity ovation subsided following the screening of Megalopolis at Cannes – but due diligence is revealing a disturbing amount of evidence to back up that theory.
Where to begin? Since Megalopolis dropped – to, in this case, use a music industry term – an unnamed source has gone on record off-the-record – more music biz terms – as having confirmed seeing a clapper board that said “Director: Martin Scorsese” on all surviving outtakes from The Godfather and The Godfather Part II, the only logical explanation being that director Francis Ford Coppola was already upriver incommunicado and filming Apocalypse Now. No one is currently disputing that Coppola directed The Godfather Part III.
Of course, criticism has been leveled at Coppola for his relative inactivity behind the camera over the last two decades. But nothing could be further from the truth when one looks at the little-known fact that the prolific Coppola has ghost-directed three films for Ridley Scott – Prometheus, Alien: Covenant, and The Last Duel, though Francis was taken off The Last Duel in post and final cut given to Jennifer Lopez.
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with Matt Damon and Adam Driver, Image credit: Facebook)
Even the title, The Last Duel, hints at the connection between Francis Ford Coppola and Ridley Scott – a friendly rivalry to be sure, but a rivalry nonetheless, with Scott at one point so preoccupied with overtaking Coppola’s reputation that the British director tried to make a go of it with his own winery, the ill-fated and short-lived Ridley’s Ripple.
Apparently, the acclaim that director Francis Ford Coppola has enjoyed throughout his career for directing (but really not) the first two Godfather movies is a debt he tried to repay to auteur buddy Marty Scorsese when Francis returned the favor (but not really) by directing The Irishman on the low-low. Scorsese has gone on record off-the-record as having privately confided that he is just a little sick of directing gangster movies, which is perfectly understandable when you consider the time devoted to the first two (long) Godfather movies followed by Good Fellas, Casino, ad infinitum.
What to make of all this in the wake of Megalopolis? To the rescue comes Quentin Tarantino, proving once again what a caporegime to Cinema he is, falling on his sword for a friend by releasing a statement last week admitting that he canceled his movie The Movie Critic because he’d already made his 10th film, taking the rap for directing Megalopolis.
Still, some speculate that it all came to a head at Cannes when Francis presented George Lucas with an honorary Palme d’Or and whispered to George, “… and I’m The Godfather’s honorary director,” to which George quietly replied, “Francis, you crack me up.” Watch it on YouTube. Just turn up the volume.
But it’s alright. Ghost-directing has become an increasingly commonplace occurrence. A case in point: Last year, when Greta Gerwig directed Barbie AND Oppenheimer, an unrivaled directing feat that gave rise to the meme, Barbenheimer.
If you don’t believe me, call me Weisenheimer.
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About Scott Fivelson: Scott Fivelson is an award-winning screenwriter, fiction writer, songwriter, and director. His credits include a satire of the multi-generational family saga – the comedy novel, Tuxes – and the one-act mysteries, Dial L for Latch-Key and Leading the Witness. He was co-writer/producer of a popular dramedy about the music biz, American Reel, starring the legendary David Carradine, Michael Maloney, and Mariel Hemingway. Fivelson wrote and directed his latest film, Near Myth: The Oskar Knight Story, starring Lenny Von Dohlen as legendary director, Oskar Knight.
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(Cover photo of Martin Scorsese and The Godfather cast, Image credit: Facebook)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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