1972’s The Godfather is undoubtedly one of the best films of all time. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, the film stands as an iconic Hollywood classic that has left an indelible mark on both cinema and pop culture. One of the most brutal fights in the film was between Sonny Corleone (James Caan) and his brother-in-law Carlo Rizzi (Gianni Russo).
The scene is mostly known for its fluffs, but the fight was so authentic that Caan actually broke Russo’s ribs while fighting him. The scene reportedly took four days to shoot and featured more than 700 extras. Using the trashcan lid to beat up Russo was improvised by James Caan.
James Caan broke Gianni Russo’s ribs during a fight scene
While watching The Godfather (1972) if you feel like the fight between Sonny Corleone (James Caan) and his brother-in-law, Carlo Rizzi (Gianni Russo) feels too authentic, it’s because the two actually didn’t hold back any punches.
It was once revealed that there were tensions between James Caan and Gianni Russo on the sets of the movie, so the two decided to let out their rage with the fight scene. Caan beats Russo up with a trashcan, breaking two of Russo’s ribs and cracking his elbow in the process.
As per VladTV, Caan also got Russo in trouble with one of the local gangsters as he set him up with the girlfriend of the gangster he thought was his daughter. “He hated me,” Russo later recounted.
There were rumors that the two stars fought off-screen as well
For a very long time, there was a rumor that James Caan and Gianni Russo also fought off-screen on the sets of the movie, however, Caan cleared this rumor out and explained how the on-screen fight went down,
“Jimmy [Gianni Russo] got a little aggressive. He improvised a few things like that little billy club he threw at me when I came off the stoop. He hit me right in the head with that, and then he throws me over the railing and he’s biting my hands when I crawl out, he literally lifted me up with his kick none of that was supposed to happen. Jimmy and I are not friends at all, believe me. The guy’s nuts. He had a fight with someone else. Not me. I did the fight scene with stuntman Paul Baxley. He came in, and we made up the whole fight. And everything you saw in there is something that Paul and I created the day before.”
James Caan was paid $35,000 for the role of Sonny Corleone, which made him a superstar around the globe. The actor passed away last year at the age of 82.
The Godfather was a cinematic masterpiece
The Godfather was widely released in the United States on March 24, 1972. It was the highest-grossing film of 1972, and at one point, it was the highest-grossing film ever made, earning between $250 and $291 million at the box office. A few things that were particularly praised were the direction, screenplay, writing, story, cinematography, editing, and portrayal of the mafia.
The film’s iconic quotes, memorable scenes, and complex characters continue to influence modern cinema, cementing The Godfather as a timeless masterpiece that redefined American cinema.
Source: Time
