The main selling point of this film is probably the odd-ball assemblage of a cast ranging from B-movie stars (Robert Forster and Sid Haig) to A-listers (Anthony Quinn) and recognizable character actors (Frederic Forrest and Al Lettieri) all thrust together as Italian mob members operating in a never-mentioned-by-name American city! Though Forster and Forrest are completely miscast as Italians, they add a lot of fun bringing their unusual personas to a genre which usually doesn't get their sort of energy.
Forster plays against type as a young hothead suddenly in charge of a small portion of his father's empire (his father was the titular character). Another rising star on the mob scene wants to take over, so he stages a deliberately outlandish and unlikely scheme to get Forster and Quinn (the most powerful mob boss in town) to wage war. Honestly, the plot is beyond ridiculous but it's fairly original and adds to the fun. What isn't original is the execution, which is GODFATHER all the way.
Case in point: the shootout scene in which *SPOILER* Al Lettieri's character is fatally wounded. He runs through an alley tossing over boxes of oranges as though he's as desperate to die like Brando as he is to stay on his feet! The action scenes are otherwise fairly pedestrian with reliable if unremarkable cinematography, editing, and music. There are a few highlights though:
1) The stunt-man who plays the assassin who blocks Lettieri's escape in the aforementioned shootout. He does an excellent job taking a shotgun blast to the chest, then clamoring up to his feet only to get fatally shot by Lettieri and plummet to the ground. He really eats the pavement on that fall! One of the best stunt-deaths yet captured on screen.
2) A nice touch when Forster's character realizes his girlfriend has been running around on him. He breaks into her apartment while she's gone and starts punching the closet door. The next scene has her entering her apartment to find everything completely trashed and Forster's just sitting there staring at her! In a baffling bit of character decision-making, she continues in and actually eggs him on even further! What happens next I'm sure you can guess, but it's a surreal example of good directing making up for shoddy writing.
In summary, a typical 70's crime movie which isn't going to do much for people who aren't already fans of the genre. However, THE DON IS DEAD is not entirely dismissible either and fine entertainment for a rainy afternoon.
Forster plays against type as a young hothead suddenly in charge of a small portion of his father's empire (his father was the titular character). Another rising star on the mob scene wants to take over, so he stages a deliberately outlandish and unlikely scheme to get Forster and Quinn (the most powerful mob boss in town) to wage war. Honestly, the plot is beyond ridiculous but it's fairly original and adds to the fun. What isn't original is the execution, which is GODFATHER all the way.
Case in point: the shootout scene in which *SPOILER* Al Lettieri's character is fatally wounded. He runs through an alley tossing over boxes of oranges as though he's as desperate to die like Brando as he is to stay on his feet! The action scenes are otherwise fairly pedestrian with reliable if unremarkable cinematography, editing, and music. There are a few highlights though:
1) The stunt-man who plays the assassin who blocks Lettieri's escape in the aforementioned shootout. He does an excellent job taking a shotgun blast to the chest, then clamoring up to his feet only to get fatally shot by Lettieri and plummet to the ground. He really eats the pavement on that fall! One of the best stunt-deaths yet captured on screen.
2) A nice touch when Forster's character realizes his girlfriend has been running around on him. He breaks into her apartment while she's gone and starts punching the closet door. The next scene has her entering her apartment to find everything completely trashed and Forster's just sitting there staring at her! In a baffling bit of character decision-making, she continues in and actually eggs him on even further! What happens next I'm sure you can guess, but it's a surreal example of good directing making up for shoddy writing.
In summary, a typical 70's crime movie which isn't going to do much for people who aren't already fans of the genre. However, THE DON IS DEAD is not entirely dismissible either and fine entertainment for a rainy afternoon.