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Pluskylang Great Film overall

FuzzyTagz If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Logan By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Michael_Elliott Brotherhood, The (1968) *** (out of 4) Calm but effective tale of Mafia boss Frank Ginetta (Kirk Douglas) who welcomes his younger brother Vince (Alex Cord) into the "family" but soon the two are at odds. Frank, being of an old school, wants to keep old traditions while Vince wants to move ahead and try new things. Soon Frank starts to battle the heads of the other families trying to get his way. THE BROTHERHOOD was apparently a disaster when it was first released and legend has it that this is the film that made Paramount nervous about giving money for THE GODFATHER. Whether or not that legend is true is beyond me but I think it's fair to say that had THE GODFATHER not been a hit and become known as one of the greatest films ever made then perhaps this 1968 movie might have gained a cult following over time. As it is, THE BROTHERHOOD has pretty much been forgotten over time and that's a shame because it's actually a pretty good movie. I think the film's weakest parts are the opening thirty-minutes or so as we get a few flashbacks and at times they don't make too much since. I think director Martin Ritt loses the story at times and a lot of this is due to some rather silly moments where we're being introduced to the mob and the lifestyle. These early scenes really don't add up to much and I think the screenplay also suffers at building up Frank's character. It's never quite clear what type of leader he is and it's never made clear whether we're supposed to be with him or against him. This changes once the real story kicks into place and that's pretty much your typical brother vs. brother thing that we've seen countless times in the past. This aspect of the story is probably the most unoriginal but it's where all the drama comes from and at times this drama is very high. I thought the second half of the film is where Douglas really came to life as well. Once he character starts to crack under all the pressure is when things really started to heat up and this includes Douglas who finally becomes very menacing. I really loved the way Douglas played the old tradition while being at odds with the new stuff in the family. Cord is also very good in his supporting role as is Murray Hamilton, Susan Strasberg, Luther Adler and Irene Papas. While watching the film you can't help but see a minor influence on the Coppola film but also there are a few bits and pieces in Martin Scorsese's GOODFELLAS. There are a couple extremely memorable moments including a "joke" that Douglas tells before carrying out a hit. Then, when we see this hit, it's quite disturbing to watch and even more shocking is that it's done without gore, blood or even much violence. The ending, which you'll see coming, is also done in a very nice way as there's an added twist that is very effective. THE BROTHERHOOD has many flaws but it's still worth viewing and even if you find it starting pretty slow, just stick in there and you'll be rewarded.

jotix100 Vince, the younger brother of exiled mafioso, Frank Ginetta, comes to visit his sibling in Sicily, where he has been hiding. Vince has come on a mission although we must wait until much later because we are taken back to get to know Frank's involvement in crime in New York.In flashbacks we are taken to Vince's wedding to Emma Bertolo, the daughter of a prominent mafia bigwig in Brooklyn, where Frank controls the criminal operations. Vince, a man that has gone into the US army and has studied, is also drawn into the illegal activities by loyalty to his brother. Family, among these men matters more than anything else. Vince, who grows disillusioned with Frank, is given the ultimate mission anyone in the organized crime can get.No one can accuse Lewis John Carlino, the screenplay writer, with copying the more famous "The Godfather", which came out later. The film, directed by Martin Ritt, is uneven, at best. The story is about power more than gore and shootouts. Kirk Douglas, the star, produced the film as well as appeared as Frank.Mr. Ritt got the atmosphere right, although the Sicilian locations are just a passing thought. Alex Cord, who made a career on television, is impressive in his take of Vince. Irene Pappas and Susan Strasberg have nothing to do. Luther Adler, Murray Hamilton, Eduardo Cianelli, are among the supporting players.

bkoganbing The Brotherhood as a title has a double meaning. It's not just about that Italian fraternal order of criminals that so many films and books have been made and written about. It's about two brothers also, the Ginettas, Frank and Vince.Kirk Douglas is Frank Ginetta a made man, high up in the councils and his younger brother Vince played by Alex Cord who's just back from the Army like Michael Corleone was. But Michael married an outsider while Vince Ginetta is marrying the daughter of another Mafia capo, Luther Adler.Though he's younger than Adler, Douglas is a guy who likes to do things the old fashioned way, the way his dad who was a button man back in the day did them. He also loves hanging around with the ancient survivors of the old Mafia wars among them Eduardo Ciannelli. Adler and Douglas get to be at loggerheads over Cord and the role he should take in the business. The old guys learn something and give Douglas a contract that's going to cause him considerable problems, personal and organizational. What's a good Mafia guy to do when you get a contract. Then Alex Cord is given a contract to make his bones so to speak.The main difference between the Godfather films and this is that the Brotherhood is set in the present, whereas the Godfather films are rooted in the past. By 1968 organized crime at the highest levels was hardly an Italian only concern. You don't see hardly any non-Italians in the first Godfather film and in the second the alliance is pretty wary. The non-Italians dominate the high councils in New York, Val Avery, Alan Hewitt and Murray Hamilton together with Luther Adler outvote Douglas all the time.Martin Ritt shot a whole lot of this film in New York and many of the sites are recognizable to a native New Yorker. Still it's not one of his better films and it took Francis Ford Coppola to do the modern gangster film right.One thing though, Douglas certainly did NOT heed Vito Corleone's advice about keeping your friends close and your enemies closer. Not that the higher ups wouldn't have found out at some point anyway, but when you watch The Brotherhood you'll know that Douglas was the obvious suspect when he makes that fateful hit.

Hollywoodcanteen1945 The Brotherhood was made 4 years before the legendary blockbuster classic, The Godfather. However, it's amazing how much of this earlier film about the "brotherhood" is so similar to the Godfather. Alex Cord is the younger brother of mob boss Kirk Douglas. There's a wedding scene (sound familiar?), as Cord returns from the war (Viet-Nam), and gets married in his army uniform. Godfather begins with a wedding; Al Pacino arrives back from the war(WWII), wearing his marine corp uniform. The Brotherhood is a story of tradition, as well-as the desire for power, power that's stronger than family ties. Two brothers in conflict. The Godfather has similar scenes and themes. I'm giving the ending away (sorry), but Alex Cord gives his brother Frank(Kirk Douglas) the "Kiss of Death" and kills him with a shot-gun to avenge the family's honor. Godfather II is similar with Al Pacino's character ordering the murder of his older brother Fredo.The Brotherhood is well acted. Kirk Douglas is out-standing in one of his better "later" roles. Alex Cord gives his best on-screen performance. Veteran actor Luther Adler is out-standing as well as the traitor. The scene in which Adler is hog-tied and strangled is one of the most brutal and graphic in screen history. This is a non-romanticized looked at the Brotherhood. There are no heroes, or big shoot-outs. It's raw, brutal, edgy, and realistic. An out-standing work, even some 37 years later.