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The Brotherhood

  • 1968
  • PG-13
  • 1h 36m
IMDb RATING
6.0/10
1.3K
YOUR RATING
The Brotherhood (1968)
CrimeDrama

The son of a powerful Mafia don comes home from his army service in Vietnam and wants to lead his own life, but family tradition, intrigues and powerplays involving his older brother dictate... Read allThe son of a powerful Mafia don comes home from his army service in Vietnam and wants to lead his own life, but family tradition, intrigues and powerplays involving his older brother dictate otherwise, and he finds himself being slowly drawn back into that world.The son of a powerful Mafia don comes home from his army service in Vietnam and wants to lead his own life, but family tradition, intrigues and powerplays involving his older brother dictate otherwise, and he finds himself being slowly drawn back into that world.

  • Director
    • Martin Ritt
  • Writer
    • Lewis John Carlino
  • Stars
    • Kirk Douglas
    • Alex Cord
    • Irene Papas
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.0/10
    1.3K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Martin Ritt
    • Writer
      • Lewis John Carlino
    • Stars
      • Kirk Douglas
      • Alex Cord
      • Irene Papas
    • 24User reviews
    • 26Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 nomination total

    Photos41

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    Top cast22

    Edit
    Kirk Douglas
    Kirk Douglas
    • Frank Ginetta
    Alex Cord
    Alex Cord
    • Vince Ginetta
    Irene Papas
    Irene Papas
    • Ida Ginetta
    Luther Adler
    Luther Adler
    • Dominick Bertolo
    Susan Strasberg
    Susan Strasberg
    • Emma Ginetta
    Murray Hamilton
    Murray Hamilton
    • Jim Egan
    Eduardo Ciannelli
    Eduardo Ciannelli
    • Don Peppino
    Joe De Santis
    Joe De Santis
    • Pietro Rizzi
    • (as Joe DeSantis)
    Connie Scott
    Connie Scott
    • Carmela Ginetta
    Val Avery
    Val Avery
    • Jake Rotherman
    Val Bisoglio
    Val Bisoglio
    • Cheech
    Alan Hewitt
    Alan Hewitt
    • Sol Levin
    Barry Primus
    Barry Primus
    • Vido
    Michele Cimarosa
    • Toto
    Louis Badolati
    • Don Turridu
    Frank Albanese
    Frank Albanese
    • ?
    • (uncredited)
    Hal Holbrook
    Hal Holbrook
    • Man at table
    • (uncredited)
    Anthony Marciona
    Anthony Marciona
    • Antonio
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Martin Ritt
    • Writer
      • Lewis John Carlino
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews24

    6.01.2K
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    Featured reviews

    7Easygoer10

    Kirk Douglas Is The Man

    Hard to believe it, but Kirk is 102 years old and has been married over 65 years as of today (10/07/2019). Anyway, he is pretty good in this role. "The Godfather" came out 7 years after this film. He does look a little odd with all that jet-black hair, however. Give it a go.
    7AlsExGal

    Kirk Douglas is oddly cast yet believable as a Mafia king pin

    This is a Mafia drama about, among other things, conflict between some heads of the organization wanting to behave on the surface like a respectable modern business, as opposed to another who is ready to resort on occasion to "the old ways" of brutality and violence with opponents.

    This film died a quick death at the 1968 box office, becoming enough of a concern that some Paramount executives were worried about spending the big bucks on a film adaption of Puzo's The Godfather a few years later. The Francis Ford Coppola film, of course, was a huge hit which has gone on to become a film legend, while The Brotherhood is pretty much forgotten today.

    But this earlier Martin Ritt directed Mafia exploration, while lacking the drama and epic quality of the Coppola film, still has some things to recommend it. Kirk Douglas is solid as one of the heads of a Mafia syndicate in conflict with other heads of that organization as to how to deal with "finks," as Douglas calls them. The other heads want to stay out of the headlines as much as possible. They also want to expand the business in ways that the more cautious Douglas doesn't like.

    The Brotherhood precedes The Godfather by having a big marriage sequence in which all members of the family and old members of the Mafia gather for a festive occasion. Douglas plays the gracious host, and is full of ebullience and charm. At one point, though, he takes a few seconds to talk to two torpedoes who have just returned from having Douglas that is the highlight of the production. For reasons of plot giveaways I can't reveal the contents of this tense sequence. Suffice it to say, if the film had had one or two other scenes as potent as this one The Brotherhood might be better remembered today.

    A minor crime drama, in the final analysis, one distinguished by some good performances, and that gripping scene between Douglas and Adler. made a hit for him. Reassured from them that all went well, Douglas is immediately back to the smiles and charm as party host.

    Cast in the role of Douglas's younger brother who wants into the organization is Alex Cord. I'm tempted to call him Alex Cord of Wood because that would best sum up his performance. If ever there was a contrast in what is and is not charismatic on screen it would be a comparison between Cord and Douglas.

    Irene Papas, playing Douglas's wife, is largely wasted in the film, I'm sorry to say. However, playing an old time Mafioso big boss that Douglas respects is Hollywood veteran Eduardo Ciannelli, and Ciannelli is terrific in his part, with one scene that is quite riveting. It's nice to see the character actor with an opportunity to still strut his stuff in a role that was ideal casting for him (you might regard it as the character that he had played in 1937's Marked Woman thirty years before).

    Also impressive in this drama is Luther Adler as one of the heads of the Mafia. Luther will play a very strong scene in this film with Douglas that is the highlight of the production. For reasons of plot giveaways I can't reveal the contents of this tense sequence. Suffice it to say, if the film had had one or two other scenes as potent as this one The Brotherhood might be better remembered today.

    In the final analysis, this is a minor crime drama, one distinguished by some good performances, and that gripping scene between Douglas and Adler.
    flipshoes

    Cheesy

    Not only is this film's story-telling sort of like in a filmed stage play (just people talking all along), but its looks (images and set design) are quite second-rate, like in a low-budget ready-for-TV movie. The acting is extremely poor, over-acting everywhere (compare this with "The Godfather" and its brilliant cast, and its excellent cinematography by Gordon Willis), and Kirk Douglas looks about as Italian as I appear Chinese. All in all, a major disappointment.
    dbdumonteil

    More mafia.

    This Martin Ritt work,which is not among his best (Hombre,Hud,etc) ,features a prologue and an epilogue,which take place in Sicily(but a studio Sicily as the final cast and credits says);two short bits which frame an endless flashback which explains(?) why Vince (Cord) must(!) kill brother Kirk.This long hour features the de rigueur mafioso -the good(?) and the bad ones-,the obligatory wedding scene ,proud family chronicles ,etc etc etc:plus ça change..

    It's too bad Ritt did not focus his story on Sicily ,a Sicily he should have filmed on location instead .The only good scenes are the final ones ,and Irene Papas could have added a Greek tragedy touch ,hadn't her part been so underwritten.

    Some will find here roots of "the godfather" ,but I would go as far as saying that it questions the hitherto excellence of the Coppola movie.Its eternal triumph (with an obnoxious subject) leaves me with a bitter taste in the mouth.

    As for Martin Ritt,there are plenty of estimable works to choose.Avoid this.
    8cliff-19

    Artifact of its time before the themes became cliched

    I found it fascinating that ethnicity was seen here as an obstacle to progress. Four years later, after ROOTS and GODFATHER, the tone had changed drastically. Seeing this in 2002, I was struck by how carefully the feeling of an ethnic enclave was portrayed. The story goes over many of the themes that are now cliches, but were not at all in 1968.

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    Related interests

    James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Sharon Angela, Max Casella, Dan Grimaldi, Joe Perrino, Donna Pescow, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Tony Sirico, and Michael Drayer in The Sopranos (1999)
    Crime
    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      When this film came out, it did not do very well at the box office. As a result, studios were reluctant to do more organized crime stories. The failure of this film almost convinced Paramount not to make The Godfather (1972).
    • Connections
      Edited into Lo schermo a tre punte (1995)
    • Soundtracks
      The Taste of Love
      Lyrics by Norman Gimbel

      Music by Lalo Schifrin

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    FAQ14

    • How long is The Brotherhood?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 31, 1969 (France)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Italian
    • Also known as
      • The Hoods
    • Filming locations
      • Godrano, Palermo, Sicily, Italy
    • Production company
      • Brotherhood Company
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 36m(96 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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