Ah, summer. Hot weather, hot guys, hot heads.
This week, the AMC cable channel has been running its first ever Mob Week featuring movies and documentaries about the mafia. Yes, I am aware the Olympics are on and I could be watching some amazing athletic feats, but even though I’ve seen these films a million times, they lure me in every time. And for good reason. No matter how many times you watch The Godfather, you glean something new whether it’s hearing a line of dialogue in a new way, picking up a fresh nuance in a character’s reaction, or gaining a greater understanding of a plot twist.
Source: http://images.wikia.com/mafia/images/4/4a/841645361_l.jpg
This time around, I’ve focused my attention of Santino “Sonny” Corleone, the violent, impetuous eldest son of Don Vito Corleone, aka, The Godfather. It seems every time I turned on my television this week, Sonny was on screen, stepping in for his injured father to run the family business, visiting his comare (pronounced goo-MARH, Sicilian for mistress) or beating up/killing somebody who had it coming.
After so much Sonny, I came away with one overwhelming impression: When did Sonny get so sexy?
Okay, so let me state plainly that violence isn’t sexy and I don’t condone racketeering, selling drugs or contract hits. And as a married woman with twenty-years of nuptial bliss under my belt, I’m certainly not down with adultery. But in this fictional underworld, it’s hard to resist Sonny’s charisma. It got me thinking about what makes his character so appealing, because a lot of his actions are pretty revolting.
Sonny’s the archetypal impetuous hothead, the immature young gun who, because of his pride and arrogance thinks he knows how to run the show but doesn’t have the brains or patience to be effective. We’ve seen these types before, say for example, Joe Pesci’s, Tommy DeVito in GoodFellas, who’d shoot a guy in the foot because he refused to dance on cue. I don’t know about you, but there’s nothing, I repeat NOTHING sexy about Tommy DeVito, and it’s not because he’s short and indisputably unattractive. He’s a one-note psychopath without any humanity. Sure, he’s sort of nice to his mother, but that’s only because she’s willing to feed him and his friends in the middle of the night and supply him with cutlery with which he can cut up the “deer” he’s got locked in his trunk.
Sonny’s different. Sure he’s a gangster, but he lives by a code. Business is business, and those who get their hands dirty are fair game, but civilians are off-limits. On more than one occasion, Sonny displays sympathy for the vulnerable and refuses to injure anyone he views as helpless. As a child, he brings homeless Tom Hagen off the street to be adopted by the family; he fiercely defends his younger siblings; and staunchly defends his beloved father. In fact, this very trait precipitates his own murder. Rushing to save his sister from her physically abusive husband, Sonny is ambushed in a blaze of Tommy gun fire in a toll plaza.
Maybe it’s just my half-Sicilian heritage, but I love Sonny’s loyalty to his family and his strong, protective streak. I never had a brother, but if I did, I’d have wanted him to act just like Sonny, eager to pummel any guy who did me wrong. Not that I’d actually let him, but it would feel good to know I had someone willing to protect me if I needed it.
There are plenty of other appealing, multi-dimensional hot head heroes whose sense of loyalty and protection help us forgive their other, less-than-perfect characteristics. For example, Wolverine from the X-Men, often depicted as a loner, finds himself drawn into fighting the Brotherhood of the Mutants to protect his own kind. Thor, the crown prince of Asgard must overcome his hot head nature to save his people from his treacherous adoptive brother’s scheme. I don’t know about you, but even though it’s terribly unfeminist, I’d let either of these guys fight a battle for me.
So how about you, readers? Which Hot Heads get you hot and bothered? Mob Week is nearly over and I’ll be needing a new Hottie to fall for.
About Lea Nolan
Great article….. Nothing hotter than a fiery goodfella
Loved Al Pacino in Scarface
Your October Hottie should be the Hottest Horror/Chiller movie actor
My vote is Christian Bale from American Psycho
<3
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Lea Nolan Reply:
August 6th, 2012 at 9:01 am
I’m totally with you on Christian Bale! He’s a super hot psychopath! Scarface, not so much but only because he’s so over the top crazy-pants. I love your idea about the Hottest Horror/Chiller actor, but then I’d have to stop being such a scaredy pants and watch one of those movies.
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I think Sonny is sexy too. Wouldn’t want him for a partner or anything. But, yeah, it’s his loyalty to family that gets you in. Big time anger/pride issues, but we know where he’s coming from. I happen to think Al Pacino was SUPER sexy in that film too. It’s those eyes. The final scene gives me gooseys.
One of my fave movie hotheads is Robert De Niro’s character, Paul Vitti, in Alalyze This. Just so darn funny. That scene where Billy Crystal addresses the Mafia heads on Vitti’s behalf cracks me up every time!
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Lea Nolan Reply:
August 6th, 2012 at 9:04 am
See you totally get where I’m coming from with Sonny! Yay! Totally wouldn’t want to deal with him in real life, but as a temporary movie-length fantasy guy, I’m all in. Yeah, Al’s contemplative, sensitive Michael is a winner, too. Loved Analyze This, too!
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I loved Sonny in the Godfather. Not my type in real life but the wedding scene was great. Although I may be bad saying this– but I totally thought Puzo’s book was better than the movie.
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Lea Nolan Reply:
August 6th, 2012 at 9:10 am
The wedding is great! Sonny slipping away with his sister’s bridesmaid to do something very naughty. Vintage Sonny. And I wouldn’t say you’re wrong for liking the novel better. I think books generally are better because you get to know exactly what’s going on in a character’s head.
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OK, so… here’s where I admit I’ve never seen The Godfather. Never wanted to. Don’t really want to now, either. Never read the book. Furthermore, never saw American Psyche, Scarface, or Analyze This, either.
Since it’s one of the few TV shows I actually have seen… for those of you who remember, how about Jimmy Hickok in The Young Riders? (Yes, I know. I’m harping on that show. Sorry.) Anyway, he’s young, stupid, definitely hot-headed… but he’s also fiercely loyal to his adopted family and his own ideals, even when they don’t match anyone else’s ideas of wrong and right.
I wrote a character like that once. Rafe Collier in the Cutthroat Business books. He’s done a lot of things that should – and rightly so – shock and offend the heroine. And they do… but he isn’t like that with her. And isn’t that what we like in a bad-ass alpha? He can be as violent and amoral as he wants out there, but with us, he’ll be different, because we’re the only woman in the world who can tame such a man. Or something.
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Lea Nolan Reply:
August 6th, 2012 at 9:15 am
Okay, I totally get why you might not want to see these horrifically violent films, they’re not everyone’s cup o’ tea. But if one day you wake up and feel like watching something crime-tastic I’d recommend The Godfather. It’s part of the American lexicon and worth watching just for it’s storytelling. And your comment about the violent/amoral hero being tamed by his one true love totally got me! That’s the whole fantasy, isn’t? He’ll bow only to us because of our supreme power!
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Jenna Reply:
August 6th, 2012 at 12:34 pm
The power of the glittering hoo-ha.
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Lea Nolan Reply:
August 6th, 2012 at 1:57 pm
LOL! All bow to the hoo-ha!
I can totally understand crushing on Sonny. The strong chin, the broad shoulders, and the small waist-line. Especially if what you have at home has a weak chin, slumping shoulders and a thickening middle! LOL!
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