John Cazale

John Cazale is a remarkable actor. When you know his extraordinary acting-skills, you will be struck by the fact that he only appeared in no more than five movies.

He was born on 12 August 1935 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA and died on 12 March 1978 in New York, New York, USA. He appeared in the following movies:

  • The Godfather (1972)
  • The Conversation (1974)
  • The Godfather: Part II (1974)
  • Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
  • The Deer Hunter (1978)

He also appeared in The Godfather: Part III (1992), but only on archive footage. His debut was in a 10 minute comedy called The American Way (1962).

(Warning, the following section contains spoilers.)


Cazale as Fredo in The Godfather

He scored the role of Frederico (Fredo) Corleone in The Godfather by Francis F. Coppola. Fredo is one of the sons of Don Vito who is the head of the Corleone family, one of the five mafia-families in New York. Together with his brothers Santino (Sonny) and Michael and half-brother Tom Hagen, Fredo has a comfortable life within the family. Sonny is very short-tempered (which got him killed), Michael is the youngest, is cool, and has a will of his own, and Tom is a lawyer, very sensible and calm and is the Consiglieri of the Don. When Don Vito is getting older and physically weaker, the time slowly comes that he must think of a successor. Sonny isn't alive anymore, Tom is not a Sicilian (which is a prerequisite to become the head of the family), and the Don doesn't think of Fredo as a true, charismatic Don. So, the only one suitable is Michael. Although Fredo feels that he is stepped over by his father, he doesn't explicitly express his feelings. This eventually leads him to betray his brother Michael (who is then the Don). This is out of ignorance, naivety, and the will of truly being able to make choices without asking permission of his younger brother as the Don. The betrayal is not out of revenge. Finally, after 'mama' Corleone died, Michael has his brother killed.

With the role of Fredo, Cazale played an Italian-American mobster who doesn't get all the merit he thinks he deserves or should have deserved. Fredo has a troublesome marriage with a movie-star, is not happy with his position, wants to be protected and loved, but at the same time wants to get the status of his brothers. Although he is one of the top members of the family, he never truly gets to decide important things. The appearance of Cazale is perfect: he is Italian-American himself and he has a friendly and slightly naïve look.

Scene from The Godfather (1/1)

Here follows a characteristic scene of Cazale in the role of Fredo and Al Pacino in the role of Michael as the Don.

In this key-scene, Fredo (right) expresses his feelings towards Michael (left) and explains his betrayal:

  • Fredo: "I haven't got a lot to say, Mike."
  • Michael: "We have time."
  • Fredo: "I was kept pretty much in the dark. I didn't know all that much."
  • Michael: "What about now? Is there anything you can help me out with? Anything you can tell me now?"

Fredo knows one more thing, but he just tells something Michael already knows.

  • Fredo: "They've got Pentangeli. That's all I can tell you."

Michael doesn't respond and an uncomfortable silence is broken by Fredo, who gives somewhat in and tells Michael about Johnny Ola.

  • Fredo: "I didn't know it was going to be a hit, Mike. I swear to God I didn't know it was going to be a hit. Johnny Ola bumped into me in Beverly Hills. And he said that he wanted to talk. He said that you and Roth were in on a big deal together. And that there was something in it for me if I could help him out. He said that you were being tough on the negotiations, but if they could get a little help and close the deal fast, it would be good for the family."
  • Michael: "And you believed that story? You believed that?"
  • Fredo: "He said there was something in it for me, on me own!"
  • Michael: "I've always taken care of you, Fredo."

That triggers Fredo to express his true feelings after such a long time. He begins to shout.

  • Fredo: "Taken care of me?! You're my kid brother! You take care of me? Did you ever think about that? Did you ever once think about that? 'Send Fredo off to do this, send Fredo off to do that! Let Fredo take care of some Mickey Mouse nightclub somewhere! Send Fredo to pick somebody up at the airport!' I'm your older brother, Mike, and I was stepped over!"
  • Michael: "It's the way Pop wanted it."
  • Fredo: "It ain't the way I wanted it! I can handle things, I'm smart! Not like everybody says. Like dumb. I'm smart and I want respect!"

Of course, Michael already knew about Fredo's feelings and isn't really interested in Johnny Ola. So, he doesn't react on the burst-out of Fredo and offers him a final chance to uncover his last secret.

  • Michael: "Is there anything you can tell me about this investigation? Anything more?"

Finally, Fredo gives in and tells him the very bad news.

  • Fredo: "The senate lawyer, Questadt... He belongs to Roth."
  • Michael: "Fredo. You're nothing to me now. You're not a brother, you're not a friend. I don't want to know you, or what you do. I don't want to see you at the hotels. I don't want you near my house. When you see our mother, I want to know a day in advance, so I won't be there. You understand?"

Cazale as Stanley in The Deer Hunter

He played the role of Stanley in Michael Cimino's The Deer Hunter. This movie can roughly be divided into three parts. The first part takes place in Clairton, an industrial village where the main characters (a group of friends) work in a steel mill. Three of them are going to be sent to Vietnam to fight the war. The second part shows the horrors they experience in captivity. The third and last part, which has a very grim atmosphere, shows Michael's futile attempt to bring Nick back home and how the group of friends bear the ever-lasting marks of the war. Stanley is not sent to Vietnam, so Cazale can only be seen in the first and third part of the movie. He is not one of the main characters. He nevertheless provides great supporting acting. He is the 'opposite' of Michael (and indirectly Nick). He wants to be responsible and to be taken seriously, but the fact remains that Michael went to Vietnam and he didn't. For that reason, he always has the feeling that Michael is (in some way) slightly superior to him.

Cazale's role of Stanley reminds one to his role of Fredo in The Godfather. In both roles, he portrays someone who experiences the position of the underdog and not being part of the central action. Although this is less the case with Stanley than with Fredo, the similarity between both characters can be seen.

Scene from The Deer Hunter (1/2)

This first scene shows Cazale as Stanley (front), Robert de Niro as Michael (first next to car), Christopher Walken as Nick (on the hood), George Dzundza as John (second next to car), and Chuck Aspegren as Axel (last next to car).

Stanley forgot his boots when they go deer hunting. It is the last hunt together before Nick and Michael leave for Vietnam. Stanley asks Michael to let him use his spare boots, but Michael refuses. Even after John hands him the boots.

  • Stanley: "Anybody seen my boots? Somebody took my boots. I bought them special. All right, all right you guys. Whoever took my boots, I want 'em back."
  • Axel: "I got a boot for you, Stan. Right up your ass."
  • Stanley: "Hey Mike. Hey Mike, let me borrow your spares. Your extra pair?"
  • Michael: "No, Stanley."
  • Stanley: "No?"

There is a short silence.

  • Stanley: "What do you mean, no?"
  • Michael: "Just what I said, no. No means no."
  • Stanley: "Some fucking friend. You're some fucking friend, you know that?"
  • Michael: "You've gotta learn, Stanley. Every time we get up here, you got your goddamn head up your ass."
  • Axel: "Maybe he likes the view from up there."
  • Michael: "Every time he comes up he's got no knife, he's got no jacket, he's got no pants, he's got no boots. All he got is that stupid gun he carries around like John Wayne. That ain't gonna help you."
  • Axel: "Oh, what the hell, Michael. Give him the boots."
  • Michael: "No way, I ain't giving him no boots. No more, no more, that's it."
  • Stanley: "You're a fucking bastard, you know that?"
  • Michael: "Stanley, you see this? This is this. This ain't something else. This is this. From now on, you're on your own."
  • Stanley: "I fixed you up a million times. I fixed him up a million times. I don't know how many times I must have fixed him up with girls. And nothing ever happens. Zero. You know what your trouble is, Mike. Nobody ever knows what the fuck you're talking about. This is this! What the hell is that supposed to mean?! This is this! I mean, is that some faggot sounding like bullshit or is that some faggot sounding..."
  • Nick: "Shut up, Stan, will you?"

Nick shuts Stan up, but Stanley gives him a soft push.

  • Nick: "Hey man, you're out of line."
  • Michael: "Watch out with that gun, Stanley."
  • Stanley: "You know what I think? Sometimes I swear I think you're a fucking faggot!"
  • John: "Hey, come on you guys!"
  • Stanley: "Last week! Last week he could've had that new redheaded waitress at the Bowler Dome. He could've had her knocked and look what he did. Look what he fucking did. Nothing. That's what."

Now, John is coming in between them and gives Stanley the boots.

  • John: "Shut up, Stan. Just shut up! Just shut up. Take Michael's goddamn boots and shut up! Otherwise I'm going home!"

John bends into the car and starts the engine. Nick bends into the car as well and stops the engine. Stanley starts to get dressed, but Michael repeats his statement. Now, a confrontation seems unavoidable.

  • Michael: "Hey Stan. I said no."

A short silence.

  • Stanley: "What? Are you going to shoot me?"

Stanley pulls his shirt a bit apart so a tiny piece of skin (right on his heart) becomes visible.

  • Stanley: "Here."

He puts his shirt back and throws the boots against Michael. Then, Nick picks them up.

  • Nick: (calmly to Michael) "What's the matter with you?"

Nick turns towards Stanley and gives him the boots.

  • Nick: "Stan."

The fight is over, but out of frustration, Michael aimes and fires his rifle.

The silence is brutally broken by the loud bang and Michael looks straight back at his friends.

Cazale as Stanley in The Deer Hunter (2/2)

The next scene takes place in a hut in the mountains. The friends are going deer hunting for the first time since Michael returned. Nick, of course, is missing which leaves Michael the only one in the company who experienced the horrors of Vietnam. When Stanley waves with his 'stupid little' gun, implicitly enjoying the power he's experiencing while pointing it to his friends, Michael loses control and shows that he is not unaffected by his time in Vietnam.

This scene opens inside the hut during a break. Everybody is maintaining his gun and taking a rest. Stanley takes out his revolver and begins to check it.

  • Axel: "What's that stupid little gun doing up here?"
  • Stanley: "In case."
  • Axel: "In case? In case of what? In case you stumble upon your girlfriend sucking on a Forest Ranger's cock?"

Axel laughs, but Stanley raises his revolver and points it at Axel.

  • Stanley: "You say that one more time."

Axel continues laughing, but Stanley is serious. He shouts.

  • Stanley: "Say it! Come on, say it!"

Michael enters the hut and sees Stanley pointing the gun at Axel. Axel seems not scared by the gun.

  • Axel: "Stanley, you're so full of shit, you're gonna float away."
  • Stanley: "Try me! You try me! Just say it! Come on!"

Michael comes forward and grabs Stanley's arm. He pulls it back and takes the gun roughly out of his hand. Axel thinks Michael is taking it more seriously than himself.

  • Axel: "Jesus. Take it easy, Mike."
  • Stanley: "What was that for?! Did you think it was loaded? Give me that!"

Michael holds the gun not far from Stanley who, according to Michael, wants to grab the gun too eagerly. So, Michael quickly checks the gun, closes it and gives Stanley a withering look. Apparantly, the gun is loaded. He decides to test Stanley to see whether he genuinely (though extremely stupidly and ignorantly) believed the gun to be empty or he purposely played with a loaded weapon. So, Michael puts the gun to Stanley's head as if he threatens to pull the trigger and Stanley is scared he might actually do that. He thus fails Michael's test. Michael points the gun towards the ceiling and fires the gun. The rest of the group leaps up and realises that it was serious. Michael removes the bullets from the revolver. And starts to load the gun with only one round.

  • Michael: "You wanna play games?! All right, I'll play your fucking games!"

Immediately, we as a viewer recognize this as a game of Russian Roulette. Michael grabs Stanley by his sweater and puts the gun between his eyes.

  • Michael: "How do you feel now, huh?! Huh?!!"
  • Stanley: "Ey!"
  • Michael: "Big shot?!"

Michael pulls the trigger and the empty 'click' is heard. He looks up at John and Axel who asthonishingly realize what just happened. Michael releases Stanley and walks outside, throwing the gun in the valley.

And finally...

During the filming of The Deer Hunter, he met his co-star Meryl Streep and they became engaged. Sadly, he discovered that he suffered from bone cancer. When the studio said they wanted him removed from the film, Meryl Streep said that she would quit as well if Cazale got fired. Shortly after the filming of The Deer Hunter was completed, John Cazale died as a result of his cancer at the age of 42. He left a relatively small heritage on the screen, but it shows acting at its finest.

Copyright: 2006

last update: Friday, 14 April 2006