Francis Ford Coppola attacks Boris Johnson after Prime Minister praises ‘The Godfather’

Gregory Wakeman
·Contributor
Director Francis Ford Coppola speaks at a news conference for his film "Twixt" at the 36th Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto September 12, 2011. REUTERS/Fred Thornhill (CANADA - Tags: ENTERTAINMENT)
Director Francis Ford Coppola speaks at a news conference for his film "Twixt" at the 36th Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto September 12, 2011. REUTERS/Fred Thornhill (CANADA - Tags: ENTERTAINMENT)

Legendary director Francis Ford Coppola has launched a scathing attack on Boris Johnson after the U.K. Prime Minister called a particular scene from The Godfather his favourite in the history of movies.

Johnson made this declaration to the Daily Mail all the way back in July, saying that the film scene he enjoys the most is “the multiple retribution killings at the end of” The Godfather.

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The scene in question sees Al Pacino’s Michael Corleone ordering the deaths of all of his mafia rivals as he attends the baptism of his nephew, the father of which he later also murders, too.

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures as he delivers his speech at the Convention of the North, in the Magna Centre in Rotherham, norhtern England on September 13, 2019. - Boris Johnson will meet EU chief Jean-Claude Juncker in Luxembourg on Monday, officials said, as the British prime minister bids to broker a Brexit compromise ahead of the October 31 deadline. Preparedness in Britain for a no-deal Brexit remains "at a low level", with logjams at Channel ports threatening to impact drug and food supplies, according to government assessments released this week. (Photo by Christopher Furlong / POOL / AFP) (Photo credit should read CHRISTOPHER FURLONG/AFP/Getty Images)

80-year-old Coppola didn’t hold back with his reaction to Johnson’s praise, while also taking aim at other dictators and political figures that have declared their love for the critically acclaimed film, which is roundly regarded as one of the best to have ever been made.

“As incompetent as I may be to offer opinion on political matters, along with some embarrassment that The Godfather seems to be the favorite film of modern history’s most brutal figures, including Saddam Hussein, Muammar Gadhafi and others, I feel badly that scenes in a gangster film might inspire any activity in the real world or [provide] encouragement to someone I see is about to bring the beloved United Kingdom to ruin.”

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Coppola then gave his blunt thoughts on the repeated attempts of the United Kingdom to leave the European Union, telling the Financial News, “I love the United Kingdom and its many contributions to humanity, ranging from our beautiful language and Newtonian physics to penicillin, and am horrified that it would even consider doing such a foolish thing as leaving the European Union.”