The Brotherhood (1968) - Martin Ritt

A story of loyalty and betrayal which pre-dates Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather by several years, Martin Ritt's The Brotherhood is a much more contained, economically made mafia movie that focuses on the entangled, inter-workings of a Mafia operations, one in which the loyalty-based principles of family and the cold-hearted aspects of business routinely vie for supremacy.  Featuring an elliptic narrative that begins and ends in Sicily, Italy, The Brotherhood is the story of two brothers in Frank and Vinny, the two sons of a powerful Mafia don who has been deceased for sometime.  Recently returning from Vietnam, Vinnie arrives home in New York City wanting to to lead his own life, content on making it on his own in the business world.  Marrying the daughter of a Mafia don, one that works directly in the same organization as Frank, Vinnie soon finds himself intrigued by the business of his brother and father-in-law, offering up his services as a bookkeeper for the family business.  Vinnie's intentions aren't exactly clear, explaining to his wife that he simply views this job as a business proposition that offers a quicker way up the corporate ladder, but his wife remains reluctant to his decision, concerned about Vinnie's penchant for power and desire to prove himself in the family business, at all costs.  The organization meets as a board to coordinate its various businesses, and when the majority becomes increasingly unhappy with Frank's decision making it puts Vinnie in a peculiar spot.  Choosing to support the wishes of the majority, Vinnie goes against his brother's wishes, which only exacerbates things even more when Frank is called upon by the elder members of the Mafia to fulfill the Sicilian code of honor, one which includes him killing Vinnie's father-in-law, who is believed to be indirectly responsible for the death of 41 members of the Mafia family, including Frank and Vinnie's own father.  Examining the various intricacies and powerplays which take place in the Mafioso,  The Brotherhood is a film which seems to question how far one is willing to go to prove themselves in this organization, one in which the business always supersedes the desires and loyalties of the individual.  Through this entangled web of family and business, deception arises, with The Brotherhood exhibiting how two brothers are consumed by this cutthroat world, one which ends up pitting brother against brother, with little recourse, due to the majority dictating the decision-making of the individual.  The characterizations of Frank and Vinnie are what makes the whole film so compelling, with The Brotherhood slowly revealing how two brothers who love each other can be pulled so far apart, each of which pulled in separate directions by perceived allegiances and codes which must be adhered too.  Frank's work and beliefs are much more based in tradition and code, still fondly remembering his father's processes as the head of the mafioso.  Vinnie on the otherhand is more of a businessman, a character who takes sides with the other board members in ventures in which he believes will be successful, regardless of his brother's perspective on the matter.  Whether it be the traditional Sicilian code, or the cold-hearted nature of a bussiness decision that goes against Frank's wishes, The Brotherhood slowly reveals how the loyalty these two brothers share for each other becomes secondary to the loyalty of the Mafia itself, creating a toxic environment which forces a tragic conclusion.  Without going into details, Martin Ritt's The Brotherhood is a clever, well-made piece of filmmaking which uses the mafia world to create a powerful evocation of the conflicting nature between business and family. 

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