classicsoncall It's been the better part of three decades or so since I've read the Peter Maas book upon which this was based, maybe even a tad longer. Giving the benefit of the doubt to the screenwriter, most of what you get is probably accurate historically, although I don't know about that nasty castration scene. Pretty gruesome.Stories about the Mafia have always fascinated me, and since La Cosa Nostra had such a rigid discipline, it's not surprising that a lot of stories (and lives) ended badly. I hearken back to the Fifties and Sixties when the front page of the New York Daily News would feature a large photo of the latest mob hit in the style of those on display in the movie. One downside to this film, as other reviewers have mentioned, are the anachronistic elements along with some faulty chronology. For example, Joe Valachi (Charles Bronson) becomes a Mafia made man on November 5th, 1930, and a subsequent scene when his sponsor Gaetano Reina (Amadeo Nazzari) is whacked is dated February 26th of the same year.I also thought the picture could have done a better job of putting the Apalachin Meeting of the Mafia hierarchy in context. Come to think of it, that meeting would be a good topic for a modern day movie treatment if done right.Made and released the same year as "The Godfather", I don't think there's anyone who would disagree that the Corleone saga is much more compelling and interesting as a viewing experience. As a second tier entry however, this picture has it's moments and offers some insight into the inner workings of the Cosa Nostra. Another era flick you might try came out a couple of years later with Peter Boyle in the lead role as "Crazy Joe", based on the life of murdered gangster Crazy Joe Gallo.

SnoopyStyle It's 1962. Joe Valachi (Charles Bronson) is a marked man. Fed agent Ryan tells him that Don Vito Genovese thinks that he and Tony Bender turned states' witness against him. Bender is missing. When Valachi finally gets a meeting with Don Vito, the Don gives Valachi Il bacio della morte (Kiss of Death). Valachi returns to favor. Don Vito puts out a $20k contract on him. He immediately turns to Ryan for protection. In return, he tells his mob life starting with his imprisonment in Ossining Prison in 1929 where he first meets Tony Bender. Tony introduces him to the mob run by boss Salvatore Maranzano. He rises in the family as internal struggle leaves Genovese in charge.The movie sets up the 1962 story so well that I didn't really care about the history. I want to know how Don Vito is coming after Valachi. I want to know what happens to Valachi's kid. I want to know what happens next and not what happened before. The whole flashback structure is boring and not that engaging. I couldn't wait for the movie to advance in the 1962 story but that part of the story has no meat in it. There are better mob movies to come and 'The Godfather' is just a few months after this. This movie didn't have a chance even with a good performance from Charles Bronson.

MartinHafer I truly think if this film had come out earlier it would today be thought of as a better film. After all, it's FAR better than its current rating of 6.8. That's because 1972 was the same year that "The Godfather" debuted and the utter greatness of "The Godfather" probably overwhelmed "The Valachi Papers"---as both touch on very similar subject matter. The main difference is that "The Godfather" was based fictionalized characters and had a true elegance about the film. "The Valachi Papers" in contrast was a much more straight forward story based on real mob figures--and it's a dandy film.The film begins in the early 1960s. Mobster Joseph Valachi is in prison and multiple attempts are made on his life. It seems that someone in the organization has talked--and the mob of bosses, Genovese (Lino Ventura) believes it was Valachi. And, not surprisingly, a contract has been placed on Valachi's head. This has the unintended consequence of forcing Valachi to to authorities. Almost all the rest of the film consists Valachi giving his story to the government agent. What follows is a very long story about Valachi's earliest days in the mob (about 1930) up to the arrest that brought him to prison--and a bit beyond.The story is helped a lot by the films's length--a little over two hours. You'd need at least this much to tell such a long and complicated story. It also helps that Charles Bronson is given some excellent support. Among the many wonderful actors, one really surprised me--Lino Ventura. I've seen him in many French films (mostly Pierre Melville productions) and have LOVED his acting--he plays a great mobster--cold and tough. I never realized that he spoke English so well--everything I've seen him in up until now has been in French. Here, he very credibly plays an Italian-American! The script also was quite good. While not quite as human and interesting as "The Godfather", it sure was good...very, very good.There's almost nothing negative I could say about the film other than very minor things. Bronson was too old for this role. When the film began he was supposed to be 27--but looked about twice that. Also, a few times anachronistic elements somehow made their way in--such as cars that were from the wrong time period. But, as I said, this is all very minor.Aside from this, a top quality production that deserves more recognition. Gritty, exciting and fascinating as well.By the way, although IMDb lists the movie as being rated PG, the version I saw was way too bloody and filled with nudity to have been rated PG. The lesbian scene along would have merited a rating of R. Perhaps this was a director's cut or perhaps it was not rated PG or perhaps there were just multiple versions.

CRCFleetwood I just viewed the Valachi Papers last night (Netflix rental) and was struck by some of the blatant anachronisms. The big goofs, some of which are mentioned elsewhere on IMDb, include:* The World Trade Towers looming in the background as a car crashes into the river in 1930;* A circa 1970 car riding along Bronson's period sedan;* A contemporary light post in the distance as Bronson carries out a hit for Genovese. Second, as memorable as Joseph Wiseman was as Dr. No, his performance as Marranzo is astonishingly bad.Given these points, I nearly turned off Valachi Papers about 20-minutes into the film, fearing I was in for a two-hour Ed Wood version of a mobster movie. Yet, I stayed with it and found myself fairly engaged for the entire thing. As the film progresses in time, the continuity issues disappear, and Charles Bronson's understated performance helps to sustain a modicum of credibility.One can appreciate how, for a 1972 audience, the film's relative realism breaks some new ground; however, when you consider that The Godfather, one of the best films ever made, was released that year, it's easy to understand why the Valachi Papers has been largely forgotten over the years.