The Godfather (1972)

Generally acknowledged as a bona fide classic, this Francis Ford Coppola film is one of those rare experiences that feels perfectly right from beginning to end--almost as if everyone involved had been born to participate in it. Based on Mario Puzo's bestselling novel about a Mafia dynasty, Coppola's Godfather extracted and enhanced the most universal themes of immigrant experience in America: the plotting-out of hopes and dreams for one's successors, the raising of children to carry on the good work, etc. In the midst of generational strife during the Vietnam years, the film somehow struck a chord with a nation fascinated by the metamorphosis of a rebellious son (Al Pacino) into the keeper of his father's dream. Marlon Brando played against Puzo's own conception of patriarch Vito Corleone, and time has certainly proven the actor correct. The rest of the cast, particularly James Caan, John Cazale, and Robert Duvall as the rest of Vito's male brood--all coping with how to take the mantle of responsibility from their father--is seamless and wonderful. --Tom Keogh Amazon.com essential video

 `The Greatest Film of All Time'; I think it earned that title...
Quite frankly, `The Godfather' truly is technically perfect. In fact, it is so perfect that writing this review has been an Achilles-Heel for me. I have wanted to write this review for a while now but have been deathly afraid of failing to do it justice. It's a rarity to have a film this universally lauded; this universally respected and honestly there really is no other film that comes close to being as well loved and adored as `The Godfather'. So with that, where do you go? What do you say? How can you begin to review a film of this magnitude?

I'll start by saying that everything (good) that has been said about this film is true.

I'll work from there.

It has been said that `The Godfather' is that rare film that just feels right from beginning to end. Every facet seems to fit just perfect, seems to flow evenly and brilliantly. Every actor is perfect (and I do truly mean perfect) for their roles. They melt into character and never break, always elevating the scenes they embody. The script is tightly woven, intricate and engrossing. The direction by Francis Ford Coppola may very well be the single greatest directive execution in the history of film making. His delivery of this marvelous film is really what helps create its sheer presence and undeniable commanding power. Coppola cemented himself here as one of the great directors of all time.

The film tells the story of the Corleone family. The family is run by the `Don' Vito Corleone. He's an aging man, yet very respected and admired. Known as `Godfather', Vito has much power within the organized crime families and thus is looked to often for aid and support. When he is looked to for that support in the aid of heroin distribution on the part of the Tattaglia family, Vito finds that his higher standard of morality clashes with the direction the `underworld' is taking. His refusal to lend aid to the Tattaglia family places the Corleone family in danger.

This forms the catalyst for the films major plot and thus unfolds in a marvelous manor, allowing the audience to become completely and utterly absorbed in the events taking place on the screen. As Vito's life is placed in danger and his youngest son Michael crosses over into the life he swore he'd never embrace, `The Godfather' quickly becomes the most interesting and highly entertaining film one could possible imagine.

The performances by the entire cast are flawless, utterly flawless. Marlon Brando effortlessly embodies Vito with such memorable charisma and temperance. His performance is truly one of the greatest of all time. Al Pacino delivers his finest performance ever as Michael Corleone. This performance is of course one that he hones and perfects (his delivery in `The Godfather Part II' is truly the finest of his career) and becomes one with. Pacino is one of those actors that I feel has suffered in recent years from lack of good source material. Anyone new to the works of Pacino may write him off as a no talent veteran actor who stars in one worthless film after another; and judging by his recent films they would be justified in their feelings; but when you take a look at where this actor came from you will see that when he was in his prime he was truly brilliant. James Caan is also amazing here as the hotheaded Santino (or `Sonny' as he is referred). His performace is electric to say the least. Robert Duval is also on the top of his game and delivers yet another flawless performance (now here is an actor who has never lost his touch) and John Cazale delivers nicely as Fredo, the `Dons' other son. His performance in `The Godfather Part II' is much more effective and defined, but he sets a nice foundation for himself here. Another performance that is fleshed out nicely in the sequel is that of Kay Adams, who is played by Diane Keaton. Her performance here is subtle and short, but her character is one of the most memorable in the films that follow.

`The Godfather' truly stands the test of time as one of the most recognizable and highly lauded films ever released. Many critics consider this the finest movie ever filmed, and technically I feel they are correct. There isn't a single flaw to be seen here for everything and everyone is a perfect compliment to one another.

I don't know what more I can say without either spoiling too much of the films plot (there is a lot to be seen here, yet it never feels rushed or over-stuffed which is yet another marvelous accomplishment) or rambling on to the point of exhaustion so I'll stop here; ending by quite simply saying that `The Godfather' will leave the viewing with absolutely no regrets. It is quite simply perfect in every way shape and form and is the pure definition of `cinema'. This is what the movies are all about; great storytelling; and no greater story has ever been told. April 14, 2008

 The Wrong Oscar
Perhaps Brando didn't show up at the Oscars because he didn't deserve to win it. Pacino is the true star of the film and it's more the story of Michael than of "The Don". Brando seems to be acting in a different movie from the rest of the cast and not in a way that's positive. His method acting approach, so beloved by the critics, often puts him seemingly out of touch w/ his fellow actors. Brando's overacting is ridiculous when he gets shot just as it is in his death scene w/ his grandson in the garden. The famous baptism/murder sequence is brilliant as is a sequence earlier in the movie when various members of the Corleone family meet w/ unfortunate fates: murder, kidnapping, attempted murder. March 28, 2008

 Best Al Pacino Performance ever.
When i first experienced the godfather it was the book the i watched the movies for a month straight. Al Pacino is a a mean sob and marlen brando(srry if i spell the names wrong) is the ideal character of any mafia movie. This movie will keep you on the edge of your seat. There is never a dull moment in this movie. I suggest buyin the box set cuz the end will leave you hanging and thats all im sayin about that. February 14, 2008

 Movie is Fantastic but...
do not buy just the single DVD of Godfather 1. it comes with no extra features. if you're interested at all in any extra features, just suck it up and buy the three pack of the whole trilogy. January 28, 2008

 I'll make him an offer that he can't refuse
The GODFATHER DVD

The God father is based upon Mario Puzo's novel of a Sicilian Family moved to the United States circa 1920's. Don Corleone goes into the olive oil business, what else would you expect? He soon learns that it is easier to make money on the wrong side of the law and recruits a small gang of fellow Sicilians.

A host of factors make this one of the greatest American films. First, the directing is impeccable. Coppola allows the story to unfold simply, employing for the most part a static, immobile camera, allowing each scene to unfold like a series of tableaux. Second, the cinematography. Most of the craft of the cinematography went into the lighting, which generates some of the greatest use of light and shadows since the demise of black and white film noir. Coppola also intensifies each scene by using surprisingly little music in the film. Although the film is famous for its outstanding score by Nina Rota (later discovered to have been partially reused from an obscure film he scored in the late 1950s in Italy, which led to his nomination for an Oscar to be withdrawn, an award he certainly would have won), the fact is that the music is used selectively and comparatively rarely. Silence engulfs most of the scenes. And although there are many famous lines in the film, it is driven as much by the silence between the characters as by what they say. Also accounting for the brilliance of the film is the script, which is brilliant for its simplicity. Coppola distills the tale down to only the most essential elements, with nearly every shot moving the story along or imparting a crucial piece of information to the viewer, allowing the crucial tensions of the story to unfold early on. The enormous simplicity in the telling of the tale makes the more complex moments for instance, the crosscutting during the baptismal scene all that much more effective. And any listing of all the reasons for the brilliance of the film leaving out the extraordinary art design would be woefully incomplete. This was one of the first films made that made historical accuracy a high art form, and has exerted a profound influence on any historical film since then.
Of course, one of the main reasons this is a great, great film is the acting. Few films have ever featured so many memorable performances, and no film had featured so many performances by so many actors who were explicitly Italian. In fact, the film was a coming out for one aspect of Italian culture in the United States. Even in films that were fairly transparently about the Mafia and crime families in New York and Chicago, ethnicity was completely left out of the picture. After THE GODFATHER, everything changed. The film was Marlon Brando s triumphant return to star status after a series of failures, garnering a well-served Oscar that he turned down. The quality of the acting is shown by the fact that no less than three of the other actors Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, and James Caan received nominations for Best Supporting Actor (Joel Grey won for CABERET, in what might have been the greatest group of performances in the history of Oscar for the award).
There are a million stories that whirl around THE GODFATHER. My favorite, and one of the happier accidents in casting history, was that originally Robert De Niro was cast in a small part in THE GODFATHER. Al Pacino, on the other hand, was wanted for the part of Michael Corleone, but was already obligated for the film BANG THE DRUM SLOWLY. Francis Ford Coppola worked out a deal whereby De Niro would replace Pacino in the one picture. Unfortunately/fortunately this meant that De Niro was unable to be in THE GODFATHER, which meant that he was free to appear in THE GODFATHER II as the young Vito Corleone. THE GODFATHER was a film where just about everything seemed to work out best for all involved, and this illustrates this perfectly.

Highly recommended for fans of Al Pacino, Marlan Brando et. al.and fans of organized crime in America

Gunner January 2008

January 24, 2008

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