O Poderoso Chefão

I love this movie and all of the GF movies. I see something new every time I have seen it (countless, truly). The story of tragedy and (little) comedy that exists in this film is easily understood by people all over the world. This film has been called an American story however I have met others who have seen this movie in other languages and they seem to have the same love and appreciation for it that I do. I love the characters and all of the different personalities that they represent not just in families but in society itself. It seems like the entire cast is part of every other movie that I love as well. The sounds, music, color and light in the film are just as much a part of the film as the people. This could be attributed to the method in which it was filmed. At many parts of the film I can still find myself feeling the emotions conveyed in the film. I never tire of appreciating this film. I thank God that FFC is an American treasure. We are fortunate to have him.

The acting was simply amazing, what else could you say. What could be more appealing to people(even today) than watching actors like Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, James Caan, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire and Robert Duvall. This is like heaven for someone who is a fan of movies. With this movie Brando was able to bring himself back into the limelight. His performance as the godfather alone is iconic. His character has been recreated so much in films that it has almost if it has not already become a cliché. His performance though was not a cliché. His performance was subtle and breathtaking. It was so genuine and realistic that it was not just probably but definitely more genuine than Marlon Brando himself. Al Pacino was perfect for this film as well. What a way to start up your career. His character was all about depth and he displayed it perfectly. He was able to display his own inner-battles in his mind as well as the battles he had with his family, friends and enemies. His character was more of a psychological character study than anything else to me. Robert Duvall to me was the glue to the movie. He added a different perspective to everything in just that he was not Italian yet having the respect of the mafia. His character is a man of high authority within the Corleone family who was listened to and insightful;. This was simply perfect giving the film great balance throughout. The rest of the cast was just icing on the cake.

The writing was phenomenal and breathtaking. As mentioned before there has been no movie quoted more than this. It is not even the quotes though that makes the writing in here so perfect. It is the symbolism and meaning that went into every scene. There are countless symbols, messages and lines in here that are so memorable yet it is as realistic as a movie could get.

Up until today, I haven't bothered to review "The Godfather". After all, everyone pretty much knows it's one of the greatest films ever made. It's #2 on IMDb's Top 100. It won the Best Picture Oscar. And, there are nearly 1600 reviews on IMDb. So what's one more review?! Well, after completing 14,000 reviews (because I am nuts), I guess it's time I got around to reviewing a film I should have reviewed a long time ago. So, here goes....the film is perfect and only a dope wouldn't watch it. Unfortunately, IMDb requires me to say more to meet it's 10 line minimum for reviews. So, I'll point out that you do NOT need to like gangster films to enjoy this film. Yes, it's violent and nasty in spots--but it's also brilliantly written and produced from start to finish and deserves the accolades it's received.

My advice is that instead of just watching "The Godfather" and "The Godfather: Part II", see the combined version they created for television--with additional scenes that made it a very rich experience.

It is now past 1 PM and I just finished watching Francis Ford Coppola's "The Godfather". I should probably go to bed. It's late and tomorrow I have to wake up a bit early. But not early enough to postpone writing these lines. Now that I have seen it three times, the opportunity of sharing my thoughts and refreshed insights are too much of a good offer to sit on. So, bear with me.

This film works so well because it takes place in an underworld in which we are so embedded that we do not even observe it. Coppola puts us straight in the smack-dab center of what is, admittedly, a society made by criminals for criminals. It is also the reason why it's so welcoming. We are surrounded by its inhabitants--cold-blooded murderers, men who see crime like a 9 to 5 job masquerading as honorable men. And I do mean men. From the outside, we would only witness the horrifying, disturbing manifestations of their well-thought out actions.

But it goes even deeper than that. It all revolves around the Corleone family led by Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando). He is the most honest of these men, sitting right on the edge. But for people like him, who do not fully embrace this world, it's not easy. He avoids conflict until it is absolutely necessary. He is a man defined by moral principles. There is a scene at the beginning, in which, during his daughter's wedding day, one of his associates, Luca Brasi (Lenny Montana) practices his speech that he is going to give to the Don when he meets him. The scene with these two is funny and almost adorable. I could not help but sympathize both of them only to realize that I am feeling warmth for two mobsters. Not to even mention that Lenny Montana was an actual mob hit-man and that he was actually nervous as he said that line.

The more I watched the more I realized just how incredibly complex and ruthless this society is and how it has the power to corrupt anyone to come in contact with it. The best example is Corleone's youngest son, Michael (Al Pacino). He returns home for his sister's wedding as a war hero dressed the part with his long-time girlfriend, Kay Adams (Diane Keaton). At first, he avoids this underworld, but necessity, first-hand exposure and just its sheer devilish appealing nature draws him in. As we get further in the film, the change is shocking and every outsider who ever got close to him is tainted in one way or another. If they survive it, they are drawn in as well as we are as viewers.

Inside, Coppola exposes the family to us fully, with a bold personal approach and we witness every discussion, every methodically calculated choice. Crime is done simply because it is the nature of their business, and we are put on a chair alongside them, so we easily relate. For us, they are the good guys, the rival families are the bad guys. This is the greatest feat this film managed to pull off--set apart good guys and bad guys in a world filled with bad guys.

This is a film of unmatched subtlety. No other movie sustains itself as good. No other film is done with such precision, attention and completeness. There are many layers which I probably missed and maybe will never notice. But I felt them. What director Francis Ford Coppola and his partner in crime (poor choice of words, sorry) Mario Puzo did is nothing short of a timeless piece of reference cinema whose influence is not based on reinventing the wheel, but rather perfecting it to the absolute maximum.

Most masterpieces are remembered for their historical contributions. "Citizen Kane" brought the biggest step-up to the art form, the same things did "Gone With the Wind" or "2001: A Space Odyssey". "The Godfather" is one of the few films that will be remembered simply because they are that good and I cannot possibly imagine a greater achievement.

There is very little that I can add to the reviews on here, that have explained what is so wonderful about The Godfather so well. I have seen many amazing movies, as well as some clunkers, but The Godfather was beyond amazing. There are so many images, details and scenes that I seriously cannot get out of my head since watching it for the first time just nine hours ago. The Godfather is so incredibly well-made and acted that it stands out among the rest of those other amazing films I've seen, so much so I couldn't think of a single flaw, and I am struggling to think of a good enough reason to why I didn't see this film before now.

True, The Godfather is a little slow-moving and the plot takes a while to unfold, but neither of these are flaws as such. The slow pacing added to the elegiac quality The Godfather has, and as for the plot what is special about this plot is that it is very unpredictable because you have next to no idea where it is next going to take you. Being 18, I was worried whether I was old enough to appreciate this film or even understand it, but luckily I understood it perfectly, and I can well and truly appreciate it for the masterpiece it is considered to be.

The Godfather for one thing looks stunning. I strongly disagree with the previous reviewer who said the cinematography was horrid, for me the cinematography was one of the best assets of the film. In some scenes you have cinematography and lighting that is quite dark and mysterious, and then in scenes such as the wedding it is evergreen, autumnal and very picturesque. It is not just the cinematography that makes The Godfather look stunning, the costumes are beautifully tailored, the houses are gorgeous and majestic to look at and even the cars were immaculate.

Then there is the score by Nina Rota. One word, outstanding! I have heard many wonderful scores in my lifetime, but after hearing this score few stick in the memory as much as the score for The Godfather. This score is both beautiful as seen with the main theme, and haunting in the way it sticks in your head after watching the film itself. Other outstanding assets are the masterly direction from Francis Ford Coppola, and the brilliantly written screenplay that is intelligent, thought-provoking and darkly humorous. As for the violence, some of it is shocking and intense especially in the climax which was enough to almost make your heart either beat twice as fast or stop, and I almost covered my eyes when the producer found the horse's head in his bed, but underneath that this family is somewhat loyal and honourable come to think of it.

The acting is absolutely fantastic, bringing to life characters that are rich and complex, perhaps unlikeable at first but as you get to know them you warm to them. And I have to say, The Godfather is one of those rarities where no actor gives a weak performance. In particular, Marlon Brando is brilliant as Don Vito, very heavily disguised yet stately. Every word of dialogue, every subtle hand gesture and every facial expression was brilliantly judged. Al Pacino's casting was admittedly risky, but he still did a truly wonderful job carrying the film, while James Caan is dignified and loyal, Diane Keaton beautiful and alluring and Robert Duvall nicely understated.

In conclusion, absolutely amazing, and I can see completely why it is considered one of the 10 greatest movies ever made, it is that good. In fact my 15-year old brother loved it so much, he wants to see it again. 10/10, though this film is too good for that rating. Bethany Cox