The Godfather (1972) Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Starring: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan Reviewing The Godfather is the easiest thing I've ever had to do, while also, ironically, the most difficult. It's considered a masterpiece by many. Personally, it is my favorite movie, and it's likely to remain at number one for quite some time. My words will convince few to view the film, and those who have already seen it know that I am merely preaching to the choir. But here we are.
The Godfather is hailed as an all-time classic. Why? What sets it apart from the average gangster drama? Why does it have such a massive and devoted following? Why has it proven to be so influential among filmmakers? Like the opening to my review, it's all a contradiction, for the answer is quite too simple yet unbelievably complex. It's hard to point out what makes something perfect, perfect. But it's all right there in front of you.
First off, the musical score. Wow. Nino Rota's iconic score is simply amazing. It conjures up different moods throughout the film. It'll make you feel nostalgic, sad, happy, upset, and anxious. Sometimes all at once. Never since Lawrence of Arabia has a film's score set the mood so well and, perhaps, nothing has ever set the standard since some 40 years later. Maybe There Will Be Blood is a contender, but it's not assured.
Secondly, the acting. The acting in this film is just incredible. Marlon Brando's iconic portrayal as Vito Corleone, Al Pacino, James Caan, Richard S. Castellano, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard Conte, Al Lettieri, Diane Keaton, Abe Vigoda, Talia Shire, Gianni Russo, John Cazale. Not a single bad performance. Not a one. Most people say Brando is the highlight here, but I say this will always be Al Pacino's movie.
Lastly, what does the film stand for? Loyalty at any cost? Radically defining the meaning of family for better or worse? To this reviewer, it's a combination of both, stirred together by Michael's role in the story. Al Pacino pulls off the shy, uncertain fish out of water to perfection, then transforms before our eyes into something else entirely, confirming Coppola's fascinating character study as a masterpiece.
The Godfather literally created a genre. Sure, there were mobster films before it, but this movie changed the game. Its presence is felt throughout cinema today. Goodfellas, Casino, Once Upon a Time in America, The Departed, American Gangster, Scarface. The Godfather dictates their violence, cinematography, musical score, and even their running time.
The running time. Some may question that observation, but if one takes a step back and looks at what makes an epic an epic, then looks at The Godfather, it's quite clear there is a connection, for whatever reason, to Francis Ford Coppola's film, and it's three-hour running time that draws the story out and makes it the grand spectacle that it is. When a film can influence the length of another film, it has left a permanent mark.
The Godfather is, without a doubt, the most influential film ever made. Marlon Brando and Al Pacino deliver two of the grandest performances of the past 50 years - especially Pacino - and Francis Ford Coppola, who has mysteriously lost his touch, is nonetheless one of the world's greatest filmmakers. Everything about The Godfather is perfect. Not only did it define a genre, but it reinvented the definition of "masterpiece."