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37. The Godfather (1972)
It's time to praise one of the most popular and masterful films ever made. Like so many other people, I'm also a huge fan of Francis Ford Coppola's legendary gangster film, The Godfather. The sole reason for its relatively low placement, is that I haven't seen it in quite a while (except for a few bits and pieces here and there).
This film is arguably the epitome of epic American filmmaking. It tells a great story with many layers and the way it's told is visually effective and efficient, but at the same time also poetic and stunningly beautiful. Many people have called it the greatest film ever made and honestly, I can totally understand why. The scope of this story is so extremely large, but nevertheless Coppola was able to give every moment and detail in this film a certain meaning and depth. Every scene has a reason for being there, whether it's foreshadowing, plot exposition, showing a certain important emotion or feeling, offering new insights into a character or shedding light on an integral part of the gangster life. They all work very well as stand-alone moments, but at the same time they're also a significant part of the big picture that's being presented.
So, if you're the kind of person that looks for great individual moments in films, you'll find it here, but if you want a cohesive story that deeply analyzes the film's characters and the environment it's set in, The Godfather will also completely satisfy you.
The professionalism and coldness of a gangster is shown through a legendary piece of black comedy.
One of the things that makes this film so extremely popular (even nowadays), is probably the fact that this extremely rich film has something in it for everyone. Intelligence and emotions, action and quietness, warmth and coolness, love and hate, good and evil, happiness and grief, power and defenselessness, friendship and betrayal... You can all find it here.
Apart from the visual experience and the epic story, there's another aspect of this film that is, in my opinion, just as important as the others. I'm talking of course about the famous soundtrack of the film. Seldom has music been used more effectively than in The Godfather. It's incredible how perfectly it fits and creates the mood of the picture. Genius.
I feel like I've just repeated some clichés about this film's quality and simply pointed out the typical good things everyone always notices about this film (while not even speaking about the brilliant acting, etc.), but I don't really care. It's proof that this classic has become a part of the collective memory of film watchers around the world. Here's another scene that everyone always talks about:
One of the most brilliant montages in the history of cinema.
and another one:
It's always fun to rewatch these great moments!
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It's time to praise one of the most popular and masterful films ever made. Like so many other people, I'm also a huge fan of Francis Ford Coppola's legendary gangster film, The Godfather. The sole reason for its relatively low placement, is that I haven't seen it in quite a while (except for a few bits and pieces here and there).
This film is arguably the epitome of epic American filmmaking. It tells a great story with many layers and the way it's told is visually effective and efficient, but at the same time also poetic and stunningly beautiful. Many people have called it the greatest film ever made and honestly, I can totally understand why. The scope of this story is so extremely large, but nevertheless Coppola was able to give every moment and detail in this film a certain meaning and depth. Every scene has a reason for being there, whether it's foreshadowing, plot exposition, showing a certain important emotion or feeling, offering new insights into a character or shedding light on an integral part of the gangster life. They all work very well as stand-alone moments, but at the same time they're also a significant part of the big picture that's being presented.
So, if you're the kind of person that looks for great individual moments in films, you'll find it here, but if you want a cohesive story that deeply analyzes the film's characters and the environment it's set in, The Godfather will also completely satisfy you.
The professionalism and coldness of a gangster is shown through a legendary piece of black comedy.
One of the things that makes this film so extremely popular (even nowadays), is probably the fact that this extremely rich film has something in it for everyone. Intelligence and emotions, action and quietness, warmth and coolness, love and hate, good and evil, happiness and grief, power and defenselessness, friendship and betrayal... You can all find it here.
Apart from the visual experience and the epic story, there's another aspect of this film that is, in my opinion, just as important as the others. I'm talking of course about the famous soundtrack of the film. Seldom has music been used more effectively than in The Godfather. It's incredible how perfectly it fits and creates the mood of the picture. Genius.
I feel like I've just repeated some clichés about this film's quality and simply pointed out the typical good things everyone always notices about this film (while not even speaking about the brilliant acting, etc.), but I don't really care. It's proof that this classic has become a part of the collective memory of film watchers around the world. Here's another scene that everyone always talks about:
One of the most brilliant montages in the history of cinema.
and another one:
It's always fun to rewatch these great moments!
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