“The Godfather.” Merely the name emits the feeling the sly underbelly of the criminal world that so many remember as one of the greatest movies of all time. This Francis Ford Coppola directed movie was groundbreaking at the time, and today is still seen as a pinnacle of film-making. Today, we take a look back at the film that continue to inspire multiple generations of filmmakers and inspired a sequel that is also viewed a classic.
In terms of directing, this is some of Coppola’s finest work. The shots in this movie are slow and deliberate to describe the thought process of Don Corleone, the patriarch of the family. Coppola put a lot of effort into articulating the specific emotions of Mr. Corleone. Close tracking shots provide the backstory of his life, the devil behind the eyes if you will. On top of this, Coppola is able to up the action when we are introduced to the three brothers of the Corleone family. Coppola is sure to frame each of them into their respective personalities.
The plot follows around these three personalities and their relationships for Don Corleone as they struggle for mafia supremacy. Of the three children there is Sonny, the often aggressive yet passionate oldest who The Don views as a problem child that frequently needs to be calmed down. On the opposite side of the spectrum there is Fredo, a very timid and calm guy who never seems to grasp the idea of power and frequently gets pushed over by more powerful people. Where these personalities meet is with Michael, the middle child of the family and easily the most levelheaded. Michael has always been the favorite of Don Corleone, and frequently has given his expertise to Michael to teach him how to run a large operation such as the mafia.
Coppola is very careful to accelerate or decelerate the plot depending on which brother has the spotlight. James Caan provides the correct amount fire as Sonny, whose head gets ahead of him most often. His banter with Marlon Brando’s Don Corleone proves to be some of this movie’s best parts, if only for small moments. As Fredo, the late John Cazale provides an off putting nervous atmosphere that make scenes with Fredo uncomfortable yet compelling viewing, as we see a man that was almost neglected in some ways in his childhood. And, in the opinion of this reviewer, the best performance of the movie is delivered by Al Pacino as Michael Corleone. The subtlety of Michael is what makes this performance legendary, as we the viewer see his slow transformation into a controlled madness that one would need to run such a dark organization like the mafia.
This doesn’t mean that Marlon Brando’s performance is any less legendary. As Don Corleone, we see a tortured soul who has been a member of the mafia for too long who in some ways is inept at anything other than doing business. The only reason Pacino’s performance is put at a higher level here is that Pacino brings flexibility to a character that almost seems one-sided like his father.
“The Godfather” does have its drawbacks, however minor. The main one is the performance of Diane Keaton as Michael Corleone’s love interest. Her lines are delivered very flat, almost as if she didn’t know what kind of character she was going to be. Compared to the legendary performance of Pacino, it almost seems amateurish, something that normally seen in Keaton. Beyond that, “The Godfather” does have some problems with pacing when it doesn’t focus on its main characters. Without any spoilers, there are certain hospital scenes that seen way too drawn out and only to provide fluff for the next plot points.
These points are minor in the grand scheme of things. “The Godfather” remains a pinnacle of cinema success. To find faults in this movie is to find one note out of place in Beethoven. The combination of stellar acting, inventive directing, and a score to back both of those prove that “The Godfather” is a legendary movie.
RATING: 10/10
-Donovan M.
In terms of directing, this is some of Coppola’s finest work. The shots in this movie are slow and deliberate to describe the thought process of Don Corleone, the patriarch of the family. Coppola put a lot of effort into articulating the specific emotions of Mr. Corleone. Close tracking shots provide the backstory of his life, the devil behind the eyes if you will. On top of this, Coppola is able to up the action when we are introduced to the three brothers of the Corleone family. Coppola is sure to frame each of them into their respective personalities.
The plot follows around these three personalities and their relationships for Don Corleone as they struggle for mafia supremacy. Of the three children there is Sonny, the often aggressive yet passionate oldest who The Don views as a problem child that frequently needs to be calmed down. On the opposite side of the spectrum there is Fredo, a very timid and calm guy who never seems to grasp the idea of power and frequently gets pushed over by more powerful people. Where these personalities meet is with Michael, the middle child of the family and easily the most levelheaded. Michael has always been the favorite of Don Corleone, and frequently has given his expertise to Michael to teach him how to run a large operation such as the mafia.
Coppola is very careful to accelerate or decelerate the plot depending on which brother has the spotlight. James Caan provides the correct amount fire as Sonny, whose head gets ahead of him most often. His banter with Marlon Brando’s Don Corleone proves to be some of this movie’s best parts, if only for small moments. As Fredo, the late John Cazale provides an off putting nervous atmosphere that make scenes with Fredo uncomfortable yet compelling viewing, as we see a man that was almost neglected in some ways in his childhood. And, in the opinion of this reviewer, the best performance of the movie is delivered by Al Pacino as Michael Corleone. The subtlety of Michael is what makes this performance legendary, as we the viewer see his slow transformation into a controlled madness that one would need to run such a dark organization like the mafia.
This doesn’t mean that Marlon Brando’s performance is any less legendary. As Don Corleone, we see a tortured soul who has been a member of the mafia for too long who in some ways is inept at anything other than doing business. The only reason Pacino’s performance is put at a higher level here is that Pacino brings flexibility to a character that almost seems one-sided like his father.
“The Godfather” does have its drawbacks, however minor. The main one is the performance of Diane Keaton as Michael Corleone’s love interest. Her lines are delivered very flat, almost as if she didn’t know what kind of character she was going to be. Compared to the legendary performance of Pacino, it almost seems amateurish, something that normally seen in Keaton. Beyond that, “The Godfather” does have some problems with pacing when it doesn’t focus on its main characters. Without any spoilers, there are certain hospital scenes that seen way too drawn out and only to provide fluff for the next plot points.
These points are minor in the grand scheme of things. “The Godfather” remains a pinnacle of cinema success. To find faults in this movie is to find one note out of place in Beethoven. The combination of stellar acting, inventive directing, and a score to back both of those prove that “The Godfather” is a legendary movie.
RATING: 10/10
-Donovan M.