Introduction:
The Godfather, also known as the epic movie is a gangster movie that was presented in 1972 by director Francis Ford Coppola. This movie is based on Mario Puzo’s fictional novel released between 1945 and 1955 describing the transformation of Michael Corleone from an outsider of Vito Corleone’s family, played by Marlon Brando to a harsh mafia leader portrayed by Al Pacino. Its running time is 175 minutes Its stars are James Caan, Richard Castellano, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard Conte, and Diane Keaton.
Release Date:
The Godfather was released at New York’s Loew’s State Theatre on the 14th of March, 1972 it was widely released in the United States on 24th March, 1972.
Crew:
| Role | Person(s) |
|---|---|
| Director | Francis Ford Coppola |
| Screenplay | Mario Puzo, Francis Ford Coppola |
| Writer | Francis Ford Coppola, Mario Puzo |
| Producer | Albert S. Ruddy |
| Editor | William Reynolds, Peter Zinner |
| Music Director | Nino Rota |
Cast:
| Actor/Actress | Role |
|---|---|
| Al Pacino | Michael Corleone |
| Marlon Brando | Vito Corleone |
| James Caan | Sonny Corleone |
| Diane Keaton | Kay Adams-Corleone |
| Talia Shire | Connie Corleone |
| John Cazale | Fredo Corleone |
| Gianni Russo | Carlo Rizzi |
| Richard S. Castellano | Peter Clemenza |
| Simonetta Stefanelli | Apollonia Vitelli-Corleone |
| Al Lettieri | Virgil Sollozzo |
| Al Martino | Johnny Fontane |
| Abe Vigoda | Salvatore Tessio |
| Jeannie Linero | Lucy Mancini |
| Lenny Montana | Luca Brasi |
| Tere Livrano | Teresa Hagen |
| Richard Conte | Emilio Barzini |
| Franco Citti | Calò |
| Sterling Hayden | Captain Mark McCluskey |
| John Martino | Paulie Gatto |
| Vito Scotti | Nazorine |
Story:
The movie starts on the day of the young daughter of Vito Corleone—Connie (Talia Shire) wedding to a crude character, Carlo Rizzi (Gianni Russo). At this time, the Godfather named Vito takes minutes in his office, receiving different people who ask for his help. Among them is Amerigo Bonasera, the undertaker, who wants to take revenge for an offence that his daughter suffered. Vito agrees with having his men take care of the young men involved.
Getting into the story, a gangster called Sollozzo wants the Corleone family in his drug-selling business but Vito declines as he is anathema to the sale of drugs. In turn, Sollozzo plans a shooting at Vito that puts him in critical condition. Michael, initially omitted in the family’s criminal affairs, increases that capacity by succeeding the empire temporarily through his brother Sonny until he becomes the wicked mafia godfather thus transforming the Corleones into powerful criminals.
Review:
The Godfather was globally positively appraised by criticizing and historically belongs to the list of the best and the most influential films of male society and thoroughly for the specific genre of gangster films.
Roger Ebert praised Coppola’s efforts to follow the storyline of the novel, the choice to set the film at the same time as the novel, and the film’s ability to “absorb” the viewer over its three-hour runtime. Andrew Sarris of The Village Voice believed Brando portrayed Vito Corleone well and that his character dominated each scene it appeared in, but felt Puzo and Coppola had the character of Michael Corleone too focused on revenge. Pauline Kael of The New Yorker wrote “If ever there was a great example of how a movie can transcend its limitations, it is The Godfather.”
Plus Points:
- Performances: This cast does a remarkable acting job, especially Marlon Brando, who played the part of Vito Corleone, and Al Pacino who played Michael Corleone, the part that got him the Oscar awards.
- Screenplay: The screenplay that was co-developed by Coppola and Puzo is thereby good because it contains all the events of the novel and interestingly develops them.
- Direction: Coppola is in charge of the direction and the scripting and he does a wonderful job in creating scenes of great depth work which puts the audience into the position of the Corleones.
- Cinematography: The cinematography by Gordon Willis is great, in contrast to the heavy use of light and dark colours, combined with a less saturated palette of more realistic films.
- Musical Score: For a film, there can be nobody more appropriate than Nino Rota for music which is so suited to the film’s themes and moods.
Minus Points:
- Pacing: It may take some of the viewers considerable time to get through the movie saying that the first part of the film is quite slow.
- Violence: Some of the scenes depict acts of violence that are quite gruesome, they might upset some folks out there.
- Lack of Female Characters: Some critics also noted that the film has no or few female characters: all those women are depicted as sexually appealing dolls or tools.
Technical Aspects:
The Godfather is a technical triumph and the movie features some of the finest technical credits in cinematography, editing and sound. Willis opted to use dimly lit and dull colours to make the film realistic and this has worked out well for him because the editing done by William Reynolds and Peter Zinner is perfect, the progression from one scene to the other has been well done and it feels smooth. Another contributing factor to the film atmosphere is the sound mixing where noise and silence blend with the movie.
Performance:
Everyone in The Godfather is excellent, Brando and Pacino – brilliant as Vito and Michael Corleone. What is more, the author insists on describing Brando as the best actor who managed to convey the main character as a powerful, intelligent and human personality. Pacino’s physical metamorphosis from a member of the family reformed from crime to a professional hitman is poetic. The Coen’s ensemble cast is a real strength with Caan, Castellano, Duvall and Keaton providing plenty of depth to the film’s secondary characters.
MoviePopTime Review:
The Godfather is, of course, one of the outstanding films in the history of world cinema art, a philosophical analysis of power friends, and family. The film has very good drama, suspense and character development and therefore the film is unforgettable. Tuttle’s and Puzo’s characters are impeccably cast; Marlon Brando as the godfather Don Vito Corleone, and Al Pacino, the movie’s transformed Michael, a reluctant son to a criminal mastermind.
Conclusion:
The Godfather is one of the best movies that are being produced and people all over the world copy the movie to make their gangster movies. It is filled with interesting characters, exciting stories, and thresh technical components which should attract the attention of anybody, who is interested in cinema. Every generation has its bearings: power, family, and morals are the most attractive values that make this film one of the greatest in the world cinematograph.
I believe that The Godfather occupies a special place among great movies because it is a film that creates an energetic fascination in watching the picture and simultaneously provokes and inspires viewers’ deep thinking. Ex characters, engaging narrative, and exceptional technical aspects make it a must-see for any film lover.
I thought my attention was very much arrested when viewing The Godfather. Right from the prologue when we see Jack marrying Candy to the utterly tense fight sequences as well as the twosome, it drags viewers into its band of ethical queries and dominancy. They have a powerful and interesting story that has stuck with viewers and those behind the film’s lens did an excellent job of directing this cinematic gem.
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