Many years ago, Francis Ford Coppola, director of “The Outsiders” and “Apocalypse Now,” set out to direct a small film that according to many, would end up being an average straight-up gangster flick. Little did they know, that film would become one of the world’s most inspirational movies, an American classic, and a masterpiece of cinema. That once little-known small film was “The Godfather.” Based on Mario Puzo’s classic novel, it told the story of the “Corleone’s,” a mafia family currently involved in a gang war with four other families. Filled with unforgettable characters, beautiful storytelling, and one of the greatest character studies of all-time, “The Godfather” was one of the few truly life-affecting films in all of history.
To me, what made “The Godfather” so great was how right from the beginning it grabs you and doesn’t let go. It traps you in the corrupted world of the mafia and it allows you to sympathize with people who are generally a bunch of criminals and assassins. Actually, the movie teaches us that the mafia are not a band of monsters at all. They murder the people who betray them, help those in need, and all they ask in return is a little loyalty. The characters don’t fear the law, in fact we begin to wonder if they even know what the law is. The law is non-existent in their world. They make up their own laws, and those brave enough to double-cross them usually end up dead.
“The Godfather” is also an excellent character study. Watch the slow change of character of “Michael Corleone” from the beginning to the end. Out of his entire family, “Michael”(played by Al Pacino) is kinda the defiant one. He refuses to get involved with the murderous, double-crossing life that his family is a part of. “That’s my family, Kay, it’s not me,” he says to his girlfriend. However, “Michael’s” fate isn’t to become an outstanding citizen, or a loving husband and father. After his father(the head of the family, “Don Corleone”) is shot and he is put in charge, “Michael” just can’t refuse the great position of power that is offered to him, and he slowly but surely becomes everything he’s ever despised. The fun-loving, quiet, shy person that was “Michael Corleone” becomes the notorious head of the “Corleone’s,” and so begins his reign of terror on society. The “Corleone” family will never be the same again.
“Michael Corleone” isn’t a bad man though. He’s just an ordinary guy who almost unwillingly gets pulled into a world he’s tried so hard to avoid. What makes the character extraordinary is how he has two sides to him. One side is that of an understanding, kind person, while the other is that of a bitter, unforgiving monster. In my mind, “Michael Corleone” shares many similarities with Shakespeare’s “Macbeth,” for he too is a man of honor and integrity destroyed by a fatal character flaw and the tortures of a guilty imagination.
The casting for the film is perfect. Al Pacino, who is one of my favorite actors, portrays the character of “Michael” perfectly. Everything from his laugh to his sinister grin is totally convincing. Can you believe that the studio at Paramount once insisted that Coppola allow the role to be played Robert Redford? I mean Robert Redford is a good actor and all, and what he’s done for the independent film industry is awesome, but he just isn’t “Michael Corleone,” you know? I’m glad that the studio finally left Coppola alone and let him do his job.
Well anyway, the other performances are great too. Marlon Brando in particular does an awesome job as “Don Corleone,” and so does James Caan and the other actors and actresses involved in the movie(which there are just too many to name). Director Francis Ford Coppola is without a doubt one of the best directors working today, and he shows it in “The Godfather.” With all of the mindless, practically brain-dead movies today, it’s nice to sit back and watch a truly entertaining masterpiece by a director who actually had a vision, and trust me, a truly great vision is hard to come by these days. The script was written in collaboration with the writer of the original novel, Mario Puzo, and the director, Francis Ford Coppola. The script is one of the many things that makes this movie great. If your looking for some great dialogue, you can’t go wrong here.
In my mind, “The Godfather” is without a doubt the greatest movie of all-time. It’s filled with countless classic moments, and even after watching it like a hundred times, it still manages to entertain me. I just never get tired of the characters or the plot, and you would think that a film with so many characters would get ’em all clustered and have a few boring ones, but it doesn’t. Each character is a living, breathing human and after watching the movie, you feel like you’ve met them all in real life. It’s that good of a movie, and that’s why “The Godfather” is one of my favorite films.
