LogFAQs > #969143630

1. The Godfather (1972)
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
Runtime: 2h 55m
Score: 36

John: 1
Karo: 1
plasma: 1
Myth: 1
seginus: 1
rockus: 2
Vis: 5
Poke: 5
Snake: 6
ssbm: 6
Tangy: 7

John
There's an incredible amount to be said here, way too much for a write-up really, because The Godfather is, in my opinion, the closest thing that exists to a perfect movie. Every single aspect of this absolute epic is nearly flawless. The performances, writing, cinematography, music, and character development are all things I might honestly dare to say could not have been improved upon.
One thing that's always been a point of contention with older vs. newer movies is that some people insist older movies deserve more credit for establishing methods of filmmaking, movie tropes, etc. etc. Others might prefer newer movies, with the argument that doing something first doesn't mean they did it the best, and movies should be recognized moreso on how they improve or capitalize on existing methods and tropes. There are fair view on both sides, but The Godfather throws such a massive wrench into it all. Thousands of films, shows, etc have all taken what The Godfather created and tried to work with it, or even TRY to improve on it, and many have had great success in their own rights, but there is not a single movie that exists (to my knowledge) that managed to do anything Godfather did in a better way than The Godfather itself.
I mean nearly every single scene of this 3+ hour movie is a goddamn masterpiece. Luca Brasi getting strangled in the restaurant, his body slowly sinking offscreen beneath the sillhouette of the mobsters strangling him, as if he's sinking below waves, and then it pans to an outside view from behind the leaping fish by the restaurant's window, and then we don't get followup on this scene until a few scenes later when the Corleones receive a wrapped up dead fish paired with the unforgettable "It means Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes" and that emotional weight hits immediately. And before this we get Tom talking about Luca's powerful and unwavering loyalty, saying "even Sonny won't be able to call off Luca Brasi" when he doesn't know Luca's dead, and even BEFORE that in the very beginning of the movie we get a goofy but heartfelt scene of Luca nervously stumbling over the practice speech he wants to give to Don Vito juxataposed with Kay asking Michael about the scary man talking to himself, leading into one of the saddest scenes of foreshadowing in all of film ("That's my family, Kay. That's not me.") and all of this works together to make Luca's death such a powerful and well thought out tool, and keep in mind this is all within the first hour of a THREE HOUR MOVIE. And that first scene of the wedding just flawlessly sets up literally EVERY SINGLE plot thread of the entire film, from Luca Brasi dying for the family, to Vito being established as the most powerful mob boss in the five families, to Michael's eventual marriage and takeover of the family business, to Carlo and Connie's wedding (which istelf leads to him abusing her, and Sonny lashing out, and ultimately leads to Sonny's death. I mean I've seen this movie like 5 times already and it still blows my mind to this day how incredible this film is in virtually every way. THIS is why I love film. I mean I'm rambling about this film as I watch it because watching something that is this goddamn intricate and incredible that can still give me chills and make me laugh and cry and terrify and thrill me in equal measure after all these years is just an experience like no other.

Karo
Ah yes, The Godfather. The much lauded and oft-parodied masterpiece that is the first thing anyone thinks of when they think of a film about the mafia. It is iconic for a reason, the sheer number of memorable quotes in this film is staggering. Sleeps with the fishes. An offer he can't refuse. And that's just to name a few.
There are a lot of things going on, but the main story is of Michael Corleone, a young man who wants no part in the family 'business', yet is sucked into the world of crime by a series of unfortunate events. This story is very well done, it maintains sympathy and relatability for the character even as he heads down a dark path.
I consider The Godfather the end-all as far as movies about the mob go, and it is likely to never be topped.

plasma
This was my third time watching The Godfather, and it was by far the best experience Ive had with it. The movie is jam-packed with characters and plotlines to the point that its impossible to follow everything on a first or second viewing. Watching with subtitles helped me match names to faces, and I finally got a solid grasp of Sollozzo, Moe Greene, Barzini, and all the other scumbags that populate this world.

Of course, we dont watch for the antagonists in this one. The reason why this movie is so damn good has everything to do with the Corleone family. The wedding at the beginning might be the best introduction of an ensemble cast Ive ever seen, and its amazing how much characterization and worldbuilding is packed into those first 30 minutes. Once the ball gets rolling with Vitos near-assassination and Michaels march down the bloody path to godfatherhood, its engrossing character drama.

More than ever before, Michaels journey wowed me. Theres that glimpse of his potential future early on when hes being taught how to cook for all the other guys, and its such a great crossroads moment If he continues down his current path, hes destined to be the family bitch, but its not too late for him to take charge of his future (You can act like a man!). I totally empathize with why he volunteers to get revenge for his father. Its about more than Vito ending up in the hospital; its about Michael deciding who he wants to be. And watching who he becomes is as captivating as it gets, thanks to Pacinos performance.

To nitpick some things, its hard to overlook the fact the second half of the movie has some pacing issues. Michaels time away in Sicily is necessary for his growth but at the same time I kept thinking, Cmon, get back to America already. Another issue is Fredos lack of screen time. Hes not supposed to be a major factor in this movie, but the first time I watched Godfather Part II years ago, I had to check IMDB to make sure Fredo even was in the first movie. Hes just totally forgettable. When you condense such a large, intricate story down into 3 hours, I get that you cant give everyone the spotlight, but stillat least give me reason to remember him.

Minor issues aside, this lives up to its reputation. A+

Myth
I mean, it's the freaking Godfather. It's Marlon Brando's unforgettable old mafia don making unrefusable offers, petting his cat, and deteriorating while the increasingly brutal world moves on without him. It's Michael the clean-cut college student and veteran who allows himself to become a more ruthless and brutal mob boss than his father and brother could have dreamed of. It's the cycles of violence that permeate through the institutions of business, politics, family, and country that doom those inside them. It's the mesmerizing cinematography, sets and music that beguile you into admiring this world until the next act of brutal violence. It's the freaking Godfather.