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The Godfather (1972)

19th January 2007

Deemed the best movie ever-made by the ardent followers of IMDB.com, this tale of family, murder and oranges (you'll get it if you see it or know the trivia) sets the bar not just for the gangster genre – which is a myriad of missed opportunities – it sets the bar for film. In an era when everybody is obsessed with big budgets and first weekend takings, the onus is now on creating a 'movie'; meaning a 'commercially viable flashy shitfest that leaves idiots jaws open long enough to take cash from their wallets'. What Coppola moulds is a 'film', it has depth, intelligence, layers and, even with a body-count to rival 'Rambo', it has a tenderness not often seen.

The plot centres on the dealings of Don Corleone, expertly portrayed by the hit-and-miss leviathan Marlon Brando in arguable his greatest role, and his family's attempts to remain key players in the sordid world of organised crime despite their reluctance to deal in the vastly growing market of drugs. With the methodical pace of a hunter stalking its prey, the story unravels with the Corleone's fortunes dissipating after an assassination attempt on their influential leader leaving a vacuum at the head of the household. A void ultimately filled by the most unexpectedly ruthless member of the swollen family. The supporting cast is a triumph of casting; James Caan embodies the fiery Italian-American Sonny Corleone with aplomb; bringing a confident rage without chewing the scenery. While Robert Duvall would not turn in a performance of such magnitude until he teamed with Coppola again for 'Apocalypse Now' (1979) but the real winner is the then relatively unknown Al Pacino as the dubious heir-to-the-throne, Michael. Having got the part for his haunting portrayal of a smack-head in 'The Panic in Needle Park' (1971), the untested Pacino portrays Michael as well-bred and alien from the affairs of his family and it is a testament to Pacino to make you care about his descent into this debauchery, the performance that sucks you in and he would truly nail home in 'Part II' two years later.

The settings are awe-inspiring, encapsulating 1950s New York, and the Italian, while sometimes distracting, adds an air of authenticity that would be hard to accept without it. The eleven nominations it received from the Academy in 1973 are an indicator of the powerhouse that the picture truly is; unfortunately, it does serve to somewhat overshadow Mario Puzo's original novel that served as the base material but he did get his Oscar for his screen-writing element. If you have three hours to spare and want to truly appreciate what can be achieved with a good script, artful director and perfect casting then you don't have to look much further than this. Refraining from leaving a clichéd note about the film being "an offer you can't refuse" it is important to note that when it comes to film this is undoubtedly 'The Godfather' of them all.

Chris Sloley