A father trying to pass his legacy and empire to one of his sons and that one son having to come to terms with his own legacy and the choices he makes.

Rating: 10/10 (27 August 2011)

In cinema, there are few films that can, at all, be considered either great, and fewer that can be considered perfect. Mario Puzo's The Godfather is one of those films that is perfect. Being based of off the best seller by Mario Puzo, director Francis Ford Coppola creates one of the most accurate portrayals of an Italian crime family. When most people think about films that deal with the Mafia, Italian gangsters, what they think about is people that ship drugs, deal with prostitution, and above all else, just fight others for the hell of it. But, what makes The Godfather so different is that, contrary to the rather dark, violent nature of the film, this movie destroys all stereo types as it becomes a film that is not, at all, about running a crime family. This film is REALLY about a father trying to pass his legacy and empire to one of his sons and that one son having to come to terms with his own legacy and the choices he makes. When Mario Puzo decided to originally write the novel that this film is based on, he did it only for the money and nothing else. But what he did not expect was to have his entire creation take a complete life of it's own in a way that only few people can imagine. Even more so was the shock of how well this film did. Want a little taste of how well this film did? Before the film was even released, The Godfather Part II was already in development. But, more on that later. Now, my complete reaction to watching this film. To say that this is one of my personal favorite films of all time would be something of a drastic understatement. With me, there are some films that you like and some that change your life. This is one of those films that changes your life with each and every viewing. When I first sat down and watched this film, I remember feeling complete once the credits started to role. I know that sounds cheap, but it is true. Everything from the story to they way Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) is in this film, it just spoke to me in a way that very few films can ever do. And I am not the only one that felt this way. There is a magic in this movie that can never be paralleled and the closes that we get (and one that is pretty damn close at that) is the sequel that is said to be equal to better then this film. But more on that later. Let's get down to the details. With direction, Coppola does wonders. He keeps the story moving, never dragging behind, and keeps making you interested with the look of the film. While some have complained about the lighting used as being too dark of a film or too gold, I say that the use of that is, quite fantastic. The reason why is because it always sets the mood for the scene and the tone that you will end up feeling. Plus, little added in items like the use of oranges in some scenes give this film a little kick by letting the audience know that something is about to go down. For the direction, Coppola, you do wonders. And the Academy Award for Best Direction was well won and deserved. Now the acting. Oh, my God. What can I say? Well, let's think. Marlon Brando won the Academy Award for Best Actor and Al Pacino won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Need I say more? Okay, I will talk about the supporting cast. With huge names like Richard Dreyfus, James Caan, Abe Vigoda, and Diane Keaton, this film is filled with some of the greatest talent that money can buy. But what shocks me the most is that they treat this film with such a tone of seriousness that they literally stop becoming themselves and become these incredible people. Next the score. Like so many classic films, this film's score is something of a staple in film history. Mostly due to the famous 'The Godfather Waltz', Nina Rota became a household name in the music world due to the simplicity of that piece. It was simple, yet set the tone perfectly. The only crime that has ever been done on this film was the score not being nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Score. Oh well. Later on, this film saga will get it's award. Finally the script. Being adapted from the novel by Mario Puzo, and being written by him and Coppola, this film mirrors the novel so closely that you would only have to read the novel to know more about the extra characters that are not THAT huge. The dialogue is authentic, honest, and bold as this well written script is presented. The Academy Award for Best adapted Screen play was also well deserved. Overall, this entire film is worthy of the magnitude that it has gotten, the awards it has won (including Best Film), and the hearts and souls it has touched. Easily one of the greatest films ever made.