a movie beyond judgement

Rating: 10/10 (2 December 1998)

Let me start not with high praise, which is a regular sentence spoken on this movie. It is a motion-picture to discuss and yes there are elements in it that are extremely ambivalent. In the context of acting, directing and all the other formal aspects this is an exceptional achievement. I cannot think of too many others that can claim to have as polished dialogue and yet believable actors. But nevertheless the aspect of presenting a family-tragedy within a mafia-clan is at least to be consumed with your mind switched on. Coppola doesn't bother to present obvious critical points of view, but he presents the members of the Corleone-Clan as business-men. They react on their surroundings in the way it is necessary and to protect their family they don't bother to kill dozens of people. It is the contrast between the loving father and cold-blooded head of the clan, which attracts so many people to Brando's performance. He is so life-like on the one hand and yet manages to mute the questionable traits of character that would paint Don Vito as a criminal. On the whole it can be said that this is still a movie which should polarize audiences, not least due to the growing influence of mafia like structures in many poor countries.