A flawless masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (10 July 2010)

So, those of you who haven't seen it may wonder, "What's so good about the Godfather? Why is it that this, out of every movie ever made, is considered by so many people to be one of the if not the all-time best?" Allow me to explain as best I can. It's the kind of movie where everything is perfect. Everything. The acting, the script, the pacing, the cinematography, right down to the soundtrack. All of it.
Oh, sure, it's a leisurely movie. It clocks in at just under three hours, and the plot takes a while to unfold. But it is NOT "slow" or "boring." While not a suspense film in the traditional sense, the movie is definitely suspenseful, and I have to applaud Coppola for his excellent use of tension building. In other words, he uses the three-hour length of the film perfectly: there's not a wasted minute among these 175, not a single bit I'd take out.
And besides, the acting is great. Just awesome. Brando's performance is stunning; the guy just oozes cool, as he always does. He's magnetic as Vito Corleone, arguably his most famous role ever. And, of course, Al Pacino's Michael Corleone deserves nothing but the highest of praise. It was the guy's big break, and he does a fantastic job displaying Michael's ruthless, cunning, coldly intelligent rise to power. The two of them pretty much make the movie, but even people playing bit parts give their all, resulting in a movie that makes mobsters seem very human. Special shout-out to Robert Duvall for his excellent turn as Tom "Badass" Hagen, and Diane Keaton (one of my favorite actresses, I'll add) as Michael's girlfriend and moral compass Kay. Having been mostly familiar with her for her roles in those classic Woody Allen movies, I had no idea she could carry a dramatic role, but she does an excellent job. And the script is just awesome, including a couple classic lines.
Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes." And, of course, "He made him an offer he couldn't refuse." A whole ton of memorable ones. Actually, pretty much every line in this movie is quotable, and given its three-hour length, that's pretty impressive. And that theme song... oh man. One of the best ever written.
A note also must be made on the baptism scene. All aspiring filmmakers should watch this movie for a lot of reasons, but for that scene in particular. The building of tension, the symbolism, the sacred-profane juxtaposition, the heart-stopping climax... perfect. The scene encapsulates everything I love about the movie into just a few minutes.
And that's the Godfather for you. It's bleak, tender, touching, violent, thoughtful, occasionally horrifying (the famed horse head scene, anyone?), and sometimes even darkly funny. It's a complete masterpiece in every sense of the word.
This, and its sequel for that matter, is a movie for the ages. Basically, if it's directed by Francis Ford Coppola and it's got Robert Duvall in it, you're in for a fantastic movie. That's a good rule of thumb. And the book it's based on is just as good!