A film of epic proportions...

Rating: 10/10 (20 July 2014)

I must confess, I find it really tricky to watch movies that are considered "The Greatest of All Time", because of one enormous fear: What if I don't like it? Sure, you don't have to stick to social majorities when forming your opinion on a film, but I suppose there's a certain reaction that comes when you say something like: "Yeah, I wasn't so seen on The Shawshank Redemption, actually". So this was my worry when I finally purchased "The Godfather" trilogy on DVD, and sat down to watch the first one. Thankfully, I absolutely adored it. It's a film of epic proportions, following 10 years in the history of the Corleone Family, with excellent drama and beautiful cinematography. And it also keeps you interested for the entirety of its 3 hour run time, which is by no means an easy feat.
"The Godfather" follows Don Vito Corleone (played by the masterful Marlon Brando), the head of one of the most powerful mafia families, and his son Michael (Al Pacino), who is soon to take over the family. We begin with Michael's wedding, which uses brilliant juxtapositions between the bright, happy event, and the dark office of the patriarch, where he hears the requests of his family and friends. It's a great scene because we realise the image that the family tries to send out, and the actual goings on behind the scenes. We also observe the power and influence that the family has in places like the media (involving the head of a certain animal), so that we can then understand how much of a force to be reckoned with they are.
The film takes place over 10 years, and packs a lot of events into 3 hours, from the attempted assassination of Vito, to Michael's refuge in Sicily. Coppola shows us so clearly how life in a mafia family is a dangerous one, where you always have to watch your back and where people are always trying to kill you. Thanks to the character of Kay (played by a young Diane Keaton), we get an outsider's perspective on the family too, and Michael tries to show her that the business will become 'legitimate' soon, although we knows this is unlikely. The greatest sequence in the film is also one of the most famous – the massacre that takes place during a christening, with sinister Bach organ music played over the top. It's a fantastic section because Coppola is contrasting life and death so well, making us aware of the cycle of mafia life.
"The Godfather" is truly one of the great masterpieces of cinema. It's complex and often slow going, but always reaches points which make waiting worthwhile. The acting is totally stunning, which Pacino and Brando shining in particular in their roles, and the whole film is shot with a dark, noir-ish lens. Every part of it is well thought out, particularly its score and pacing, and you can appreciate it at the end as both a great feat of filmmaking, and a satisfying watch. I was extremely pleased to find how much I enjoyed watching this incredible film, and can't wait to tuck into the rest of the trilogy.