The Most Outstanding Achievement In Motion Picture of The 20th Century

Rating: 10/10 (3 April 2012)

Steven Spielberg once said he considered retiring after watching The Godfather. Stanley Kubrick admitted The Godfather may very well be the greatest movie ever made and without a doubt has the best cast. If two of the greatest directors of all time had claimed such statement, what more needs to be said about this masterpiece, really? By now, it's already a stuff of legend. Countless lists and people have rated this as the finest motion picture to ever grace the silver screen. The genre and cinema itself have been heavily influenced by the contents in the movie, and even real-life mafias mimicked how Don Vito Corleone, portrayed by Marlon Brando in what I consider to be the most splendid acting job done by any actor or actress in any movie ever, carried himself. When did you ever hear something like that happened? If there was ever any? I doubt Francis Ford Coppola himself would have thought his first big directorial job would have given birth to an enduring legacy THIS big. Sure, he had Marlon Brando in his pocket, complete with Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, James Caan, and Robert Duvall as future stars just to name a few, which must have been exciting for a young director for that time. But I still doubt Coppola would have known he was directing the greatest motion picture of the 20th century even once during the entire 62 days of shooting, even when he, the entire casts, and the entire crews gave it their all for those 62 days. But that magic was there. And it is now known throughout the world as The Godfather.
I think the story is rather famous now, but I'll say it anyway. It tells the story of an organized crime family after the World War II was over. Spanning over 10 years, the movie was a journey of the youngest son (played brilliantly by the legendary Al Pacino) transformed from a war hero not wanting to have anything to do with his family's business to become the next head of an organized crime dynasty.
It featured brilliant performances from every single person involved, especially the mythical Marlon Brando. Every scene he was in, no way you didn't have your eyes on him. Even when he wasn't around, you would still feel his presence and power. His character, to me at least, made this movie. No one could play him as grand as Marlon Brando did.
On technical aspect, this movie is flawless. Coppola's directing really captured the quintessence of every character in the movie. The dark photography added to the whole mystique of every scene in this movie. And the last but definitely not the least, the score is magical.
What else is there need to be said about this masterpiece? Only a few movie can be called perfection, The Godfather is a prime example of it. Everything in this movie is so unbelievably perfect it is almost unreal. How come something became this great is hard to decipher. This timeless classic is a definite must see for anyone. And among many movies made in the 20th century I have seen, this is the best of the best. The finest of the finest. Maybe several movies can come close, but I don't think anything can top this. I firmly believe The Godfather is without a doubt the most brilliant motion picture of the 20th century.