The very definition of a Masterpiece!

Rating: 10/10 (9 June 2019)

No doubt the novel by Mario Puzo is awesome by it's own standards but the adaptation of the plot by Coppola is flawless! Every character is given time to develop and leave his/her mark on the movie.
It starts with Don Vito Corleone(Marlon Brando) heading the Corleone crime family. Even though it doesn't deal in vices like prostitution and gambling, the Corleone family is the biggest and the strongest crime family in New York! It is made up of family and loyal friends of Don Vito- like the terrifying Luca, the muscle-maker Clemenza, the smart tactician Tessio, an adopted German-Irish son Tom and the hot-headed eldest blood of Vito Sonny among the others.
The Don hears various requests from his troubled friends and uses his contacts in order to help them out, asking for nothing but loyalty and friendship in return.
This calm boat is however rocked by heavy waters when the Turk Virgil Sollozo meets Don Vito Corleone to ask for protection and finance for his narcotics business. Don Corleone refuses. However during the meeting, Sonny shoots off his mouth and shows that he is interested in the deal. And that starts unfolding of a spiral of events.
Vito is shot. Sonny is killed. Fredo, the second son of Don Vito, is sent away to Vegas under protection. Michael Corleone, the reluctant outside, who has led his life they he wanted, away from his father's influence takes over the family reins from his ailing father.
Then transcripts a story of Michael from a family outsider to a ruthless Mafia boss.
After Vito dies, Michael arranges to assassinate Tessio who's turned a traitor, Moe Green- who was a block in Michael's path to buying the entire stake in a Las Vegas Hotel, and the heads of the other families- Stracci, Cuneo, Barzini and Tattaglia! Michael cleverly gets his brother-in-law Carlo Rizzi assassinated who was responsible for Sonny's murder.
With all the other heads of the Five New York Families dead, Michael Corleone becomes the undisputed leader of the Underworld in New York. In the final scene, he is surrounded by his loyalists- Rocco Lampone, Al Neri and the good old Clemenza who refers to Michael as "Don Corleone" before the scene blacks out!
Unlike the Mafia films back then, The Godfather portrayed the Underworld as a response to the corrupt politicians rather than goons with guns and money!
Undoubtedly, it still remains the greatest Masterpiece in World Cinema even today after more than 47 years and will continue to remain so for centuries to come!
"I'll make him an offer he can't refuse!"