Great Movie

Rating: Null/10 (21 May 2004)

What makes for a good movie? What elements do audiences look for in order to leave the theater sighing `that movie was great?' To some, it's whether a character goes through a transformation, whether you can literally see a character evolve from one form to the next. The Godfather is one such movie. True, on the exterior what you see is a mafia family caught up in the new business of drug dealing and how they deal with a near fatal hit to `The Godfather' himself. But if you take a second look, what you really see is the struggle between good and evil that one son must face upon the his return to the family home.	When the movie opens, the audience is introduced to the character of Michael Corleone as played by the great Al Pacino. Michael is what one would call a `golden child,' everyone in the family had high hopes for him. They wanted him to become something great, and not get caught up in the family `business.' In the beginning, he was something great, he was a war hero, returning home for a wedding. Things take a toll for the worst when Michael's father, Don Vito played by Marlon Brando, is critically wounded during a mob hit. At this point, the viewer starts to see a change in Pacino's character. Putting family before all else, Michael gets sucked in to the `business,' seeking vengeance for his father.	Throughout the movie, Pacino's character transforms. He makes the change from a flat character to a round in a very believably way thanks to the direction of Francis Ford Coppola and writer Mario Puzo. The elements in the story of The Godfather support Pacino's change so that it's not out of the blue. In that way, the audience can relate to the story better and even start to feel sorry for the mafia clan known as the Corleones, maybe even start to root for the bad guy, in hopes that the family can come out on top. The Godfather is a great movie, a must see, definitely an 11 on the 10 point scale.