Perfection.

Rating: 10/10 (4 July 2013)

"The Godfather" exists within a vacuum: it is without precedent, and (not for the want of much effort), it is without imitation. To try and objectively review this Film, after its effect on my life, would be a poor joke. Frankly, I adore it. It is Romantic, absolutely. Beyond belief. Even Technically, it's a paradise. The colours drip, rich and heavy. The characters hold up a mirror to our psyche, and the dialogue has rightly cemented "The Godfather" as a movie which will always have a relevance. Ironically, this tale of counter-culture has become arguably the definitive Pop Culture statement. "The Godfather" IS the gap between Mainstream and Art. It is the scale to which every "classic" must compare itself, and inevitably fall short. Concise Coalescence: "The Godfather" is the greatest Movie ever made. But that's not why I LOVE it. Sure, I respect a whole bunch of Films. I can recognise a Film's influence, award it its dues, and move on. But I keep coming back to this, because I feel an affection for it. Every time I hear that sweeping NiÃ±o Rota score, I'm reminded: this changed my life! Days spent dreaming of my future as either a Mafioso or a Film-maker. To a degree, "The Godfather's" reputation does it a disservice; this isn't a Movie to admire, it's a Movie to FEEL. And I guarantee you, it's so powerful that only a truly emotionally dead person won't feel it.
And so I again ask myself: Why is it I love "The Godfather"? I love "The Godfather" because it never becomes cute or cuddly. I've just waxed lyrical about it, but as I sit to watch it, it's still dark, it's intimidating. It never gives itself up to soppy nostalgia, and that's why it remains as shocking a statement now as it did more than a quarter of a century ago. Perfection.