Forever excellent

Rating: 10/10 (3 April 2020)

If they ask me which films will remain forever excellent, "The Godfather" will be one of the first in this category. Filmed after the novel of the same name by Mario Puzo, released in 1969, this film burst into all the lists of the best films and is now considered the best picture of the mafia. Director Francis Ford Coppola got the idea to make a film after reading the book. The film company Paramount Pictures regarded the project as a small gangster drama and did not expect much success. But when Puzo's novel suddenly became a bestseller, the stakes on picture quality rose sharply. And although the studio did not dare to fire Coppola in the middle of filming, fearing for their product, they tried to insert their five cents. In particular, they demanded that Marlon Brando not be involved in the process and that Al Pacino be dismissed.
The plot tells the story of a gangster clan where the old but influential don Vito Corleone runs the show. He has a beloved family, things are going well, everyone respects you - in a word, he rolls around like cheese in olive oil. But suddenly, an attempt is made on Don Corleone, and, as it was unexpected, a couple of days after the deal that would help another criminal clan, but Vito fundamentally refused it. And at a tense moment, Michael decides to solve family affairs and manage his father's empire - Don Vito's beloved son and a man who wanted to abstract as much as possible from the mafia but had to take the reins of government into his own hands.
There is a legend that after the premiere of the film, the director was called by the real gangsters in order to ... scatter in thanks. Coppola showed the world shown in Puzo's novel in as much detail as possible and showed the mafia bosses, ordinary people, with feelings. Speaking about the cast, no other word other than "Beauty" does not arise. Rejected the Oscar, Marlon Brando is a very talented actor. He makes him believe that his character has power comparable to the head of state but at the same time an honest, loving, caring family man.
Michael Corleone is a character no less interesting than Don Vito himself. The hero has suffered many trials, as a result of which he changes and makes serious decisions. And behind such a strong character an actor should have stood, no less talented than Brando. 32-year-old Al Pacino is a year younger than the director, rocked Hollywood with his performance. I know that I praise this great actor enough, but it was The Godfather that became the starting point of his fame.
When I hear that the film was shot from a book, I cross my fingers so that the creators do not lose the quality of the picture. But there is nothing to be afraid of since the plot canvas is carefully transferred to the screen. The Godfather is not so much a gangster drama as a story about love, family, power, and betrayal.