Picture of a dynasty

Rating: 9/10 (6 December 2016)

The Godfather was one of the great films that I still failed to watch, so lately I took the advantage and gave it a try. There is so much written and said about this movie already that you should probably go far more into the film to really get all the points that make this title as lasting as it has proved to be. But I'll try to sum up what went through my mind as a viewer without further knowledge of the background and making of The Godfather.
First I have to say that I am not at all a huge fan of mafia films. Not that there weren't multiple good ones but the topic in general doesn't really catch me most of the time. What makes this one special is that it achieves to make plausible why people act the way they do. It doesn't glorify the mafia or paint a pittoresque picture of it, rather it shows how tired the business can make people and how even they hope for a better future for their children.
You can really relate to how exhausting it has to be to be in danger all of the time, not knowing whom to trust or what to expect. Even though I'm quite sure not all the mafiosi were perfect gentlemen like described in the movie and cared first and foremost for the safety of children and innocents.
The running time is indeed quite long, but since it could be characterized somehow as kind of a saga, you don't really start to feel bored. To be totally honest, even though some parts could be also told shorter, it didn't bother me at all.
What prevents me from giving it a full 10 stars are mainly two aspects. First the characters, or at least some of them appear a bit stiff. Hoe Michael turns from a "regular" member of the family to someone that is left with one facial expression only is somehow not really believable. Which leads secondly to some plot points that I think are a bit under-explained. When Michael's wife gets killed in Italy and he returns just to tell Kay he loves her, that development just seems a bit out of the blue to me.
But never mind, you see how much work and effort was put into this movie and no-one should regret seeing it. I don't think it is a must-see because after all it's message for me is not that powerful but if you are looking for a well made movie then you should definitely lay back and give it a go.