A masterpiece that will stand the test of time...

Rating: 10/10 (20 January 2001)

It is no wonder why The Godfather is consistently ranked #1 by registered members of the Internet Movie Database. It is quite simply a great film in every respect. I won't rehash all the points that affirm why this picture is an undisputed classic that will be as relevant 50 years from now as it was in 1972.
The sequels, Godfather Part II and Part III, complete the story. Part II got the praise it deserved becoming the first and only sequel ever to win a Best Picture Academy Award. Unfortunately, Part III suffered from too much anticipatory hope that germinated from the 16 years between the two films. In other words, the film was held to a standard that would be impossible to achieve. It was masterfully told and with the same attention to detail given the earlier films, but a fair assessment was not to be given. Al Pacino's performance was outstanding, especially in the final scene with his reaction to death of Mary. It is a stunning and thoroughly heartbreaking expression of grief from a father who has lost a child. I wrote about Part III because many have dismissed it as a lesser film not up to par with the others, but this is criminally unfair.
One last comment about The Godfather films -- some have suggested that the films are too long. Well, that's just a stupid thing to say. It's like the King in Amadeus telling Mozart that his composition has "too many notes". Mozart asks, "which notes would you cut"? The Godfather films are too complex to be shortened to accommodate those with a short attention span.

The DVD versions of the Godfather Trilogy are supposed to be released in Fall of 2001. I can't wait for all the extras. It'll be an offer we can't refuse.