THE family film

Rating: 9/10 (31 January 2019)

Based on the Mario Puzo book, the Godfather, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, tells the story of Vito Corleone, Don Vito Corleone, or more accurately, the Godfather. His vision is to transfer power of the organisation to an understudy - ideally his son. With any luck, the organisation can transcend the crime background it was born from and become self-sufficient as a legitimate business.
Don Corleone (Marlon Brando) is the head of a mafia crime organisation in New York; he's both respected and feared. Times though are changing; other crime families want a piece of the action - the only way to do that is to remove Don Corleone. Don Corleone, despite the fear he brings to people, he's shown to be a family man - always looking out for his immediate and extended family. We get to see a fabulous juxtaposition as he's both celebrating the marriage of his only daughter, but in the background he's finalising important family business. After concluding the celebration it's back to normal, Corleone assumes that everything is moving forward with no issues and he'll soon be out of the hot-seat. When he barely just escapes an assassination attempt it's up to his family to look after him, the organisation, the family, and themselves if possible.
The Corleone sons try their best to be there in the hour of need. James Caan plays Sunny, hot headed and determined to make sure the family is respected, even if that means looking for a fight. John Cazale plays middle child Freddo, who enjoys more of a hedonistic lifestyle than he does a life of aggressive crime - more a lover than a fighter it's always assumed that Freddo wouldn't be a success as the family head. Robert Duvall plays Tom Hagan, who, although not family by blood, he's the adopted child who plays a vital role of advisor and lawyer to the family. Then there is Michael, played by Al Pacino, the black sheep of the family - never doing what is expected and living by his own rules. When he was expected to stay at home - he leaves for an education, when a scholarship could be paid for - he's off to fight in WWII, when he's expected to find a nice Italian wife - he brings an American home to visit the parents. It seems he's always doing the opposite of what is expected and he's the son that's always at loggerheads with his dad as attempts to find his own place in the world. With the family in turmoil, young Michael does what nobody expects, and makes a stand. All the time he's adamant that the stand he's making is short term and he has no plans to follow in his father's footsteps.
This is an amazing film - which isn't just my own opinion, heck, just look at film review and polls over the years and this film usually finds its way into top five lists. It's beautifully written by Puzo (I've read all his Godfather books) and the film sticks extremely close to the source material. Coppola does a fantastic job directing it, focussing on even the tiniest details, for example; camera heights to portray perception in scenes, small mannerisms that he's asked actors to show shots that compare and contrast people in the same shot. There are brilliant performances from everybody on and off screen - the score and photography is just as strong as the actor's performances - which is top class.
Although the film is crime and mafia themed, it's just as easy to think of this as a social film, looking at interactions and relationships, character developments and family life. It's a haunting and powerful depiction of a family caught in the middle of conflict and upheaval - it's a film that stayed with me from the first time I watched it and still gives me goose-bumps when I re-watch it 20-30 years later. This absolutely gets a 9 out of 10 from me.