The Godfather perfectly encapsulates the essence of cinema

Rating: 10/10 (16 May 2013)

I had a rough time watching The Godfather, because all the universal acclaim was completely clouding my judgement on the movie, because instead of being able to watch the movie with clarity, all this time I was looking at the opinions of the general public as the basis of finding clear reasons why to like this movie. I know everyone praises the performances, the film's structure, and every subtle nuance, but listening to those opinions gave me the idea I should be looking at these details so I will see why this movie is so great.
But to my realization, I wasn't trying to find any qualities that I, MYSELF, would love about the movie. I was too busy trying to find the details of what other people liked. I was watching based on the details other people hyped up too much. That's why I have to say, you have to watch The Godfather and put the hype completely behind you and just watch it for what it is just how you would any other movie. If you develop a true opinion of the movie, not based on the hype, then that's what really matters, whether you love it or hate it.
I ended up watching The Godfather for the umpteenth time. Now, before this point I really didn't have an opinion on the movie. I honestly felt it was bland and didn't give me that sense of urgency a lot of my favorite movies give me, but I didn't hate it, but I also didn't love it. But this time, it clicked somehow. I enjoyed it, oddly. I honestly found a certain quality that is very hard to create in films.
And that certain detail is how beautiful this movie is. Behind all the murders and the brooding feel of the film, there is a lot of beauty. It's atmosphere is something that contrasts so heavily with its dark plot. And not only visually, but this is also evident in the execution of the acting performances, and the mood of the story. After watching Apocalypse Now and The Godfather II, I finally started to understood Francis Ford Coppola's style of storytelling. Despite The Godfather being a gangster film, it's very subtle and does not have any melodrama. I feel this is something people cannot get past, because with its legacy as a movie, they expect it to be something more in-your-face that will give you an emotional hit-in-the-gut feeling, but to one's realization, he or she will realize it is not those things.
I mean there is a beautiful score, but it too is very subtle. The movie actually benefits from silence and just let the characters most of the time direct the emotion of the plot. When watching this, I cannot believe how the actors were able to execute this difficult-to-accomplish feat. If you were to tell me how I would expect one of the best ever movies to come off as, I would've given you a narrow-minded answer. Now I realize how much film is just as open-ended as music. We cannot just experience or enjoy an album or a film one time and expecting to gain that satisfaction thinking we know it from the inside out. If we watch a movie a second time, we can discover subtle nuances that weren't obvious in the first viewing, almost as if we're watching it from a completely different angle. And that's the beauty of i Despite how subtle The Godfather is, it really is a sophisticated film with repeated viewings. Is The Godfather my favorite movie of all time? I don't even know if I have one particular favorite, but I would place it in my top ten along with Citizen Kane. My advice would be to find certain qualities that YOU would like about The Godfather and not to base it on the opinions of people telling you what is so awesome about it, because film is more open-ended than that to build expectations. We all have things that we personally love. What is the best thing about the movie? For you or anyone else, it could be the acting, the story, the settings, or some subtle nuance that everyone is ignorant of. I personally love the mystical feel of the atmosphere and I think that is better than telling someone its the best movie ever just because it is. I like to listen to personal opinion, because of the individuality aspect to it. And The Godfather is way more rewarding if you watch it as an individual and judge it on your principles of what makes a good film and not to trust someone else's certainty that is the best movie ever. It's okay if you still don't like the movie, but what is crucial is you give complete clarity in forming an opinion that is completely your own based on what is important to you, most of all. I don't see what other film lovers see in The Godfather, I only see what I love about it.