The godfather of American cinema

Rating: 10/10 (11 May 2014)

The Godfather is regarded as one of the greatest films of them all and it's not difficult to see why. It is a bit cliché to like this movie, but it really does deserve it. Al Pacino plays the son of the head of a crime family who, following an assassination attempt on his father, rises up to become the head of the family, despite previously wanting nothing to do with his family's criminal activities. Aside from the slightly excessive length and the fact that the film made the memory of Al Pacino humiliating himself in Jack And Jill even more painful, The Godfather is one of the few films which could be seen as borderline perfect. Like many great movies, it requires patience. The film draws its audience in slowly as it gets better and more intense as it progresses and by the extremely sad ending there is a sense of awe and genuine astonishment at the quality and power of the movie. It beats Citizen Kane, the other general choice for the best movie ever made. One of the first things to set it apart is the amazing cast, although Marlon Brando is a bit difficult to understand.
The direction is excellent as well, as Francis Ford Coppola's filmmaking isn't showy and visually stunning like in Apocalypse Now, but it's more subtle and restrained and draws the viewer in. The dramatic moments are handled brilliantly, and having a great script to work with certainly doesn't hurt either. What makes the film a success isn't any of the above, but the storyline. The story is perfectly structured, and gets better and better as the film progresses. Not only does it have a multitude of brilliant movie moments, it also has many jaw dropping and startling outbreaks of violence, with the multiple assassinations/baptism finale being one of the best movie moments in the history of the medium. Michael Corleone's conversion into the head of his crime family is very sad, and the movie is overall proof that a family drama can still be thrilling, moving and have people queuing around the block. I don't usually agree with the best picture winners, but this is one which totally deserved to win. Like I said earlier, it's a cliché to love this movie but it really does deserve it.
10/10