Subtle

Rating: 9/10 (12 September 2016)

The Godfather (including Part 2 for purpose of this review) is probably the most analysed film of all time, so really I don't see the point in repeating any of the rhetorics. Rather, what I intend to provide here is my honest two cents of this film.
The Godfather is not an easy film to watch, so it baffled me at that time of watching for the first time (and still baffles me to this day) how it is so universally loved by almost anyone who has watched it. Firstly, there are so many characters that I gave up remembering anyone other than the Corleone family. Secondly, the script is so subtle and tight that the moment I missed a single sentence, I did not get the next scene. It was no easy feat to follow every sentence given the frequent mutterings, so subtitles are almost indispensable. In the end, I pretty much referred to the plot synopsis every 5 minutes.
Make no mistake, the reasons above are also what probably makes the Godfather regarded as one of the greatest films of all time. It just surprises me how a film as subtle as the Godfather has received just as much attention as 'lighter' classics such as Star Wars, Pulp Fiction, Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, etc.
Ultimately, my verdict is that the Godfather is a great, iconic film from the 70s era, but my honest take is that the Godfather is perhaps a little over-hyped (not overrated, but over-hyped) to the extent that it gets more exposure than some of the other equally great films from the olden era. For that, the Godfather is a great film, but is not in my consideration for the greatest film of all time.