A work of art.

Rating: 10/10 (28 October 2003)

Undeniably one of the finest American motion pictures ever made, The Godfather is a magnificent film beginning what would be one of the finest trilogies and stories to grace the big screen. The Godfather is a pitch perfect film with many factors that mark it out as not only the best film of the 70's but as one of the finest films ever made. The performances from all are superb, not one actor is out of place and they are given some of the finest dialog to work with. Brando is majestic as Vito and while his performance in this film may be the most famous as well as iconic it is Al Pacino who is undeniably the star. While his films nowadays usually consist of his chewing scenery with a blustering personality and dialog which he shouts, as Michael Corleone, the war hero of a son who is dragged into the family business when there is a hit attempt on his father, he is fantastic, his performance here one of the undisputed best of what is a golden era in Hollywood film making. The journey that the character goes on, from war hero with a loving girlfriend to the head of the 'family' is masterful. It is hard to believe that this was the actor who would go on to be so excessive in Scarface and The Devil's Advocate.
Both Brando and Pacino are fantastically supported by a fine supporting cast. Robert Duvall, James Cann, John Cazale and Diane Keaton all put in superb work. The film contains some of the finest acting, writing and directing for a Hollywood film and many a moment that you cannot forget. The Horse's Head scene is one of the most disturbing yet brilliantly executed scenes that you will ever witness, the screenplay by Mario Puzo and Coppola is sublime and tells a wonderful story, while Coppola's direction is his best. Finally, Nina Rota's music is without doubt one of the best music scores ever composed for a film. Going from waltz to terrifying orchestra in a matter of minutes, it is a music score that will stay with you forever.
To sum up, The Godfather is sensational. A fine film from a fine filmmaker.