A True Classic.

Rating: 10/10 (15 September 1999)

We won't know until about twenty years from now whether the films we watch in the nineties are classics. Personally I think only three can justify such a title so far - Schindler's List, Shawshank Redemption and La Vita e Bella. Three movies without anything missing. Of all the movies in the seventies only two can fill the classic criteria and they share similar titles. Godfather 1 and 2.
People can argue about Jaws and Star Wars but those movies scripts were rubbish. They were all about spectacle. No movie could compare to the quality of the Godfather. In fact the Godfather blows its closest rival out of the water: its closest rival being its sequel.
The Godfather is unlike any movie I ever saw. It begins with a great scene as a man comes to Don Corleone (Marlon Brando) to ask for his help in hurting a guy that has raped his daughter. It is Brando's daughters wedding day and the man who has come to the Godfather never gave Corleone any help before. Brando refuses. It is a brilliant scene introducing us to the world of the Corleone's. We see how ruthless the Godfather can be but we also see his loyalty to his family. It is a scene that will be hard to match in cinema history but Coppola goes on to deliver even more spellbinding scenes. This is the beauty of the Godfather - every single scene is fabulous. No other film can compare to its class.
Some people argue that the Godfather part 2 is better. Not a chance. It's good but it can't compare to this movie.