A masterpiece! A cinematic achievement not matched, nor bettered!

Rating: 10/10 (16 March 2013)

The year was 1972. Francis Ford Coppola was in the beginning of this career, and he was only in the process of proving himself as a director. Little did he know, that he was going to direct a movie which would go down as possibly THE most beloved and acclaimed film of all time. The movie was "The Godfather". It became the highest grossing film of the year 1972, and of all time (in 1972)! It won 3 Oscars: Best Actor (Marlon Brando), Best Adapted Screenplay (Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola) and Best Picture (Albert S. Ruddy). Unfortunately, Coppola did not take home the gold for directing, nor did Al Pacino, Robert Duvall or James Caan for their brilliant supporting roles! But Oscars really doesn't matter, the movie still stands as a piece of cinematic brilliance!
The Godfather tells a relatively simple tale: Michael Corleone (Pacino) is son of the powerful mafia don Vito Corleone (Brando). Michael recently returned from the WW2, and he wants nothing to do with the "family business". Vito doesn't want that either, but after a chain of events, Michael is forced to rise as the new family don, in order to protect his family and allies from downfall. The movie doesn't pretend to be something it isn't. It's a simple plot, it's one we can all understand and it's still en epic gangster movie! And that's the other thing about the film: it's very epic in scope! All the locations, all the props, all the actors, etc. It all comes together to create something magical!
Al Pacino keys in an amazing performance as Michael, the son who must protect his family! At first eye-drop one could call his performance "low-key". But it's merely an observation of the characters calmness, subtlety and his cold nature, that transforms into a calculating, ruthless and chilling persona. Apparently, Pacino approached the role with this thought. For my money, this was an Academy Award-worthy performance. Marlon Brando is equally impressing as Vito Corelone. His performance is calm, determined and calculated. But Brando doesn't only present Vito Corleone as a clichÃ© ruthless mafioso don, but also as a father that loves his family, and that the audience can admire and care for. Robert Duvall, James Caan, Talia Shire, John Gazale and Diane Keaton is also presented as capable and great characters! Everyone gets tons of character development, and their performances are spectacular!
Nino Rota's haunting score perfectly illustrates what kind of film we're dealing with here, and every time you hear it the score feels new and epic! This has got to be one of the most memorable film scores of all time! The cinematography is beautiful, the sound is fantastic and overall The Godfather is a truly beautiful film to admire!
Puzo and Coppola's screenplay is brilliant and filled with memorable lines: "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse", "Leave the gun, take the cannoli" and "It's not personal Sonny, it's strictly business". Francis Ford Coppola truly captures the feeling of a spaghetti gangster movie, and his direction is brilliant, tireless and visible in every scene! Twentieth Century Fox wanted to replace him several times during production, but thankfully they didn't! He was robbed an Oscar!
The Godfather is a movie that will never grow old, and we will be able to watch if for many years to come! It always feels fresh and exiting every time you watch it! From the first monologue by Bonasera, to the last shot of Michael Corleone as the new don, this movie leaves you shattered by the perfection. Saying The Godfather is a perfect movie, is like saying Chuck Norris is badass. See my point? A must-watch for everyone!
10/10