Who's the real godfather in this film?

Rating: 9/10 (17 May 2004)

Well what is there to say about this movie? Is it still the top movie on this site, or is it not? Personally, it is not one of the reviewer's all time favorites, but it is still a very good movie. One significant detail of this movie, is counter culture. The movie is filled with it.
As the movie starts Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando), who is known as the Godfather, is in his office. It is his daughters wedding day, and according to Sicilian tradition, he cannot refuse any requests that are made to him that day. The room is filled with people wanting something. The whole family is there for the occasion. Michael (Al Pacino), the God father's youngest son , is back home from the war. He brings his new girl friend, (Diane Keaton) with him. Michael's brothers, Sonny (James Caan) and Fredo (John Cazale), are there too.
Family loyalty is an important message that is stressed in this movie. The Don, Vito Corleone heads the family . He is against dealing in drugs. According to him, society is not alarmed by liquor, gambling or prostitution, but he feels it is wrong to deal drugs. He refers to it as a dirty business. What appears to be a moral decision on the Don's part is really counter culture because his decision not to support dealing in drugs has nothing to do with the legality of it but because he feels society would not accept it.
A lot of emphasis is put on trusting a man's word, yet the central character do not always trust each other. Woman are not highly regarded by the family. The Don's wife is only shown in a few scenes. Sonny ignores his wife. and the Don's daughter Connie's husband is not allowed into the family business. Instead, he given a job so he can earn a living. The counter culture in this movie, represents the killings of innocent, and not so innocent people between families. Throughout most of the movie, the Corleone family is in somewhat of a battle between another Italian family. Because of this, Don Corleone who is the Godfather of many, (Marlon Brando) is shot by one of the other families. This heats up the subject for the Corleone family, because it puts two of his sons Michael (Al Pacino) and Santino `Sonny' (James Caan) in between a rock and a hard place. That is just one of the examples of counter culture in this movie. Here is another example. Sunny finds out two different times that his sister's husband is beating her. Outraged by all this happening, Sunny takes off to go find his brother in law. The first time, he finds him, he is successful in beating the wind out of him, however the second time he gets gunned down by his in-laws. Right about then, Don, is called to make a peace treaty with the other family, to stop all this violence between the families. But are all the violent scenes in the movie over with? Unfortunately not. There are so many more examples of counter culture than the ones listed in this review. In order to see all the examples of counter culture, you would have to view the movie a couple times to understand what is going on in it.
Over all, it was a very good movie in my opinion. I was Glued to the edge of my seat the whole time, just waiting to see what happens next. The reviewer gives The Godfather a five gold star rating.