A modern Shakespearean tragedy...

Rating: Null/10 (18 June 2002)

First of all, if you watch this movie and don't go ahead and watch The Godfather, Part II, you haven't seen the whole work. They are a single piece and are best experienced that way. (If you don't have the six hours to kill, at least view each movie on consecutive nights.)
Having said that, this is the story of Michael Corleone, a man whose need to protect his family at all costs ultimately destroys it. While Michael's father, Vito, often used violence as means to bring security and prosperity to his family, for him it was always "just business" -- nothing personal. Michael, on the other hand, proves unable to approach the dirty business of running a crime family with the same detachment. From the first murders he commits to the last, it's always personal with Michael. Because the violence is personalized, Michael is corrupted by it in ways his father never was.
I think it's about as close to Shakespearean tragedy as 20th century American culture ever came. Truly a compelling work of art.