A vastly over rated movie

Rating: 1/10 (4 October 2006)

Childish romantic view of common criminals; in no way equal to "Goodfella's" which really captures the truth about the underworld. The director must have been fantasizing about some imaginary Sicilian aristocracy (drinking too much vino), or simply mining a vein he knew would be commercially successful. There are excellent performances by Brando, Pacino and Caan among others, but the operatic excesses of the film make a mockery of reality. The individual performances are wasted. Not unlike "Apocalypse Now", "The Godfather" is an arrogant film with little genuine substance, and undermines an accurate understanding of the subject matter. It substitutes a yarn for a true story and, while it is entertaining, it contributes to the deterioration of our culture. Like the "Gladiator" it grabs your attention, then tells you lies.
"The Godfather" is the cinematic equivalent of Baroque architecture, excessive, gaudy and not worth the work to create.