A Must-See For All Generations

Rating: 10/10 (18 March 2015)

"The Godfather" has been a title so beloved and entirely embraced as a significant, cultural phenomenon, that in a certain level demands of you to watch it with full recommendations off of it. Especially if you're young, there is absolutely no way that the buzz of the "greatest movie in history" did not get you. So, even though that buzz doesn't necessarily ruin the viewing for you all-together, I will accept that while I was watching, I was unintentionally trying to like it and feel it.
The beginning of the film sets the mood perfectly. There are no attachments to settled humor or dry dialogue. It warns us that this is going to be a serious take, on some pretty serious issues. Don Corleone's first lines are self-aware and carefully put. This dominating appearance shows us a man trusted, beloved and respected and at the same time feared, depressed and deserted. And that goes for both his family and outsiders. He is a mafia man, one of the greatest, and his life is surrounded by his business partners, by his associates and comrades in this dark lifestyle. And throughout the entire movie, he is presented to have balanced the time between family and business, yet that seems like one impossible task.
Micheal Corleone, son of the Godfather, is introduced like a man with a very different approach and very different opinions on the case of life and choices than the rest of his family and especially his father. That happens for two reasons: early on his life he decided not to be like him (even though he seems to be the one attached by the Godfather as the favorite) and he has chosen a decent life for him and Kay, the love of his life.
Then, everything goes down the drain: someone attempts to kill the Godfather.
It is at that point when the son Micheal starts his decay... No promises, no commitments, no wrongs... Someone tried to kill his loving father. He stares at every single person in his family just standing by, so in his rage, decides to do the unthinkable. Using his status as the most innocent of the Corleone family, he exacts revenge.
When he succeeds, he exiles himself out of the country until things can settle down. He attempts to start a new life away from the madness with Apollonia, a beautiful woman he meets and falls in love with (although never convincing even himself that he has forgotten Kay). He comes to know the hard way that he can't run away from what he has done and what his family stands for. Someone tries to kill him even so far from his home but gets to Apollonia. So upon his return, he accepts the position of the new "Godfather" and immediately seems to be a changed man.
Micheal retrieves Kay, makes unconditional promises and ends up being the very person he was trying to avoid.
There are several things in this film that make it astounding. Relationships within the family are displayed in such a truthful way. Francis Ford Coppola offers us a chance to connect with many different characters and their several views. The main plot is driven excellently, with Don Corleone and Micheal taking the grandeur, but in the meanwhile we get to know the deep motions and powers of every person slightly connected to this world. What we get is a fiery and passionate film exploring deep meanings and strong notions.
Marlon Brando won the Academy Award for what was an unbelievably great performance. After this film, I totally get his worldwide fame as one of the greatest actors of all time. Al Pacino shines with charisma (which he perfected on the second part) in the greatest role of his career. And besides these two super-actors, is there anyone from the cast that I can talk badly for? All great.
I guess the only issue with this movie is it's running-time and most importantly the somewhat complicated way things glue together. I understand that Mario Puzo had a difficult task of bringing the book on- screen, but it's the way we are drawn to these characters that makes me confused about who is who. And that is the reason I suggest we stick to the father-son relationship and not worry about certain aspects and scenes we don't understand or just keep asking "who is that guy talking"?
This is the "Godfather" that everyone is talking about for decades, and if you don't like what you hear in the very first scene in that dark room, I warn you... turn of the picture and don't watch anymore. Come back a few years later when you could probably handle it.
On the other hand, you must ask yourself: can you feel the zest for respect and loyalty when Don Corleone whispers his lines? Don't you yearn for the moral and innocent Micheal as the movie goes? Can you sympathize with Kay when the door closes at the end? Then "The Godfather" got you where it should have.