A true masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (18 September 2019)

The Godfather is a true classic. What differs this movie from others is the realism and that's very believable. The movie follows the Corleone family, a good old Italian-American mafia family. The year is 1946 and the drug-market is just opening. When the Corleones refuse to take any part in this business some of the ones counting on this go crazy.
The movie is based on the book by Mario Puzo. It's a well written movie. The story is not a simple one and there are quite a few characters. That might make the story confusing but the characters are great. We have a kind of anti-hero (Michael), the boss (Don Vito), the trigger happy (Sonny), the bystander (Hagen) and more. That gives plenty of opportunities for conflicts between them.
The actors are excellent. They use Italian-Americans and that makes it all more believable. Marlon Brando does a remarkable job and will forever be remembered as Don Corleone. The other actors also deliver a very good performance.
The cinematography is classic. There are nothing really special about it, but it's all over good. The composition is wonderful and the lightning is nice. They've captured the mood very well. It's not happy, it's not dark, it's something in between. There are no shots that stand out in a bad way, so you don't really pay attention to it. You just focus on the story.
The sets, decoration and costumes are incredible. It's very realistic. It's 40's all the way, yet you don't really think about it. You never stop to think that "this is the 40's". It all just comes natural. It really helps you get caught up in the movie.
I also like the lack of music. In the action scenes there is no music. This makes it more tense, personal and human.
There are some special effects in this movie. Some blood, fights, shots and explosions, but not that much. It is rather good. I'm glad they didn't make a big deal out of it.
The Godfather is a classic, must-see movie for everyone. It has a special place in movie history. It is almost a legend. If you like movies, this is not a movie to miss. It's a little long, but don't let that scare you. My tip is to watch this movie when you're up to it. If you watch at the wrong time it will destroy your impression of it, but when you get the chance, watch it!