An epic family ballad

Rating: 9/10 (30 April 2019)

Whereas some films disregard immediate reality and seek to convey a certain message in its sub text, The Godfather is the kind of motion picture that seeks to bring forth reality exactly how it was, and does this by creating a kind of family bonding that is as near perfectly structured as it can be.
Of course, The Godfather still utilizes cinematic moments, and has one of the greatest character arcs in cinema ( Michael's ). The film starts with a wedding sequence of half an hour, all in which we are introduced into the world of the characters, and their respective business. We see Don Vito Corleone ( Marlon Brando ) calmly doubting the sincerity of an undertaker's request, we see Santino Corleone ( James Caan ) breaking a camera of a journalist, we see Michael Corleone ( Al Pacino ) being the one soul that seems to be absent from most of the family at that part, telling us the story of the characters and personalities wonderfully. Due to this extended opening sequence, we also get a feel for the brotherhood and warmth that the mob can also possess. It is, of course, a sad cover for what is to come afterwards, as The Godfather is also somewhat of a study on the self destructive nature of man, as nearly every character in the end pays for price for immorality.
The Godfather is one of the best acted films of all-time. Most of this is of course because of Marlon Brando, who is deliberately made up like a 'bulldog' to fit his personality. The mannerisms & voice are somehow exactly what one would think when thinking of the founder of a gigantic mob empire. There is not really a weak spot in the acting throughout the entire picture, but other standouts are James Caan & Robert Duvall. Of course Al Pacino also set himself on the map with this performance as the good hearted war hero transforms into the stoic and calculated don of the family. As stated before, the film is near perfectly structured, with events always coinciding with character ( Take the final scene of Michael in Italy for example, with his wife getting killed in the car bomb. This scene is only there to further disconnect Michael emotionally between his work and his life, further sending him down the dark path to becoming the Don ), being the result of one of the greatest screenplays of all-time.
The Godfather features cinematography befitting its subject, as a lot of shots are very scarcely lit. In particular the scenes indoors where the mob business is being discussed, the darkness makes sure that only the faces and the white parts of the outfit are shown, as they are mostly wearing black during these scenes. This was to emphasize how 'shady' the dealings of the mob were, and this darkness enhances this feeling in the audience.
The original score by Nino Rota is also one worthy of mention, as it perfectly encapsulates what this movie is about; friendship, family, beauty & tragedy. Being an Italian composer who has previously composed other (Italian) masterpieces such as The Leopard (1963) & Rocco and his Brothers (1960), he also manages to give the Godfather this italian atmosphere, further enhancing the immersion into the roots of this family.
In the end, The Godfather is mainly about Michael's slow ascent to the top of the ladder in the family. He doesn't want to have anything to do with the business of the family at first, but he feels compelled to act when assassins try to assassinate his father, feeling that he is the only one who can get close enough to his enemies to eliminate them, and after he has done so, the events he witnesses in italy cause him to develop an even more emotionally disconnected personality that makes him feel compelled to take his family's throne. By the end, there is a sequence which contrasts the baptism of Michael's new nephew with the simultaneous murder of all of his competition ( Other mob bosses ), in a stunning sequence of moral duality. While Bach's satanic score plays, and enhances in sound significantly when Michael is asked if he renounces Satan. One of the masterful scenes in a masterful film, it perfectly shows us his final personal descent into immorality & emotional disconnection.
The Godfather is an epic family ballad of themes and tragedies, while also being exceptionally well made. It features some of the best acting & writing of all-time, superbly darkly lit sets to enhance atmosphere and a fantastic original score while being near perfectly structured. All of which cements this as one of the world's greats of mob & rise to power movies.