Definitely one of the finest movies ever made

Rating: 10/10 (1 June 2005)

Francis Ford Coppola has done some brilliant work, but he has never been better than in The Godfather and the sequel. This is a complex story set in New York City in the era just after World War II. It involves the Corleone Family, an Italian-American family that has thrived in the U.S. as the father of the clan (Vito Corleone/Marlon Brando) turned to organized crime to gain his slice of the American Pie. I won't get into the plot too much for fear of invoking the "spoiler" rule, but the essential plot revolves around a dispute between the Corleone Family and one of the other crime families over Corleone's unwillingness to engage in the illegal drug trade.
Although the movie is strictly Hollywood fantasy in its treatment of the American Mafia (it is NOT this glamorous), the Godfather does play on some real life plot twists in the history of the mafia. For example, Carlo Gambino, the head of the most powerful of New York's Five Families for decades, did in fact have a strong moral and practical opposition to the drug trade which led to his famous edict of "deal and die" for those under his command.
The plot is a modern version of a Shakespaerean or Greek tragedy as the family patriarch(s) rationalize their actions in the name of protecting the family. It's a classic plot line that has been around for centuries, but it has never been better than in the Godfather. The direction is fantastic and the acting is unreal. Brando as the father is flawless, and Al Pacino and James Caan are brilliant as the sons. Also, the supporting cast is also first rate. Look for great supporting roles from Robert Duvall, Richard Conte, Sterling Hayden and a host of other talented actors.
Anyone who doesn't love this movie is either lying or just trying to cause trouble. 10 out 10 for sure.