The Godfather 1972

Rating: Null/10 (24 September 2014)

The Godfather is a Crime/Drama movie that was released on March 24, 1971. The movie was directed by Francis Ford Coppola, and written by Mario Puzo and Franics Ford Coppola. This movie won several awards which include: Academy Awards, USA 1971; Golden Globes, USA 1973; BAFTA Awards 1973; David di Donatello 1973; Directors Guild of America, USA 1973, and many others. Main actors in this movie are Marlon Brando as Don Vito Corleone, Al Pacino as Michael Corleone, James Caan as Sonny Corleone, and Robert Duvall as Tom Hagen.
The movie takes place within the world of organized crime. This movie shows an inside point of view of the mafia world. Mr. Vito Corleone (main character) is a powerful man who is viewed as a man who is sympathetic, successful, and a loving family man. Mr. Corleone takes good care of his friends and family and in no way (through the whole movie) would do anything that reasonable people would disapprove of. Mr. Corleone takes revenge, executes, or teaches lessons to the ones who betray him in any way. This movie is not a typical crime/drama movie as it doesn't show victimization to anyone not involved in organized crime. Typical crime/drama movies do show victims such as women enslaved into prostitution, families torn apart by a family member who is addicted to gambling, drugs, or alcohol, and sometimes just innocent bystanders.
The editing in this movie was very appropriate as the scenes transitioned smoothly throughout the entire movie. From beginning to end, the sequence of every scene was put nicely in place and made perfect sense for the viewer to understand where the story was going and why. Every single sound effect used was played well within each scene, making the scene effective in making it seem real to the viewer. When there are outdoor scenes the viewer can hear the wind, birds, traffic, and other outdoor noises. When the scenes take place indoors, the viewer can hear the footsteps, door shutting or opening, and other indoor noises, which are appropriate for the scene. When watching the movie, the viewer can see and feel the strong family ties, the loyalty within a social circle, and the betrayal. The movie makes it seem as if it is okay to get rid of those who do you wrong, it is okay to tell white lies, it is okay to do something that is wrong to protect your loved one.
The cinematography of this movie was smooth with all scenes because they did close-up scenes whenever necessary, and in every single scene the viewer can follow the story to the next scene without wondering what is going on or why. There are some bloody and violent scenes; however, that is typical of crime/drama movies. Culture plays a big part in this movie, as there are parts where people are speaking Italian and are doing traditional cultural things such as in the wedding scenes when people are dancing and singing at Connie's wedding. There are also the scenes when Mike is in Italy, and he has to talk formally to the girl's father for permission to date her, the traditional visits to the girl's home and family and the traditional Italian wedding.
The movie is trying to influence the viewer to believe that there are good people who have good morals and family values in the mafia world, and that it is okay to do something that is wrong or breaks the law in order to keep your family or friends safe or away from harm's way. I am not a big fan of mafia movies, and my opinion will not change about organized crime. I do know they have families, and they love them, but that does not make it okay to break the law in any way. The Godfather is a good movie to watch just for the fun of it, for good entertainment, or just because you like watching good movies to kill time, no pun intended.