A Classical Masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (18 August 2014)

The Godfather(1972): A review One of Hollywood's greatest critical and commercial successes, The Godfather is one of those rare movies that get everything right, transcending limitations and setting new benchmarks. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola from a screenplay structured by Mario Puzo, The Godfather is an American crime film starring Marlon Brando and Al Pacino as leaders of a fictional New York crime family of Italian descent. The story primarily is centered on Michael Corleone (played by Al Pacino) and his transformation from a family outsider to the apparent heir to the title that is The Godfather, initially held by Don Vito Corleone (played by Marlon Brando).
The beauty of the screenplay is not in its simplicity, but in subtlety. The Godfather, is that the story is played out entirely in a closed world. The audience is sucked into admiring the characters that are essentially evil. The movie portrays the Mafia, from the inside; its structure, its functioning, its virtues and imperfections included.
Now coming to the performances of the lead actors - Marlon Brando, Al Pacino.
Vito Corleone, as the Godfather, is the moral centre of the movie. He understands that liquor, gambling and even women are crimes that the world has a place for, but drugs is a strict NO. Marlon Brando, plays one of his more memorable characters in the suppressed, authoritative Sicilian.
Al Pacino, as Michael Corleone, is brilliant. As the story progresses forward, we see Michael move from a soldier in love and one who undermined his family business, to the loving son who sought to protect his family, and eventually turned into the one thing he never wanted to become.
In the end, an articulately brilliant movie that captivated the audience from the start and does not let them drift, due its brilliant screenplay and acting. No wonder then that it features as one of the best movies in cinematic history.