The film is the star

Rating: Null/10 (16 November 2011)

Often cited as the greatest film ever made, I can't 100% agree with that but along with it's immense sequel, it is certainly "one" of the greatest ever made. Like all celluloid masterpieces, it doesn't date. Sure some cinematic techniques alter, sound, lighting, colour and camera-work vary over the years, perhaps they're improved in general but these are transitional and often just fashionable points, not a reflection on the quality of a film.
The Godfather is a ground breaking film. Slow, complex and often with no attempt to educate the audience into the "whys" of what is happening, you're simply invited to draw your own conclusions into the right and wrongs of this world and the characters within it. But the story itself is pure genius. Vicious yet measured, vengeful yet honourable, people centred yet set in a world where self appointed royalty are all powerful. It's a ride, rarely if ever bettered.
Sometimes a star makes a film, other times a film makes the star (and actually that might be true for Al Pacino here) but in The Godfather we have a film that is the star itself. It's not really possible to pick out stand-out performances without citing them all. That is what makes it one of the very best of all time and a must see for anyone with the slightest interest in the history of Cinema.