# Talk:The Godfather

I am proposing a new introductory section which gives improved visibility the universal acclaim and historical importance of this film. The present treatment relegates this information to the fourth paragraph. Comments welcome.

The Godfather is a 1972 American epic gangster film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, who co-wrote the screenplay with Mario Puzo, based on Puzo's best-selling 1969 novel. The film stars an ensemble cast including Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Richard Castellano, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard Conte and Diane Keaton. It focuses on the transformation of his youngest son, Michael Corleone (Pacino), from reluctant family outsider to ruthless mafia boss.
The Godfather is regarded as one of the greatest and most influential films ever made, as well as a landmark of the gangster genre. It was selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry of the Library of Congress in 1990, being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and is ranked the second-greatest film in American cinema (behind Citizen Kane) by the American Film Institute. It was followed by sequels The Godfather Part II (1974) and The Godfather Part III (1990).
The Godfather was the highest-grossing film of 1972. It was for a time the highest-grossing film ever made, earning between $250 and $291 million at the box office. The film was acclaimed by critics and audiences, who praised its performances—particularly those of Brando and Pacino—direction, screenplay, story, cinematography, editing, score and portrayal of the mafia. The Godfather launched the successful careers of Coppola, Pacino and other relative newcomers in the cast and crew. At the 45th Academy Awards, the film won Best Picture, Best Actor (Brando) and Best Adapted Screenplay (for Puzo and Coppola). In addition, the seven other Oscar nominations included Pacino, Caan and Duvall, all for Best Supporting Actor, and Coppola for Best Director.
Johnadams11 (talk) 02:06, 10 January 2025 (UTC)

It seems you are proposing more than just a basic restructuring. For example the entire second paragraph appears to have been dropped. The lead should explain why the film is notable and summarize the core elements of the article. The production section is the largest component of the article but the production information is completely excised from the lead in the proposed re-write. It also deletes the premise of the film despite MOS:FILMLEAD stating that the general premise should be described. The lead is already on the brief side for such an important film, I don't think there is a case for trimming it. Betty Logan (talk) 04:21, 11 January 2025 (UTC)
@Betty Logan Glad to hear your reply. There is nothing that was in the second paragraph that is not included elsewhere in this article with the single exception of the quote from Pauline Kael.I see now that there is a sentence in the first paragraph that I don't think was there when I began this edit a few days ago. I had not intended, nor do I wish to lose that sentence. Please presume my recommendation retains it. I have edited the version I put here, above. I had intended to retain the first paragraph as it was.
Also, if you can, please point me to procedural guidelines that suggest I need consensus prior to making an edit. I'll understand if you wish to challenge my edit (which apparently you do), but your suggestion that I should have done something more than post my thoughts to Talk is not something I'm not familiar with. Thanks.
I reverted your edits because I don't think they are compliant with MOS:LEAD and MOS:FILMLEAD. The production background is the largest component of the article and it would be an oversight if the key production aspects were omitted per MOS:LEAD which states "The lead should stand on its own as a concise overview of the article's topic." I don't see how the lead could still function as a summary if this information is removed. Besides the Kael quote, I oppose making the lead any briefer than it already is.
@Betty Logan Thanks for the discussion. I want to reiterate that my primary ambition here is not about word economy. It is about improving the relative importance of the significance of the film from an artistic and cultural perspective. As it is, the reader needs to consume three paragraphs before learning that The Godfather is regarded as one of the greatest films in cinematic history. My goals are consistent with MOS:LEAD which states "the emphasis given to material in the lead should roughly reflect its importance to the topic, according to reliable, published sources."  Johnadams11 (talk) 16:40, 11 January 2025 (UTC)
Maybe it would be best to just concentrate on re-structuring the lead for now and focus on the streamlining afterwards, so the edits that are not contentious are not caught up with those that are. Betty Logan (talk) 20:14, 11 January 2025 (UTC)
@Betty Logan Thanks. What do you think of something like this?
The Godfather is a 1972 American epic gangster film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, who co-wrote the screenplay with Mario Puzo, based on Puzo's best-selling 1969 novel. The film is regarded as one of the greatest and most influential films ever made, as well as a landmark of the gangster genre. The Godfather stars an ensemble cast including Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Richard Castellano, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard Conte and Diane Keaton. It is the first installment in The Godfather trilogy, chronicling the Corleone family under patriarch Vito Corleone (Brando) and the transformation of his youngest son, Michael Corleone (Pacino), from reluctant family outsider to ruthless mafia boss. Johnadams11 (talk) 23:19, 11 January 2025 (UTC)
That seems fine to me. I think it reads well. Betty Logan (talk) 05:44, 13 January 2025 (UTC)

It's absent on the current site. Should it's removal from the page be considered? Themashup (talk) 13:47, 14 July 2025 (UTC)