The Godfather - The Coppola Restoration

As nearly everyone knows, this movie is about a mob family, and the movie is wonderfully crafted in every aspect. I found it gripping from start to finish. The focus is clearly on the men in the family, since the female characters are hardly developed. Superficially, one might be tempted to say that this is just a story about a particular group of criminals, but of course there's much more to it than that; indeed, this movie is an iconic classic for good reasons.

Rather than attempting to write a thorough review which winds up just echoing what countless others have already said a million times, let me first highlight what I personally find to be the most striking aspect of the movie, namely the moral contradiction of these people. On the one hand, they care for honor, they love their families, they respect traditions, they're nominally religious, they have a sense of responsibility as citizens, and they have a strong work ethic as businessmen (talk about high-stress jobs!). But on the other hand, they resort to crime, terrorism, violence, and murder to attain money and power, thus being quite willing to disregard social norms and laws as they deem necessary. I think many of us are fascinated by this juxtaposition because we all experience at least some degree of moral contradiction in our lives (after all, tough moral choices involving tradeoffs are routine), so a key contribution of these intense characters and circumstances is that they make explicit a tension we're all intuitively familiar with.

Another theme which jumped out at me is that the mob is able to coerce even very wealthy and powerful people through violence or the threat of violence. This is possible because they have an extensive and disciplined organizational structure which enables them to both circumvent law enforcement and apply force which no individual can resist (if you fight back against a mobster, you're fighting his entire mob family).

Overall, this isn't a movie one simply recommends. Rather, everyone needs to watch it at least once as part of their cultural education. Also, this movie has much in common with "The Sopranos" series, so be sure to watch that series if you like this movie (in my opinion, it may be the best dramatic TV series ever made).

Director Francis Ford Coppola and cinematographer Gordon Willis oversaw the stunning 2008 digital restoration of their celluloid masterpiece. Trumping all previous video releases, "The Godfather" (1972) never looked or sounded better - further augmented by Coppola's indispensable commentary track. This essential DVD stands on its own. However, if you want supplementary material, by all means purchase "The Coppola Restoration Giftset."

Marlon Brando is the Godfather and he takes care of family business. If you're respectful, he'll do you a favor. If not, well -- swim with the fishes.

Mario Puzo's novel comes to life with the five crime families sorting out their turf in 1946 gangsterland New York.

Behind the parties and the family togetherness there's an undercurrent of competitiveness that rears its head with the Solotso guys who want to make some narcotics sales and thus invite the Corleones for a piece of the action and thus help the family businesses.

Things go from bad to worse for the Corleone family. Their refusal to get into narcotics gets Brando's character (Vito) shot and near death. His boys go into action but at the risk of getting killed, decide to meet Bruno for the ultimate show-down. And hey, let's get rid of that cop that is on Solotso's payroll.

Great film: 1940's gangland is tough, with their Fedora hats and cool 40s Chevy's rolling around. I almost expected some tommyguns!

I was reminded in the re-watch about the horse's head in the bed. Don't cross the family!

Robert Duval is Tom, the family's lawyer, basically. He is the level-headed, logical one who wants to do business without blood. Mike (Al Pacino) the "war hero" wants back in on the family business and to protect his father. Sonny just wants to blow everyone away!

The film's complex story and interweaving plot make a plot summary difficult. You just have to see it. Intense drama with some comedic elements, it clearly deserved the Academy Awards from the 70s. Character-driven story at its best!

No, it does not glorify the Mafia and teach a generation that being a crime lord is a career choice! It's a story of family and corruption, risk and torment.

Nominated for 11 Academy Awards and winning for Best Picture, Best Actor (Marlon Brando), and Best Adapted Screenplay.

Great film!

Get the works!:

The Godfather DVD Collection (The Godfather/ The Godfather - Part II/ The Godfather - Part III)
The Godfather - The Coppola Restoration Giftset (The Godfather / The Godfather Part II / The Godfather Part III) [Blu-ray]

"Possibly the greatest movie ever made." - Stanley Kubrick on THE GODFATHER
What can I say? he is probably right. The Godfather succeeds at every level. No point describing what other thousand people have probably mentioned before. All I can say is if you haven't seen it, What are you waiting for? and if you seen it and don't appreciate it's greatness then, what the hell is wrong with you???

It arrived in time for Christmas! The DVD was wrapped well and the DVD itself was in good condition. The recipient states that it plays well.

I want to warn other fans of this film that this particular version is just the movie - those of you who are looking for any sort of special features or product enhancements should try another version of the film. If you want a good quality copy of the movie - okay, it's fine. If you are looking for any sort of value enhancement features - try the other versions and check the contents carefully.

The Godfather, while not one of my absolute favorite movies, is one of the most acclaimed movies for good reasons. With a suberb cast (though arguably you can't go wrong with De Niro and Pacino in the same movie), terrific film making, a vast scope, and storytelling, these are prime examples of greatness in this movie. There are plenty of crime movies that exist, but The Godfather still stands out amongst all of the crime flicks. For good reason too, as this movie is a masterful work in film making.

What makes this movie so great is it's insight. It's a slow moving movie for sure, but it's relaxed pace let's for all kinds of anticipation, real life feeing, and atmosphere soaking (at times). I also find great joy to see how things unfold, and, such as the assassination of Sollozo and Mclcusky and the untimely death of Don Corleone. Another great insight is the meeting that leads up to the assassination of the Don, the kidnapping of Tom, the murder of Bruno. This scene has nothing explicit, if you weren't paying attention, you would have no idea what it was about. However, if you pay attention, you could tell it was Sonny who let his guard down and ruined the whole empire in a sense (maybe his death was fate) This movie is a great character study, further cemented by the personality of the characters, and their ambitions, their motives, I could go on and on.

But it's also the story, full of plot that makes this transcend a simple character study (you listening, Dark Knight?). This story is rich, nuanced, and rewarding with repeated viewings. For example, watching Michael going from a "citizen" in the eyes of the mafia to a full fledged gangster is just beautiful. I could nitpick too many nuances and favorites in the storyline, but it would be much too tedious. Besides, you could probably get the whole plot written by me if I wanted to. Overall, its a great story and doesn't suffer from third person syndrome (unless your a gangster, but few of us are) one bit, thankful to memorable characters and a story that you will probably never experience. Thankfully, we have the movies, and we have this movie.

The story rules, but the visuals are just as good. The Godfather is a visually stunning movie, in my opinion. It's as lush and vibrant to look at as much as Francis Ford Copolla's visually stunner Dracula, but with less visual tricks of that movie. The interiors and exteriors are just beautiful, as it's perfectly placed in the times. I sometimes love looking at the interiors, from the chairs to the lamps to the decorations. Many sequences are visually stunning as well, such as the wedding scene at the beginning, that, while lasting almost a half hour, never gets boring because it changes and keeps your attention throughout. The music is great too. You have to the love the real severed head of a horse, it just makes the scene more horrific and the showing of the don's power.

This is a movie that has so many nuances and other things throughout, that I could do a whole commentary on it and not have to resort to filler as some commentaries do (Letter to commentary people: I do not care about how you met your producer). People often compare this movie to Goodfellas, and while that movie is also a masterpiece as much as this, I think The Godfather series and Goodfellas are different enough. Either way, The Godfather series is one of the ultimate in crime drama, and really, a movie to see if you want to boost your knowledge on film making and acting. Or, it's just an insightful entertaining movie with a great story that anybody who appreciates good movies can enjoy. Either way, The Godfather is a masterful work.

B+

I am one of the few middle-aged males in the USA who had not seen this film until now. I watched to find out why people think it's one of the greatest films ever. Even Kubrick, whose films I love, thought so. I expected to be offended by a celebration of mafia violence and the underworld, but I was wrong. It was serious, boring, and utterly pretentious.

Yes, the actors are good, but who can take this story seriously? One commenter discusses the great drama of Michael Corleone's transformation from the 'good son' to the head of the family. From where I sat, it seemed to happen instantaneously and without conflict. Also puzzling was why his New England girlfriend, Kay, is so faithful to him through his desertion, despite being troubled by his activities. Just WHO is she?? Then there's the Irish Tom Higgins - we are supposed to just accept that a non-Sicilian, non-ITALIAN is the chief advisor to a Don who puts family and community above all. How multi-cultural! Of course, we don't get a clue about what his odd position might mean to Tom. He's a one-dimensional character like Kay.

I found the idyll during Michael's exile in Sicily laughable. (Was the mistaken car-bombing of his wife a allusion to The Big Heat, in which Marlon Brando's sister plays a character who meets the same fate?) Apparently the pull of blood and soil is too much for a Corleone to resist.

I gave this three stars because if you like watching incredible melodramas with some well crafted rub out scenes, this if for you. That is, if you entranced by the Mob, and can't get enough of it, this film will entertain as promised. It's not incompetent or truly bad, but just vastly overrated by a public that for some reason gets a vicarious thrill out of watching savages live outside the rules (how tiresome) of society.

I must admit I was a little scared to write this review because no matter what I write, no words can do this film justice. So, where to start? I believe in this film. Let's be clear, this in not a gangster movie. The Godfather is about family ('a man who doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man'), it's about post-war America, and it's about a war hero, a good man's descent into darkness and solitary. Yet, it's so much more. The screenplay is amazing and the entire film is a huge quotable. An epic poem, a three hour masterpiece.
From the iconic opening scene to the scenes in Sicily to the gruesome murders, the audience is always in awe. Coppola put it perfectly when he said that it was the best home movie ever made. You feel like you are a Corleone. No matter what they do you feel they are justified and you agree with what they do. They are never the bad guys. Even Brando as The Godfather is always likeable. This man has killed so many and still you feel for this man. That's great writing.
The title of this film is The Godfather yet the movie is about the rise and the loss of innocence of Michael Corleone. Pacino shines and is always chilling. He's always thinking. He has distanced himself from his family yet when his father is targeted he's drawn into the center of the drama. The key scene of his transformation is always chilling. He stands outside of the hospital with Enzo the baker and is attempting to prevent his father from being assassinated. He succeeds and as Enzo attempts to light a cigarette, he cannot because his hand is shaking so much. Michael reaches over and lights it for him, he stares at his hand and sees that it is steady as a rock. The transformation was complete. Following his return from Italy, a conversation takes place between him and his father. We feel right at home. Vito tells his son that there wasn't enough time and that Michael was supposed to be more: A Senator or a Governor, the one pulling the strings. As Michael becomes Don and head of the family, we are almost disappointed for Michael yet we support him one hundred percent.
The acting is amazing and it always feels natural. I could literally talk about this film for days. In any time period, any country, this film is relevant. It is life changing and it is amazing. The film starts with the iconic words, "I believe in America." Well, this film represents everything America is about and I truly mean it when I say that I believe in this film.

When's an editor when you need one? This movie is so long that I played it on my TV, drove across the state, and when I came back, it was still playing. Since when is a movie this long? Movies are supposed to be 1:30-2:00 hours long. Plus this movie is as boring as a trip to the doctor's. No good violence, no hot sex scenes, and furthermore, it stereotypes Italians. The only decent movie in this series is The Godfather III.

For a good crime movie, get Gigli instead.

This has to be one of the greatest films ever made , great acting , great writing and directing , a true american masterpiece.

Oh, so that's what they meant about swimming with the fishies. This movie is so embedded in our culture that you find references and allusions to it every where. It's a must see, or go through life not knowing what going to the mattresses mean or the importance of "keep your friends close and your enemies closer," Marlon Brando's talent, Coppola's, Al Paccino, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, James Caan, etc.

Also, I liked the DVD, looked clear and finely remastered to me. But sure, if they can do better, why not :)

The epic saga of a Mafia family, focusing on the youngest son, Michael (Al Pacino), an honest war hero who is progressively drawn into the family business.

The mark of a great movie is that, even if you have no interest in the subject matter, the film is so well made that you are forced to like it, or at the very least appreciate it. "The Godfather" is one of those movies. In general, I do not like Mafia movies, and as a result, I felt certain that I would hate this movie, and yet, within the first 15 minutes of starting this film, I found myself drawn into the saga of the Corleone family.

It is virtually impossible to find fault with "The Godfather". Everything about it is perfect, from the script, to the acting, to the directing. Some negative reviewers have called this film boring, and I will admit that this film is slow moving, but slow moving does not translate into boredom. The pacing of this film is perfect for what it is and it allows the viewer to become fully acquainted with each and every member of the Corleone clan. The only factor that I would say could possibly prevent someone from watching and enjoying this film is the violence. Back in 1972, "The Godfather" was considered to be extremely violent, and even by 21st century standards, the violence is still intense and likely to distress some viewers.

The only bad thing I can think of about "The Godfather" is the unfortunate timing of its release. "The Godfather" was released in the same year as "Cabaret", another great film, resulting in the Academy Awards for that year being split between the two films ("The Godfather" got Best Picture and Best Actor, while "Cabaret" got Best Director, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor). Both of these films are so good that they deserve all of the above mentioned Oscars (well, with the possible exception of Best Actress, since there was no lead actress in "The Godfather"), and I just wish that they could have been released in separate years so that they could have achieved just that.

Countless critics believe that Citizen Kane is the greatest film of all time. While I do admire Orson Welles, I don't necessarily count Citizen Kane as my top favorite classic. Not even Lawrence of Arabia or Schindler's List or It's a Wonderful Life (despite being spectacular masterpieces in their own right) are at the top of my own list. So which film IS at the top? Well, take a look at the DVD cover on this Amazon page, and it should be very obvious . . .

This is Francis Ford Coppola's greatest work of art, and without a doubt one of the finest motion pictures to ever be released. It may be overrated by some, but to me, this is the one that will last a lifetime. I won't go into full detail of the plot, but I will tell you that the concept of mobsters being psychologically complex is particulary stunning (not only because it was highly unusual at the time, but because it makes everything in the film so unique). Scarface and Goodfellas had it good also, but this is the original that you "can't refuse".

However, those who have not yet seen this film and are expecting some typical Hollywood action and adventure will be highly disappointed. This is a drama film, but a brilliant drama film. The tension between characters, the atmosphere in every interior settings, the dialogue, the music, and the heavily brutal violence are almost perfect from beginning to end. The acting in this film is also extraordinary. Brando, Pacino, Duvall, Caan, Keaton, Vigoda, Lettieri, and Castellano give flawless performances. They're believable in their roles, and they never overact.

It's almost hard to believe that this was filmed with a low budget, but Coppola and his crew were able to pull it all off. Alongside The Godfather Part II, these extraordinarily iconic films will never accept extinction, and we fans will make sure that it never does.

Grade: A+