Alright! Today I'm reviewing The Godfather, the 1972 film directed by Francis Ford Coppola often regarded as the greatest film ever made, topping several critics' polls and captivating pop culture for the better part of half a century. The Godfather sees the Italian crime family Corleone's leadership pass from the Godfather Vito (Marlon Brando) to his son Michael (Al Pacino) during a tumultuous time period from 1945 to 1955.
My favorite part about The Godfather was undoubtedly the first thirty minutes. The wedding that starts the movie is undoubtedly one of cinema's best openings, and for that half hour, everything is perfect. The shadows, the dialogue, the introductions - all are instantly iconic. I had always known that The Godfather was a pop culture icon, but until now I had never realized just how influential it was. On a surface level, it renovated the gangster genre, but on a deeper level? Zootopia, The Simpsons, The Long Halloween, they don't pay homage to it - they directly, word for word, shadowy introduction to shadowy introduction, directly lifted from The Godfather.
The setting of the wedding - a cheerful and innocuous introduction to the hardened folks in the world of organized crime - captures such an indescribable feeling of family and joy. My oft-called je ne sais quoi "vibe," the "livable world" you can see yourself living in, is knocked out of the park in a time span unparalleled by any other film or show I've seen, as it typically takes several seasons or a gut-punch end credit song to leave that impact. Unfortunately, The Godfather can't keep that feeling for the entire movie. Still, for thirty minutes you get all of the iconic bits, lines, and acting, in addition to a beautiful capture of Italian culture. If you want to stop it after the horse head, you're not missing much and saving yourself two and a half hours.
The rest of the movie - and y'all, it's three hours long - is very slow-paced. However, it's never a boring slow pace, always very engaging - but it is slow-paced. You need a considerable amount of time to watch the movie and get into the right mindset to see the sad and nihilistic story unfolding. It's probably one of the best-paced movies I've seen, especially with how high the interest was throughout the superfluous run time, but again. Three hours is a long time for any movie, especially when most scenes are shadows whispering to each other.
Luckily these dialogue-heavy scenes are captivating to watch to the movie being expertly framed and lit. Not even Batman could pull off the way these people emerge from the shadows, the contours of the face that the shadows emulate and make sinister. It's a beautiful-looking film regardless of the location, be it hospital rooms, baptisms, or post-war Italy. The cinematography is gorgeous and dripping with each frame, always accompanied by a warm and welcoming score, easily one of cinema's best and most iconic.
However, the general plot of the movie - Michael Corleone's descent from esteemed veteran to Mafia crime boss - was never as compelling or tragic as I would have liked. The character was likable enough and the movie was wonderfully well made, but I never got the sense that this was a story of tragedy, as his slow descent seemed inevitable once he was introduced as the single unblemished soul in the crime family. There were also some wild tonal shifts going from the peaceful Italy vistas to an abusive marriage scene with screaming and shouting and shattered glass. However, I absolutely loved that the movie was more or less language-free with violence that was always treated with horror instead of indulgence, showing serious restraint from those making it.
At the end of the day, I liked The Godfather. While I wouldn't say it's the greatest film ever made, I certainly see the value of its influence on the general cinematic landscape and its even greater influence on the gangster genre and its various satires. Barring the perfect first thirty minutes, the movie was a shocking but predictable slow-burn that Marlon Brando whisper-mumbles through until he keels over in his garden.
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| As someone who has been to an Italian wedding, I can confirm this is what they look like. |
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