What Makes "The Godfather" Great.

Not just a film that changed everything, but THE film that changed everything. The Godfather was the Star Wars of the Gangster genre before there was even Star Wars. Before I start I cannot stress enough that words from me are not nearly enough for you to see how great this movie is, I know that is probably true for most films I talk about, but it's especially true in regards to this as my words cannot hold a candle to watching it and experiencing it for yourself, because as soon as you hear that hypnotic score as the opening titles come up, it's puts you under one hell of a spell.

In post World War 2 in New York, the film chronicles the Corleone crime Family lead by Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando), and the slow spiral of the Vito's youngest son Micheal (Al Pacino) from a good man who wants nothing to do with his family business, to slowly being forced to take part, and eventually becoming the head of the Corleone Family.

While The Godfather is a gangster film with various acts of shoot outs and violence, it is at its core about family and the struggle they endure in this world. This was a unique approach to the genre at the time as we never saw mobsters portrayed in such a human and relatable way. The nature of good and evil is much more subjective then most people think, and this movie is a perfect example of showing that good and evil are not so cut and dry. The opening wedding scene is a perfect example how this two worlds of family and crime are intertwined, as the celebration of a wedding is happening at the same time as Vito is taking requests from wedding guests where he is sometimes asked to do murder. We can tell right away from these scenes that Vito while a crime boss is a family man first, with rules and values that make him a respectable character despite his profession. We can see this when he shows great disdain to those who ask him to perform acts of violence. He also refuses to take a family portrait at the wedding without his youngest son Micheal who hasn't arrived yet. Director Francis Ford Coppola shows this duality of family and crime masterfully. A couple of scenes that orchestrate this perfectly is during the montage of newspaper headings of mob violence intercut with the calming piano music with the family doing non-mafia things like simply gathering around the table and preparing and eating dinner, and near the end where Micheal attends the baptism of his nephew and is sworn in as the boy's Godfather is intercut with his Hitmen carrying out the murder of the rival families of New York during the famous "Baptism Murders".

Marlon Brando shines in his Oscar-winning role as he balances the roles of intelligent Mob Boss and caring father. My favorite scenes with Brando are the ones where we see his human side, such as when Tom Hagan (Robert Duvall) tells him of his oldest son Sonny's (James Caan) death at the hands of their rivals, he proceeds to tell Tom to arrange a meeting with the families to end this gang war while at the same time trying not to break down in tears at the loss of his elder son in order to be strong for Tom. Another important aspect of his character is his relationship with Micheal, he sees him as brightest among his three sons and wants him to stay as far away from his world as possible, hoping he will make something better with his life.

I also view this film as a sort of passing of the torch, in this case, between the legend Marlon Brando and the upcoming Al Pacino. While overshadowed by Brando's legendary performance, Pacino certainly holds his own as the film's primary antagonist. His development and transition from a straight arrow to the new boss of the Corleone empire is the most powerful aspect of the film. He is an amazing example of the Tragic Hero as he starts the film as a good man and WW2 hero, but as the family begins to feel pressure from rival factions, Micheal is forced to become more and more involved, and this his when he transforms into a cold and calculating mob boss even more ruthless than his father ( a transition that continues in Part 2).

This movie also has some of the best scenes and iconic lines in cinema history, making it one of the most quotable films of all time. Many of these lines are hard not to bring up when discussing the film or even the mafia. My favorite line would have to be where Sonny accuses Micheal of taking this to personal, to which Micheal coldly responds with "it's not personal Sonny, It's strictly business", a line that perfectly cements Micheal's first step into the mob. My favorite scene follows soon after this where Micheal goes to the restaurant to murder Sollozzo and corrupt officer, McCuskey. After he retrieves the planted gun from the bathroom the scene becomes an intense game of waiting as we know what he is going to do. As film pans closely on Micheal's anxious face and the sound of the subway roaring passed the restaurant, It's a perfect example of how the intensity of waiting for the thing you know is going to happen can be just as effective as the intensity of not knowing what is going to happen.

The Godfather had earned its place and then some in as one of the greatest achievements in the history of cinema. Simply put, it's an offer we can't refuse.