7 of 10
Cinematography by Gordon Willis
Marlon Brando
Al Pacino
James Caan
Richard Castellano
Robert Duvall
Diane Keaton
"Fredo, you're my older brother, and I love you. But don't ever take sides with anyone against the family again. Ever."
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| The Godfather, Part 1 7 of 10 |
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| Directed by Francis Ford Coppola Cinematography by Gordon Willis Marlon Brando Al Pacino James Caan Richard Castellano Robert Duvall Diane Keaton |
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| Coppola's epic Italian saga is widely regarded as the greatest film ever made. And although I do not agree with this assessment, I can definitely see what makes people say that. It is brilliant, brilliant film making. The opening scene of the movie, which slowly introduces the viewer to the entire Corleone family, was one of the best I have ever seen. The pacing is perfect, the visuals are wonderful, and the acting is superb. Caan and Pacino are all excellent as the younger members of the clan. And Brando is very impressive. His performance as Don Vito Corleone is excellent, possibly because he is understated for the first time in his life. Duvall stands out, though, even amongst this group. Finally, there were too major flaws in the movie that prevented me from appreciating it as much as others have done. The first is that it is too long. (To be fair to Coppola, I have only watched the first film; many people say that it is almost impossible to separate the two first films. So I may be forming an opinion on what is effectively half a movie.) But there are scenes that really don't seem to add very much to the story: the entire Italy section is an excellent example of this. So, I started to wonder when the movie would end, which is always a bad sign. But the other problem is more serious. I don't normally have a problem with movies about bad guys. But there was a scene in this film that really brought home just how bad everyone you were watching and empathizing with really was. And that is the scene where Michael Corleone is acting as the godfather for his sister's newborn son. And at the same time, having his henchmen "square all the family accounts." The juxtaposition of the Catholic and Mafia worlds was just too much for me; I was too aware of the evil these men were responsible for, and I think I lost touch with the characters from that point on. But still, this is a powerful, powerful film. "Fredo, you're my older brother, and I love you. But don't ever take sides with anyone against the family again. Ever." |
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