#2 - The Godfather

"Don't ever take sides with anyone against The Family... EVER..."

The Godfather (1972) -- Rated R -- Running time 175 minutes.
IMDB rank: 2
IMDB score: 9.1/10
First Viewing? Yes.

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola and written by Mario Puzo (both novelization and screenplay), The Godfather is a classic crime drama and is considered to be the greatest mafia movie ever made. Marlon Brando, James Caan, Al Pacino, and Robert Duvall star, with Talia Shire, Diane Keaton, and Abe Vigoda in supporting roles. That last sentence alone should be enough to make anyone who has not seen this movie stop what they are doing and sign up for netflix. (Or head to blockbuster).

SPOILERS BELOW *** SPOILERS BELOW *** SPOILERS BELOW *** SPOILERS BELOW

I just can't review this movie without revealing certain parts of the plot. I tried. Can't do it. So if you haven't seen the movie yet, or haven't seen it in a while and don't remember/don't want anything ruined for you.... STOP READING!

So... I'm probably the only Italian who hadn't seen the Godfather, but that was remedied earlier this week when I designated 3 hours to watching it (something my dad has been trying to get me to do for about 23 years now). And I have to say... WOW. Truly stunning. I tend to shy away from older movies because there just doesn't seem to be as much attention to detail in the direction as there is in more current films. This lack of detail usually makes older movies boring... "medium shot of good guy... cut to medium shot of bad guy firing gun.... cut to good guy on the floor grabbing at his side." It all just seems sort of choppy. Not so with The Godfather. Coppola weaves the film together with such brilliance, it's hard to believe he has sort of fallen out of the director's chair in recent years... Maybe directing Jack caused his career to unwravel 4 times faster than it was meant to. Who knows...

Anyway, I'm not going to go into the reasons why this is such a great movie because you really need to see for yourself. I mean Brando and Duvall give great performances but, to be honest with you, Caan and Pacino steal the show. They are truly magnificent. I cried when Sonny was shot at the toll booth. Cried. And Michael... good college man Michael who didn't want to get into the family business ends up taking over. It's so sad.

As great as this movie is, no film is perfect (so far). I do have a few bones to pick. First of all, it's a little too long for it's own good. Now, I love long movies... If you don't believe me, just read this. I enjoy length in a movie if it's necessary, but I see a good 20 minutes from the Godfather that I could have done without. I understand that Michael had to go to Sicily until the whole double murder thing blew over. I get that. What I don't get is why we have to sit there and watch as he muscles his way into this family and marries the daughter, only to have her blown up. I get that she was blown up for a reason. Revenge and all that. I understand that (although I would think the 200 or so bullets they put into Sonny would be revenge enough). I just don't see how this entire side plot advances (let alone contributes to) the movie as a whole.

Secondly, Marlon Brando is a little tough to understand throughout the movie. And I know that he always mumbles and that's his trademark and all, but I found myself rewinding quite a few times because I had no idea what he said. Now if you've seen Snatch, you know that sometimes a completely incomprehensible character CAN work. But it works for Brad Pitt in Snatch for a few reasons. First of all, 75% of Pitt's dialogue in Snatch is not integral to the plot, so it doesn't really matter if you understand what he's saying. It's just meant to build up this completely eccentric character. Also, what little dialogue Pitt has in Snatch that you actually DO need in order to understand the plot is reinforced by the actors around him. They'll repeat what he said so the audience has some idea what's going on. Not the case for Brando. He's the Don. The main man. The head honcho. Everything he says completely determines the direction of the film. It's like trying to take a course in Quantum Machanics if the course was taught by Bob Dylan... under water...

My last issue with the movie is a really small one. The music really sets the tone for the movie, only it's the SAME SONG over and over... they just play it on different instruments. It's a really famous song now, and for good reasons. Just hearing the first few bars will send chills down your spine. But after hearing it played on violin... and piano... and guitar... and mandolin... it gets a little old. Not enough to detract from the movie, but old nonetheless.

These few problems i had were not even close to enough to bring this movie down. It's countless bright spots outweigh those issues 100 times over. Even though Brando can be tough to decipher, he gives a bone chilling performance. I give him an 8 out of 10. Robert Duvall is also great with his role, although I would have liked to see more of him. However, he shines in the scenes he is in. I give him an 8 out of 10 as well. Now if that weren't enough, Duvall and Brando are somewhat overshadowed by the 2 youngins Pacino and Caan. Caan's performance is extremely powerful and is reason enough to watch the movie. Pacino's transformation from the good son who wanted nothing to do with the family business ("That's my family Kay, that's not me"), to the ruthless head of the Corleone family ("Barzini is dead. So is Philip Tattaglia. Moe Green. Stracci. Cuneo. Today I settle all family business...") is the definition of "performance of a lifetime". They both get 9's out of 10.

Interesting facts:

1) When Tom Hagen has to tell the Don that Sonny was shot on the causeway, Marlon Brando says, "My wife is crying upstairs. I hear cars coming to the house. Consigliore of mine, I think it's time you told your Don what everyone seems to know." This line is somewhat recreated in the movie Ocean's 13 by Elliott Gould. Also starring in Ocean's 13 is James Caan's son Scott Caan, Al pacino (Michael Corleone), and Andy Garcia who has a role in The Godfather: Part III.

2) Interesting fact #2 is that because of Sonny and Michael, I now want to wear a vest everytime i have to wear a suit... it just looks so badass. see here. and here. and here too.

IMDB score: 9.1
My score: 9.7

Recommendations: Goodfellas, Casino, The Untouchables

well that's about it... coming up next: The Godfather: Part II.

Note #1

Just a side note.... I've noticed a trend here. For the most part, movies at the top of the list tend to be rather long. 9 of the top 10 movies on this list are over 2 hours long, with the top 10 having an average running time of just over 2 and a half hours. I have always agreed that Hollywood's typical 90-100 minute standard is rather short as far as movies go, but could this be proof of a direct correlation between quality and quantity?