Review of The Godfather (1972) by Eero V — 04 Mar 2014
I have nothing but respect for The Godfather's massive legacy and influence on film. It renewed the rules of gangster films and opened up the doors for many other significant crime films, brought Al Pacino to prominence and said a lot about family dynamics, the role of crime in American history and corruption.
Quite simply, cinema would be much different today without it. But while its legacy is easy to praise, I can't say the same about the film itself. For someone who was completely blown away by Goodfellas and HBO's The Sopranos, The Godfather feels too long, stagnant, unenergetic and humorless when compared to them.
The legendary performances by Marlon Brando, Al Pacino and Robert Duvall are praiseworthy, and there are many individual scenes - the horse head, the restaurant shooting, Michael's christening - that are unforgettable, but as a whole the film is too heavy, bloated and tedious.
The Godfather is a one of those films you're not allowed to say anything negative about, but even after repeated viewings, it still just makes me sleepy.
This review of The Godfather (1972) was written by Eero V on 04 Mar 2014.
The Godfather has generally received very positive reviews.
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