Review of The Godfather (1972) by Thomas G — 03 Sep 2015

Look, I know I'm gonna alienate a bunch of people with my opinion on this film. And don't get me wrong, I really, REALLY enjoyed it. It just didn't blow me away like I thought it would. I think, in part, that has something to do with the constant hype of it being "one of the greatest films ever made." If I'm being honest, Scorsese's Goodfellas (1990) is a much better mafia film. However, I can appreciate this movie for what it is, what it did for cinema, and the accreditation it gets for the true genesis of the mafia genre.

But what a film, though! I mean, it seriously was a great movie. The story was intriguing and gripping, the characters were believable and somehow likable despite their despicable acts. It was incredibly fascinating watching the downward spiral of Al Pacino's character from WWII veteran to Don Corleone. And Marlon Brando... setting the bar for acting for years to come. The subtleties in his performance won me over with him, like [SPOILERS] the scene where he finds out about his son, Sonny's, murder. His reaction speaks a thousand words, and without speaking, you can visibly that a little piece of him died with his son.

Overall, a really influential and interesting film that didn't quite hit as hard as I had hoped, but still gripped me enough that I was thoroughly entertained for the three-hour run time. Perhaps a second viewing will help me appreciate the film more.