Review of The Godfather (1972) by Stephen M — 19 Aug 2014

It would be very normal if someone new to the world of movies would find that the relevance of "The Godfather" is still present today. It would be very normal if someone laughed at you if you are a movie fan and you have not heard/seen this movie. And it would be very normal if you have seen The Godfather a billion times but you don't mind watching it a billion and one times.

The sheer brilliance of this movie is the fact that it still finds place today, because even with the rise in technology and various other such things, the movie at its centre is about how a mafia family operates. It is a world where anyone can be killed, anyone can be threatened and anyone who was an enemy can become a friend. We learn to make offers that cannot be refused, we learn to keep our friends close but our enemies closer- and we immediately want to be a part of all this.

Vito Corleone, exaggerated successfully by Marlon Brando, is worshipped by many as The Godfather. In the opening scene of the movie, we see how he solves problems for many, making them friends in the process. It is his daughter's wedding and no favours can be denied on this day. Vito has three sons- and there are certain flaws in all of them. Fredo is dumb, Sonny loses his temper real fast, and Mike wants no part in the business run by his father. There is also Tom Hagen, who is a reasonable man and is Consigliere to the family.

It is almost known to everyone that the best performance in this movie is by Marlon Brando. With cotton in his mouth, a gait which just shows power, and with every sentence seeming like a statement, Brando creates an image of an unforgettable don, who is feared by many, but respected by many more.

Al Pacino as Michael Corleone is probably the next strongest character. We see at the start of the movie how Michael expresses to Kay that he wants no involvement in his family's business. However, after certain situations which I would prefer not to discuss in detail, we see Michael coming into his own, and we see how someone who is mocked, laughed at, and even bullied to some extent-can take it all in his own hands and do a pretty neat job of it as well.

James Caan as Sonny Corleone is effective- we see how having a hot head can get into the way of things. Quite contrary to his character is Tom Hagen, played brilliantly by Robert Duvall. The consigliere to the family, Hagen is always calm and confident about his opinions, and is a trusted adviser to the family.

There are many more characters in the movie-getting into all of them would simply result in giving away half of the movie. The movie is about three hours long, but it feels more like two hours. Coppola makes the movie look grand, and you can really see through the eyes of the Corleones, how power can be a weapon for use as well as for one's own destruction. You see dreams being shattered, you see how you cannot trust the people who you have otherwise always trusted. A masterpiece in every way, The Godfather will always find a place in the top ten movie lists, and will be watched and rewatched, but still find relevance even thousands of years from now.