The Godfather - Movie review


The Godfather

The Godfather - Movie review

Unlike most mafia movies, The Godfather leaves out the glam and glitter often portrayed in similar pictures. It shows how being a mobster isn’t all prestige and alcohol; it highlights the violence blasts, the impact being in the mafia has on the individuals and the surrounding environment, and always having to be alert of any potential danger.

The Godfather tells the story of change, from the godfather himself (Vito Corleone) played by the two-times Academy Award winner, Marlon Brando, to his youngest son Michael, performed by Al Pacino, who is from the few to receive the Triple Crown of Acting.

The movie takes place in New York after World War II; it starts with the wedding of Vito Corleone’s who was the head of the Corleone family.

The wedding sheds light on the main characters as well as the dynamics of the family, the business they deal with, and more importantly how they deal with it.


As usual, things take a sour turn, as Vito was gunned down in an attempted murder in front of his office. Once Micheal was informed about his father’s accident, his position towards the family’s business shifted as he sought to avenge for his family and restore their place among the five mafia families in New York. 

The opening sentence of the movie is “I believe in America” which established the ground for criticizing the American dream, showcasing the delusion and the failure associated with the dream. It reflected the cynicism towards it and towards what it actually gave to its followers.

Calling out the dream that the United States is built upon was one of the many things that made this movie change the industry, it was the start of the ‘New Hollywood of the ’70s’.

Through the movie, you see the development of the characters smoothly, you understand their motives and how their minds work. You don’t need a narrator to guide you through the movie, the plot is enough on its own to guide you.

Starring: Marlon Brando Al Pacino, James Caan, Richard Castellano, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard Conte, Diane Keaton.

Credits: Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, Screenplay by Mario Puzo, based on The Godfather by Mario Puzo, released by Paramount Pictures.

Rating: R, for profanity and sexual situations.


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Updated 3 years ago