Francis Ford Coppola would create what many would consider his ultimate masterpiece back in 1972. 'The Godfather' earned him eternal film fame and introduced the world to Al Pacino and gave us one of if not Marlon Brando's best role in his long career. Now, 45 years after it's explosive release upon unsuspecting cinema goers we still celebrate 'The Godfather' with love and respect with a newly released Blu-Ray edition along with a theatrical re-release and for the first time, I and many others have now experienced this masterpiece on the big screen.
For those who have not seen the film, it tells the story of the Corleone family who run a mobster gang during the 1940's in New York. When the youngest sibling of the family Michael (Pacino) returns from the war, he slowly becomes ingrained into his family's business whether he wants to or not. The film and the trilogy in general is ultimately about Michael and his slow descent into corruption until he becomes the ruler of the Family. Despite Marlon Brando's excellent and memorable performance as the patriarch Don Vito Corleone, the film belongs to Al Pacino as would the two films that would spawn from the original. The film is a long character study of a man who comes back to his loving family a war hero, a perfect young college boy who can do no wrong and who wouldn't harm anyone in a vicious manner only to become slowly more and more aggressive and ruthless until you don't recognize him as a viewer anymore.
Many who have and haven't seen the film will likely talk about the film's extensive three hour length however the film requires every single second of celluloid in order to properly show this slow character descent and the film would have lost much of its power if it were cut down any more. Much like Richard Linklater's 'Boyhood', you see the physical and psychological changes in each member of Michael's family and those he loves. You see his loves, his losses, and eventually you see his brutal and vicious new nature by film's end.
It helps that every single actor in the film does their damned best at making this film so excellent. James Caan, Robert Duvall, Abe Vigoda, and Diane Keaton are just some of the amazing cast members in 'The Godfather' and everyone provides a strong pillar to the overall film narrative. 'The Godfather' and its sequel are two of the best movies ever made, even after 45 long years. It ages like a fine Italian vino and if you still have yet to see this stroke of genius then what are you waiting for? 'The Godfather' is a film that you can't refuse.
( A + )
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