AFI Top 100: #2
Okay yes, the rumors are true. I've gone four years being a film and media productions major and am just now seeing The Godfather for the first time. Sue me. Francis Ford Coppola's landmark film is one of the greatest American classics ever made and an absolute treasure in the Italian mob genre. From its outstanding performances to the brilliant writing to the pitch-perfect editing, everything about this mob classic works together in such harmony to truly make an undisputed masterpiece. Of course, I don't have to reiterate how iconic this film is and there is nothing I could ever say that someone hasn't already said about this film. So instead, I'm gonna take some time to talk about some things I noticed on my first watch that I had never heard of before. I have seen plenty of scenes from the movie itself and know its general premise but upon this initial viewing, my eyes have been opened to one of the best movies ever made.
Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) is the head of the Corleone crime family operating out of New York. This Sicilian mob group is also made up of his sons Michael (Al Pacino), Sonny (James Caan), and adopted son Tom Hagen (Robert Duvall), among countless others. When an attempt on Vito's life is made, the brothers must figure out who is responsible as Michael begins to take charge and become Don of the family. Not to sound like too much of a film bro but quite literally every aspect of this film is executed absolutely perfectly. The script, written by Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo (adapted from the novel by the latter), is long, daunting, and unrelenting, but in the most rewarding ways possible. Chronicling the life and power of Vito Corleone, along with the rise of his son Michael as the new Don, this movie manages to make a life story feel like one of the most personal narratives I have ever experienced. This might have been the most interesting three hours of any cinematic experience I have ever had and the consistent intrigue of the story never lets up. Coppola and Puzo's writing is exquisite and the way that they are able to flawlessly weave in multiple storylines without losing attention to its main characters is so inspiring. Obviously, not many people are going to be able to write an amazing story as comparable as this one in their lives but their script just proves that no matter the length of the film, good writing will always overcome any technical obstacle. Brando and Pacino's performances in this film are just as spectacular and it is obvious from just the very first scene how worthy they were of Academy Awards. Brando is and always will be one of my favorite, classic actors, and his utter poise in this role is remarkable. Pacino is just as fantastic, and although he might be arguably more ruthless than his father, the development of his character throughout the story was bodied immaculately by the young star. All of the supporting performances are just as solid as well and this film might prove to have some of the best casting of all time.
William Reynolds and Peter Zinner's editing might be the technical element that stood out to me the most throughout this nearly three-hour film and they did absolute wonders with this story's pacing. I adored the way that they cut each scene into the next and they make this film just gripping from beginning to end. I know that the ending scene regarding the baptism and the execution of the other families' heads is so iconic but until now, I never knew how incredibly impactful it was. Reynolds and Zinner's editing, especially towards the end of this epic story, is built up so deeply well that the contrast between the baptism and Michael's ordering of the hits was edited beautifully. I have almost never been this emotionally engaged by a crime lord in a film killing some of his enemies off and because of the fantastic development, I was much more compelled than I had any right to be. The cinematography from Gordon Willis was just as impressive and I was mesmerized by the level of visual storytelling that he was able to achieve. There were almost no physical or in-dialogue indicators of where certain characters were or around what time it was but Willis shot this movie with such distinction that he makes it clear to his audience exactly what is happening. I was genuinely surprised at how well all of these visual elements worked together because I could honestly never tell how much time had passed or where people were but I also never lost sense of the film's direction. Even just from the faintest of introductions, I was able to keep track of who was who and what their relationship was to the Corleone family without any problem. I think this says so much about Coppola as a director and how he handled this story because I was astonished at the fluidity of this movie. There are so many obvious reasons why he has become one of the world's most influential and important filmmakers and it's shocking to me that I have waited this long to see one of the world's greatest films. Since this film has obviously proven itself a masterpiece, I have absolutely no issues with this film and even though it might be made entirely for me, there is no denying the skill that was used to make this film happen.
Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather is his most outstanding masterpiece and one that has stood the test of time better than so many other classics that I have seen. While Brando and Pacino's performances are some of this film's definite standouts, I was blown away by the level of craftmanship utilized in each and every scene from Coppola. I have not been too impressed by a lot of his films before, mostly due to my personal indifferences about their genre, but I can safely say that with this film, there is a reason why he has become such an acclaimed filmmaker.
My Rating: ★★★★★
No comments:
Post a Comment