Godfather

Year: 1972

Grade: A+

Country: USA

Director: Coppola

Review

excellent film on all fronts. michael is the loved son who gets caught up in the family drama. sonny is well-intentioned (for the family at least), but a hothead and not particularly good at being a don. fredo is fredo. tom is smart, but ultimately on the outside of the family in spite of what people may say about him being part of the family. i feel like tom from time to time because i’ll never be part of the club with some friends or family. it’s a sad place to be and his character has a quiet, lonesome sadness. the end of godfather II is perhaps better than the end of this one because we are reminded of michael’s tragic character arc.

coppola’s direction is about storytelling more than flash or anything else. the look is iconic and the acting, writing and score are uniformly great, but the storytelling is where coppola shines. it’s such a well-balanced and well-told film that even 3 hours goes by quickly. one of the best.