The greatest film ever made?

In 1969, after publishing two critically acclaimed novels that never achieved much in terms of sales, a pulp fiction novelist from Hell's Kitchen, N.Y. decided to base his next novel around the myths and anecdotes surrounding the Mafia organizations in America. He never set out to write a masterpiece, his motivation came out of a straight forward need to make money. The author, Mario Puzo, changed popular fiction and the history of cinema with his novel The Godfather

Paramount Pictures acquired the rights to the novel and the then head of the studio, Robert Evans finally settled on a young, up and coming Italian American director Francis Ford Coppolla, from the American Zoetrope studio who set up the company with George Lucas. Coppolla was never first choice for the film, in fact he came close on several occasions to being replaced as director due to grumblings and misgivings within Paramount about his ability to handle such a film. His casting of key rolls was called into question:- they didn't want Al Pacino (Robert Redford was the preferred choice of Paramount) or Marlon Brando (Ernest Borgnine was reportedly Paramount's choice) anywhere near the movie. Could you watch this film now and imagine it without these two actors?

Coppolla's future on the film hung in the balance for a long time. It was only the showing of one of the daily's that saved his position as director. That daily cemented his place and went on to become one of the defining moments of the film and one of the greatest scenes in cinematic history. The execution of McCluskey and Sollozzo in the Italian restaurant showed the executives that Coppolla had what was needed to make this film.

77 days of filming altered the face of cinema forever.



"I believe in America..." begins the masterpiece. From the very first shot as Bonasera delivers his monologue while the camera pans out, to the devastating final scenes as Don Michael Corleone secures his family's future, the film is perfection in every way. Dark, brooding, evenly paced. Tension, betrayal, loyalty, some humour ("leave the gun. Take the cannoli") and even a touch of romance all rolled into one timeless, breathtaking tale of post WW2 American mafioso. There is no glorifying of their actions, no sympathy to be gleamed for anyone within the film. It catalogues the callous nature of life within The Family, loyalty is all and betrayal comes at the ultimate price

Brando, Pacino, Keaton, Duvall, Caan, Cazale. The most perfectly pitched cast ever. Doubts about Brando were foremost in everyone's mind when he was employed. He stole every scene he was in. The iconic image of him on his daughter's wedding day, sat in a leather chair stroking the cat is ingrained in the mind of anyone who has seen it. Who can forget the Jersey Turnpike seen where James Caan meets his untimely death? And then there is that scene. Jack Woltz, after refusing to accommodate Johnny in his latest picture, waking to find the head of his beloved Khartoum in his bed. Never has one scene caused such a buzz and made the transition into popular culture

The transformation from decorated war hero to head of the Corleone family by Pacino is a remarkable performance. The understated nature of the ruthlessness he develops after his imposed exile in Sicily is nothing short of cinematic gold.

There is an argument that this film is surpassed by The Godfather pt2. I occasionally find myself agreeing with this point. In the end though, it comes down to The Godfather being the original. It worked as a template for the sequel which has an improved storyline but the classic nature of the movie, the style and pace were set out two years earlier. Nothing ever existed like this movie before Coppolla worked his magic. Countless films have since been made in the style of this masterpiece. The fact that no gangster stereotypes exist in this film, that there is no graphic language, that none of the violence is gratuitous or there just for the sake of being there all contribute to what makes this movie stand out from the rest.

Nearly 40 years after it's original theatre release this movie is still as watchable as it was back then. Every time you watch it, you find something new. A quote, a look, a scene, some lighting that adds just a little more to the enjoyment of the experience. I implore you, if you have never watched this film, do it. Do it now. Films like this will never be made again. It is timeless. It is ageless. It is a work of art that still takes my breath away with each viewing.

My father made him an offer he couldn't refuse....Luca Brasi held a gun to his head, and my father assured him that either his brains or his signature would be on the contract...That's my family, Kay. That's not me