Review - The Godfather (1972)

       Hey guys, Chuck here. How do I do this? How do I get into an all-time classic beloved by many? How do I even begin to delve into a film so complex and full of brilliant storytelling and masterful acting? Well, I guess we'll find out. This is my review of the 1972 Francis Ford Coppola classic The Godfather starring Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Talia Shire, John Cazale, Diane Keaton, Abe Vigoda, Richard Castellano, Sterling Hayden, Al Lettieri, Victor Rendina, Gianni Russo, and Richard Conte. 

      The movie opens on the wedding day of Carlo Rizzi and Constanzia "Connie" Corleone. And, in Sicilian tradition, Connie's father, mafia boss Don Vito Corleone, meets with a number of his friends and invited guests who have a request. For instance, an undertaker named Bonasera seeks vengeance for what a group of young men did to his daughter. And, of course, the Corleone family is in attendance, and this includes Vito's wife Carmela, and Vito's sons Santino "Sonny", Fredo, and Michael, the unofficially adopted son Tom Hagen, and Michael's girlfriend Kay Adams. Also at the wedding is Vito's godson, singer Johnny Fontane, who seeks Vito's help in securing a role in an upcoming movie from film producer Jack Woltz. Vito dispatches Tom to meet with Woltz and negotiate securing the role for Fontaine. 

      In Los Angeles, Tom meets with Woltz, who initially dismissed him, but later meets him again upon learning of Tom's ties to the Corleone family. But, while respecting Don Vito, Woltz still refuses to give the role to Johnny, as Johnny ruined one of the studio's top actresses. Tom leaves, and claims that he needs to inform Don Vito of the situation. The next morning, Woltz wakes up covered in blood, and finds the severed head of his prized horse in his bed. Back in New York, Don Vito prepares to meet with narcotics dealer Virgil "the Turk" Sollozzo, who has a dealing with the Tattaglia family, but seeks the political protection that Vito could provide due to his connections with judges and politicians. However, after hearing the man out, Vito declines to enter business with Sollozzo, feeling that narcotics may be too risky when compared to something like gambling. 

       Some days later, and Vito sends his chief bodyguard, Luca Brasi, to pose as a defector and meet with both Sollozzo and Bruno Tattaglia. However, Tattaglia and Solozzo strangle Luca Brasi to death, and two gunmen shoot Don Vito while he's out grocery shopping with Fredo. Luckily, the shooting wasn't fatal, and Vito is taken to the hospital. Michael, who gets word of the attack on his father, goes to the hospital, and sees that the ones protecting Vito were taken away due to them getting in the way of the hospital staff doing their job... allegedly. Anyway, Michael calls Sonny about the situation, who takes care of it. Outside, the police arrive, being led by Captain McCluskey, who punches Michael in the jaw. Soon after, Tom arrives with more guards for Vito, informing McCluskey that should he attempt to remove the guards again, he'll need to appear in court and show cause. 

        At the Corleone house, Sonny reveals he ordered a hit on Bruno Tattaglia, and a discussion takes place in how to deal with Sollozzo, who is being protected by McCluskey, and Tom warns that should the Corleone go after a police captain, the entire family would be cast out, and the rest of the Five Families would go after them more intensely. However, Michael makes a suggestion: agree to let Michael meet with Sollozzo in a public place (i.e. a bar or restaurant) with McCluskey, have a gun planted at the place, and collect it and kill both men. And, use their connections in the press to reveal how McCluskey was dishonest, tied with narcotics, and got what was coming. And, to set the plan in motion, Michael remarks "It's not personal, Sonny. It's strictly business." 

       Sonny's informant in McCluskey's precinct finds out where the meeting is happening: a restaurant in the Bronx. And, after Sal Tessio reveals his familiarity with the place, Peter Clemenza tells Michael what to do: eat, speak with Sollozzo, putting both Sollozzo and McCluskey at ease, head to the restroom to collect the gun, shoot both men, and leave the restaurant, leaving the gun behind. And, of course, this is exactly what happens. Michael is picked up by Sollozzo and McCluskey, they head to the restaurant, eat, talk, and Michael collects the gun in the restroom, killing both Sollozzo and McCluskey. And, to keep him safe, Michael is taken out of America and to the countryside of Sicily. 

      As the weeks go on, things get intense in New York. And, Sonny grows agitated with Carlo, who turns out to be an abusive piece of shit, repeatedly beating Connie, and even cheating on her. Michael is living under the protection of Don Tommasino, and becomes infatuated with a local woman named Apollonia, and the two wed. Fredo, meanwhile, is sent to Las Vegas, where he learns the casino business under the guidance and protection of Moe Greene. And, a war between the Five Families breaks out. But, luckily, Vito is returned home from the hospital. 

      Unfortunately, after getting a call from Connie of another incident involving Carlo, Sonny goes out to punish Carlo, only to be gunned down at a highway toll booth. Michael, meanwhile, survives an assassination attempt with a car bomb that kills Apollonia. Vito, tired of the violence, has Tom call for a meeting with the heads of the Five Families, and has Bonasera clean up Sonny's body. At the meeting, Vito comes to terms with Philip Tattaglia, but warns that he will be unforgiving should something happen to Michael on his return trip to America, which Vito is being forced to arrange. After the meeting, Vito reveals to Tom that Barzini was the mastermind behind the death of Sonny, as Tattaglia doesn't have the muscle to have pulled it off. 

     Some time after returning, Michael reunites with Kay, apologizes for the past, informs her that he's working directly for his father, and asks her to marry him. As the movie goes on, Michael reveals plans to move the Corleone family from the New York area to Nevada, giving up the olive oil business in favor of the casino business, and Michael decides that Tom will serve only as the family lawyer, with Vito serving as consigliere. Michael and Tom head to Las Vegas to meet with Moe Greene, with an offer to buy him out. But, Moe lashes out at the notion and storms out. And, after Fredo attempts to reason with him, Michael warns his older brother "Don't ever take sides against the family again." 

      In New York, Vito warns that someone he trusts will approach him with details of a meeting between Michael, Barzini, Tattaglia, and the other heads of the Five Families, and it's at that meeting that the heads of the Five Families will attempt to kill him. And, whomever approaches Michael about the meeting will be the traitor. Michael and Vito then have a conversation about how Vito never wanted Michael involved in the mafia business, but instead wanted him to be something better like a Senator or even the President. This is followed by seeing Vito's final moments where he suffers a fatal heart attack while playing in the tomato garden with Michael's son Anthony. 

      At the funeral for Vito, Tessio approaches Michael about a meeting in his territory. A meeting that will see Michael meet with the heads of the Five Families to settle any disputes. Michael discussed with Tom how he will wait on the meeting until after the baptism of Connie and Carlo's child. During the baptism, while Michael is becoming godfather to Carlo and Connie's baby, several Corleone hitmen, including Clemenza, carry out strikes on Barzini, Tattaglia, the other heads of the Five Families, and Moe Greene, with Tessio being led off to his own death. After the baptism, Michael meets privately with Carlo, and presses Carlo to confess that he conspired with Barzini to lead Sonny to his death. Michael reassures Carlo that he's being exiled from the family, but Clemenza is in the back of the car Carlo gets into, and Clemenza strangles Carlo to death for what happened to Sonny. And, on the day that the family compound is being packed, and outraged Connie berates Michael for Carlo's death, only for Michael to later deny any involvement when Kay asks him about it. And, the movie ends with a trio of caporegimes paying reverance to Michael as "Don Corleone." 

       The Godfather is celebrated as one of the greatest films of all time. The writing by Mario Puzo, who authored the original book, and Francis Ford Coppola, who directed the film, was absolutely brilliant. But, it's the performances by the ensemble cast that made the film what it is. Marlon Brando gave easily one of the defining performances of his legendary career as Vito Corleone, which is complimented by the performances of Al Pacino as Michael, James Can as Sonny, John Cazale as Fredo, and Robert Duvall as Tom Hagen. Other iconic performances in this movie come from the likes of Abe Vigoda as Tessio, Al Lettieri as Sollozzo, Richard Castellano as Clemenza, Diane Keaton as Kay, Talia Shire as Connie, and Richard Conte as Barzini. 

      The music, composed by Nino Rota, ranks among one of the all-time great film scores ever produced. The cinematography by Gordon Willis is absolutely incredible, especially in how many wide shots are framed to showcase many incredible locations in both New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Sicily. And, while portrayals of the Mafia on film has happened before, what Francis Ford Coppola did with them in this movie was absolutely brilliant. Coppola's approach with The Godfather was to lean heavily into Italian immigrant culture, and portraying these figures in the Mafia inna way that's more psychological, deep, and complex. And, it was the way Coppola portrayed the mafia in The Godfather, and its sequel, that proved influential to such subsequent works as Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas or the HBO series The Sopranos. 

      If it wasn't obvious, I love this movie very much. I will admit to being apprehensive at the young age my dad first showed the movie to me, but I quickly grew to love it, to the point where I made sure to have the Coppola Restoration Blu-ray of the entire trilogy in my collection. There are quite a number of movies that I refer to as being a must-watch for any film fan, and I consider The Godfather as one of those movies. Hell, it's pretty much at the very top of that list. If you haven't watched The Godfather yet, then definitely give it a watch. 

      Alright guys, this is Chuck signing off, and I'll see you next in my review of The Godfather Part II.