The Godfather

 

DIRECTED BY-:
Francis Ford Coppola
STARRING-:
Marlon Brando
Al Pacino
James Caan
Robert Duvall
Diane Keaton
YEAR OF RELEASE-:
1972
PREMISE-:
The aging patriarch of an organized crime dynasty in postwar New York City transfers control of his clandestine empire to his reluctant youngest son.

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS.

THE NEGATIVES-:

• THE HOSPITAL

• Both Michael and Enzo LUCKILY reach the hospital JUST BEFORE Sollozzo’s hitmen.

• We learn that along with the police detectives, Tessio’s men were responsible for protecting Vito at the hospital. But, when they're all removed from the hospital under Captain McCluskey’s orders, the following questions remain unanswered—: 

• Why didn’t Tessio’s men immediately inform Tessio that they have been forcibly removed from Vito’s protection?

• Possibility 1: They DID inform Tessio about it, but he didn’t do anything because he was already the traitor by this point.

• The stupidity: 
• Tessio should’ve anticipated that even if his inaction gets Vito killed, the Corleone family would still surely question Tessio about the disappearance of his men and why he didn’t do anything when he was informed about McCluskey forcibly removing Vito's guards from the hospital.

• If Tessio WAS a traitor by this point, why didn’t he warn Sollozzo and Captain McCluskey about Michael’s plot to assassinate them?

• Possibility 2: Tessio and his men were all traitors and hence they were more than happy to leave Vito unguarded.

• The stupidity: 
• If Tessio and his men were all traitors, then the first issue with the previous possibility is still valid here, as both Tessio and his men should’ve known that IF Vito gets assassinated, then the Corleone family would absolutely interrogate EVERYONE who was responsible for his protection.

• Why didn’t McCluskey / Sollozzo use one of Tessio’s men to assassinate Vito while they’re pretending to protect him?

• The above issues COULD’VE been cleared if we were actually shown a scene where the members of the Corleone family question Tessio and his men about their failure to protect Vito.

• MICHAEL SHOOTS SOLOZZO AND MCCLUSKEY

• At his station, why did Captain McCluskey reveal the correct location where he’s going to be between 8:00 and 10:00 pm?

• Why did the Corleone family ASSUME that the location which McCluskey revealed was in fact the correct one?

• Once they assumed that the intel they’ve received is correct, why didn’t the Corleone family use a couple of their hitmen to kill Sollozzo and McCluskey? They could’ve been hiding in plain sight in the restaurant, posing as regular customers prior to the mens’ arrival, and could’ve then instantly assassinated Sollozzo and McCluskey as soon as they entered. This would’ve not only gotten the job done but would also have cleared Michael of a significant amount of suspicion in the eyes of the law.

• If it was supposed to be a peaceful meeting, why was Michael the only one who was frisked for weapons? Why didn’t Michael frisk Sollozzo and McCluskey before getting into their car?

• When Michael shot the two men and came out of the restaurant, where did Sollozzo’s driver, LOU go? Did he run away because he was unarmed? WAS he unarmed? Again, this is something that would've been answered if it was established that Michael DID frisk the other men earlier.

THE POSITIVES-:

As evident, I don't consider The Godfather to be flawless, as far as its screenplay is concerned. However, I'd be amiss if I claimed that the film isn't a masterpiece in all other aspects of filmmaking. 

Technical prowess : The film's cinematography, costumes, and sets are all simply outstanding.  

Pacing : The film never felt slow or sluggish despite its three hour runtime, a testament to its immaculate pacing and structure. 

Acting : While every actor in the supporting cast did a fantastic job, The Godfather is undoubtedly Marlon Brando's and Al Pacino's film, as both of these powerhouses masterfully exude the ability to captivate and grasp the audience's attention every second they are on screen. Between The Godfather and The Godfather: Part II, Al Pacino gives one of the best, if not the best, performance of his career. 

Music : Apart from bolstering the narrative and being extremely melodious, the film's score does a great job of being emblematic of The Godfather's core theme of the tragedy of succession. Much like the Corleone family's story, I found the music to be mesmerizingly haunting and tragically beautiful.

Characters : Although the characters themselves weren't immensely complex, their relationships, interactions, and shifting dynamics were not only engaging but also felt incredibly authentic and genuine, thanks to the film's excellent dialogues and fantastic performances . The following are some of my personal favorite character moments from the film -:

• While it's not particularly subtle, I really liked the scene where Vito tells Johnny that "A man who doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man" right after Sonny, who's cheating on his wife, enters the room.

• Luca Brasi's nervousness during his meeting with Vito was a great way of incorporating humor while at the same time further establishing the respect and fear the Don commands.

• The fact that the first time we see Michael "shut" Kay out of his life is when he gets in a phone booth to call his family after he learns about the attempt on Vito's life - an event that ultimately sets him on the path of becoming a Don, was a really nice little detail.

• I also really liked the scene where Clemenza briefly teaches Michael the recipe of an Italian dish. This scene has no significant impact on the overall story and could've easily been cut, but I'm really glad it wasn't since it added a bit of humanity and flavor to the character of Clemenza, along with establishing his role as the fun, friendly and caring Uncle of the Corleone household.

• When Michael says "I'm with you now" to Vito, he's obviously referring to being with him in the hospital to protect him. But, it also foreshadows him joining the family business. Vito's reaction - a tearful smile, is a reaction to both of these subtexts, as he's elated to see his son protect him but he also aware of what this might mean for his future.  

• When Michael and Enzo are standing outside the hospital guarding Vito, Enzo's hands start to shake out of fear while Michael's hands don't - something that Michael himself notices and is seemingly surprised by, perhaps realizing (along with the audience) that he might be more cut out for his family's path than previously assumed.

• Vito's last scenes were perhaps the most emotionally impactful, at least for me, because-:

• We finally saw him have an intimate conversation with Michael, expressing his guilt and regret at the fact that he had to, through circumstance, lead the Corleone empire - something that perhaps could've been prevented if Vito had just enough time. 

• Vito playing with Anthony portrayed him as he was in that moment - devoid of all the Mafia grandeur and mystique, a frail, ordinary grandfather playing and showing silly little tricks to his grandson in the garden. I also liked the fact that Anthony continued to pour water on Vito after he had fallen dead, because obviously a child would assume that his playful grandpa is only pretending. It's impressive how these few seconds alone add a lot of humanity and believability to the film. Finally, this scene also reflected how Vito was practicing what he preached - that a man who doesn't spend time with his family (his grandson, in this case) can never be a real man.

• Of course, how can I not include one of the most famous scenes of juxtaposition in film history - When Michael is shown repeatedly renouncing satan at his godson's baptism, while his enemies are executed one-by-one in cold blood. 

RATING: 8/10