The Godfather (1972) Dir: Francis Ford Coppola
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Francis Ford Coppola's magnum opus is arguably the greatest example of gangster cinema to-date. It certainly influenced the vast majority of gangster films that followed it. Despite all this, I had only watched it once, back when I was a teenager. I'd enjoyed it back then, but knew that I should revisit it now, if only as a refresher.
The film's score, composed by Nino Rota, is, of course, as iconic as it is extremely memorable. It's the music that everyone thinks of when they think of gangsters, and it captures the tragedy of the characters, emotions and themes, as well as the Italian heritage of the Corleone family.
What makes this film so good, is that it's not just a gangster film; it's a tragedy. A tragedy about a man becoming everything he tried so hard to avoid - I think that's likely why so many straight men obsess over it; it glamourises men becoming horrible people. In fairness, the tragedy of the film is magnificently written.
A big part of why this is considered to be one of the greatest films ever is because of how sound the story structure is. It's an excellent subversion of the hero's journey, and utilises the unwilling protagonist trope very effectively. It makes for an interesting and emotionally charged narrative, which has phenomenal pacing, intriguing twists and a great ending.
Al Pacino's portrayal of a reluctant leader and protagonist is superb. I love the way he shows the change that his character undergoes, especially in the middle of the film. The small shifts in acting are what make Pacino so impressive in this role, something that I appreciated a lot more this time around.
Marlon Brando gives what is, without a doubt, one of his greatest and most iconic performances as the aging patriach of the Corleone family. The way Brando shows his character's evolution over the course of the film's timeline is exemplary, and the subtle nuances of his performance simply cannot be understated.
I appreciated the performance of Robert Duvall a lot more than the last time I watched this. He was a phenomenal secondary character. Similarly, I felt that the acting of James Caan was stellar, at times, especially towards the middle portion of the film, where his explosions of emotion were great.
There are some very good performances from the other members of the supporting cast, with my favourites being Richard S. Castellano, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire and Gianni Russo. Of these, the two women gave the most compelling performances, despite not having much to do other than get upset at the men in their lives.
Overall, I think it's pretty clear to see why this has been such a successful, popular, and enduring film. It captures all the drama, intrigue and danger of gangster life, and does so with poise and quality. The only bad things about this film are the lack of agency of any female characters and the fact that straight guys make it their whole personality.
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