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The Godfather Trilogy – Movie Review

  • Directed by Francis Ford Coppola.
  • Based on the novel The Godfather by Mario Puzo.
  • Starring Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, John Cazale, Robert Duvall, James Caan, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, Robert De Niro, Lee Strasberg, Sofia Coppola and Andy Garcia.

In 1971 Mario Puzo’s best-selling novel, The Godfather, was adapted to the big screen by Francis Ford Coppola. It went on to win numerous critical awards (3 Oscars) and made a metric ton of cash. Coppola became a millionaire, Pacino became a star and Brando made his comeback. But more importantly it has had a major influence on cinematic and popular culture. Even if you’ve never seen any of the Godfather movies, you’re obviously familiar with one or more aspects of this film, whether it be Nino Rota’s amazing score, the horse head in the bed sheets, the famous quotes (“you gotta keep your friends close and your enemies even closer”) and, of course Brando’s interpretation of the mafia leader.

It’s success was such that Paramount decided to make a sequel, quite an unusual and uncommon move at the time (whereas today sequels are planned even before the first movie comes out). The studio was so intent on getting Coppola to direct it that they accepted every single one of his requests, financial and creative ( it is widely known the that director received an enormous amount of pressure from the studio on the first Godfather who were very displeased with the actors and the direction the movie was taking. Francis Coppola talks about this in great detail on the audio commentary track on the DVD.).

The Godfather Part II was released in 1974 and while it wasn’t the box-office hit the first film was, it still made a considerable amount of money, won 6 Oscars and is the first sequel to ever win an Academy Award for best picture.

After numerous setbacks, financial problems and box-office flops, Coppola had lost all credibility and finally agreed to direct The Godfather Part III but with almost all creative control in the studio’s hands. The third and final installment in the franchise came out in 1990 made hundreds of millions of dollars and received 7 Academy Award nominations.

The Godfather trilogy follows the life of Micheal Corleone (Pacino), youngest son of Vito Corleone. The story revolves around this young man who doesn’t want any thing to to with his father or his family’s business, a man with dreams and goals of his own but through misfortune and fate becomes an exact replica of his father. I won’t talk much about the actual events in the movies because every film has a very basic and identical structure: party or family gathering, business matters, assassination attempts, retaliation. Some people would argue that it’s the same movie three times but more important than the actual events is how they affect the Corleone family and Michael in particular. A quick way to sum it up would be to say that The Godfather is about Michael’s transformation into a clone of his father, The Godfather Part II, Michael’s self-destruction and the destruction of his family and The Godfather Part III is about an old man seeking redemption.

To everyone who’s avoided these movies because they dislike gangster movies I think you should give them a try. I’ve shown them to many people who hate Goodfellas, Casino and Scarface but who really enjoyed this series. I think the main reason it has been so successful is because this franchise isn’t really about gangsters, it’s about family, treason, love , hate ,revenge, honor and the gangster aspect is only a setting. This story could be told in any time period and in any part of the world and would still be relevant. It resembles more a Greek tragedy than a classic gangster film. Obviously if you love movies about the mafia, this is as good as they get but I truly think everyone can get something out of these movies.

As a whole, I would give this series a Cool (+).

In a more detailed review I give Godfather I and II a Cool (+), I really love these movies and if I a had to make a “favorite movies of all time list” they would probably both be there somewhere.
Godfather Part III on the other hand has some serious problems, one of which is the writing and the plot that feels rushed (Paramount where pushing for a Christmas 1990 release) but the biggest fault with the movie is embodied by Sofia Coppola. In all honesty I have rarely witnessed such an appalling performance by an actress, every line she delivers is denied of any emotion and is laughable in its tone. She is either the worst actress ever or a comedic genius because I don’t think I laughed as much in front of the other Godfather movies. That being said, the movie is not as bad as some people say and is definitely worth a look. The Godfather Part III gets a Cool (-).

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About The Author

Romain

Representing generation 1988, Romain was born in France and bred on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Was fortunate enough to live several years in the U.S. and in Ireland where he was raised on Super Nintendo, Jurassic Park and Star Wars. Currently studying biology in France, spending most of his time skipping class and going to the cinema.

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Article Information

  • Posted: Friday, May 29th, 2009
  • Author: Romain
  • Filed Under: Film, Review
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Comments

One Response to “The Godfather Trilogy – Movie Review”
  1. Kristopher Kristopher says:

    Well done Romain. I totally agree with you about the Godfather Trilogy. If someone had told me that Sophia Coppola would go on to be the first American woman to be nominated for a best director Oscar, I would never have believed it. The Godfather deserves to be watched over and over again. I find new things in it every time I see it.
    Kris

    May 30, 2009 at 3:10 pm

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