The Godfather Movie Review

The Godfather is a movie about New York mob bosses in the 1940’s. It follows the transition of power from father to son in the Corleone family and the circumstances surrounding that. I labeled this movie as a Loss of Innocence film.

The Godfather is one of those movies that everyone knows – it’s alluded to in movies and TV shows on a regular basis. And when I watched the movie over the weekend, I understood why – Michael’s transition from innocent college kid to manipulative mob boss is remarkable, and Al Pacino plays to part incredibly well. As each event unfolds within the story, Michael gets a little bit more serious and manipulative; Pacino nailed this, even down to his speech. But part of what makes the film so good is the contrast between Michael and Vito – as Michael is slowly losing his innocence and becoming more like his father, Vino is slowly regaining his innocence as he gets closer and closer to his death. This contrast shows not only the transition of power, but the fact that Michael is the son that is most like his father and therefore the best person to take over the “family business.”

I gave this movie 4.5 stars out of 5. It’s one of those movies that I thought I would build up in my head from all the hype, and then watch it and be disappointed. But the movie surpassed my expectations and is one of the better movies I have seen.

-Caroline