The Godfather Review

It is easy to see why The Godfather is one of the best movies of all time. It's a slow paced slow burn that leaves your mouth open at the end. Michael Corleone is one of the greatest characters of all time. The story is all about him, he's clean, a  good man. But, after attempts on his father's and brothers's life he descends into the criminal underworld. This review cannot do justice to the greatest mob movie of all time. From the lightness of the party and family life contrasted with the dark scenes of the mob world, this movie is put together extremely well. It captures the darkness of these men's lives and it feels as if the movie becomes increasingly dark as Michael becomes Don. The acting by Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, and Robert Duvall gave some of the most riveting performances I have ever seen. The violence and gore was understandably graphic and is not for everyone. But, it seems very realistic and other than the cheesy melee scene this movie seems very true to life during this time. The beautiful Italian countryside (and women) were magnificently shot, and everything was detailed. The added effect of old time newsreel and actual shots from the time period lent to the direction that Coppola was trying to take the movie. It really sucks you into the story and the lives of the questionable people in front of you. At one point I even found myself rooting for one of the Corleones to murder another guy. I loved this movie.

This movie would be man versus himself. It shows the descent into organized crime and vicious behavior. He starts out as a veteran marine and ends up the mob boss of a family of criminals. 5/5