The peak of film

Michael Constantine Dimopoulos

If you know me, you probably know that I am a huge fan of Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo, let alone their almighty crossover: the Godfather. If you have not watched the Godfather, well you better watch it - you'll make yourself a favor. Below, I will provide a number of reasons why the Godfather is the greatest film ever created, and why you ought to watch it. The other films are fantastic as well, especially Part II, which persnally I consider an equal with the first movie. Part III is a great ending and respects the previous films, unlike most ending trilogy films, though it definitely cannot compete with the first two. These films feel like poetry.

The Music

The Music of the Godfather films is nothing short of excellent. It matches the mood of the films perfectly and represents the great musical tradition of Italy and its islands. It can definitely be enjoyed by itself, but I find it more interesting within the context and setting of the film and the scenes. It was composed by Nino Rota, perhaps one of the greatest contemporary composers of Italy (along with Ennio Morricone), in my opinion at least (the competition is tough).

The Plot

The plot of the movies, particularly the first one, is very simple and straightforward, but it is also complex in its own way with many details that can be interpreted differently by different perspectives, but where all interpretations are valid. The Godfather does not try to appear smart by presenting a complex plot, like so many other films do (time travel films especially). At the same time, it does not insult your intellect by outright explaining what is happening. The plot is subtly unfolded before the eyes of the viewers, and it has them actively engage by trying to determine its development.

The Character development

Character development is something modern films seem to lack. The Godfather's plot is the character development of Michael Corleone and his journey throughout the film(s), and the specific events causing this change are also well thought and make sense. The development of other characters is also shown, such as that of Vito and Kay Adams, but it is more subtle and less prevalent, as the focus is mostly on Michael. In fact, I believe the Godfather should be the excellence standard when it comes to character development.

The Cast

The cast is simply perfect. Marlo Brando as older Vito is an excellent choice, and so is De Niro for younger Vito. Pacino as Michael, Diane as Kay, Luca Brasi, Fredo, Tom, Sonny, the cat, Clemenza, Connie, Tessio, McCluskey, Apollonia are just some few examples that just came to my mind, and I feel like I'm being unfair to literally everyone else, since they are all excellent actors and were amazing for their roles. I cannot think of a single bad actor in these films. It is almost absurd, but then you remember that it's the Godfather.

The Cinematography

Each scene is a masterpiece that is visually pleasing, well thought and each one of them hides a symbolic meaning. The colors, the lighting, the depth, the motion and the angles. The beginning scene, the dark contrast in Vito's office (a bold choice for the cinema of the 70s), the hospital scenes, Michael in Sicily, the door closing at Kay etc. The film can be thought of as a composition of an endless array of beautiful scenes and cinematographical excellence.

The Production Design

It may be my national bias (Dean Tavoularis, the production designer, is Greek, and his nephew was a friend of my dad at school), but I consider the overall aesthetics and props of the film to be very capturing and enticing, with great attention to detail. It takes you back to a different era and enrchies the film. Historical accuracy is on a whole different level. For example, the bumpers on many cars are wooden, which was true for the era as many bumpers and other objects were donated and recycled into military equipment for WW2. Overall, just awesome.

By Michael Constantine Dimopoulos. Main page