With countless books as the trailers, Paramount’s film
version of Mario Puzo extensive underworld novel, “The Godfather,” has a large
fanbase. This will boost the potential for the film which has a famous
performance by Al Pacino and a strong characterization by Marlon Brando as the protagonist.
There’s also excellent production values, so much excitement, and a phenomenal
cast. However, it does have a runtime of almost three hours (without
intermission), and occasionally confusing. While never so mild as to be boring,
it is never so gripping as possibly the superior drama. This should not hurt
Paramount’s box office expectations in any way, though some audiences may be
disappointed.
A.D. Murphy said in his review, “Francis Ford Coppola
directed the Albert S. Ruddy production, largely photographed in N.Y. Dean
Tavoularis was production designer and Gordon Willis cinematographer
(Technicolor) for the handsome visual environment, which besides World War II
and postwar styles and props, is made further intriguing by some sort of
tinting effect. There are people under 40 who grew up in the period of the film
and who recall such color tones as evocative of 20 years earlier, that is, the
end of the Roaring Twenties and the Depression. Evidently the artistic effect
here is to show some sort of antiquity which no longer exists.”
Puzo and Coppola are credited with the adaptation
which gives some look into the origins and heritage of that part of the
population famous off screen (but not on it) as the Mafia or Cosa Nostra.
Murphy said, “Various ethnic counter-cultures are part of the past and part of
the present, and the judgment of criminality is in part based on the attitudes
of the outside majority. Nobody ever denied that a sense of family, cohesion
and order are integral, positive aspects of such subgroups; it’s just the
killing and slaughter that upsets the outsiders.”
In “The Godfather,” we have the New York/New Jersey
area, ruled by five “families,” one of them ruled by Brando. This is a place
where emotional ties are strong, loyalties are kind of more flexible sometimes,
and tempers are small.
Murphy compared, “In makeup and physical movement
instantly evocative of Orson Welles as Charles Foster Kane in “Citizen Kane,”
Brando does an admirable job as the lord of his domain.” He is not on screen
for a lot of the film, but his presence is all over it.
Murphy said, “It is Pacino, last seen (by too few) in
“Panic In Needle Park,” who makes the smash impression here. Initially seen as
the son whom Brando wanted to go more or less straight (while son James Caan
was to become part of the organization), Pacino matures under the trauma of an
assassination attempt on Brando, his own double-murder revenge for that on
corrupt cop Sterling Hayden and rival gangster Al Lettieri, the
counter-vengeance murder of his Sicilian bride, and a series of other personnel
readjustments which at fadeout find him king of his own mob.”
Murphy continued, “In a lengthy novel filled with many
characters interacting over a period of time, readers may digest the passing
parade in convenient sittings.” However, in a film, the audience is forced to
get everything all at once. Murphy said, “Thus it is incumbent on filmmakers to
isolate, heighten and emphasize for clarity the handful of key characters; some
of that has been done here, and some of it hasn’t.” The biggest achievement
here is the establishment of mood and time.
Among the famous performances are Robert Duvall as
Hagen, the non-Italian second-hand man finally removed from authority after years
of service, Richard Castellano as a loyal follower, John Marley as a Hollywood
film tycoon forced into giving a comeback film role in a war film to Al
Martino, a growing teenage idol, Richard Conte as one of Brando’s nasty rivals,
Diane Keaton as Pacino’s childhood lover, later second wife, Abe Vigoda as an
eventual enemy to Pacino, Talia Shire as Brando’s daughter, married to a weak
and abusive husband Gianni Russo, John Cazale, another son who move to Las
Vegas when that area was filled with the mob, including Alex Rocco as another
recognizable character, Morgana King as Brando’s wife, and Lenny Montana as a
mobster.
Murphy said, “Nino Rota’s fine score, plus several
familiar poptunes of the period, further enhance the mood, and all the numerous
technical production credits are excellent.” Bottom line: the film has a lot of
terrific mood, one great performance by Pacino, an excellent character transition
by Brando, and a strong supporting cast. That will be enough for some, only half
the job for others.
If you haven’t seen this film, why are you reading
this review? This is one of the top films of AFI’s Greatest Films List, and rightfully
so. Everything about this film makes it deserve the title of one of the
greatest films ever made. With a great cast, great writing, great acting, great
drama, and the mafia action scenes are top notch. You can see this film either
on Tubi, Pluto TV, or Paramount+. This film is famous for the line, “I’m going
to make him an offer he can’t refuse.” See this if you haven’t, I give it a
high recommendation.
Sorry for the late posting. I fell asleep after coming
back from work. Stay tuned next week when we look at the second in “The
Godfather Trilogy” in “Francis Ford Coppola Month.”
