The Godfather Movie Review

Films have always been a controversial topic of discussion. Everybody has their own opinion about any topic there is, especially films. However, when the vast majority of people can come together and call something the greatest of all time, that is a rare and special case. Since it was released in theaters in 1972, The Godfather has often been considered to be the greatest films of all time (alongside Citizen Kane). High School Freshman Jacob Huttenberger said, “I’ll admit, I don’t have much of an attention span. But even though this movie was three hours long, it managed to keep me engaged throughout the entire movie. The story is just fascinating and the characters are very well portrayed.” This film follows the Corloeone Crime Family led by Vito Corleone. Vito has four children Michael, Sonny, Connie, and Fredo. Sonny and Fredo are a part of Vito’s mafia while Michael has been off fighting in World War Two. He comes back in time for his sister’s wedding where he slowly begins to make his own way into the “family business”. Vito and his gang show Michael their way of living and how to act and what to say when they are “working”. When Vito is shot and hospitalized by a rival family, Michael is left to take his father’s place. The film takes you on a journey into a different world with unique rules and people. In order to fully bring this world to life however, the cast could be nothing short of amazing which they were. Marlon Brando, who plays Vito, won an Oscar for best actor and the movie overall won the Best Picture award. However, the movie is full of wonderful and intense performances, other than Marlon Brando, the most notable performance would be that of James Caan, as Vito’s son Sonny. He goes from playing a carefree, happy person in the beginning of the film to anxious, angry, and intense as the film progresses. High School Freshman Priyanshu Mendirstta said this regarding Marlon Brando’s performance, “It is one of the best performances I have ever seen in a movie. Marlon Brando brings his character to life and actually makes him feel like a real person with real struggles despite being portrayed by his peers as a once in a lifetime person.” Perhaps the most engaging thing about The Godfather is the fact that every line spoken, every bit of body language, every character decision, and facial expression of the characters both makes sense and is important to the plot later on. One example of this is Sonny’s quick change of expression when he sees an unwanted photographer taking pictures of his family during his sisters wedding. He explodes into anger, breaks the camera and throws the man into a car, only for his brother to point out that he is overreacting. This shows Sonny’s temper and strong feelings for his family which show up in the film again when he discovers that Connie’s husband abuses her and he lets his anger take control by almost beating him to death.