My Review of "The Godfather"

The Godfather is a classic movie that came out back in 1972. It's an acclaimed movie that is worshipped by many. I have to admit I didn't watch it until I was in my twenties. When I did I actually did a 9 hour binge watch of the trilogy. It was that earth shattering for me. Never have I seen a movie with so much world building and believable motives than this series.

The movie starts off with an introduction of who the godfather is. We have a baker pleading to the godfather, Vito, for help. It's civilized and calm. Not what we expect from an organized crime kingpin. Then again these were somewhat more civilized times. People are making deals on handshakes and taking people by their word. That's kind of the appeal to this movie. Honor really is honor and we see people making civilized agreements together despite being mortal enemies.

It's the day of the godfather's daughter, Connie's, wedding. Vito can't refuse a request on this day so there's a huge lineup to see him. This is a great way to introduce the characters because everyone who is someone has to be at this wedding. We get introduced to all the key players in this situation, namely the siblings.

We have Fredo who is the oldest brother of the family. Unfortunately he's not the sharpest tool in the shed. They love him because he's family but he seems a bit incompetent.

Then we have Sonny who is the hot headed middle brother. He is philandering about at his own sister's wedding. It's funny because he reminds me of what we normally associate organized crime bosses to be.

Finally we have Michael who this movie is really about. Michael is a civilian which means he isn't associated with the family's organized crime business. He's recently come back from fighting in World War two so he's also a war hero. In this first introduction he is narrating to his girlfriend Kay what the whole family is about and who each of the characters are. He assures her that he doesn't want anything to do with this dark lifestyle.

That works well with his family as well because Vito doesn't want Michael to be part of this business. He wants bigger and better things for him. Unfortunately no one is going to get what they wanted as things really hit the fan when a certain deal pops up.

Some of the other organized crime bosses want to introduce a new syndicate that deals with narcotics. Vito is adamant against the selling of drugs and refuses to help out. Of course greed from the other crime bosses won't allow no for an answer. This cascades into a spiraling war between all of the crime syndicates resulting in Vito being shot.

With the godfather out of commission Sonny has to take the mantle and with Sonny's manic personality this does not bode well for anyone. That's when the movie really takes off. Although it's quite fascinating from start to finish.

What I love about this movie is that all the pieces of the movie make sense. There's logic behind all of the moves and motivations. The world that they build is alive and lived in with fantastic believable characters. I could identify with most of the characters involved in this movie.

There are certain scenes that were very graphic at the time and in theory they are still quite gruesome but over time the special effects don't really do this movie justice. Hey it came out in the 1970s but the acting is so well done that you don't really care. You can tell that everything that they do in this movie is meticulous and well thought out.

Some may have issues with this movie but it is kind of a proper portrayal of what it was like back in the 1940s and spanning decades. People really did think like this and to remove the racism and sexism in this movie would be removing history. I understood what it was and you really have to go in with that mindset.

Then again this movie is quite long and pretty complicated. There are a slew of characters that you have to keep track of. I have to admit I was a little confused through my first viewing of this movie. Though the details aren't quite as important as the character development of Michael and the people surrounding him. That's what you're supposed to be focusing your attention on.

The complicated nature of this movie makes it better after multiple viewings. Each time you viewing it you kind of understand it a little more. You can really see the thought and care in the way they set things up when you watch it again. The next viewings will allow you to understand the relationships a little better and even appreciate what they did in building up the rivalries they had.

It's funny because at the time a 3 hour movie was too long. This movie used to have an intermission because it was that long. Nowadays this is kind of the norm and people don't even bat an eye at the length.

Not everyone will get into this movie. I have to admit it is a male driven movie. It kind of reminds me of a civilized caveman time. Things were lawless however I still love the fact that people based their understanding of each other off of reputation. Today we still base things on reputation but it's different. In this movie you can trust people because a person is reputed to be honest. It's kind of crazy how we don't have that at all anymore in today's society.

Overall, I still love this movie. I don't know how many times I've seen it and still get something out of watching it another time. The three hours still just fly by whenever I watch it. I really get engaged in this world and the characters. It's almost as if I've fallen into a virtual world. I have to give this movie a 10 out of 10. This is still one of my favorites of all time and if you haven't seen it give it a try.