Special 25th anniversary presentation of one of the most acclaimed movies of all time, Academy Awards for best picture, best actor (Marlon Brando) and best screenplay adaptation (Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola), and nominations for direction, supporting actor, costume, sound and film editing. The first film to garner more than $100 million in its initial release. Selected by the Library of Congress to be included in the USA National Film Registry. This new print was struck from the original negative and has a digitally enhanced stereo soundtrack.
Brando plays Vito Corleone, Don of one of New York's five major Mafia families. Sonny (James Caan) is the heir, Fredo (John Cazale) the rather ineffectual second son and Michael (Al Pacino) the civilian (meaning that he plays no part in the family business). One day there is a move from one of the families to set up narcotics as a protected venture. In the push and shove of inter-family commerce sometimes the tactics turn to blood and Don Corleone is the first target. Blood, crime, and tension escalate until out and out warfare threatens.
Special Agent Matti
Belissimo!
This was the first time that I saw The Godfather and it is huge. Dark, dark, dark; innocence has no meaning when the bullets start flying. Nor does past service to the family. If you cross me, you must die. Machismo rules the men, while the women are fiery Italianas. Nobody's hands are clean. I'm rambling. I know I'm rambling, but when you sit through a three hour film and don't know where the time went, you know you're in the presence of something big.
Now I don't particularly like James Caan as an actor but that didn't matter in this case. Everyone performed superbly, especially Marlon Brando and Al Pacino. There is an intensity that white bread films about happy Anglo families in the suburbs just can't achieve. The Godfather is definitely brown bread. The plot: machinations of guile, stealth, muscle, bluster and blood. What more could you ask for?
Ok, I'm still raving, and there's not much chance of me stopping before lunchtime. Let me just say that this is one of the best films of all time and you must see it.
R 18+
173 minutes (2:53 hours)
DVD rental: 12 October 2001
DVD retail: 1 May 2003
DVD retail: 5 August 2004
