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The Godfather - Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Francis Ford Coppola

Threat advisory: Severe - Severe risk of entertaining activities

Movie propaganda

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.

Theatrical propaganda posters

Target demographic movie keyword propaganda

Film crime Mafia family Sicily New York

Persons of interest

Marlon Brando .... Don Vito Corleone
Al Pacino .... Michael Corleone
James Caan .... Sonny Corleone
Richard S Castellano .... Clemenza
Robert Duvall .... Tom Hagen
Sterling Hayden .... Captain McCluskey
John Marley .... Jack Woltz
Richard Conte .... Barzini
Al Lettieri .... Sollozzo
Diane Keaton .... Kay Adams
Abe Vigoda .... Sal Tessio
Talia Shire .... Connie
Gianni Russo .... Carlo Rizzi
John Cazale .... Fredo
Rudy Bond .... Cuneo
Al Martino .... Johnny Fontane
Morgana King .... Mama Corleone
Mario Puzo .... Author
Francis Ford Coppola .... Screenwriter
Mario Puzo .... Screenwriter
Francis Ford Coppola .... Director

Cinematic intelligence sources

Awards and film festivals:

Region 4 2002: Best Box Set presentation

Studios and distributors:

Paramount Pictures

Intelligence analyst

Special Agent Matti

Theatrical report

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.

Media intelligence (DVD collection)

Picture: Widescreen
On location - documentary from 6th street and interviews with production designer Dean Tavoularis and others
The Godfather family: A look inside - 73 minute documentary
Screen tests and rehearsals
The cinematography of The Godfather - visions of light focussing on Gordon Willis
The music of The Godfather - 2 Featurettes featuring Nina Rota and Carmine Coppola
Storyboards from The Godfather part III
Additional scenes
The Corleone family tree - a timeline of events in the Corleone family from 1898 and real historical events
Academy Award acceptance speeches
Photo gallery with captions
Trailer: Theatricals
The Godfather around the world - taking one scene and cutting between different languages
Filmmaker biographies
The Francis Coppola workbook - a newly created interview piece on Francis' workbook and process
Coppola/Puzo screenplay - footage from the 25th anniversary interviews and other archive footage
Commentary: Francis for all 3 films