Movie Review: "Godfather - Part 1

The Godfather – Part 1 (1972)

Director: Francis Ford Coppola Writers: Mario Puzo (novel)
Release Date: 24 March 1972 (USA) Genre: Drama | Thriller

Actors:

Marlon Brando ...as Don Vito Corleone

Al Pacino ...as Michael Corleone

James Caan ...as Santino 'Sonny' Corleone

Richard S. Castellano ...as Peter Clemenza,

Robert Duvall ...as Tom Hagen

This supposed to be the best movie made ever and after watching the movie I won’t disagree. I wanted to see this movie for so long as every time any gangster movie releases, people say it has been inspired by “Godfather”. But somehow or other I couldn’t watch it till today. What trigger me to go fetch this DVD from library is hindi movie “Sarkar” which is brilliantly enacted by Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan. And it is said that “Sarkar” is heavily inspired by “Godfather”. So I thought if inspired movie is so good then the original has to be outstanding and I can say after watching this movie it is outstanding and brilliant movie made ever.

What makes this movie the best is brilliant script, brilliant direction and above all perfect casting. Each and every actor outperformed his role. I was watching this movie after 36 years after it released. But it still feels so fresh and contemporary. After watching this movie I realized that almost every gangster movie I watched has been inspired by “Godfather” some way or the other. So it can be said as a bible for gangster movie.

I don’t whats up with these gangster movies which we love, we know whatever they are doing is illegal, wrong not ethical but we still get involved in these movies. And above all we start liking these characters. I think what we like is the Power or Control these people posses there arrogance is attractive for people. Everyone of us secretly has a desire to posses a power to control whole world. That’s what this movie shows the main character Don Vito Carleone posses the power and contacts. There are people to catch every word out of his mouth. He controls people around him like puppet. And that’s why movie poster has puppet strings.

This movie is a story of a Don for whom most important things are control and his family. It is a story of falling of Don Vito Carleon and emerging of his son as Don which he never expected or wanted to be in his business. The movie is about his rivalry with other families (read gang). He don’t take money for favors he does for people he want there loyalty for him. It is a story of a Don who even though mafia king works on ethics, his refusal to get involve in drugs even though it involve big money or dire consequences otherwise. He chose other option and so if other family wants to do the drugs Don Carleone has to die. And that’s what other family tries, they attack him. And this trying time Don’e youngest son has to get involve in the family business to save his father although he was reluctant to get involve earlier.

Every scene and all the actor is brilliant in this movie but highlights of it is acting of Marlon Brando and Al Pacino. Then there is scene in which right hand of Don carleon is strangled is outstanding. And with so lively expressions. And there are some dialogues which can not be forgotten ever, like “I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse” and “It's not personal. This is business”.

All I can say in the end is Don’t miss this movie. I am going to fetch the DVD of other two parts as soon as possible. As for Rating for this movie it gets 10/10.