With the recent revelation that The Godfather will be getting a fresh release on Blu-ray once more with the Sapphire Edition in early January, it allows me to do something that I’ve wanted to do since I started writing movie reviews, but never had the opportunity to do:
Review The Godfather.
Believe me, this is harder than you think. This may well be one of my all-time favorites. I’ve seen it literally dozens of times. I will cheerfully recommend it to anyone, and I’ll say that much up front. It features some of Hollywood’s greatest names–Al Pacino, Robert De Niro (in the second one), James Caan and Marlon Brando–and allows them to shine to their fullest potential.
The plot is deep and extensive, showing the inner workings of one of the great Five Families of crime in New York, the Corleones. And as the Corleones tackle their various rivals, they find themselves embroiled with betrayal, assassination, and a changing world from both within and without. Control of the Corleone family will pass through several holders–from patriarch Vito, to violent, vicious hood Santino (also known as Sonny), down to Michael, the honorable war hero who discovers a ruthless streak.
If you were to call this a slice-of-life drama you wouldn’t be terribly far wrong, even though all the characters are fictional to at least some degree. It’s almost terrifyingly easy to slip into the New York that The Godfather presents–it’s immersive on a level that few other movies are. It’s a deep and rich tale, and it’s not hard to believe why this sucker got two sequels, a legion of follow-ups and imitators, and a host of rereleases.
It may well be one of the finest movies of its type. Sure, some might find it overlong, with some parts that could’ve been removed, and they might be right. But removing these parts would remove some of the shine from the whole package, almost like taking the chrome off a classic car.
And I tell you this much, I still get goosebumps whenever I hear the Godfather Waltz. It may well be among the most easily recognizable waltzes ever made, and I personally find it one of the most beautiful.
The whole thing builds to a fever pitch with an ending both complex and beautiful in its machinations, displaying a plot of incredible dimensions.
The Screenhead Ten Scale, meanwhile, nods its assent to my love for The Godfather and hands it a full-on ten out of ten. A deep and powerful classic the likes of which no man has ever seen, it deserves every rerelease and accolade it gets. For those of you who have yet to see this one, do. Absolutely do. It’s too good not to.
