what\'s so great about the godfather?
 

ok so the godfather is like the highest ranked film at imdb.com and the AFI.

But WHY do people always say it's THE best film?

I have seen like a ton movies and the story is ok and MB acts real good.
But in my opinion ganster movies like Casino or Godfellas have a way better story and for example the action of Peter o Tool in Lawrence of arabia is way better than MB in the godfather.


So why do you think the godfather is a great movie?

Re: what\'s so great about the godfather?
 

XXXXXXXXSpoilers - shouldn't have to warn, but what the heck XXXXX


Script - It has some of the best dialogue scenes I've ever seen. From the funeral parlor guy asking Don Corleone for "justice", to Vito telling Johnny Fontane to "act like a man!" and telling Michael "I never wanted this for you..." - one of the most touching scenes.

Acting - 100% perfect acting from Marlon Brando - look at his face when he says "Look how they massacred my boy [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] " perfect acting from Al Pacino, Duvall and James Caan.

Music - the main theme, which I find myself humming constantly is up there with the top movie themes in my opinion. How it changes depending on what is going on (ie: the sad, nearly crying sound, as Vito explains to Michael that he had hoped Michael would become something more than a gangster)

Directing: So much to say here, but one scene in particular that I thought was well filmed: the fight between Connie and her husband

Characters: Epitome of a 1940's family, and the development of Michael from the innocent son to the man that will do what needs to be done for his family.

^Those are some of the reasons The Godfather is my favorite movie.

I've seen it dozens of times, and it never gets old. I always feel sad when Vito is told Sonny is dead, when Tessio asks Tom to let him off the hook, when Vito dies in the garden, when Michael tells his father "I'm with you."

Re: what\'s so great about the godfather?
 

Personally, I agree with you concerning Goodfellas. I don't know if I would go so far as to call Casino a better movie than Godfather, but I certainly do consider Goodfellas to be the greatest gangster movie of all time.

Goodfella's is much more realistic than Godfather, and imo Scorcese just cannot be topped when it comes to a gangster movie. I know he directed Casino too, but I'm not sure if it tops The Godfather.

Ever seen "The Departed"? Great flick btw.

Re: what\'s so great about the godfather?
 

first of all I dont say the godfather is a bad movie.
I didnt say casino is better - I said the story is better. The story of godfather is more or less just the development of the boy and vengence.

@ Taso :
thanks for your reply. I get your points. Yet I dont see why few outstanding scenes (acting-wise) makes this the best movie ever. but I respect peoples opinion about this.

Re: what\'s so great about the godfather?
 

The Godfather is a great movie, no doubt about it, but I don't see how people rate it higher than the second one. The 1920s scenes in TGII are the only thing that I've seen to rival Citizen Kane in depth of artistry. Not a wasted frame and every shot says so much. Part I is clearly in the top ten, but Part II for my money is the second best movie of all time.

Lawrence of Arabia is a great film too. Best screenplay to a movie ever, IMO, and the best "Exactly who the hell am I?" story ever put on film. I'd rate it higher than TGI, but not higher than II.

Re: what\'s so great about the godfather?
 

It's the story of the passing of the torch through the generations, and by extension how a whole culture gets passed along, and sometimes not particularly by initial design.

I'd say the whole plot with Barzini and the Turk and all is pretty good, and richer than Goodfellas.

Re the acting, it was outstanding in more than a few scenes, and it took a great director to use it to in full, yet not let the movie simply worship its actors, but keep moving and developing. I think this is the kind of movie that grows on you as you see it more, and pick out the fine points of the performances. A whole lot remains unsaid and is conveyed in little looks passed back and forth, including key realizations of the characters themselves which drive the story. It's a movie that's very alert to nuances of behavior and character, and also a great story simply of family.

Re: what\'s so great about the godfather?
 

Q: what's so great about the godfather?

A: everything

Re: what\'s so great about the godfather?
 

Ok, I think many people get turned off of this story for one major reason: IT IS A BOOK. They do a pretty good job of getting everything in the movie, but there is so much that is left unsaid that is better in the book. Read the book, rewatch the movie, and then tell me this movie isn't ridiculously good.

Re: what\'s so great about the godfather?
 

I love how The Godfather uses the same basic plot as the novel, but does it in a totally different way with a totally different style. Puzo's book goes off on a tangent every page about some family's history or some character's business or some word's origin. The film is so much more focused, and beautifully so (but as AceLuby said, it's kinda fun to see the movie while having all the extra stuff in your head). I don't think reading the book is necessary, though, and it'll probably be disappointing to someone who has already seen the film.

Re: what\'s so great about the godfather?
 

[ QUOTE ]
The Godfather is a great movie, no doubt about it, but I don't see how people rate it higher than the second one. The 1920s scenes in TGII are the only thing that I've seen to rival Citizen Kane in depth of artistry. Not a wasted frame and every shot says so much.

[/ QUOTE ]
I absolutely love the 1920s scenes in GF2. I actually watch those scenes fairly often.

Problem is, the "modern day" scenes in GF2 aren't as interesting as the main story in GF1.

Re: what\'s so great about the godfather?
 

[ QUOTE ]
first of all I dont say the godfather is a bad movie.
I didnt say casino is better - I said the story is better. The story of godfather is more or less just the development of the boy and vengence.

@ Taso :
thanks for your reply. I get your points. Yet I dont see why few outstanding scenes (acting-wise) makes this the best movie ever. but I respect peoples opinion about this.

[/ QUOTE ]


I did not mean those were the only good scenes. Personally, I find almost all the scenes masterful in terms of script, scoring, and acting.

A few others that I loved:

The horse head - the mysterious take on the main theme as the hollywood producer wakes up, the slow camera pan, and then the cut to the outside of the house as you hear Woltz screaming

Tom meeting with Woltz:

Woltz: I don't care how many daigo guinea WOP greaseball gumbahs come out of the woodwork!

Tom: I'm German-Irish...

Woltz: Well let me tell you something my Kraut Mick friend...


When Michael asks Enzo the baker('s son?) to help him scare off the bad guys, and afterwards Enzo can't light his cigarette because his hands are too shaky, Michael lights it for him and then notices his hands are dead still.

The Wedding scene in the begining, all around I thought was great and well done. A great introduction to some Italian culture.

Towards the end when Mike is in Las Vegas, meeting with Moe Greene, "I'm Moe Greene, I made my bones while you were going out with cheerleaders!" and even better,

Michael: Fredo, you're my older brother, and I love you. But don't ever take sides with anyone against the Family again. Ever.

The shock and sadness, maybe even betrayal, you can tell that Tom feels when Mike tells him he isn't consiegliere anymore.

The big assassination scene, probably one of the greatest in any movie, ending with Michael walking into Carlo's house, "You have to answer for Santino, Carlo." Ohhh [censored].

And there's actualyl a bunch more that I think are INCREDIBLE, but I'll stop here with one of my favorites, and that is when Kay asks Michael if he killed Carlo, and he smacks the table and shouts "ENOUGH", and tension fills the screen, and then he camly says, "this one time, I'll let you ask me about my affairs" and she does, and he lies looking right into her eyes, and as we see the Captains kiss his hand, and call him Don Corleone, and the door closes, we know he has become like his father, able to do what is needed for his family.

Re: what\'s so great about the godfather?
 

[ QUOTE ]
The Godfather is a great movie, no doubt about it, but I don't see how people rate it higher than the second one. The 1920s scenes in TGII are the only thing that I've seen to rival Citizen Kane in depth of artistry. Not a wasted frame and every shot says so much. Part I is clearly in the top ten, but Part II for my money is the second best movie of all time.

Lawrence of Arabia is a great film too. Best screenplay to a movie ever, IMO, and the best "Exactly who the hell am I?" story ever put on film. I'd rate it higher than TGI, but not higher than II.

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The second one had a major flaw in the modern story line, and that was when they attempted to kill Pantangelini in the bar, and for no apparent reason the guy says "michael corleone says hello", which really threw me for a loop the first few times I saw it, trying to figure it out, and then I realized it was just a mistake, an ad-libbed line, by the way, that should have been taken out because it didn't make any sense.

Re: what\'s so great about the godfather?
 

When I first saw it in the theater, I felt it was the best movie I had ever seen. Everything about it: the acting, the story, the music. It was the first movie where the violence was so palpable. There are so many memorable scenes: the wedding, the horsehead, Michael shooting Salazzo and the cop, Grandpa Vito playing with his grandson when he dies, and, of course, the Sicily scenes, the final shot of the look on Kay's face as the door closes on the new Godfather. I've never seen a more entertaining movie.

Re: what\'s so great about the godfather?
 

[img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

I am too young to have seen the godfather in cinema.

I also think about how it would be to see a film like ben hur or lawrence of arabia in a cinema with the glorius anthem at the beginning. must be freaking awesome.

I also have to admit I havent seen godfather 2. I guess thats a pretty big leak in my game and I will fix this pretty soon.

Re: what\'s so great about the godfather?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Ok, I think many people get turned off of this story for one major reason: IT IS A BOOK. They do a pretty good job of getting everything in the movie, but there is so much that is left unsaid that is better in the book. Read the book, rewatch the movie, and then tell me this movie isn't ridiculously good.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't think many people get turned off of the Godfather. I don't understand the rest of your post.

Re: what\'s so great about the godfather?
 

[ QUOTE ]
I love how The Godfather uses the same basic plot as the novel, but does it in a totally different way with a totally different style. Puzo's book goes off on a tangent every page about some family's history or some character's business or some word's origin. The film is so much more focused, and beautifully so (but as AceLuby said, it's kinda fun to see the movie while having all the extra stuff in your head). I don't think reading the book is necessary, though, and it'll probably be disappointing to someone who has already seen the film.

[/ QUOTE ]

I saw the movie first, and loved the book.

Re: what\'s so great about the godfather?
 

[ QUOTE ]
When I first saw it in the theater, I felt it was the best movie I had ever seen. Everything about it: the acting, the story, the music. It was the first movie where the violence was so palpable. There are so many memorable scenes: the wedding, the horsehead, Michael shooting Salazzo and the cop, Grandpa Vito playing with his grandson when he dies, and, of course, the Sicily scenes, the final shot of the look on Kay's face as the door closes on the new Godfather. I've never seen a more entertaining movie.

[/ QUOTE ]

The shoot-out at the tollbooth was awe and dread-inspiring, too. At the time, there were few scenes of such violence and such feeling combined. The murder of Luca Brasi was terrifying and a shocking surprise, too.

I loved the bit where Clemenza is casually peeing while terrible things happen, too. And where Luca Brasi is rehearsing over and over the simple blessing he will wish on his Godfather and the happy couple, topped with the priceless, "May your first child, be a masculine child." And the godfather's amusement and affection for the guy, who was, especially in the book, an incredibly brutal, cold-blooded killer. BUT, a faultlessly loyal and grateful one.

Re: what\'s so great about the godfather?
 

[ QUOTE ]
:(

I am too young to have seen the godfather in cinema.

I also think about how it would be to see a film like ben hur or lawrence of arabia in a cinema with the glorius anthem at the beginning. must be freaking awesome.

I also have to admit I havent seen godfather 2. I guess thats a pretty big leak in my game and I will fix this pretty soon.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'll vouch for Lawrence of Arabia being close to mandatory on a big screen -- ideally a really big one. The photograpy is fantastic, and the desert shots have much more grandeur when not cramped into the small screen. That adds significantly to the film, and you lose out when you don't get that amazement at the visual impact.

Re: what\'s so great about the godfather?
 

One thing that I think is interesting about Godfather (and many gangster films, for that matter, but more so for this one) is that the protagonists are BAD guys. They are, for the most part, despicable human beings (Michael is an exception), but we end up heavily rooting for them and becoming emotionally attached to their characters.

Re: what\'s so great about the godfather?
 

[ QUOTE ]
When I first saw it in the theater, I felt it was the best movie I had ever seen. Everything about it: the acting, the story, the music. It was the first movie where the violence was so palpable. There are so many memorable scenes: the wedding, the horsehead, Michael shooting Salazzo and the cop, Grandpa Vito playing with his grandson when he dies, and, of course, the Sicily scenes, the final shot of the look on Kay's face as the door closes on the new Godfather. I've never seen a more entertaining movie.

[/ QUOTE ]

If you have the DVD (it goes for $10 or so) watch the film with Coppola's comments. He apparently came close to getting fired (I think the raw footage of the shooting scene in the restaurant saved him) and corners had to be cut everywhere. Very entertaining to sat the least.

Godfather 2 was very good but I agree with the other poster. The 1920's scenes with DeNiro were A+ but the follow on story to the original Godfather was a cut below. Still a great achievement.

~ Rick

Re: what\'s so great about the godfather?
 

[ QUOTE ]
One thing that I think is interesting about Godfather (and many gangster films, for that matter, but more so for this one) is that the protagonists are BAD guys. They are, for the most part, despicable human beings (Michael is an exception), but we end up heavily rooting for them and becoming emotionally attached to their characters.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, this was unusual for the time, and was one of the wonders of the film. It was also a breathtaking look at capitalism and the social goals tied in with it. Vito Corleone was an entrepreneur, the truest kind of American that could ever be produced, in his way. He was simply one without morality, at least in a conventional sense. In the same way that capitalism, and really the world at large, is essentially without morality. His tribal sense of morality rings a bell with all of us easily, even if we decry it, which many of us don't. What is the family but the first tribe? That infantile morality can resonate and hold value well into adulthood, and join battle strongly with anything we would like to think more evolved. Vito Corleone was Horatio Alger with a pistol. How could we not cheer his repulsive rise?

Re: what\'s so great about the godfather?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
When I first saw it in the theater, I felt it was the best movie I had ever seen. Everything about it: the acting, the story, the music. It was the first movie where the violence was so palpable. There are so many memorable scenes: the wedding, the horsehead, Michael shooting Salazzo and the cop, Grandpa Vito playing with his grandson when he dies, and, of course, the Sicily scenes, the final shot of the look on Kay's face as the door closes on the new Godfather. I've never seen a more entertaining movie.

[/ QUOTE ]

If you have the DVD (it goes for $10 or so) watch the film with Coppola's comments. He apparently came close to getting fired (I think the raw footage of the shooting scene in the restaurant saved him) and corners had to be cut everywhere. Very entertaining to sat the least.

Godfather 2 was very good but I agree with the other poster. The 1920's scenes with DeNiro were A+ but the follow on story to the original Godfather was a cut below. Still a great achievement.

~ Rick

[/ QUOTE ]

Main reason for this: The 1920's stuff w/ Vito is in the book and the stuff after Vito died (the 'current' Michael plot) was not in the book and added to the movie. The big reason why GF3 was so terrible.

For the poster that didn't understand my post, what's not to understand? The movie glosses over many of the details that the book dives very heavily into. The book tells the story so much better, but the movie does a decent job of capturing the most important parts.

I was very fortunate to read the book first and watch the movies after (all 3 at once no less which is AWESOME!!!).

Re: what\'s so great about the godfather?
 

The final shot of the film (the door closing over Diane Keaton's worried face) is the greatest shot in the history of the movies and I get chills every time I see it. I have chills now just thinking about it.

Re: what\'s so great about the godfather?
 

[ QUOTE ]
The final shot of the film (the door closing over Diane Keaton's worried face) is the greatest shot in the history of the movies and I get chills every time I see it. I have chills now just thinking about it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Are you going to show us your "O" face?

Re: what\'s so great about the godfather?
 

O -- O -- O --

Re: what\'s so great about the godfather?
 

Don't forget the cannolis!!

Now that sums it all up!

Re: what\'s so great about the godfather?
 

AceLuby,

I love the Godfather novel, but at heart it's really just a trashy pulpy beach read (and not all that well written, even just compared to Puzo's other novels). MP had written a few critically lauded books, but he wasn't making any money, so he decided to just crank out something meant solely for popularity and commercial success. It worked. THEN in the film version he and Coppola took the time and applied the artistry to make it great and layered with symbolism and overarching thematic elements. It worked.

Again, I love the novel, but what I'm saying is 1) just because the book seems to have more stuff doesn't mean it's better (most of the great symbolism in the film works on you unconsciously), and 2) Puzo was very involved in the writing of all the films, so saying the plot from the book is good and the newer stories original to the screenplays are bad is oversimplified and doesn't really make sense, imo.

Re: what\'s so great about the godfather?
 

goodfellas is a more accurate depiction of the mob imo. i still really like godfather, though goodfellas is my fav movie.

Re: what\'s so great about the godfather?
 

[ QUOTE ]
AceLuby,

I love the Godfather novel, but at heart it's really just a trashy pulpy beach read (and not all that well written, even just compared to Puzo's other novels). MP had written a few critically lauded books, but he wasn't making any money, so he decided to just crank out something meant solely for popularity and commercial success. It worked. THEN in the film version he and Coppola took the time and applied the artistry to make it great and layered with symbolism and overarching thematic elements. It worked.

Again, I love the novel, but what I'm saying is 1) just because the book seems to have more stuff doesn't mean it's better (most of the great symbolism in the film works on you unconsciously), and 2) Puzo was very involved in the writing of all the films, so saying the plot from the book is good and the newer stories original to the screenplays are bad is oversimplified and doesn't really make sense, imo.

[/ QUOTE ]

GF3 was a travesty, mostly because of the acting, but the writing wasn't nearly on par w/ the other 2. I was also only giving a possible reason why people like GF1 and the Vito part in GF2, but don't like the new Michael stuff in GF2 or 3. Seems like a common denominator to me.

I also have to respectfully disagree that the film does a better job at the symbolism. You miss a lot of it by not knowing the details the book provides. Obviously just my opinion here, and I'm not saying the movie is bad by any stretch, I'm just trying to convert some of the nay sayers to read the whole story and give the movie another try.

Re: what\'s so great about the godfather?
 

[ QUOTE ]

I was also only giving a possible reason why people like GF1 and the Vito part in GF2, but don't like the new Michael stuff in GF2 or 3. Seems like a common denominator to me.

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The Vito scenes in GF2 are so good that it took away from the Michael story in GF2. Michael is struggling to save the Corleone family, he almost got killed in his own home, his marriage is falling apart, his enemies are out to get him etc etc. All the Vito stuff takes away attention from the great personal + business struggle that Michael is going through. He is fighting to survive here.

Re: what\'s so great about the godfather?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

I was also only giving a possible reason why people like GF1 and the Vito part in GF2, but don't like the new Michael stuff in GF2 or 3. Seems like a common denominator to me.

[/ QUOTE ]
The Vito scenes in GF2 are so good that it took away from the Michael story in GF2. Michael is struggling to save the Corleone family, he almost got killed in his own home, his marriage is falling apart, his enemies are out to get him etc etc. All the Vito stuff takes away attention from the great personal + business struggle that Michael is going through. He is fighting to survive here.

[/ QUOTE ]

Totally agree. Personally I like GF2 better because of the Michael part, only because I read the book and knew the Vito part already.

Re: what\'s so great about the godfather?
 

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I was also only giving a possible reason why people like GF1 and the Vito part in GF2, but don't like the new Michael stuff in GF2 or 3. Seems like a common denominator to me.

[/ QUOTE ]
The Vito scenes in GF2 are so good that it took away from the Michael story in GF2. Michael is struggling to save the Corleone family, he almost got killed in his own home, his marriage is falling apart, his enemies are out to get him etc etc. All the Vito stuff takes away attention from the great personal + business struggle that Michael is going through. He is fighting to survive here.

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Totally agree. Personally I like GF2 better because of the Michael part, only because I read the book and knew the Vito part already.

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Also agreed on the Vito/Michael scenes not fitting together well in GF2. The movie isn't put together nearly as well as the first.

Re: what\'s so great about the godfather?
 

I've seen II at least a half a dozen times and I still don't understand the Michael plot.

Re: what\'s so great about the godfather?
 

Yeah, you're not alone I'm sure. It can take quite a few runs through to start to get the pieces coordinated, and that's a pretty big flaw in a movie.