Monday, November 7, 2011

Movie of the Week – The Godfather

This week’s movie is The Godfather (1972).

The first part of the crime drama trilogy is about the aging patriarch of a crime family and the ascension of his reluctant son. It is directed and written by Francis Ford Coppola, who was probably the greatest working director of the 70s with films like The Godfather and The Godfather: Part II, The Conversation and Apocalypse Now. He worked with composer Nino Rota, cinematographer Gordon Willis and production designer Dean Tavoularis – all of which do fantastic work. The cast is also fantastic, especially the leads Marlon Brando and Al Pacino. James Caan, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, Al Lettieri, and John Cazale are great in support. The Godfather is ranked number three on AFI’s list of the top 100 American films of all-time and is one of the most iconic gangster films. With the end of the production code in the 60s, filmmakers had a lot more artistic freedom and the ability to show much more graphic material, both of these aspects influence the style that Coppola creates with the film. It is one of the shining moments for filmmakers working in this era “New Hollywood”. Coppola emerged as part of the new group of American auteurs who would change cinema (along with Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and Brian De Palma; Roman Polanski is also usually included in this group too, though he is not American). This is a must-see for all cinema fans, and especially those who like gangster films. Check out the trailer.


Available on Blu-ray, DVD and Streaming

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