The Godfather
Overview
The Godfather is a 1972 epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, based on Mario Puzo's best-selling novel. The film is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential films ever made, and it launched one of cinema's most celebrated franchises. The story is set in the mid-1940s and follows the Corleone family, one of the most powerful Mafia dynasties in New York City. The patriarch, Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando), is known as the Godfather, a man of immense power and respect who dispenses favors and justice from his dark office on the wedding day of his daughter Connie (Talia Shire). The film opens with the famous line, "I believe in America," as a man asks the Godfather for justice that the American legal system cannot provide. Vito has three sons: the hot-headed, violent Santino "Sonny" (James Caan), the weak and womanizing Fredo (John Cazale), and the quiet, reluctant Michael (Al Pacino), a decorated World War II veteran who wants nothing to do with the family business. When a rival drug lord, Virgil "The Turk" Sollozzo (Al Lettieri), tries to force the Corleones into the narcotics trade, Vito refuses, leading to an assassination attempt that nearly kills him. With Vito in the hospital, Sonny takes control, and Michael is drawn into the conflict. Michael kills Sollozzo and a corrupt police captain at a Bronx restaurant, then flees to Sicily to hide. While in Sicily, Michael falls in love with and marries a local woman, Apollonia, but she is killed in a car bomb intended for him. Meanwhile, Sonny is brutally gunned down at a causeway toll booth. Michael returns to America, takes his place as the new head of the family, and orchestrates a stunning, bloody revenge — having the heads of the other four families murdered while he attends his nephew's baptism, renouncing Satan even as his men commit murder. The film ends with Michael lying to his wife Kay (Diane Keaton) about his involvement, and the famous door closing on her as he becomes the new Godfather. Marlon Brando's performance as Vito Corleone is legendary — his mumbling voice, his cat, his hidden power. Al Pacino's transformation from innocent war hero to cold-blooded don is one of cinema's greatest character arcs. The Godfather won three Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Actor for Marlon Brando, and Best Adapted Screenplay. It earned over $250 million worldwide and forever changed the way Hollywood made films about crime, family, and power.
