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Al Pacino, James Caan, John Cazale, Marlon Brando, Richard S. Castellano ...( see more  see more... ) , Robert Duvall , Diane Keaton , Talia Shire

Epic tale of a 1940s New York Mafia family and their struggle to protect their empire from rival families as the leadership switches from the father to his youngest son.

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97% liked it

611,003 ratings

Critics

100% liked it

64 critics

R, 2 hr. 55 min.

Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola

Release Date: March 24, 1972

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DVD Release Date: October 9, 2001

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Stats: 51,120 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (51,120)

  • magnum32004
    January 22, 2008
    magnum32004
    The original crime saga that still holds up to this day.
  • DrZeek
    January 24, 2010
    DrZeek
    Michael: ...Well when Johnny was first starting out, he was signed to this contract with a big-band leader. And as his career got better and better he wanted to get out of it. Now, Johnny is my father's godson. My father went to see the bandleader, with a contract for $10,000 to ...( read more)let Johnny go, but the bandleader said no. So the next day, my father went to see the bandleader again, only this time with Luca Brasi. Within an hour, the bandleader signed the release, with a certified check of $1000.
    Kay Adams: How did he do that?
    Michael: My father made him an offer he couldn't refuse.
    Kay Adams: What was it?
    Michael: Luca Brasi held a gun to his head, and my father assured the bandleader, that either his signature or his brains would be on the contract.
    Kay Adams: ...
    Michael: ...That's a true story.

    A movie in which everything is done flawlessly. An epic crime tale that spans nearly ten years, telling the story of one New York Mafia family. Finely acted, written, directed, edited, scored, etc. This is a movie that absorbs me into its realm and leaves me wanting to stay in.

    On the day of Connie Corleone's wedding, the Don Corleone (Marlon Brando) continues his business, taking requests from anyone in attendance. During the wedding, the youngest son, Michael (Al Pacino), returns from WWII as a war hero with his girlfriend Kay (Diane Keaton). Following this wedding, the family business continues, with the Don working with advice from his other sons, Sonny (James Caan) and Tom Hagen (Robert Duvall). However, a decision made by the Don leads to Michael becoming more involved than he or his father ever wanted him to be, leading to Michael's decent into the corrupt world of the mafia, despite his intentions to only want to help out the family for the greater good.

    Based on a bestselling novel, besides having a big name cast for today's standards, at the time, besides Brando and some choice older actors, everyone involved here was a newbie to the screen for the most part, but all manage to give breakout roles, especially Pacino, Caan, and Duvall. Director Francis Ford Coppola was no big name director at the time either, but despite the production problems of studios vs. a small time director, Coppola was able to pull of a masterpiece.

    to Rocco who has killed Paulie in the car]
    Clemenza: Leave the gun. Take the cannoli.

    The film is just great. Many, many memorable scenes throughout. Great characters with wonderful dialogue spread throughout its rich story. The look of this film is just amazing, between the way cert moments are handled to how the images and characters can be juxtaposed to the actions taken. It just has a fantastic cinematic quality that is timeless. This movie ends and I just want to watch the next film.

    I find it hard to write about the Godfather. Putting more praise on a film already regarded as one of the greatest of all time isn't easy. Simply put to conclude, this is just a film that does everything right.

    Michael Corleone: Where does it say that you can't kill a cop?
    Tom Hagen: Come on, Mikey...
    Michael Corleone: Tom, wait a minute. I'm talking about a cop that's mixed up in drugs. I'm talking about a - a - a dishonest cop - a crooked cop who got mixed up in the rackets and got what was coming to him. That's a terrific story. And we have newspaper people on the payroll, don't we, Tom?
    [Tom nods]
    Michael Corleone: And they might like a story like that.
    Tom Hagen: They might, they just might.
    Michael Corleone: [to Sonny] It's not personal, Sonny. It's strictly business.
  • Galeocerdo
    December 13, 2009
    Galeocerdo
    Huge scope, microscopic introspection, and a beautiful examination of family, place and time. Francis Ford Coppola and the incomparable Marlon Brando made the crown jewel of the greatest decade in film history.
  • lewiskendell
    November 30, 2009
    lewiskendell
    The Godfather was one of the dew mafia movies that I was interested in seeing, and it didn't disappoint. Marlon Brando and Al Pacino were both fantastic.
  • SirPant
    September 7, 2009
    SirPant
    The third greatest gangster film ever made with a fantastic cast and directed at a perfect pace. The Godfather is always a joy to watch, and when a three hour film does that, you know its good!
  • DeadAngelLover22
    February 9, 2010
    DeadAngelLover22
    Ok totally a mans film, i understand it's a great movie an all but the ending gets alittle fuzzy for me, still good film thou :)
  • msmizshellz
    February 9, 2010
    msmizshellz
    I don't see what the big deal is about these movies. The acting is great but the movie itself is friggin boring. All of them are
  • vascovj1
    February 6, 2010
    vascovj1
    Oh yes, this is another "Do i really need to rate it 5 stars isnt enough"
  • Bizbeth
    February 6, 2010
    Bizbeth
    It is really, really hard to rate this film purely on the basis that everyone knows the story and the most famous scenes, not to mention the fact that it has been hailed one of the greatest films ever on numerous occasions. So in short, you sit there thinking about whether it wou...( read more)ld have been the greatest film ever made if you had seen in on its original cinema release, rather than now when everyone knows the story. But that said there was no way this film couldn't have been a 5 star one, the acting alone made it so. Marlon Brando was, as always, flawless, I love James Caan and Robert Duvall anyway, but funnily enough considering it is what made him a star it took me a while to see James Caan as dangerous in any way shape or form. And this film was finally proof that once upon a time, before he decided shouting was an acceptable way to show emotion, Al Pacino did know what it meant to play someone with understated and quiet emotion. Pacino has never been an actor I rate very highly, but I thought he was brilliant in this film - it just seems such a shame that he slipped from the standard he set here.
    The cinematography and use of symoblisim in some scenes were fantastic, the work of a real genius - and if it hadn't been for the length of the film then a lot of that genius would have been lost. I loved the fact that the film took its time to tell the story, it built up the character, the suspense, the whole feeling of the film.
    Overall I can see why it is hailed as one of the greatests films ever made, but I think the title may affect the overall impact the film has on modern audience which is a bit of a shame.
  • craissgirl
    February 6, 2010
    craissgirl
    At last I (who claim to love cinema) have seen one of the most historically important movies of all time! Now all I have to do is watch the next two in the series...

    It is VERY hard to write a subjective review for a movie as well-loved and infamous as 'The Godfather'. Even be...( read more)fore sitting down to view it, I knew the story inside and out, had read the novel (and loved it) and seen many of the more iconic scenes on clip shows and the like. I also have a deep and abiding love for Marlon Brando and more than just fleeting respect for James Caan and Robert Duvall. Al Pacino, on the other hand, is an actor I don't have much time for - although this movie proves that once upon a time Pacino did know what it meant to bring subtlety to a performance!

    With all that in mind, I perhaps didn't enjoy the movie as much as I would have done if I were among the first of the cinema-goers in 1972. Much of the movie's impact on me as a viewer had been diluted by my prior knowledge and expectations. In spite of this, I still thoroughly enjoyed watching The Godfather. The performances from the entire cast (Pacino included!) were excellent, the music was beautiful and simply perfect for setting the scene and the direction, along with paying homage to some of the greats like John Ford, clearly demonstrated why Coppola is hailed as a genius.

    Some may level the criticism that The Godfather is overlong, but I enjpyed the fact the movie took time to tell the story, develop character and build to the perfect climactic scene where Kay realises what Michael has become. Fantastic.

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Critic Reviews

January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Ebert Meets the Wachowskis full review

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  • This won an oscar in the 70's and the second part of that movie also won an oscar 2 years after. Which movie is it?  Answer »
  • Which movie has the most academy award nomination for supporting and leading roles ?   Answer »
  • What are the names of the children of Vito Corleone in the movie The Godfather? (Including the boy who was 'adopted' into the Corleone family and later became the family advisor)  Answer »
  • Which actor did NOT appear in the "Godfather 2"?  Answer »
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