The Godfather

The Godfather (1972)

  • 100% of critics liked it
    (74 reviews)

  • 97% of users liked it
    (611,003 ratings)

Popularly viewed as one of the best American films ever made, the multi-generational crime saga The Godfather is a touchstone of cinema: one of the most widely imitated, quoted, and lampooned movies of all time. Marlon Brando and Al Pacino star as Vito Corleone and his youngest son, Michael,… More

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R, 2 hr. 55 min.
Directed By
Francis Ford Coppola
Written By
Mario Puzo, Francis Ford Coppola
Genres
Drama
In Theaters
Mar 24, 1972 Wide
On DVD
Oct 9, 2001
Paramount Pictures

Critic Reviews

  • Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune

    Brando made Don Vito something we rarely see in movies: a tragicomic villain-hero, a vulnerable hood.

  • Jay Cocks, TIME Magazine

    In its blending of new depth with an old genre, it becomes that rarity, a mass entertainment that is also great movie art.

  • Desson Thomson, Washington Post

    There are volumes that could be written -- and have been -- about the movie's uniformly powerful performances; its precedent-setting editing by William Reynolds and Peter Zinner; Nino Rota's haunting score; and Dean Tavoularis's evocative set design.

  • A.D. Murphy, Variety

    The biggest achievement here is the establishment of mood and time.

  • Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

    The ultimate family film.

Read all 23 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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Featured Audience Ratings

  • Alexander D


    THE GODFATHER is the perfect example of a well-made crime film. If I saw anything similar to this on the news, Iâ(TM)d panic and tense up with fear. The fashion in which director Francis Ford Coppola showcases those same situations is stellar. The film truly sticks out among many… More

  • Jack H


    It's hard to judge a film like 'The Godfather', especially for someone of my generation. Since its release in 1972, The Godfather has accrued a legendary status; it's difficult to watch a film that is often touted as the best of all time with an open mind and no… More

  • Tim S


    Rarely in a film has a collaboration yielded such rewarding results. In 1970, author Mario Puzo teamed with director Francis Ford Coppola to create one of the most brilliant pieces of cinema ever created. It took a while for the studio to embrace it, but eventually it became one of… More

  • Graham J


    What can I say, perfect in every way. It's not often you watch a three hour film and think to yourself "That could've been longer".

  • KJ P


    Not honouring this film as one of the greatest cinematic achievements in film history, would be an insult to the Coppola family, and everyone involved in making such a triumphant masterpiece. As Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) is in the stages of his life, where his title can be… More

Read all 20 featured audience ratings

Cast

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