The Godfather

Phenomenal!  This is an all around classic that everyone should see (mature audiences only though!).  The acting in this movie was amazing and the whole plot was awesome.  The movie neared three hours long but it did not feel overly lengthy and I really did not want it to end!  (In fact I continued to watch The Godfather : Part II, which is the sequel, after I finished the first one).  The movie won three oscars and it definitely deserved all of the awards and critic acclaims that it received.

For those of you who do not know what exactly The Godfather is all about, let me fill you in.  WARNING: contains spoilers!

Basically, it is the story of the Corleone family.  "Don" Vito Corleone, who is the head of the New York located Mafia family, is known as the Godfather.  As the head of his family, he takes care of those he loves and those who show him respect and uses violence and threats to control and stop anyone who shows disrespect to or stands in the way of his families futures and fortunes.  The Mafia family is run by Don and most of his son, Sonny, who will take over his position when Don passes away in the future.  There is also another son, Michael (Al Pacino), who in the beginning of the film is just returning from war.  He has an American girlfriend and explains to her, and all the viewers, in the beginning of the film that he is not like his family and this is not his type of business.  Throughout the movie, trouble brews between the different major New York Mafia families because some of the rivaling families are trying to bring drugs into their business for money, but old-school Don Corleone does not want this happening.  The rivals end with attacks against all the families towards each other and also results in Don Corleone being shot, although it was not fatal.  After this happened, it was clear that no one was safe or to be trusted.  Michael takes it upon himself to take revenge on the man who ordered his father dead and ultimately hopefully protect their future from more attacks.  He, in a way, joins the family business a little more because he goes and shoots the man who ordered the assassination of his dad and the crooked cop that was working with the guy.

Oh no! Michael! He then has to flee to Italy to hide out until the situation boils down.  He does not even say goodbye to his girlfriend, who sits waiting for him to call her day after day.  In Italy, Michael meets a new woman, who he loves and takes in marriage.  Everything seemed to be going well until Sonny, who was supposed to take over the business eventually, was shot back in New York and killed.  It was then apparent that Michael too might be in danger.  When he is about to move to a safer location, an explosive implodes in his packed car, while his wife was in the vehicle.  After this loss, he returns to America and it becomes his responsibility to take over the family business one day.  He goes back to his old girlfriend after years of dissenting her and she takes back his hand.  Although it is no longer the man she once knew because he is now a Mafia man who orders men killed without flinching, something he promised he was not involved in.

Towards the end of the film, Michael makes some serious business moves for his family.  One of these moves is deciding to move to Las Vegas (which is where he is located in the sequel, which I also recommend).  The cinematography in the whole film is dark, but one of the last scenes in the film I found most tasteful.  Towards the end, Michael had ordered a bunch of his rivals to be murdered by hit men.  At the same time, Michael is becoming Godfather to his nephew, whose father he has killed at the end of the film too.  During the baptism, the film shoots between shots of the church service and the hit men killing off his opponents.  The entire time that it goes between shots, the church service is read as a voice over.  The entire scene honestly sends chills right down my spine and I bet it would to you too.

This movie does not need my recommendation.  You should just see it.  It honestly is one of the best, if not the best in my opinion, movies of all time.  Do not miss out.

Coming up next, we have One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1976)