Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather is widely regarded as one of Hollywood's greatest commercial and critical successes. The film transcended expectations and set new standards for American cinema. The Godfather is based on a novel by Mario Puzo. It is centered on an organized crime dynasty's aging patriarch who looks to transfer control of his criminal syndicate to his reluctant son (The Godfather, 2021). Circumstances compel Michael Corleone to join the Mafia, and he becomes entrenched in the unavoidable cycle of disloyalty and violence. Even though Michael attempts to maintain a regular relationship with Diane Keaton, his wife, he becomes rooted in the Mafia. The film plays havoc on the emotion of the audience as some of the enjoyable aspects of life, such as family feasts, baptism, and marriage, become an inseparable part of the background for gruesome murders by booby-trapped vehicles, machine guns, shotguns, and garrote (Canby, 1972). The Godfather is crafted beautifully and has been critically acclaimed as one of the best gangster movies of all time.
Part 1: General Observation
The Godfather may be considered a magnum opus. Every single facet of the movie's production is filled with purpose, emotion, and detail. The film's screenplay, developed by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola, has been central to the movie's appeal. The writers wanted to tell the story of immigrants living out their American dream after World War II. They also wanted to explore the world of the Mafia. To achieve both objectives, they use Mario Puzo's novel and create a world that most Americans were unfamiliar with at the time. To sell the idea of the Mafia and crime families, the screenplay starts on relatable aspects and adds extreme and violent elements later. The movie's cinematography and montage have also been central to its success. The film appears to be shot entirely from the characters' point of view. The movie does not use modern technology and does not zoom in on any of the characters. The film also presents a contrast of the dark vs. light. This attempts to demonstrate the duality of evil and good. The lighting each character gets serves as a reflection of their inner traits and motives.
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Music in the film influences how the audience interprets, interacts, and responds to events that unfold in the movie. The music used in The Godfather gives the film's nostalgia its complexity and emotional pull. In my opinion, the special effects employed in the film are poor compared to today's standards. For instance, a shooting that takes place in the elevator sounds unrealistic. Additionally, in the scene where an individual is shot through his glasses, blood does not gush out as it should. I like the movie's cinematography, montage, and music because they were executed to perfection. On the other hand, I dislike the special effects employed in the film because they appear outdated.
Part 2: Draw General Conclusions
Francis Ford Coppola is one of the most influential filmmakers of his generation. He is widely acknowledged for his magnum opus, The Godfather . They based the film on Mario Puzo's novel and developed one of the most moving and brutal chronicles of American life ever developed within the limits of popular entertainment ( Canby, 1972 ). Coppola develops the film to help viewers better understand the American Mafia through the Corleone family. The collaboration between Coppola and Puzo was invaluable to the film's authenticity and appeal. I believe that Coppola's feel is beautifully crafted, which makes it stand out as one of the best gangster films of all time. The movie's most appealing aspect is its storyline by depicting the Corleone family's quest to reclaim power and find a new Don to maintain its position. The quality of screenplay, direction, cinematography, montage, and music acts as an inspiration to others within the film industry.
Michael Corleone is the main protagonist in the film. At first, he is reluctant to join the Mafia; however, after his father is shot, he assumes a more predominant role in the family. The character's pivotal moment in the film occurs when he visits his father in the hospital and tells him that he is with him (Hager, 2018). This shot depicts the transfer of power from Don Vito Corleone to Michael. The film continues to develop this scene as Michael's allegiance shifts completely into the Mafia World. His role in the movie cannot be overlooked; he represents a tragic figure. He is powerful and talented; however, he is blinded by his quest for vengeance, which leads him to a life of violence from which there is no escape.
Part 3: My Criteria for Quality in Film
A quality movie should integrate different attributes that captivate, thrill, and engage with the viewers. In my opinion, every good film should have the following qualities:
A quality film should have characters that the audience can identify or relate to.
A quality movie should have an exceptional script that treated with credibility based on the traits of the characters
A good film should not have fillers in the whole narrative, meaning each scene included is relevant in its context
Quality movies should have accurate and engaging musical score to create nostalgia with the viewers
A quality movie should employ quality special effects that are capable of producing powerful entertainment for the audience.
A quality film should employ cinematography to set and support the overall look and mood of the movie's visual narrative
A good movie should use montages to facilitate the communication of a vast amount of information to the viewers within a short period
A good movie should have a good setting where characters are placed in an environment that contributes to their interactions and actions while emphasizing the mood and theme of the movie
Movies should demonstrate realism and accuracy by portraying people and events as they are in real-world settings regardless of the conflicting themes
A quality movie should have a theme that presents an ethic or moral necessary for social development.
Conclusion
The Godfather is an exceptional movie . The film's effective interaction of corruption and innocence raises the movie above the level of normal gangster movies. The movie has an authentic feel because of its storyline. It also captivates, thrills, terrifies and engage the audience because of its casting, cinematography, montage, and music. In my opinion, it is one of the best movies that has ever been produced.
References
Canby, V. (1972). Review: The Godfather. The New York Times . https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/packages/html/movies/bestpictures/godfather-re.html
Hager, E. (2018). Character Studies. UC Berkeley . https://theseventies.berkeley.edu/godfather/category/character-studies/
The Godfather. (2021). IMDb.com. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068646/
