The Godfather

You know that kind of film where everyone loves it and you always hear just how great it is and then it ends up being just as good as everyone was saying? Well there are many great examples of this: Pulp Fiction, Apocalypse Now, Spirited Away, and The Apartment. But the biggest example of this to me is none other than, The Godfather. Yes, I know predictable, to say this is one of the great American films ever made, so why should I rave about it? Well because I genuinely love every single scene in this film so I will praise right abooooooout now. Just by the first scene the film is amazing, this is a very interesting way to open a film, but it is perfect, the line "I believe in America" shows the series themes about the American dream flawlessly, then we get the zoom out, just seeing the back of Vito Corleone's head tells you all you need to know about his power. Like the makeup they did for Marlon Brando is scaryly convincing, he looks like he's in his 50s-60s, but he was really just 47. Like just looking at him tells you a lot about his character like I said and even before you see him, and the raspy voice is very unexpected for what is supposed to be a mafia boss but let's be honest we cannot imagine any other voice for him. Just these first 7 minutes already hooked me when I first saw the film, the contrast of the dark room and then the wedding is really good it is a great intro to the characters, plus am I the only one who thinks this old Italian guy that sings C'e la luna mezzo mare looks like Prince Philip? Anyway, one scene with Michael and Kay foreshadows the other line, speaking of which even though the Woltz stuff is a subplot and if you cut it the plot would not really change you need it because of that horse scene, not only is it incredibly suspenseful but it shows just how ruthless The Corleones are once you say no. This film's pacing is perfect, the score? God-like stuff, it is so haunting. Every character is memorable, we all know their personalities, Sonny is a hot head, Tom is calm and smooth, Fredo is dumb and can't handle things as much as he says he can, and Michael is cold and calculating, or at least he is at the end. His character arc might be the best in any movie ever, everything that happens gets him closer and closer to his cold self, from the hospital, the deaths of Sollozzo and McCluskey, or Apollonia's death. The acting? No need to praise, you know Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, and James Caan are all at their peak. The baptism scene is how you do juxtaposition, it is so good I don't think perfect is even enough of a word to summarize it. The fact Michael is becoming the godfather of Connie's baby while simultaneously becoming the godfather of the mafia is genius, and the organ playing gave me chills. If you gave me a lifetime to give you one thing that film does wrong, I'd still have nothing. Plus Moe Greene's death is epic. The ending in which, after he kills Carlo, Connie shows up and screams at Michael for it, then Kay asks him if it was true, Michael tries to not give a response, but Kay insists, so Michael lies to her face by simply whispering "No". Then she gets out of the room, and then Michael is called Don Corleone as the music swells, as Neri shuts the door on Kay, that is cinema right there. This all not to mention the quotes, I mean you got "I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse", "Leave the gun. Take the cannoli", "It's not personal, Sonny. It's strictly business", "That's a Sicilian message. It means Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes.", I even know "Goddamn FBI don't respect nothing", that's how you know I love this movie! The fact we got the version we have is a miracle, like did you know what Paramount wanted this to be like? It would have been garbage, but Coppola fought to give us a cinematic masterpiece, the definition of not overrated. The only, and I mean only reason I am giving this 5 stars, is because I cannot give it 6 stars