Cinema Styles: The Godfather makes an offer we can’t refuse

Film: The Godfather (1972)

Director: Francis Ford Coppola

Cast: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Diane Keaton, Robert Duvall, John Cazale, Talia Shire

How to Watch: Paramount+ Rating: R Runtime: 175 minutes

Genres: Crime, Drama

Awards: Oscar Wins for Best Picture, Best Actor (Brando), and Best Adapted Screenplay

Note: This review is part of our legacy series. The Godfather celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

The Godfather is Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 epic masterpiece, based on Mario Puzo’s 1969 novel of the same name. It tells the story of Don Vito Corleone (Brando), the aging patriarch of an organized crime dynasty in New York City as he prepares to transfer control of his empire to his reluctant youngest son, Michael Corleone (Pacino). This film is the first installment in one of cinema’s greatest trilogies, and it spans from 1945 to 1955.

The Godfather is rightfully considered one of the greatest films ever made. It’s an epic, American tragedy that also serves as the prime example of the crossroads between commercial and critical success; possessing the rare gift of being cinematic art that also entertains the masses. It was influenced by real-life stories of mafia families, and also draws inspiration from the gangster films that were popular in the 1930’s. It’s a film that reveals something new with each viewing, and transforms into a different film depending on the life experiences of the viewer.

This is a movie about legacy, loyalty, and the significance of the decisions we make. It’s also a film about life and what makes us who we are. Everyone is an amalgamation of the qualities they inherit from the prior generation and what they make for themselves. We’re connected to our past and our future, particularly in regards to our family.

The importance of family is one of the primary focuses of The Godfather. Michael Corleone is at a critical juncture in his life. He’s caught between his past and his future. As he starts to commit to the gangster lifestyle, he finds himself living in the city of Corleone, Sicily; the namesake for his family and the town his ancestors came from. This represents the bond to his past growing stronger as the story progresses.

Michael’s journey from family outsider to head of the criminal organization can be represented by two of his famous quotes in the film. At the beginning of the movie, at his sister’s wedding, Michael tells his girlfriend Kay (Keaton) “that’s not me, that’s my family” when she hears about them threatening someone with physical violence. Later in the film, when his brother Fredo (Cazale) becomes too involved with a side-business in Las Vegas, Michael warns him “don’t ever take sides with anyone against the family again.” Many people in the Corleone family say “it’s business, it’s not personal” to justify their actions. For Michael, everything is personal because his family is intertwined in the business.

Time seamlessly passes in The Godfather. The three hour runtime flies by in a breeze as characters’ lives unfold before our eyes. Months or years will often pass by without the audience explicitly being told so, and in turn we have a novelistic approach to storytelling. It’s also true to life in that a long period of time will often pass by and we’ll look back in astonishment that a significant event happened 10 or 20 years ago.

One of the most memorable aspects of The Godfather is its unrelenting examination of the intricate criminal underworld. It shows the strong bonds of family can still exist in this secret society, but it also portrays violence and death as ruthless and sudden. Some of the film’s most famous scenes portray this viciousness, including a scene involving a decapitated horse head, a car bomb, and a tollbooth trap featuring a machine gun execution.

Gordon Willis’ cinematography perfectly portrays the light and darkness of public life and the criminal underground. The Corleone family often makes plans in dimly lit rooms. The extreme shadows of the faces of the characters emphasizes the shadiness of their business. The dimness creeping in on appearances is indicative of their darkened souls; the exterior indicating the machinations of their interiority.

The characters in The Godfather operate in a society in which their violence is publicly accepted. The deaths enacted by the Corleone family, and the ones directed toward them, are shocking — not only for their violence, but for the lack of any effort to cover-up what happens. People are frequently attacked or killed in broad daylight, often in front of witnesses. Their actions are on full display. The underground is allowed to be above ground. When Vito Corleone is almost killed early on in the movie, he has just completed a transaction at a curbside fruit stand. The normalcy of shopping for groceries, juxtaposed with the assassination attempt, shows the film’s focus on a society in which enacting violence and acquiring sustenance both seem like mundane, daily occurrences.

Marlon Brando gives the greatest performance of his career as Don Vito Corleone. He famously stuffed his cheeks with cotton wool during auditions (later using a mouthpiece made by a dentist during filming), and modeled the character’s famous raspy voice after real-life mobster Frank Costello. Brando infuses the character with both tenderness and ruthlessness. He commands respect while also being quiet and contemplative. One key image is from the film’s first scene, as Vito gently strokes a cat on his lap while he initiates violent plans. As a crime boss, his vulnerability is unsettling and unexpected. He plays the character as a weathered man who has seen and done unspeakable acts, while also maintaining an admirable stronghold on his principles and values.

Vito Corleone is a character who embodies both innocence and corruption. When he returns home from his near-death experience, Vito seems more frail. As people grow older, they start to require more help, just like a child. In that way, life is a mirror, with old age offering a bizarre parallel to childhood. This is best displayed in Vito’s final scene. He’s seen chasing his grandson around the garden, an orange peel in front of his teeth, death looming around the corner as he accesses his childlike side. It’s the happiest moment Vito experiences in the movie. He’s both an innocent child and a ruthless murderer.

Al Pacino’s performance of Michael Corleone is one of the greatest of all time, and perfectly compliments the one given by Marlon Brando. He has a quiet, menacing presence and Pacino plays the character with hushed restraint. He expertly depicts the complicated quality of a character whose actions don’t always align with his instincts and values. He’s both restrained and full of rage.

Michael has one of the most complex and tragic character transformations in modern storytelling. Throughout this story, Michael Corleone gradually moves from family outsider to merciless mafia boss. His stare becomes colder as his heart begins to freeze and he emotionally isolates himself. The catalystic moment that alters Michael permanently is when he makes his first kill.

The camera slowly pushes in in the moments that directly precede Michael Corleone’s first murder. Al Pacino’s eyes dart all around like pinballs as he contemplates what he’s about to do. The audience can see equal parts conviction and hesitation on his face. He seems aware with this murder, he’s not only killing another person. He’s also executing his own innocence, and obliterating any chance he had for a normal life. Michael’s dilemma reaches a boiling point as the sound of screeching on train tracks gets louder. Michael’s irreversible decision causes him to become a runaway train, incapable of stopping or changing directions.

The best scene in the film is the one that solidifies Michael as the titular character, in both his roles as a criminal leader and a literal godfather to his nephew. As the baptismal ceremony occurs in the church, we see a textbook example of cross-cutting; the cleansing of the nephew’s soul shown side by side with the meticulous murders of Michael’s rivals. Michael confirms “I do” when asked various questions by the priest about his duties as a godfather. This is juxtaposed with the deaths; Michael’s confirmatory statements simultaneously and discreetly admitting his guilt while his nephew’s is wiped clean. One person’s sins are absolved while another’s is committed.

The film’s final shot is famous for what it represents. After Michael lies to Kay’s face about the murder of a someone they both know, she sees him exit to the next room over. As he’s swarmed with congratulations by the members of his inner circle, Kay observes the men shaking hands and saying statements she can’t hear. The door slowly closes in front of her, passing across her face as we see an expression of devastation and defeat. Despite now being the mother of his son, Kay will forever be separated from Michael, and treated as an outsider. She’s literally shut out as the door closes completely, and “Michael” no longer exists; only The Godfather.

I owe my father, Mitch Styles, for my deep appreciation for The Godfather. This film was held on the highest pedestal in my house growing up. I knew of its significance and importance before I had ever seen it. I knew the classic lines and the important themes: none more so than the significance of family. In a film that’s so focused on family and what we pass along, I’d like to end this review with a guest paragraph written by my father. He passed along his love for the film to me, and so we shall end where it all started:

“I watch The Godfather on a continuous loop. My wife Anne (née Lapresta) is Sicilian. We visited Sicily in 2019. I took a photo at Bar Vitelli in Savoca in the same spot where Michael Corleone met Apollonia’s father. I worked in the music business my entire career. Years ago, I met Mario Puzo’s niece Lisa, who was then the Music Director at KZLA/LOS Angeles. I have read so much about The Godfather, Lisa calls ME to answer questions about her uncle! The Godfather is the greatest film ever made... or so I say.” — Mitchell Styles

Bobby Styles studied Film at UCLA, and worked as an editor and producer on several film, commercial, and music video projects in Los Angeles. He currently teaches the intermediate and advanced Video Production courses in the Multimedia & Technology Academy at Monache High School. His column appears in The Recorder every Tuesday.