The Godfather - won 11 Academy Award Nominations

Because of Mario Puzo's novel, adapted into Francis Ford Coppola's 1973 Best Picture Academy Award winner, the word Godfather needs no other words to conjure up images of a mob world most moviegoers found fascinating. The Godfather, the story of Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando), his family's life in the mafia and his children's struggle to stay in or get of the mob life is one of the best remembered films. Other stars in the movie include Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton and Talia Shire.

Al Pacino in The Godfather © Paramount Pictures

Corleone's daughter Connie (Talia Shire) is about to be married. The reception scene sets up the pecking order of the Corleone family quite well. While the normal wedding festivities take place in the back ground, Vita holds court with a host of mob leaders who all want to bargain with him for one thing or another. Vita is already feeling the changing tide of business as usual as more crime bosses are murdered or arrested. Crime is not as easy as it once was.

One thing that Vita has always been against is drugs, so when he turns down a request from Sollozzo (Al Lettieri), the local drug supplier, Sollozzo goes into a rage that will have far reaching and devastating effects on Vita's family.

Arriving at the wedding from his stint in WWII is Vita's youngest son Michael (Al Pacino). He's the youngest of three brothers, Sonny (James Caan), Fredo (John Cazale) and their verbably adopted brother, Tom (Robert Duvall), who becomes Vita's right-hand man.

Accompanying Michael is his girlfriend Kay (Diane Keaton).  

Diane Keaton in The Godfather © Paramount Pictures

He takes her through an amusing story about this family's legacy, a clever way that Mario Puzo used in the novel to get a lot of the pre-history about the family out. Pacino, in one of his finest performances, also show us through his attitude that he wants nothing to do with the family business.

The drama intensifies when days later there is a hit on Vita. He barely survives and must pass on the reign. Sonny, as the oldest, is next in line, but Vita knows he can't handle the job. He pleads with Michael, a man bound by honor and "stand by your family," virtues. He relents and agrees.

Fight fire with fire is the adage Michael soon adopts when he realizes all the mob families are in the war of wars. He will sacrifice love, his morals, and his own life to see that the job is done.

ABOUT THE GODFATHER PRODUCTION

Everything about The Godfather is amazing and the reason the film was nominated for 11 Academy Award nominations and won three Oscars - Best Picture, Best Actor (Marlon Brando) and Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola.

Marlon Brando in The Godfather © Paramount Pictures

Coppola's direction was flawless; each actor in the film became their characters. The cinematography (not nominated for an Academy Award) by Gordon Willis was beautiful and has only been enhanced by each version that has emerged on DVD. The original music score (nominated for an Academy Award) by Nino Rota cemented the film together and when only a few notes of it plays today, people instantly recognize it from the movie.

Unlike today when every director feels his movie deserves to be three hours, The Godfather's three hours was so captivating, it flew by. The film was so popular it spawned many sequels and spin-offs, and still stands among cinema's best.

Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola

Writers: Screenplay Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola, story Mario Puzo. Cast: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, John Cazale, Al Lettieri and Sterling Hayden,

Run Time: 2 hrs. 51 minutes

Format: color

Rating "R" for violence, mature themes, language, brief nudity

Classic Movie Guide Rating: 5 out of 5 stars  

Studio: Paramount Pictures