The Godfather (1972)
Decided to start watching all of the Oscar best picture winners, in order. I hadn’t heard of some of these movies, some I love and have seen multiple times already and I actively hate others, planning to never watch them again. Fair warning, there will be spoilers in these and other reviews to help explain my point of view.
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What can I say about the epic crime story of the Corleone family, The Godfather, that hasn’t already been said? Absolutely nothing. Everyone knows this is a great movie with great direction, outstanding performances, killer dialogue, amazing cinematography and production design.
Are there issues with the movie? Yes; even though most of the actors do a great job, Talia Shire’s performance as Connie is beyond irritating. I understand she is supposed to be a spoiled brat, but oh man, is she terrible. Luckily for everyone, Shire became a better actor over the years and Connie became a better character as a result. We can also question James Cann’s casting as Sonny; he isn’t Italian and doesn’t play Sonny as an Italian-American, yet he is amazing in the role. My biggest beef with the movie is how his death plays out. I need to read the novel to see if it is any different there, but the series of events that has to play out in a very specific way in order for Sonny to be assassinated is beyond convoluted. We are supposed to believe that Carlo beat up Connie knowing without a doubt that she would tell Sonny and that Sonny would then immediately drive to their house to confront Carlo, thereby allowing Sonny to be killed on the way there?? How does that make sense? I also have an issue with the passage of time. I wish this had been handled better; things happen from scene to scene that are meant to be months or years apart, but we have to figure that out for ourselves, rather than being given that context, which would just make it easier to follow things.
These nitpicks aside, the movie is great and deserved being a hit and winning Best Picture. I am shocked that Coppola didn’t win Best Director, especially considering that he lost to Bob Fosse for Cabaret. How is that possible?? Cabaret is supposed to be a great movie, that’s what everyone keeps telling me, but I have tried watching it several times and can’t get through it. I don’t know why, since I love musicals and Fosse’s choreography, but it just doesn’t click for me. I will give it another shot at some point though, maybe the fifth time will be the charm. The Godfather is a classic, one of the best movies ever made, well-deserving of its place in cinematic history. 4.5 out of 5 stars.
