50 Years Later: The Godfather

Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Starring: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan
Running time: 177 minutes

Fifty years have passed and it’s still hard to think of a film so vehemently revered, so constantly quoted or so lovingly spoofed as the first instalment of Francis Ford Coppola’s gangster trilogy. Hindsight tells us The Godfather was always going to have legs. An instant hit upon its release in 1972, it not only became the highest grossing film of that year, a worldwide gross of $246,120,411 ensured that no film had been more successful up to that point. It even picked up three Oscars for good measure, winning awards for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and awarded Marlon Brando his second gold statue for Best Actor. 

Brando’s career seemed to be on the downward spiral before Coppola threw him a lifeline in the form of Vito Corleone, in what now seems like one of cinemas biggest no-brainers. Titans like Al Pacino, Dianne Keaton and James Caan – who we’re all guilty of taking for granted now – were launched into the stratosphere despite being at the mercy of reluctant studio heads. Of course, Coppola didn’t do so badly in the end either, did he? After he made The Godfather he would dominate the Seventies with one of the best directorial streaks ever, knocking out The Conversation, The Godfather Part II and Apocalypse Now. 

Adapted from Mario Puzzo’s bestseller, The Godfather's sweeping, elegiac, dynastic portrait of the American dream remains as engrossing as ever, with pitch perfect performances across the board. For me personally, the film's staying power lies within its rich iconography – that opening shot of Don Corleone in deep contemplation, those sagging jowls, his commanding body language, the stoic intensity and sheer larger-than-life presence he exudes seems to transcend the narrative itself. The image alone finds itself plastered over God knows how many student accommodation walls, t-shirts and moodily captioned Facebook posts, a looming figure that has been omnipresent throughout our pop-culture lexicon fifty years later.

But Brando is but one cog in one of the most well-oiled of all movie machines, and scene after scene is lathered in gold dust, but there’s one moment for me that would define the whole trilogy. Don Vito has just narrowly survived an attempt on his life and there’s confusion in the Corleone camp and a crisis meeting is being held by the remaining members of the syndicate – it’s clear that the torch needs to be passed on. Sonny (Caan) is too passionate, too volatile, takes things too “personally” and his emotions cloud his logic. Tom Hagen – the family’s consigliere (advisor) – despite being the adopted son of Don Vito, doesn’t share the same Italian ancestry and even though he obviously has the aptitude, he is ultimately an outsider. This leaves us with Michael (Al Pacino). Initially he didn’t want anything to do with the criminal underworld, but here he is, running through plans with cold, meticulous detail. Pacino is sat in a chair and as his monologue progresses, Coppola chooses to slowly zoom in until Michael becomes the focus, and one of the most infamous narrative arcs reveals itself. “It’s not personal Sonny… It’s strictly business”.

“One of the reasons I was so angry at Coppola,” confesses Sydney Lumet (12 Angry Men, Network), “is because as soon as I think about the five best American movies, he’s got two of them,” referring to The Godfather and its first sequel. Even if you don’t agree with Lumet, The Godfather remains a film buff’s rite of passage, and upon questioning the philistines yet to make the pilgrimage, you’re met with the wincing reply “You know, I’ve never actually seen it before”. It’s one of the only films that I can see still topping the “best of” lists in another fifty years’ time.

Did you know? The severed horse’s head that Jack Woltz finds in his bed is genuine, not a prop. According to TIME, a fake one was used for rehearsals, but the head of a real horse was sourced from a New Jersey dog food plant for the final scene.

The Godfather is back in cinemas from Friday 25 February