The Godfather

Certain films simply need to be seen for the sole purpose of having the experience. At some point a person will ask if you’ve seen said film, and answering ‘no’ will prove embarrassing and unrefined. “The Godfather” is such a film. No matter what your peculiarities, personal taste or preconceived notions regarding classic cinema, rent the film, watch it and absorb as much as possible. It won’t matter if you liked it or not, or whether you can fully critique the directing, acting or cinematography. You’ll have sharpened your cultural awareness, and maybe the next time somebody quotes the film or brings up one of the actors, you’ll be able to make an insightful comment.

Francis Ford Coppola’s epic parallels the lives of the Corleone family, masterfully capturing the emotions between members and friends, through life and death and everything in between. The film contains many characters, all of which contribute to the overall story experience. Being one such instance where you might need to take notes to remember everybody’s name, each person is worth remembering, because the more intricate and complicated the intertwining stories become, the deeper you pulse into the world of Don Corleone and his family, understanding and in most cases, relating to the occurring events. Classic films relied on their stories and storytellers to capture the audience. Coppola, despite being known for his oddities, has given us a unique script (adapted with book author Mario Puzo) and a familiar, relatable story. Opening with a long monologue from an otherwise minor character, Coppola keeps everything that made the book engaging and exciting while condensing it into a feature film. Each scene reveals pages upon pages about the characters, and every glance from every actor is carefully placed upon the test of time, holding up and enduring through the years.

Never has such a wide net of acting royalty and future royalty come together. Marlon Brando, James Caan, Al Pachino, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton. The four men received Oscar nominations, with one victory for Brando to go along with Best Picture and Adapted Screenplay. Each moment, we are witness to some form of acting legend. Whether it be Pachino sauntering across screen as the volatile youngest son Michael, or Brando sitting in his chair smoking a cigar, a smugness about him just irreplaceable with any other expression, the acting draws viewers into the story as much as the story itself. And it is one most can relate to: the family drama. It’s not a mob story; it’s a family story, one that happens to be the most powerful mafia family in New York. Each development yields a new dynamic to the members, like all families, it is an ever-changing entity. And support comes from all around, a side effect of intimate relationships. Parents, siblings, spouses all know what to do for each other, the wise elders relating experience to the young while the young undergo life’s trial and error process. What makes classic cinema such is the simple fact that no matter when, where or who, the subtext of the film will always be applicable to reality, a knowledge base for anyone to turn if they want a laugh, a new perspective or, simply put, a timeless story.