Unsociable Cinema’s The Greatest Film Of All Time: #1 The Godfather Part I/The Godfather Part II

Can it really be any other? It’s a cliched choice, but it is a cliche that will never go away and is thoroughly deserved, and one that people will never tire of. Francis Ford Coppola’s stately adaptation of Mario Puzo’s pulpy bestseller is the definitive piece for any film fan. It is a film which itself defined an era of filmmakers to come and was inspired by the filmmakers of the past. It practically bowled over audiences in the 70s, unanimously praised by critics, audiences and contemporary filmmakers who saw as one hell of a crowning achievement. Stanley Kubrick called it ‘probably the greatest film ever made’, Spielberg said he should quit filmmaking as he would never reach that level of confidence. It is a film which is a time capsule of cinema history, there to remind us 50 years down the line that if we forget what great filmmaking is, The Godfather will be there to save us.

I take both the Godfather Part I and Part II in contention together, apart they are still brilliant as separate stand alone narratives but together they are an unstoppable tour de force that show us the apex and true art of filmmaking. Part I establishes a noted groundwork providing an absolutely fascinating gangster drama which has perfectly formed characters and a wonderful unfolding bildungsroman narrative on behalf of Michael, who I would argue is the centre piece of both films. It also has the typical 70‘s hard edge, despite being a huge hit at the box office, it is a nasty and vindictive film with tough scenes of violence and plot developments which are shocking, even 40 years on. It is a realistic film only mounted very operatically, flagged up by Dean Tavoularis’ unmatched production design, Gordon Willis beautiful cinematography and Nino Rota’s iconic score. Part II, arguably a more successful film (but how do you improve on perfection), taps much more into the psychology of the family. Juxtaposing Michael’s take over of the business with earlier flashbacks of ex-patriarch Vito Corleone and his rise to power. Famously hard to please critic Pauline Kael said of The Godfather Part II that “[it] is simply one of the great American movies. Particularly, if you take it together with Godfather I. But even by itself, those scenes of early New York with DeNiro as the young godfather have never really been matched, I think, for emotional substance.” She is right, both are notable companion pieces separately but when together. It is a beautiful film creation.

Across both films there is a very high standard of production, particularly in that of the performances. It is very easy now to criticise Marlon Brando and his mumblings but his performance as Don Vito in Part I is completely mesmerising and his finest work. There is a gravitas he lends to the screen. With very little Brando tells us so much, his simple presence in a room is enough to draw your eyes to him, he lends a fascinating character and persona which makes the character all the more intimidating. In Michael, Al Pacino demonstrates how subtle and nuanced he could be before going off into his ‘hu-HA!’ roles of late, where he has become lazy. Little known at the time, Pacino shows he can act against already established talents such as Brando and Robert Duvall, who is equally impressive as Tom Hagen, the consigliere to the Corleones. The ensemble grew in Part II also but they provide staggeringly good work together. But of course the man at the centre of this is Coppola, his assured and extremely confident direction is intimidating and mature for such a young filmmaker. He stood up to big studio boss Robert Evans in order to get the cut he wanted and fearlessly appealed to Paramount to get the actors who fitted the parts. It is his movie through and through and despite interference it is a film of singular vision. Despite the sprawling time there is not one ounce of flab on either, it is stripped down but keeps the scope reasonably epic, whilst also remaining deeply personal too.

These are films I cannot fault on any level and a film no else can seem to find fault with either. Maintaining a rare 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes, they are classics and together the undisputed greatest film of all time.

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