by Michael Viola

Created on: January 19, 2011

Ever since Edward G. Robinson’s appearance in the 1931 classic Little Caesar, American audiences have been involved in an ongoing love affair with the thousands of mafia related flicks that have hit theatres ever since.  Filtering through the numerous films, we find some that are downright brilliant such as Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas and the often overlooked Chazz Palminteri film The Bronx Tale.  With that said, there is one film that not only film buffs but critics alike often flock to when referring to mafia movies- The Godfather.  In what is often regarded as the greatest American film ever made, The Godfather is a 1972 Mafia film based on the novel written by Mario Puzo published only three years earlier.  Whereas Robinson’s Little Caesar could easily be seen as the birth of the mafia film, The Godfather at the very least represents the genre at not only its height but quite possibly its best.

The Godfather doesn’t waste the audience’s time.  In the first ten minutes we’re introduced to most of the Corleone family, including the two most important men- Vito and Michael Corleone.  Vito Corleone-played brilliantly by the late Marlon Brando, is a Sicilian immigrant who came to the shores of New York with nothing but wound up building the most powerful crime syndicate in New York City.  Then there’s Michael Corleone- played by an equally brilliant Al Pacino, Vito’s youngest son.  Unlike his older brothers, Michael wants nothing to do with the family business, a fact he makes clear with his enlistment into the United States Marine Corps in WWII.

We’re also introduced to the rest of the men who make up the Corleone family.  Sonny Corleone (James Caan) and Fredo Corelone (John Cazale) are Michael’s older brothers. Sonny is a hot-head prone to violent outburst while Fredo comes off as simple and slightly inept.  The other brother, although not biologically, is Tom Hagan (Robert Duvall), Vito’s lawyer and quasi consigliore.  Each brother, although uniquely different, brings something to what makes up La Famiglia.

The opening scene is the moment the audience gets its first glimpse of the power Vito Corleone as Bonasera begs the Don to exact revenge against the men who abused his daughter.  It’s an important scene because it not only depicts Vito Corleone’s power but also his ability to sympathize with a man who had previously

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>