The Godfather Review: The Blueprint for the Crime Epic
10/10 — The Godfather (1972)
Pros
- Career-defining performances
- Gorgeous, moody cinematography
- Superbly structured storytelling
Cons
- Sidelined female characters
Adapted from Mario Puzo’s novel, The Godfather charts the Corleone crime family as ageing patriarch Vito hands his empire to his reluctant youngest son, Michael. Francis Ford Coppola turned a pulp bestseller into something closer to Shakespearean tragedy.
What works
Marlon Brando and Al Pacino are magnetic, but the whole ensemble is excellent, and Gordon Willis’s shadowy cinematography gives the film its unmistakable amber gloom. Michael’s transformation from outsider to cold-eyed boss is gradually, devastatingly convincing, and the baptism sequence remains a masterclass in editing.
Where it falters
The film is a product of its time in how it treats its women, and its romanticised view of the mob has been debated for decades.
Verdict
A perfect film by almost any measure, and the benchmark every crime drama since has been judged against.
