Day 27 - What is your favorite classic film?
Answer: The Godfather (1972)
We're talking about the gold standard of gangster films here. Is there anything I really need to say about The Godfather? Based on the novel written by Mario Puzo and adapted by director Francis Ford Coppola, The Godfather is often considered to be the greatest mafia film ever made. The best part about it is that it doesn't go through the motions like a lot of other mafia films. This isn't about someone's rise to power and fall from grace. No. The Godfather focuses more on the family aspect of the Italian mafia. The film makes the Corleone family look more human rather than focusing on the violence and the criminal activity they engage in. Sure. That's there. It has to be. It is a gangster film after all. However, the film is really about family. A crime family, but still a family.
If you haven't had the pleasure of seeing this film yet, I'll summarize the plot real quick. There's a war brewing between the Five Families in New York. The Five Families is what they call the five mafia gangs that control various parts of the city. The top of the food chain is Vito Corleone. He's the boss of all bosses. The titular character known as The Godfather. The Tattaglia crime family is trying to start running drugs in New York and they try to get Vito to be a part of the operation. However, Vito decides against it because he knows pushing drugs might cause problems for his other political connections. The Tattaglia crime family doesn't take too kindly to this and they put a hit out on Vito. The war begins.
It is a fantastic movie. I've really got no gripes with this one. It's practically flawless. Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone is one of the best parts of the film. We get to see Al Pacino take on the role of one of Vito's sons, Michael Corleone. It's funny to think that Al Pacino is the face of two of the most famous and prolific film gangsters. I'm talking about Tony Montana from Scarface. I think I mentioned that in my Day 1 Challenge too. I highly recommend checking this one out if for some reason you've never seen it and you enjoy mafia films. It's a must see movie.
