The Godfather

The Godfather – Part I 1972, Part II 1974, Francis Ford Coppola

Like most people, I have seen The Godfather films before, but it was years ago and I couldn’t quite remember what happens. Since watching them I read Mario Puzo’s
book. My first impression upon re-watching the films was that Puzo’s story was so good (Puzo co-wrote the screenplay as well) that whomever directed the film version couldn’t really go wrong, particularly with the acting talent involved. But like all great directors, Francis did more than just call the shots.

Coppola was actually the third choice director for the Godfather. After Sergio Leone turned the job down, the studio wanted Peter Bogdanovich (who years later would play Dr. Elliot Kupferberg in The Sopranos). George Lucas eventually persuaded Coppola to take on The Godfather. The Studio wanted a different cast to the one that appeared in the film, but Coppola stuck to his guns and demanded Al Pachino over Robert Redford and Marlon Brando over Ernest Borgnine, although all the big names at the time auditioned (it’s a shame Stallone didn’t get a part).

So although Copolla can take a lot of credit, is it his actual direction that makes the films great? There are only two or three shots in both films that stand out as very well composed or inspired. A lot of the scenes are very similar, a considerable chunk of the films takes place in darkened rooms where Pachino, Brando, Duvall et all provide excellent performances and all a director would have to do is point the camera at them. Maybe it’s the simplicity that makes the two films so good, nothing is out of place. It certainly makes them very consistent, I don’t know why part two is considered to be better than part one.

Excellent as it is, I think The Godfathers influence is overrated. It may have lead to more films about the mafia being made, but Scorsese’s films are copied more. Narration by the main character and montages of criminal activities have become staples of gangster films because of Goodfellas and Casino.

Lucas may be indirectly responsible for The Godfather films turning out so well but that doesn’t justify this: (from Wikipedia)

In the DVD commentary for Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, George Lucas stated that the interwoven scenes of Anakin Skywalker slaying separatist leaders and Palpatine announcing the beginning of the Galactic Empire was an homage to the christening and assassination sequence in The Godfather.

Whatever George.