You're reading this review right now, so you probably have a kid, or two, or a few, and you've set standards as to what movies you want them to see or not see, as well as things that are acceptable for them to see in a movie and things that are not.
At the same time, you're also teaching your children morals. Perhaps you want them to grow up exuding kindness, being patient, not lying, etc. There are also certain lines outside of morality that you don't want them to cross. That's all easy to know because you try to impart it every day.
"The Godfather," which has been praised with every complimentary adjective you can think of since its release in 1972, plays with and twists the morality that we have as we sit down to watch it. Not even a few minutes after it begins, we're already considering the plight of Bonasera. He wants to see justice done for his daughter who was nearly raped and then attacked, where a court of law has failed and Don Corleone (Marlon Brando), who, according to tradition as a Sicilian, cannot refuse a request on his daughter Connie (Talia Shire) wedding day, tells Bonasera that he cannot do murder, but agrees to Bonasera's request that "they must suffer, as she suffers."
To us, is this right? Not bearing the responsibilities and burdens that come with being the head of a crime family and therefore having an imposing reputation, perhaps not. But we must also consider at the same time that with this being the 1940s and there still being much racism, perhaps Bonasera, in that court, was subjected to it as well when the two boys responsible for maliciously hurting the daughter were sentenced, and they had their sentence suspended immediately. We wonder perhaps what the judge saw, what the judge was thinking. Was the judge acting according to how the laws were written for such a case or according to his own prejudices?
We never find out, and it's less important to know than Don Corleone saying to Bonasera that he'll grant his request, but he must do him a favor when called upon. But still, we wonder. And the questions grow as this epic masterpiece progresses, epic in its examination of a family in its personal and business relationships.
Don Corleone has four grown children: There's of course Connie, whose wedding party gives us the framework in which to learn about each person in this family and those who work for them, and who are rivals. It's one of the most effective sequences of scenes in the history of the movies, because of how we get a sense of personalities right away. Within it, we also are introduced to Sonny (James Caan), the son with a tendency to become hot-tempered, sometimes at the most inopportune moments, where it could pose the most danger to the crime family's well-being. He would seem to be the most likely candidate to take over from Don Corleone when it eventually becomes time, since he's deeply involved in the business.
Then we have Fredo (John Cazale), who looks like an insignificant part of the family at the start, one who just stays in the background. That is until much later when he's sent to Las Vegas to learn the gambling business there so that the Corleone family can expand its gambling interests. He changes from a deferential son to an energetic, almost sleazy type.
But the biggest character, the one that's most focused upon in every writing about "The Godfather," no matter if it's a review or a long essay, is Michael Corleone (Al Pacino). He's the son outside of the business, who's just returned from the war and brought along with him Kay Adams (Diane Keaton) whom he hopes to marry. Kay sees a large man reciting to himself over and over again what he plans to say to Don Corleone and Michael tells her the story of that man, Luca Brasi (Lenny Montana) becoming a deciding factor in a bandleader releasing Don Corleone's godson, a singer named Johnny Fontane (Al Martino) from his stifling contract. While Kay reacts with what looks like stunned surprise, Michael says to her, "That's my family, Kay. It's not me."
The main thread of this story is how Michael eventually becomes one of the family, while we also watch associates of the Corleone family do their jobs and Don Corleone refuse what is said to be the future of business in the mob: Drugs. Don Corleone believes it to be a "dirty business" and is certain that if his family were to engage in such activity, the political power and protection from the law that he has bought over the years would quickly dissipate.
While Al Pacino and Marlon Brando have the powerhouse performances (Brando's Don Corleone is the most restrained out of his entire career and therefore possibly the most powerful), each actor after them contributes equally. One of the most affecting is Robert Duvall as Tom Hagen, who was taken in by the Corleone family when it was discovered he didn't have a family, and he grew up alongside Sonny, Michael, Fredo and Connie, went to law school, and returned to serve as a trusted advisor to Don Corleone. He sees what's right for the family and what could bring them down, such as when he tries to dissuade Sonny from taking actions that could threaten the family's standing. The family has done so much for him personally and professionally, and while he can only object in words, those words are commanding in his care for doing what is right and not based on immediate emotion.
I would love to go on and on about "The Godfather," about the scenes in Italy during Michael's exile, about Michael's transformation (which is big enough to cause silence and awe), and about the supporting cast. They have such memorable faces that while we remember the motivations and conflict within the family, and the troubles brought on by rivals, those faces come to mind first, such as Tessio (Abe Vigoda), one of the muscles of the family, and especially Clemenza (Richard S. Castellano), portly and devoted without question.
There's one terrific scene in particular that's so simple, yet says so much about Clemenza, when he tells his wife that he's going to be late getting home, and she accepts that because it's the business, but loves him just the same. And while he engages in a few criminal acts like other members of the family, he also cares enough about the children riding on a wagon behind the car to tell his driver to watch for them as he pulls out. That also plays with our morality, but it's character moments like those that make this classic worth seeing.
But since there's only so much time in the day for you and I, I'll end this non-stop praise with what should be the biggest love of all enacted by Francis Ford Coppola, for himself and for the fans. The negatives (that is, the actual film) that was used to create the first "Godfather" DVD trilogy in 2001 were in pretty bad condition and it shows in a few scenes of "The Godfather," as well as its sequel, with some graininess and spots, indicating advanced age that should not happen to these films.
Because of that, and because of Coppola's passion for film preservation, we now have "The Godfather: The Coppola Restoration," which sees the first two films in the trilogy "meticulously restored," as it says on the back of each case, and indeed that's the truth. The new image transfers are stunning, and happily, "The Godfather: Part II" has gone from two discs in the original set, to a single disc. So there's no interruption in the drama now. The often-criticized "The Godfather Part III" (rightfully so when it comes to Sofia Coppola, but fortunately she became a filmmaker like her father and is great at it) has also been remastered.
Quite a reach through the decades for "The Godfather," an amazing journey which has lasted this long and will hopefully continue to do so as it's discovered by new generations and appreciated just as passionately. "The Godfather," in its complex story about a family in blood and in crime, rates a 10 out of 10. (R. Aronsky).
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