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The Godfather

HugeReviews.com Reviews:

A Movie You Can’t Refuse
by Michael Flanagan

HUGE

The Godfather is an amazing film, and most of my amazement for it shouldn’t be described in writing to those who have yet to see the movie.  I mostly give no thought to giving away plot points in films; after all, you are reading a review of the movie.  The occasional “spoiler tag” may be used in the case of extreme revelations, but for the most part, elements of the plot of the film are contained in a review by its very nature.  In this case, the ending makes the movie, and since the entire film is just one big three-hour buildup to the ending, not giving away the finale as a conclusion to a review is a very difficult task.

So, I’ll just give away the ending now.

Michael Corleone is left as The Godfather after dispensing of all his enemies.  He effectively has become his father and begun to push his wife away for business matters, bringing to mind the questions, “What is business?  What is personal?”

What makes the buildup so thrilling, other than Marlon Brando, is that we the audience are brought on board this ancient family in time to witness the beginning of its demise.  One by one, the Corleone crime family is eliminated and the family itself is brought to its knees.  In a majestic bit of storytelling, the only one left to save the family is war veteran Michael Corleone, who has made his family proud by staying legitimate, and made his future wife proud by promising her that he is not like his family.

To save the family from crumbling, Michael must allow himself to crumble, so that he slowly reverses on everything he was and becomes that family, becomes what he promised he would never do.  In effect, he sells his soul for the sake of his family, and in the process that family loses a few souls of its own.

In the end, Michael’s new life has made him one of the most powerful crime lords on the planet.  In exchange for this power, this new life, he must pay with his old.  Regardless of what happens in the rest of the Godfather Trilogy, what happens at the end of this movie, the beginning of the total story, is the death of Michael Corleone.

With a denouement that sends chills down my spine every time, The Godfather is one of the best told stories in cinematic history.

 DVD Update

This DVD is absolutely beautiful.  It’s got a good transfer, though at times there were some spots and grain on the film.  I don’t mind it, though, since it adds to the feeling of watching a classic, as long as the grain is kept as minimal as it is here.  The commentary by director Francis Ford Coppola is interesting, as he reveals a lot of trivia for Godfather buffs, and tells a little of the making of the film.  A perfect compliment to a perfect movie: HUGE.

Awards & Nominations: IMdb

Full Cast & Credits: IMdb

The Rumor Mill & 
Trivia Section:  IMdb

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