The Godfather (1972)

In this article, we will be looking at 2019’s book “1001 Movies to See Before You Die” and going through each film in a random order that I have chosen. We will be looking at what constitutes this film to be on the list and whether I think this film deserves to be here at all. I want to make perfectly clear that I won’t be revealing details from this book such as analyses by film reporters who have written about the film in question, so if you want the book itself you’ll have to buy it. But I will be covering the book’s suggestions on which films should be your top priority. I wouldn’t doubt for a second that everyone reading this article has probably watched many of these movies anyway. But we are just here to have a bit of fun. We’re going to not just look at whether it should be on this list but we’re also going to look at why the film has such a legacy at all. Remember, this is the 2019 version of the book and so, films like “Joker” will not be featured in this book and any film that came out in 2020 (and if we get there, in 2021). So strap in and if you have your own suggestions then don’t hesitate to email me using the address in my bio. Let’s get on with it then.

The Godfather (1972) dir. by Francis Ford Coppola

Very few people can claim to have never have seen “The Godfather” by Francis Ford Coppola and if you can, then really you should be watching it instead of reading this article. Released on the 24th of March, 1972 in the United States, the film had a budget of around seven million dollars but went on to make around three-hundred million dollars in the box office. Based on the book by Mario Puzo, the film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton and Talia Shire.

Roger Ebert stated that the film was incredible whilst also criticising Marlon Brando’s performance as “wheezy”. His friend, veteran film critic Gene Siskel stated that the film was amazing whilst giving it four out of four stars. Director Stanley Kubrick thought it was the best film ever made and it went on to win numerous awards after these compliments.

Nominated for several awards and winning the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola, “The Godfather” (1972) made an uproar of controversy when Marlon Brando famously refused his Best Actor Oscar. Nino Rota would not be eligible for his Best Score Oscar because it was used in another one of his films but he did win the BAFTA for it at the 26th annual awards. However, at the Golden Globes, the film won multiple awards including: Best Drama Motion Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Marlon Brando), Best Supporting Actor (James Caan), Best Screenplay and Best Score. The score for the film also won a Grammy Awards and has since been listed as the third greatest film of all time in the American Film Institute’s “100 Movies” list of 1998.

In the greatest movie quotation list published by the American Film Institute in 2005, the line: "I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse” made it to number two on the list and the institute would go on to list “The Godfather” (1972) as the greatest gangster film ever made in its list of 2008.

In 1990, the United States National Film Registry selected “The Godfather” (1972) for preservation in the Library of Congress for being culturally significant and eight years’ later both Time Out Magazine and Entertainment Weekly Magazine voted it as the best film ever made. In 2008, Empire Magazine also rated “The Godfather” (1972) as the greatest film of all time on its 500 greatest films list.

All in all, this film has an incredible legacy filled with masses of accolades that continue to this day. One of the most respected films of all time, it has gained wide recognition for its editing style, its portrayal of loyalty and violence and most of all, its amazing line up. You cannot go wrong when you’ve got Marlon Brando, Al Pacino and James Caan in the same film.