The Godfather Is The Greatest Movie Of All The Times

[Tenta]

[YOUTUBE]zhzH5JNHld8[/YOUTUBE]​

Whoa, Whoa, Whoa... My bad boys....​

[YOUTUBE]1aV9X2d-f5g&feature=related[/YOUTUBE]​

The Godfather​

You see, this is so far and above every other movie, that really, the most difficult decision for me was whether to pick the first movie or the second movie. Pretty much the only difficult decision, as the first moment IC put up this thread, I knew I just had to do The Godfather, because it is head and shoulders above the rest of the movies, which admittedly I love. Star Wars is a fantasic movie, I busted a guy laughing at Borat, and Taxi Driver was perhaps De Niro's best performance. That is, besides his portrayal of a young Vito Corleone in The Second Godfather

That said, The Godfather was such a good choice, not because of the lack of wonderful, entertaining choices, but because The Godfather was so damn marfvelous. I mean, come one, it's the fucking Godfather, for Christ Sakes! What more should I have to say? I could just not back this up, and just leacve it like this, but then again, I don't believe many people are going to argue with me, and I need a strong OP to tell people my stance, I'll expand.

First, I'll explain to you exactly what made me decide on the First Godfagther, the original, over it's successor. While The Godfather Part II was a fantastic movie, I always felt they did way too much in overexpanding. I know it was only natural, but to take the movie to Las Vegas, Miami, Haiti and the like really expanded way too much for my liking. I liked the idea of the Corleone family staying close to it's roots, though I knew that was never going to be the case with Michael Corleone at the helm. Michael was all about expansion, and eerily enough, would mirror Vince McMahon's rise to national prominence with the WWE about six to eight years later. That said, having the story looping between Las Vegas and the like was really something that just didn't do it for me. The second issue for me was always going to be why some people will argue for the Part Deux version, and that would be Fredo. Some will tell you that was a shocking moment, the likes of which everyone was stunned, and that the confrontation with Fredo and Micahel at the New Year's Party was great. To which, I let out a tinyt laugh, as I could see the gears turning for this early in the movie. Brothers turning on one another? Pffft. Fredo's heel turn was about as cliche as Cain screwing over his brother some 2,000 years ago. Or, you know, the yearly instances in which Kane screws his brother over. My third quibble is, for as much as I loved the De Niro parts, I missed Marlon Brando at the helm. Let me ask you something; when you think about The Godfather, what's the first image that comes to your head? Is it something like this?

Am I right? I bet so. Yes, yes, overrated performance, I hear you from Sam. To which I say shut the fuck up. Marlon Brando as the Godfather is irreplaceable. Damn De Niro did try, and he was really fucking good, but he just can't beat Marlon Brando. Nor should he have been expected to, really; Brando was a god among mere mortals. As a matter of fact, if someone doesn't pick On The Waterfront, I will riot. Or, if no one picks Apocalypse Now, for that matter, because frankly, those are some of the best movies of their generations. Consider that Marlon Brando was asked to play pivotal roles in both of these movies, and he'll always be remembered for his Vito Corleone more than anything. So, without further ado, let's get on with this thing:

What Makes The Godfather Best

1. The Writing

As if anyone can't tell, I'm a massive mark for well done books that are turned to movies. English major and such, really; you kind of mark the fuck out when you watch a good novel done justice. Now, that's really rarely the case, mostly because novels have turned to shit. At least, the novels that schlock themselves to a writer who just doesn't care about the script. Francis Floyd Cappolo, however, revered the Mario Puzo novel, and frankly, kept it as close to Puzo's masterpiece as possible. The Movie Blog has it ranked as the second best adaptation of a novel to movie, only behind Lord of the Rings, which as you can tell by later choices (The Princess Bride at #9? Really, Guys? And no selection of To Kill A Mockingbord? Really? Fucking peasants) was sheerly a preference selection. Added to the fact that Francis had the task of breaking up this wonderful novel into three parts ( I like to forget then third part, too, really), and you have to conclude that Francis was working with the build up portion of the novel, in which he crafted so perfectly, that it makes my head spin.

2. The Cast

It reads like the greatest group of actors to ever come down the pike. I'm not just talking Brando here, though that is quite true that I find him to be the greatest actor of all time. You also have Robert Duvall, who was cut out halfway into the 2nd movie and wasn't around as much.You also have Talia Shire, you have James Caan, who met a grisly demise in the first movie and wouldn't return, Diane Keaton, Abe Vigoda, pretty much a who's who of cast. Frankly, no one matches the Star Power of the first Godfather, not even Star Wars, who's lead star pretty much went to voice the Joker, and really fuck all else in the Movie world. Yes, yes, Harrison Ford and James Earl Jones, but come on, Carrie Fisher? Alec Guiness? Can you name another movie as packed with stars as The Godfather? Rocky? Yeah, Dolph Lundgren is riveting, and so is Carl Weathers.

The closest that comes to matching The Godfather for star power is probably Casablanca, and maybe Gone with the Wind. Both of which just don't cut the mustard.

Oh yeah... There was that Pacino. He was a pretty good guy, too. Knew his shit.

3. The Accolades

I could really go on with this, as they are quite close in between. Eveyone loves The Godfather, from critics to your regular joe. It won the Big Three from the Academy Awards, with Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Adapted Screenplay. The American Film Institute has been fit to give The Godfather the following achievements

1998 AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies #3
2001 AFI's 100 Years... 100 Thrills #11
2005 AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes:

"I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse," #2

2005 AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores #5
2007 AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition) #2
2008 AFI's 10 Top 10 #1 gangster film

The film is ranked as first on Metacritic's top 100 list, and in the top 10 on Rotten Tomatoes' all-time best list (100% "Freshness"). In 2002, The Godfather and The Godfather Part II reached #2 on Film4's list of The 100 Greatest Films of All Time. Entertainment Weekly named The Godfather the greatest film ever made. Hell, The Godfather was voted in at #1 on Empire magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time in November 2008. As if you can't tell, critics love to Bukake The Godfather, because it is so damn entertaining to watch. And it isn't just critics that love The Godfather, it's everybody in the whole world that showers the movie with praise. It is tied with The Shawshank Redemption for the highest rated movie on IMDB. Simply put, when The Godfather is on The Screen, people will come out in droves to see it.

4. The Influence

This was the first of many movies to spawn the The Mafia based movies, in which everyone on these forums love. In spawned the feeling of the organized crime so well, and wa sso historically accurate, Hollywood realized there was a market here. As a matter of fact, here's what the leader of the Gambino crime family, Salvatore Gravano said about the movie

I mean I floated out of the theater. Maybe it was fiction, but for me, then, that was our life. It was incredible. I remember talking to a multitude of guys, made guys, who felt exactly the same way.

At the moment, ChiDavid is creating a thread in which he's going to say Goodfellas is the best movie of all time. Which, frankly, he'd better be prepared to face the fact that without The Godfather, there is no Goodfellas. There is no Sopranos, there is no Casino, there is no mafia based entertainment which we've come to love over time. The image of the Mafia as being a feudal organization with the Don being both the protector of the small fry and the collector of obligations from them to repay his services, which The Godfather helped to popularize, is now an easily recognizable cultural trope, as is that of the Don's family as a "royal family". (This has spread into the real world as well – cf. John Gotti – the "Dapper Don", and his celebritized family.) This portrayal stands in contrast to the more sordid reality of lower level Mafia "familial" entanglements, as depicted in various post-Godfather Mafia fare, such as Scorsese's Mean Streets and Casino, and also to the grittier hard-boiled pre-Godfather films. Hell, George Lucas was influenced by the magnificent Assasination/Baptism sequence, which I argue is the greatest scene of all time.

Look, I can on, but the evidence is in front of you. The Godfather is the greatest movie of all time.


Oh... And for the record, if you decide to spam this thread with that scene from Family Guy... You know the one... You will be trolled and red repped with the following

Spoiler

[youtube]ZhD4tKoHvOg[/youtube]

 

[Rhonda Rousey's Sports Bra]

Tenta, I love this movie. I really do but did it make more money than Star Wars? No, it didn't.

http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/series/StarWars.php

http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/series/Godfather.php

Movies are supposed to make money and be entertaining at the same time. Star Wars made around $400,000,000 more than Godfather. Like I said it's one of my favorite movies ever, but I put it behind Star Wars.

 

[Phoenix]

The Godfather is one of the films that will always be in my Top Ten films of all time because it is truly a classic. Just to play the DVD and hear the opening notes of that trumpet playing sends chills down your spine because you know how great it is going to be.

While BC argues that money is important to being a great film, erm it doesn't, if that's the case then Avatar would have won the Best Film Oscar this year or Star Wars would have one *ahem* . Fact is that whenever you watch this film, it never feels dated, it doesn't rely on special effects or action sequences to be great, it's down to storytelling and emotion which as you've rightly said Tenta, it beats that drum perfectly to a T. One of the best elements about this film is that it doesn't treat you with a sense of patronising nor wastes time to introduce the characters, the moment you're watching, you just feel like you know these people, what they do, what they stand for and you understand what the film is about, that's what makes a film like this unique, you never have seen the characters before but you still can immediately recognise with them the moment you first see them.

As you also rightly said, the acting is one of the best performances you could ever find in a film, even when Brando was a hell bender on the crew and didn't bother to learn his lines, he still gave a performance to remember for a lifetime, the attitude, the voice, the presence, you are in awe of the Don and you will respect him, or be sleeping with the fishes tonight.

All the key aspects of the film couldn't be faulted, the acting, the story, the emotion, the score, the pace, works so great for that goes over two hours, but doesn't even drag at one single point. A great choice to call, and one I can definitely agree with, one of the best of all time!

 

[Tenta]

Tenta, I love this movie. I really do but did it make more money than Star Wars? No, it didn't.

http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/series/StarWars.php

http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/series/Godfather.php

Movies are supposed to make money and be entertaining at the same time. Star Wars made around $400,000,000 more than Godfather. Like I said it's one of my favorite movies ever, but I put it behind Star Wars.

Ahem. Blue Cardinal. Avatar. Titanic. Need I say more?

Look, the fact is, movies work both as a piece of art, and as entertainment. The greatest movies are not the ones that draw the most money, and you know this to be true. If that was true, Citizen Kane would have made more money than the likes of Anchorman, which isn't the case, and Gone with the Wind would have made as much money as The Dark Knight. George Lucas catered to a market that was scared shitless by The Cold War, and the double meanings behind all the characters at the time is pretty much what drew people to Star Wars. Besides all the fun special effects. But special effects does not a great movie make. A great movie is the combination of fantastic entertainment, as well as piece of art. That, sir, is the Godfather; not Star Wars

 

[Rhonda Rousey's Sports Bra]

Ahem. Blue Cardinal. Avatar. Titanic. Need I say more?

Look, the fact is, movies work both as a piece of art, and as entertainment. The greatest movies are not the ones that draw the most money, and you know this to be true. If that was true, Citizen Kane would have made more money than the likes of Anchorman, which isn't the case, and Gone with the Wind would have made as much money as The Dark Knight. George Lucas catered to a market that was scared shitless by The Cold War, and the double meanings behind all the characters at the time is pretty much what drew people to Star Wars. Besides all the fun special effects. But special effects does not a great movie make. A great movie is the combination of fantastic entertainment, as well as piece of art. That, sir, is the Godfather; not Star Wars

You're right, it's not all about the money, although that is a big factor, people won't spend money on something they don't want to see. Also the 9 billion, yes BILLION dollars made off merchandise muct mean it's turrible . Fact is Star Wars made way more money because it reached a huge audience and that huge audience loved it to death. You can call a movie a masterpiece but it's just an opinion. Some would say a movie is the best work of art ever but it still might not draw shit, how is that great? Because a snooty critic says it's great over the thoughts of billions of fans? Sounds like the Meltzer -4 star Hogan-Andre match arguement to me.

 

[Tenta]

You're right, it's not all about the money, although that is a big factor, people won't spend money on something they don't want to see. Also the 9 billion, yes BILLION dollars made off merchandise muct mean it's turrible . Fact is Star Wars made way more money because it reached a huge audience and that huge audience loved it to death. You can call a movie a masterpiece but it's just an opinion. Some would say a movie is the best work of art ever but it still might not draw shit, how is that great? Because a snooty critic says it's great over the thoughts of billions of fans? Sounds like the Meltzer -4 star Hogan-Andre match arguement to me.

Well, it is kind of, except Star Wars isn't as revolutionary as Huk Hogan/Andre. It really wasn't. Star Wars affected the Sci Fi scene about as much as Star Trek, and probably less than Flash Gordon, which Gordon was actually a much better movie, quality wise, than Star Wise. George Lucas is a smart business man, in that he saw marketable characters, and pimped them for all they were worth, really. That's how you explain wookies, Jar Jar Binks, and all the market shit that was prevalent to Star Wars at the time.

Face it, Star Wars mainly got popular because of people's weaknesses, and that they were frightened of the Cold War. That was the Big Draw, that it mirrored the US' own situation with the Cold War. Really, Star Wars is the biggest case of American propaganda you'll ever find. Hell, Ronald Reagan, shit president that he was, named his military project after what movie? Just because it preyed off the weaknesses and fears of America, does not make it a great movie. The Godfather is a work of art, one in which accurately and beautifully cultured an environment that made one of the most dubious of mob bosses stunned by how detailed it was. The story was absolutely perfect, the writing was so much better than anything of it's time, and it truly does stand the test of time, unlike Star Wars.

Furthermore, BC, I'm going to warn you. If you want to fucking advertise your own thread, do so in other ways, but not my thread. This isn't about Star Wars, you have your own thread to discuss the same criticisms i just handed down. I'll mind you, Mod-Wannabe, to stay in the right path, and discuss your movie in your thread, not mine.

 

[klunderbunker]

Godfather. Now this one is very interesting.

I've seen the movie and I'm not sure how much I liked it. It's definitely a great movie without question, but I'm not sure why. The first thing that pops into my head is the music. This is the only film I can ever recall where the music itself absolutely chilled me. It gave you the feeling that I was in danger, and I was sitting at a computer watching this.

The acting is indeed top notch as Pacino is breathtaking as is Brando. Luca Brazi scared the HELL out of me and I was about 19 when I first saw this. The story is complex yet simple at the same time as you can see the transformation of Michael as the story unfolds.

As for cultural impact, there are literally books of nothing but Godfather quotes. It made mob movies cool again and is clearly inspirational to things like Goodfellas and the Sopranos.

While it's a great movie, I'm not sure if it is the best of all time. It's definitely on the short list though, which is a huge step up here. Very good choice.

 

[Dave]

Although you are not my rookie, Tenta, I have to commend you on your choice of movie to defend. Mostly because there is not a flaw with this movie that can be seen from the outset. I know I really should be attacking your choice of movie for my own Rookie’s sake but I honestly think that you have come into this part of the competition by choosing the easiest movie to defend. The Godfather is the single greatest movie I have ever seen and I won’t be trying to make you slip up here.

Honestly, from top to bottom, this movie is absolutely incredible and not even the expendables have the cast that The Godfather did. All of the cast were absolutely electric and made the movie what it was. Of course, it wasn’t all down to the cast. The story and writing of the movie were utterly incredible. I have watched the series multiple times and never fail to get emotionally invested in the life of Michael Corleone.

The Godfather, portrayed by Marlon Brando is the single biggest movie icon I have ever viewed and at this moment a huge framed poster of him hangs on my wall. As I look at, I see more than just a man. I see an outstanding performance by one of the best actors in any role ever. So strongly I feel about Marlon Brando’s performance, I get Goosebumps when I look at the picture you have posted. De Niro was utterly outstanding in all of the movies and even pulled out a performance in the much slated 3rd instalment. Personally, I love every single minute of it and nothing seems out of place. The soundtrack is absolutely brilliant and just sets the scene for the movie masterfully.

My only concern, Tenta. Is that you have picked a movie that everybody loves and no one will debate you in this thread. Perhaps picking a more controversial movie would have given you more to debate. Still, outstanding choice.

 

[a0161613]

Dave, your praise of Tenta is a little too effusive. Good pick yes but he got there first. Pure and simple, this will be the easiest to defend. I was planning to do the same.

Great film, great performances, there is very little wrong and even now, it may never be beat. Film-making isnt done like this any more. It's classic in every sense of the word.

 

[Tenta]

My only concern, Tenta. Is that you have picked a movie that everybody loves and no one will debate you in this thread. Perhaps picking a more controversial movie would have given you more to debate. Still, outstanding choice.

Well, if you don't mind me saying, I totally see where you're getting at, but I disagree. The idea of this thread is to find the greatest movie in history. Sure, people may love The Godfather, but I highly doubt that everyone thinks it to be the greatest movie in history. I've heard plenty of criticism thrown out about The Godfather, such as that it takes too long, that the dialogue is hard to follow at times. I see where you're getting at, and believe me, I understand that it is a calculated risk. That said, I place it upon the other posters to dispute me. If they can't, isn't that more of an indictment on them?

Again, we're looking to answer a question given by IC25. We're given a job to say what we believe is the greatest movie of all time. This is seriously the best movie I've ever seen. I put it into the the hands of others to prove me wrong.

 

[Tenta]

Welp.... Figure that since I have enough lof my competition's choices, I thought that I'd go ahead and tell everyone why my pick is better than everyone else's pick, in the field's in which they specialize in.

First, let's get this out of the way, The Godfather has more humor than Borat. Seriously, Borat is about as fucking subtle as Hitler at a Peace Convention. While the Godfather has many humorous moments that you look at and last longer, in terms of laughter, Borat just tries to bash everyone's brains in that Borat is funny, which it really isn't. Borat is confused about where it's identity lies, somewhere between mockumentary and comedy. The Godfather's funny moments are those that are pretty subtle, if you have a sick sense of humor. "Leave the gun, take the canoli" is hilarious when you hear it, and is once of those lines that just stick with you over time.

The Godfather is more violent and suspenseful than Silence of the Lambs Personally, I feel SOTL is a complete hack job, and have no idea why Numbers chose it, nor does it seem his pro does. That said, all of the brutality in the Godfather is done in a classy manner, if that makes any sense. Thje suspense behind Vito Corleone's shooting, and consequentially whether he'd get whacked in the hospital, and who's behind his demise, is something that keeps you gripped throughout the movie, much more than SOTL.

The Godfather is more culturally relevant than Star Wars. Yes, I get Stars Wars is loved by all, blah blah blah. The Godfather arguably launched it's own genre, one in which launched the anti-hero as the new superstar in Hollywood. Without the Godfather, I find it hard to believe that anti-heros would be the big thing in Hollywood, because the entire film is composed of anti heroes. Sure, Star Wars makes money, but even then, it doesn't stand the test of time like The Godfather.

Finally... Well, it's just better than Razor's choice. Look, I'm not going to pretend to know Razor's pick, and that's a huge problem. Everyone knows the Godfather, and everyone loves the Godfather. Razor could have the greatest creation of mankind shoved up his butt, and it doesn't matter, because no one has seen it. Everyone, on the other hand, has seen The Godfather.

More to come as more posters reveal their inferior choices

 

[X]

Can't say I agree Tenta, simply because I consider Part II to be superior to Part I in almost every way. If a film isn't the best in it's own series, it can't rightfully be the greatest film of all time, now can it?

Still, great film obviously, one that I really don't need to comment on because it's been commented on twelve billion times by everyone and their mother's mother. Just Pacino + Coppola + Mafia = instant classic. Well, maybe not in Part III's case.

 

[Tenta]

Still, great film obviously, one that I really don't need to comment on because it's been commented on twelve billion times by everyone and their mother's mother. Just Pacino + Coppola + Mafia = instant classic. Well, maybe not in Part III's case.

You know, sometimes I just like to pretend that The Third Godfather just didn't happen. At all. Like, sometimes I'll tear out the Third portion of the book, just because I hate the third movie that much. We'll always agree, The Third Godfather is like the Child with three eyes I plan to lock in my basement when I do bear my seed.

Can't say I agree Tenta, simply because I consider Part II to be superior to Part I in almost every way. If a film isn't the best in it's own series, it can't rightfully be the greatest film of all time, now can it?

Which, if you just read my last paragraph, I'm not going with Part Deux. Look, this is really a hinsight argument, and really, no one likes those. That said, Part Two really did lead in to the over expansion you'd find in Part III. Of course, I also hate Part III because Coppola's nepotism was in high point here. Then again, pending who you hear it from, it was Coppola that got Pacino his role, from some blood line. That said, I didn't like Part II as much because of the over expansion. I've used this comparison, and it really doesn't fit as well, but it's like when the nWo merged into this massive supergroup. Sure, it was still got, but it felt really watered down. That's how Part II feels to me; really kind of watered down.

Also, it doesn't hurt that Marlon Brando is my favorite actor of all time. Simply put, the fact that no one mentioned On the Waterfront and Apocalypse Now is really quite disturbing to me. That said, when people think Godfather, as much as they love the movies, the first image is Vito Corleone stroking a cat. Yes, Pacino may have been a better Godfather, and his trek through morality is compelling. That said, the fact that we had to wait until the end to get the mass killing just kind of drew it out for me. Give me The Baptism/Assisination scene over that ending to Part II, and I admittedly love that scene so fucking much.

Look, The Godfather is something that you just can't argue, and really, it boils down to whether you liked I or II, more. Sure, there's a group that likes Part II more, but Part I has more critical acclaim, more fan acclaim, and overall, when people think Godfather, they think Part I

 

[BooCocky]

I completely agree with X. For once, full moon outside? I don't know. Not by a window to look and I haven't been out since like 7.

The Godfather wasn't even the best in its series. It's behind Part II. Part II won 6 Oscars, compared to 3. Also, be real, the acting was average in the first one. James Caan's acting was too over the top in the first one. Marlon Brando really didn't do shit but put oranges in his mouth in the first one, but won an oscar. The second one also featured De Niro. Who in my mind shit on Brando when it comes to the better Corleone. So like X said, how could this movie be the GOAT when its the second best in its series?

 

[Tenta]

The Godfather wasn't even the best in its series. It's behind Part II.

Well, let's just see why.

Part II won 6 Oscars, compared to 3.

Yeah, overall stronger competition in the year 1972, really. The Godfather went up against Cabaret, Deliverance, Sounder. Part II dealt with... Chinatown? Yeah, considering that The Godfather was also a lock to win best original score before being disqualified, and it's often said Part II won in place of Part I, I don't at all that Godfather Part II is just better because it won more Academy Awards. The American Film Institute ranked The Godfather the #2 move of all time. Part Deux? Yeah, that came in at #32.

James Caan's acting was too over the top in the first one.

He was playing the hot headed opposite to Michael's composed, distant nature. What's so fucking over the top about that?

Marlon Brando really didn't do shit but put oranges in his mouth in the first one, but won an oscar. The second one also featured De Niro. Who in my mind shit on Brando when it comes to the better Corleone.

No. You. Didn't.


Look, I like De Niro, but he isn't half the actor that Marlon Brando is. I just didn't get that same sense of moral questioning from De Niro that you get with Brando. In Brando, you can sense pain, sense a belief of honor in upholding his name, but also trying to keep his family safe. You don't get jack shit of that with De Niro. Sure, you understand his rise to fame, but De Niro doesn't give me any sense that he questions his morality on the issue. That, to me, is what makes Brando stand out against De Niro

So like X said, how could this movie be the GOAT when its the second best in its series?

Ahem. #2 > #32. Well, not exactly. But you get where I'm getting at

 

[a0161613]

I'm going to try and look past the most obvious flaw in this arguement with Part 1/Part II arguement.

The main problem with Part I is that it doesn't know who to focus on. it should focus on Michael's character development, his choices and the consequences. But it's all over the show by focussing on the family.

While I know that is important to the film because of the genre, it detracts from it because Michael and Vito are two fantastic characters. Maybe the source material is at fault there. While Coppola does create a couple of incredible scenes on the way, it does appear that the entire film is setting the scene, building up to the point where Michael becomes a part of the family. (I love that scene in particular; it's fantastic.)

Oh and I might even argue that it isn't even Brando's best performance.

 

[Tenta]

I'm going to try and look past the most obvious flaw in this arguement with Part 1/Part II arguement.

Clearly because we all know I' right

The main problem with Part I is that it doesn't know who to focus on. it should focus on Michael's character development, his choices and the consequences. But it's all over the show by focussing on the family.

It's a slow build to focusing on Michael Corleone, which is perfect. He starts out the movie as the quiet college kid of the family, and the only one who avoided the Mafia lifestyle. He ends as the Michiavelli-esque overlord of the crime family he never wanted in the first place. They couldn't focus on Michael from the beginning because he was rarely involved with the family until his life was in jeopardy

While I know that is important to the film because of the genre, it detracts from it because Michael and Vito are two fantastic characters. Maybe the source material is at fault there. While Coppola does create a couple of incredible scenes on the way, it does appear that the entire film is setting the scene, building up to the point where Michael becomes a part of the family. (I love that scene in particular; it's fantastic.)

Well, of course it is, the whole trilogy revolves around Michael. But Vito's job in carrying the piece is magnificent, and he does the job of carrying the family until Michael is ready to take over. With Part Deaux, you have the family all centered, but even that didn't focus solely on Michael

Oh and I might even argue that it isn't even Brando's best performance.

To which I'd hope you'd argue for On the Waterfront. Look, say what you will, but when people think Marlon Brando, what's the first role that pops to people's head? Need I pull out the picture?

 

[BooCocky]

Well, let's just see why.

Yeah, overall stronger competition in the year 1972, really. The Godfather went up against Cabaret, Deliverance, Sounder. Part II dealt with... Chinatown? Yeah, considering that The Godfather was also a lock to win best original score before being disqualified, and it's often said Part II won in place of Part I, I don't at all that Godfather Part II is just better because it won more Academy Awards. The American Film Institute ranked The Godfather the #2 move of all time. Part Deux? Yeah, that came in at #32.

He was playing the hot headed opposite to Michael's composed, distant nature. What's so fucking over the top about that?



No. You. Didn't.


Look, I like De Niro, but he isn't half the actor that Marlon Brando is. I just didn't get that same sense of moral questioning from De Niro that you get with Brando. In Brando, you can sense pain, sense a belief of honor in upholding his name, but also trying to keep his family safe. You don't get jack shit of that with De Niro. Sure, you understand his rise to fame, but De Niro doesn't give me any sense that he questions his morality on the issue. That, to me, is what makes Brando stand out against De Niro



Ahem. #2 > #32. Well, not exactly. But you get where I'm getting at

I am not going to dissect this or anything but... you're smoking something because Chinatown was better than that shitty liza minelli musical, that movie about white water rafting and sodomizing half-breeds, and that shitty tearjerker about the good ol' south.

Also, James Caan was not a foil to Michael Corleone. Their stories had hardly any overlap, and that Caan's purpose wasn't to show how level-headed and calm Michael was in comparison. It's an ensemble piece, and no one hammed it up more than James Caan.

As far as Marlon Brando goes...That was a nice interpretation, but that Marlon Brando's Vito Corleone wasn't as compunctious and contemplative as you makes him out to be. Brando might have won the Oscar, but his portrayal (and the role itself) was very one-dimensional.

 

[jmt225]

I hate to be a parrot here, Tenta, but I have to say it... if the movie isn't even the best in its own series, then how can it be the greatest movie of all time?

Dude, The Godfather 2 smashes the original Godfather in every imaginable way. I re-watched all 3 films just a couple of months ago, and I'm telling you man, while The Godfather is a great, great movie, The Godfather Part 2 is the one from this series that truly stands the test of time and that can truly be considered one of the greatest movies, ever.

The first Godfather wouldn't crack my top 10, maybe not even my top 25, Tenta. I respect how good the film is and I respect the impact it has had not only on cinema, but in our culture. However, it's a movie of moments, it's not fantastic for start to finish. Michael killing Sollozzo and McCluskey is without a doubt one of the greatest scenes of all time, and there are other GREAT moments like that, but as a whole, meh... the movie quite drags at points, man. I think the pacing of the film really hurt it.

Moreover, and I might get shit for this, but Marlon Brando is without a doubt the most overrated actor in history, and The Godfather is easily his most overrated performance. Seriously, what the fuck is so great about it? So he can talk with a low, deep girly voice... whoop-de-fucking-do.

You want to see a great actor play Vito Corleone? Watch Robert De Niro in The Godfather Part 2. Watch the scene where Vito stares in heartbreak and disbelief as his son Fredo cries his fucking heart out because he has pneumonia. I could feel Vito's pain watching his son in that condition. De Niro was fucking SUPERB there, and in the rest of that movie.

Now, go watch the scene in part 1 where Vito finds out about Sonny's death... I don't feel that same emotion from Brando like I did De Niro. Why? Because Brando overdid that character. That's the bottom line... he overdid it, man. De Niro, on the other hand, was perfect.

So, yeah... I respect and even understand your choice here Tenta, but I cannot agree with it in the least bit.