The Godfather - 1972

Introduction 

Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo collaborated on the screenplay for The Godfather, an American crime drama released in 1972. The film is based on Puzo's best-selling 1969 novel of the same name. Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Richard Castellano, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard Conte, and Diane Keaton are among the actors that appear in the movie. It is the first film in the Godfather trilogy, which spans 1945 to 1955 and tells the story of the Corleone family under patriarch Vito Corleone (Brando). It focuses on how his youngest son, played by Al Pacino, goes from being a hesitant family outsider to a violent mob boss.

Before it became well-known, Paramount Pictures paid $80,000 for the rights to the novel. The first few applicants turned down the post until Coppola agreed to direct the picture. However, there needed to be more clarity over the casting of several characters, particularly Vito (Marlon Brando) and Michael (Al Pacino). The majority of the filming, which took place on location in Sicily and New York City, was finished ahead of schedule. Nino Rota composed the majority of the music for the film, with additional works by Carmine Coppola.

The Godfather had its world premiere on March 14, 1972, at the Loew's State Theatre, and on March 24, 1972, it received a wide release in the US. Between $250 and $291 million in box office receipts, it was the highest-grossing movie of 1972 and the highest-grossing movie ever for a while. Both critics and viewers unanimously praised the movie, praising Brando and Pacino's and Al Pacino's performances and the directing, writing, cinematography, editing, score, and portrayal of the mafia.

The Godfather helped launch the careers of Coppola, Pacino, and other relative novices in the cast and crew. Brando's career, which had slowed down in the 1960s, was similarly revived by the movie; he later appeared in movies like Last Tango in Paris, Superman, and Apocalypse Now. The movie won Best Picture, Best Actor (Brando), and Best Adapted Screenplay at the 45th Academy Awards (for Puzo and Coppola). Pacino, Caan, and Duvall each received one of the seven more Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actor, and Coppola received one for Best Director.

A classic of the gangster genre, The Godfather is regarded as one of the greatest and most influential movies ever filmed. It was chosen in 1990 for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry of the Library of Congress after being judged to be "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." The American Film Institute ranks it the second-greatest movie ever made in America, just behind Citizen Kane. The Godfather Part II (1974) and The Godfather Part III were the sequels that came after it (1990).

Table of contents 

• Details

• Plot 

• Release Date

• Reviews

• Casting 

• Crew

• Character Analysis

• Music

• Behind the scenes

• Controversy

• Box Office Collection

• Awards

• Interesting Facts

• How to Book Personalised Celebrity Video Message on Tring?

Details

Plot 

Don of the Corleone mafia family Vito Corleone attends to requests at his daughter Connie's wedding to Carlo in 1945 in New York City. At the celebration, Michael, the youngest son of Vito and a former Marine, introduces his girlfriend Kay Adams to his family. Vito's godson Johnny Fontane, a well-known singer, asks Vito for assistance in landing a movie role. Tom Hagen, Vito's consul, is sent to convince studio chief Jack Woltz to award Johnny the role. Woltz first rejects Hagen's request, but after discovering the severed head of his beloved racehorse in his bed, he relents.

Near Christmas, drug lord Sollozzo approaches Vito and requests protection from the law and investment in his drug company. Vito declines, stating that taking part in drugs would cause his political connections to become hostile. Vito sends his enforcer Luca Brasi on an espionage mission to the Tattaglias because he is suspicious of Sollozzo's association with the Tattaglia crime family. Brasi is killed by being garroted during the first encounter. Later, enforcers shoot and kill Vito while capturing Hagen. Sonny, Vito's firstborn, is now in charge, and Sollozzo puts Hagen under pressure to get Sonny to agree to the drug trade.

Sonny hits Bruno Tattaglia in retaliation for the death of Brasi. Following the clearing out of Vito's guards by NYPD cops working for Sollozzo, Michael visits Vito in the hospital after he survives the shooting and discovers him there defenseless. Michael stops a second attempt on his father's life, but Mark McCluskey, a dishonest police captain, beats him. To resolve the conflict, Sollozzo and McCluskey want to meet with Michael. While seeming to be interested and agreeing to the meeting, Sonny and Corleone capo Clemenza devise a scheme for Michael to kill the two men and then flee. At a restaurant in the Bronx, Michael runs into Sollozzo and McCluskey and shoots both of them to death using a revolver Clemenza had hidden in the restroom.

The Five Families engage in open combat despite a crackdown by the government following the murder of a police captain. While Fredo, Vito's second son, is protected by Moe Greene in Las Vegas, Michael seeks safety in Sicily. Carlo is publicly attacked and vilified by Sonny for beating Connie physically. When he mistreats her again, Sonny rushes to their house but is ambushed and killed by criminals at a toll booth on the highway. In Sicily, Michael falls in love with and marries Apollonia, a local woman, but she is killed soon after by a vehicle bomb meant for Michael.

PlayVito arranges a conference with the Five Families after learning of Sonny's death and growing weary of the battle. He promises them that he will stop opposing their drug operation and forego exacting revenge for Sonny's murder. After being assured of his safety, Michael returns home to start the family business and marry Kay. In the early 1950s, Kay gives birth to two children. Michael takes over as head of the Corleone family as his father approaches the end of his life, and Fredo is unqualified to do so.

Vito informs Michael that Don Barzini was the one who gave the order to kill Sonny, and Vito also forewarns him that Barzini would make an attempt on his life at a gathering called by a treacherous Corleone capo. Michael demotes Hagen to overseeing operations in Las Vegas because he is not a "wartime consigliere" with Vito's assistance. Michael is shocked to discover that Fredo is more devoted to Greene than to his own family when he flies to Las Vegas to buy out Greene's part in the family's casinos.

Vito passes away from a heart attack in 1955 while spending time with his grandchild. Tessio's treachery is indicated when he asks Michael to meet with Barzini at Vito's burial. The meeting is scheduled for the same day as Connie's child's baptism. As the child's godfather, Michael is present for the wedding, but Corleone hitmen murder Greene and the leaders of the Five Families, and Tessio is put to death (off-screen) for his betrayal.

After getting Carlo to admit to being involved in Sonny's murder, Michael assures him that he is merely being banished, not killed, and Clemenza then executes Carlo by garroting him. While Kay is present, Connie confronts Michael about Carlo's passing. Kay queries Michael about Connie's veracity and is relieved when he replies negatively. Capos enter the office and salute Michael as "Don Corleone" before shutting the door as Kay leaves.

Release Date

Almost three months after its original release date of Christmas Day in 1971, The Godfather had its global premiere at Loews' State Theatre in New York City on Tuesday, March 14, 1972. Proceeds from the premiere were given to The Boys Club of New York.

The movie made $15 million in advance rentals from more than 400 cinemas before it even opened. The movie premiered in five New York theatres: Loew's State I and II, Orpheum, Cine, and Tower East. The Imperial Theatre in Toronto opened on March 17, while on March 22, Los Angeles opened two theatres. The Godfather premiered on March 24, 1972, in 316 theatres across the rest of the United States.

Reviews

The Godfather is regarded as one of the finest and most influential movies of all time, particularly in the gangster genre, and has garnered overwhelmingly positive critical reception. The movie has a 97% approval rating out of 148 reviews on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, with an overall rating of 9.40/10.

"One of Hollywood's greatest commercial and critical successes, The Godfather gets everything right; not only did the film surpass expectations, but it also established new benchmarks for American cinema," the website's reviewers' consensus reads. Based on 16 reviews from critics, the weighted average review site Metacritic gave the movie a score of 100 out of 100, signifying "universal acclaim."

Cast

• Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone: crime boss and patriarch of the Corleone family

• Al Pacino as Michael Corleone: Vito's youngest son

• James Caan as Sonny Corleone: Vito's eldest son

• Richard Castellano as Peter Clemenza: a caporegime in the Corleone crime family, Sonny's godfather

• Robert Duvall as Tom Hagen: Corleone consigliere, lawyer, and unofficial adopted member of the Corleone family

• Sterling Hayden as Captain McCluskey: a corrupt police captain on Sollozzo's payroll

• John Marley as Jack Woltz: Hollywood film producer who is intimidated by the Corleones

• Richard Conte as Emilio Barzini: a crime boss of a rival family

• Al Lettieri as Virgil Sollozzo: an adversary who pressures Vito to get into the drug business, backed by the Tattaglia family

• Diane Keaton as Kay Adams-Corleone: Michael's girlfriend and, later, second wife

• Abe Vigoda as Salvatore Tessio: a caporegime in the Corleone crime family

• Talia Shire as Connie Corleone: Vito's only daughter

• Gianni Russo as Carlo Rizzi: Connie's abusive husband

• John Cazale as Fredo Corleone: Vito's middle son

• Rudy Bond as Cuneo: a crime boss of a rival family

• Al Martino as Johnny Fontane: a singer

• Morgana King as Mama Corleone: Vito's wife

• Lenny Montana as Luca Brasi: Vito's enforcer

• Johnny Martino as Paulie Gatto: a soldier in the Corleone crime family

• Salvatore Corsitto as Amerigo Bonasera: the undertaker who asks for a favor at Connie's wedding

• Richard Bright as Neri: the soldier in the Corleone crime family who becomes Michael's enforcer

• Alex Rocco as Moe Greene

• Tony Giorgio as Bruno Tattaglia

• Vito Scotti as Nazorine

• Tere Livrano as Theresa Hagen: Tom's wife

• Victor Rendina as Philip Tattaglia: head of the Tattaglia crime family and prostitution crime boss

• Jeannie Linero as Lucy Mancini

• Julie Gregg as Sandra Corleone

• Ardell Sheridan as Mrs. Clemenza

Crew

The Godfather 1972 was directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The movie was written by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola, who also handled the film's screenplay. Alber S. Ruddy produced the film under the production companies; Paramount Pictures and Alfran Productions. Paramount Pictures was also the distributor of the film. William Reynolds and Peter Zinner edited the movie, Gordon Willis was the cinematographer, and Nino Rata handled the music for the movie.

Character Analysis

• Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone-The Godfather

Vito is the movie's central character. He is a wise and charismatic leader who commands respect from his followers. Despite his violent reputation, he is depicted as a loving husband, father, and friend who will do anything to protect his family. He is a complex character who balances his family values with his brutal business dealings, making him a conflicted and relatable protagonist.

• Al Pacino as Michael Corleone

Michael Corleone is Vito's youngest son, is initially depicted as a reluctant outsider to the family business. However, as the film progresses, he takes on a more prominent role in the family, eventually becoming the new godfather. He transforms from a war hero who shuns violence to a ruthless and cunning Mafia boss, reflecting the harsh realities of power and the cost of loyalty.

• Robert Duvall as Tom Hagen 

Tom Hagen is Vito's adopted son and consigliere, or advisor. He serves as a mediator between the family and their criminal associates and is depicted as a calm and collected individual who values loyalty and diplomacy.

Other significant characters includes:

• Sonny Corleone (James Caan), Vito's hot-headed eldest son who becomes involved in the family business.

• Fredo Corleone (John Cazale), Vito's weak and passive second son who struggles to assert himself in the family.

• Don Vito's rival, Virgil "The Turk" Sollozzo (Richard S. Castellano), is a cunning and ruthless Mafia boss who threatens the Corleone family.

• Carlo Rizzi (Gianni Russo), the husband of Vito's daughter, Connie, is depicted as a weak and selfish individual who betrays the family.

Music

Italian musician Nino Rota, who wrote "Love Theme from The Godfather," was hired by Coppola to write the film's score. Rota was tasked with relating to the plot and characters in the movie via the score. In order to give the movie an Italian atmosphere and evoke drama, Rota Playcombined new music with some of the music from his 1958 Fortunella film score.

Evans, a Paramount executive, thought the score was too "highbrow" and did not want to use it; nevertheless, Coppola persuaded Evans to agree, and the score was utilized. Coppola thought that Rota's musical composition added even more of an Italian vibe to the movie. Carmine Coppola composed extra music for the movie, notably the song used by the band during the opening wedding scene. 

"C'è la luna mezzo mare" and Cherubino's aria "Non so più cosa son" from Le Nozze di Figaro are examples of incidental music. The soundtrack for the movie was released in 1972 on vinyl by Paramount Records, on CD by Geffen Records in 1991, and digitally on August 18, 2005, by Geffen. Over 31 minutes of music from the movie are included on the album, the majority of it written by Rota. Coppola also contributed a song, while Johnny Farrow and Marty Symes contributed another. Editor Zach Curd of AllMusic gave the album a five-star rating and called it a "dark, brooding, and exquisite soundtrack." In the opinion of a Filmtracks editor, Rota successfully connected the music to the plot of the movie.

Behind the scenes

• Real Syndicates Opposed the Film's Production

When news of the film adaptation of The Godfather spread, Joseph Colombo Sr., the head of the New York syndicate, spearheaded a campaign in the media and outside of it to halt filming over the usage of the word "mafia." He allegedly went after producer Albert Ruddy while organizing Italian Americans against The Godfather with the support of the Italian American Civil Rights League. 

Ruddy frequently switched cars with his crew throughout the production because he was afraid of reprisals from the family. When someone broke the windows of Ruddy's car one night, the fear tactics reached a boiling point for him. After Robert Evans, the studio's head was pressured by Colombo, he requested that Ruddy meets with Colombo to make a deal. Ultimately, Colombo consented to give his blessing to the film on two conditions: the script had to be changed to remove all references to the problematic term, and the filmmakers had to give Colombo's civil rights organization the earnings from the world premiere. Even though the money was never given, Ruddy agreed to both.

Controversy 

• Depiction of Italian-American Culture

The Godfather was criticized for perpetuating negative stereotypes about Italian Americans, particularly its portrayal of organized crime. Many Italian-American groups felt that the film perpetuated harmful myths about their culture and perpetuated the notion that all Italian-Americans were involved in criminal activities.

• Use of Real-Life Gangsters as Inspiration

The film was based on Mario Puzo's novel of the same name, loosely inspired by real-life organized crime figures. Some accused the film of glamorizing the Mafia and being insensitive to organized crime victims.

• Controversy over Marlon Brando's Performance

Marlon Brando's performance as Vito Corleone was praised by many critics, but it also sparked controversy. Some felt that his portrayal of an Italian-American character was inappropriate and that his "Method" acting style was inappropriate for the role. Additionally, Brando's decision to refuse his Academy Award for Best Actor added to the controversy surrounding the film.

Box Office Collection

The Godfather was a box office success, breaking numerous records and becoming the highest-grossing film of 1972.  The movie made $57,829 on its first release day in five theatres. It made $6.8 million in the first five days of its nationwide debut, totaling $7,397,164. Ultimately, the movie's initial US and Canadian cinema run brought in $81.5 million.

Its earnings were increased to $85.7 million by a reissue in 1973, and after accounting for a limited rerelease in 1997, it eventually brought in an equivalent exhibition gross of $135 million with a $6.5 million production cost. It has been re-released eight more times since 1997 and has earned between $250 million and $291 million at the global box office, and when North American ticket prices are taken into account, it is in the top 25 highest-grossing movies.

Awards

Interesting facts

Play

1. Based on a Novel: The Godfather was based on the novel of the same name by Mario Puzo, who co-wrote the screenplay with director Francis Ford Coppola.

2. Successful Film Franchise: The Godfather was followed by two sequels, The Godfather Part II (1974) and The Godfather Part III (1990), which were also commercially successful and critically acclaimed.

3. Iconic Cast: The film starred Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Richard S. Castellano, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard Conte, Diane Keaton, and others.

4. Academy Awards: The Godfather won three Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Marlon Brando, and Best Adapted Screenplay for Puzo and Coppola.

5. Cult Classic: The Godfather is widely considered one of the greatest films of all time and has been inducted into the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

6. Real-Life Inspiration: The film's portrayal of organized crime was loosely based on real-life Mafia figures, including Carlo Gambino and Vito Genovese.

7. Iconic Dialogue: The film features several iconic lines of dialogue, including "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse," "Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer," and "Revenge is a dish best-served cold."

8. Film Techniques: The Godfather was innovative in its use of techniques such as the handheld camera, the non-linear storyline, and the parallel editing style.

9. Soundtrack: The film's soundtrack, composed by Nino Rota, is widely recognized and includes the famous theme "Speak Softly Love."

10. Box Office Success: The Godfather was a huge box office success, grossing approximately $133 million in North America and over $245 million worldwide during its initial theatrical release.

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