As I mentioned in my opening remarks, The Godfather is considered one of the best American films ever made (it usually trails only Citizen Kane in "best of" lists). Citing specific examples from the film, why do you think this is? Do you think it deserves such accolades? What does it have common with other films that we have seen in the class? How does it differ? And lastly, using at least one of the three course textbooks as your guide, discuss the film either in terms of director Francis Ford Coppola's career and the short-lived American Zoetrope OR the concept of "saturation booking."
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
On The Godfather
As I mentioned in my opening remarks, The Godfather is considered one of the best American films ever made (it usually trails only Citizen Kane in "best of" lists). Citing specific examples from the film, why do you think this is? Do you think it deserves such accolades? What does it have common with other films that we have seen in the class? How does it differ? And lastly, using at least one of the three course textbooks as your guide, discuss the film either in terms of director Francis Ford Coppola's career and the short-lived American Zoetrope OR the concept of "saturation booking."
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I certainly believe that THE GODFATHER certainly is one of the best films of all time, and it deserves this accolade and any other accolade it is given. Like the other film, the cast includes a combo of big names and rising stars, just like all the other films. This way, we are able to actually absorb the world of the film. It also humanizes violence, just like Alex in A CLOCKWORK ORANGE and David in STRAW DOGS. It also embraces the idea of family and how important it is to maintain relations within family members. Its primary difference from the other films we have viewed is its time (about 3 hours) and scope. It covers a lot more ground than any one other film we have watched.
Looking at Coppola's career, GODFATHER was perhaps his greatest directorial achievement to date (as of 1972). Coppola got his start as an experimental college student filmmaker, where he met legendary experimental filmmaker Roger Corman, who gave him his first directorial gig: the 1963 horror-thriller DEMENTIA 13. He then made his foray to Hollywood with the films YOU'RE A BIG BOY NOW (1966), with Geraldine Page and Rip Torn, and FINIAN'S RAINBOW (1968), with Fred Astaire and Petula Clark. After earning a great deal of success with his 1970 script to PATTON, THE GODFATHER was a great option. After being hired (only because Peter Bogdanovich, Costa-Gavras, and Peter Yates all turned down directing duties), Coppola was asked to make a blockbuster out of this film and he did more so. THE GODFATHER stands the test of time alongside fellow mobster films MEAN STREETS (1973), GOODFELLAS (1990), and others...It is basically two films mashed into one and was so successful, it produced an even more successful sequel...
Kelly Doucette
10.10.07
Nicholas Naber
10.11.07
The Godfather is definitely one of the greatest movies ever made. There are many factors that have lead to critics and scholars to believe this. The film is so successful because of the many levels in story and character development. Obviously the biggest change in this movie is in Michael who we find in the beginning of the movie telling Kay he is not like his father and will never be like him. Then in the middle of the movie out of love for his father he guns down the men responsible for ordering the hit on Vito. The story progresses Santino is killed and Mike is left to take charge of the family because his father is still recovering from his attempted murder. This character development is really amazing and you feel for Mike the whole time he goes through the transformation. Another reason that The Godfather is so successful is that it deals with family. The audience really understands the dynamic within their family and is upset when Connie is beaten by her husband, and when Santino cheats on his wife. The film also, has the mafia aspect, which is intriguing. The violence is similar to Straw Dogs in a way it builds up and we have in the final scenes the major killing of the family enemies while Mike is standing by becoming the Godfather of Connie’s child. Unlike Straw Dogs there is more violence in the end but obviously there is quite a bit of violence throughout the film. The Godfather also differs from the other films we have seen because it seems more like an Old Hollywood film shooting it with a large cast on a studio settings, but it also has elements of the New Hollywood like shooting on location, and uneven lighting.
The idea of saturation booking of this film is genius. The film had gone over budget by a million dollars, so they decided to put it in hundreds of movie theaters as Cook says. They also made the price a dollar higher on the ticket to recover the deficit in making the film. The fact that they did this caused a frenzy of activity. People became really interested in going to see this film they dubbed it, as a “special event” really making people believe they were going to see something new and amazing. Little did they know what they were about to view is one of the greatest films of all time.
There is nothing overrated about “The Godfather”. It is in my opinion, the essential American film. “Citizen Kane” is also, because it centers on American business, and the growth, greediness, and prosperity of one man who had it all, but at the same time lost it. Like “Citizen Kane”, “The Godfather” tells the story of a prosperous family, and the family’s beginning root Don Vito Corleone. Like so many of the Europeans did in the 1880s to the 1920s, the Don traveled on boat from Italy to America and started a new life. Every thing about his story is pure genuine Americanism. To come to New York poor, and work your way up from scratch is true America (Sam Walton for an example). Not only is America about opportunity, but it’s about family bondage and kinship. One of the most famous scenes in film history is at the end of “The Godfather”, where we see Kate looking at her future husband, Michael, get greeted royally by his people. At that moment the torch has been passed from Vito to Michael. The blood line of the family is still intact. Maybe that represents all of family and kin in the world, but it is definitely important to American families.
Coppola as we know went on to direct other screen gems such as “The Conversation”, “Apocalypse Now”, and “The Outsiders”. But all he really needed to do was make “The Godfather I & II” to hold a significant stature in the world of cinema. Coppola fought to get his way and he won. He was just another example of a young filmmaker who fought the suits inside the big production companies. Coppola fought for period detail (1940s), more funding, and for Al Pacino to play Michael. It was a big gamble to the producers of the film to allow Coppola to handle the project, but Francis had all the confidence and vision to bring the story to life. The success of the Godfather’s was a profound one for Francis. Coppola’s script supervisor for “Apocalypse Now” was quoted in Easy Riders, Raging Bulls saying, “His personality had changed. He was no longer bound by any normal conventions. Francis would tread on anyone he could tread on.” As far as I can tell Francis earned the way to walk and talk as he saw fit after “The Godfather”. He painted a portrait of a country that Hollywood thought they knew so well.
Ah, Godfather. The movie lives up to it’s reputation as one of the best films in American history. But why? Hmmm… It’s always easy to tell why a movie is bad, but defining why it’s good is harder. To start with, it had good lighting, camerawork, editing, pacing, and background music. This throws it into contrast with every other film we’ve seen in class so far. Sorry, but after the train wreck that is Sweet Sweetback, I am no longer feeling generous towards the 70’s. The film also had good acting and a good script, with three dimensional, dynamic characters who could convey a lot with very few lines. It seemed to have a certain respect for the culture of the people it was portraying, and gave much of what they did a certain romance. Humor was integrated subtly into the story, as in the case of the canolies, and the orange peel. Lastly, it was perhaps the first and only film to improve on the book it was based on, though that is mostly just my opinion.
By the way, having cited good technical work and music as a way in which Godfather differed from the other movies we’ve seen in class, a way in which almost all are similar to Godfather was the negative light authority was shown in, with obviously crooked cops and vulture like FBI.
As for how Francis Ford Coppola's short lived but rather influential film company American Zoetrope played into the Godfather’s success, I suspect that being involved in such a range of films at so many different levels likely gave him experience in getting the most out of everyone involved in a given film, which he certainly did with Godfather’s 6 million dollar budget.
The Godfather has been a survivor on "best of" lists based on it's balance of several cinematic elements that strike a chord with the industry itself, filmmakers, and the regular filmgoing community. Using the mafia as a reflective tool to America's corporate evolution is satisfactory to shcolastic viewers who would put together these lists and no doubt the filmmakers at that time in cinema always had something to say, but Coppola just wanted to tell the story of a king and his three sons, who each had a characteristic of their father, the king had all three. The scene in which Michael is to kill the cop and mob boss in the resteraunt is the kind of well crafted entertainment that suits the average film goer. The audience knows what is supposed to happen, and how, but when the time comes it is a minute after Michael should have shot them. He has the gun, he sits down and an element of spontanaity is added to the whole scenario, which was carefully laid out in a prior montage and dialogue that explains his every move. There is another great sequence when Michael goes to see his father in the hospital and to his surprise, Vito is not guarded. The shots of the empty hallways, the vacant chairs outside Vito's room, and Michael's quick thinking in response to the situation make this another exceptional piece of entertainment. The cast is important to the film, more Brando and Pacino than James Cann, whose shoes could have been filled by a number of other actors. Having someone as heavy as Marlon Brando at the head of the family is appropriate to the story and Brando's persona as an actor larger than life. With Pacino, you've got an up and coming actor who was not well known at the time, but had the chops to stand next to Brando, the passing of the torch in the story and in the scope of their careers is another reason the casting was so important. The Godfather is a film that seems to be on a larger scale than the other flms we've seen in class. It has similar elements in different contexts (the bloody horse head uses violence to threaten but without acting it out on the individual). In A Clockwork Orange and Straw Dogs the violence is acted out perversley on the individuals. When we see Connie beaten by her husband the violence is used to set up Santino's death (that scenes editing seemed very similar to Bonnie and Clyde's death at the end of that film). However, the other films we've seen thus far were much more tied to the counter culture and had some degree of controversy attatched to them, The Godfather is this grand opening of a saga and takes place in a different time period, Bonnie and Clyde excluded.
The Godfather has never been one of my favorite movies, but I can understand why it has had this lasting effect on the world of American Cinema.
The Godfather was most important to Coppola himself, whose prior works were for Roger Corman (Dementia 13) and writing credits on the films Is Paris Burning? and This Property Is Condemned allowed him to write and direct You're a Big Boy Now for Warner Bros. Seven Arts. The reviews for the film got Coppola the job to direct Warners Finian's Rainbow which would prove to be a box office dissappointment. He went on to write and direct his own film, The Rain People, which despite good reviews and festival awards it was hardly profitable. After Easy Rider had hit the box office, Coppola was given the opprotunity to put together American Zoetrope to produce films for the same youth market. Coppola's friend George Lucas made THX1138, and it was the studios dislike of the rough cut of that film that would lead Coppola to direct The Godfather. Close to bankruptcy after the studio wanted it's investment repayed, Coppola took a job co-writing Patton followed by directing The Godfather after three other directors passed. When The Godfather was released, it became one of the biggest hits of the decade, letting Coppola go on to direct The Conversation, which won the Palm d'Or at Cannes, The Godfather Part II, won the Academy Award for Best Picture and Apocalypse Now, again winning the Palm d'Or. Although it wasn't all awards and accolades for Zoetrope and Coppola, he wrote the screenplay for the "disastrous" The Great Gatsby and bought the New Youk based Cinema 5 Ltd. in hopes of distributing his own films. When looking at the scope of Coppola's career, it peaked in the 70's with the release of The Godfather, followed by his production of George Lucas' American Grafitti up to Apocalypse Now with high highs and some minor lows. Needless to say, The Godfather's impact on cinema would only be bested by it's impact on Coppola's life.
The Godfather is as American as films come and is regarded as one of the best ever made. The story revolves around an Italian immigrated family named Corleone who come to America and work their way up to riches and success, truly an American model for the pursuit of freedom and opportunity. Soon the head of the family, Vito Corleone must bestow his power upon his son Michael who promises to his girlfriend Key that he will never become like his father but eventually does. The film studies Michael’s character transformation his balance between what’s personally important to him or his responsibility to the family’s business. Aside from the fantastic acting, camera work, choreography and set design the film’s overall mixing themes between violence, love, and responsibility to one’s family is extraordinarily relatable making this film very popular with any audience member. Another reason this film is thought of so highly is its roots in the formula for franchising. The wide array of characters and story origin from novels also made this much in the structure of Star Wars or James Bond in which the movie would take you through a continuing epic saga. The Godfather storyline was broken up into three parts each film lasting near three hours.
This film differed greatly from most other films shown in class thus far as the character study seemed much more thorough however, if you’re going to consider the film’s elongated timeframe alone then it might be similar to Easy Rider in that aspect. My favorite scene in The Godfather seems to already be mentioned but I’ll repeat it anyway. It’s the sequence where Michael is actually becoming a godfather to someone’s kid while we see a montage of all the five families key men getting murdered in different ways. Very powerful.
Also, I read something interesting on Wikipedia about the significance of the oranges as a motif or signifier for death. I had no idea they appeared as much as they’re listed there so check it out. Should be a great game to play while watching this next time. It’s section 7 in the wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Godfather#Symbolic_significance_of_oranges
The studio used saturation booking to recover their financial losses as the film was said to have gone a full million over budget. Saturation booking is when a film is distributed from an immense amount of theaters at the same time nation-wide. The studio also increased the ticket price and called the film “a special event.” This enticed many audiences to shell out the extra buck based just on that aspect alone.
The Godfather is a terrific example of a film that is all around awesome. The direction, acting, lighting, editing, score, and script are all top notch. These are the main reasons behind the critics backing of the film. One of the most famous montages in film history is also part of The Godfather, when Michael rises to the occasion and the other families get what’s coming to them. The cast is downright legendary, featuring the already established great Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, and rapid rising stars Al Pacino, James Caan, and Diane Keaton. The other actors were great too but these were just the major players. I absolutely love this film as it hovers in my top three, the others would be Citizen Kane and Casablanca. Obviously I believe it more than deserves “such accolades”. I was a fan of the whole gangster/crime genre before my first viewing, but this movie really catapulted my interested in said genre. I have a special section reserved for these films in my dvd stands (The Sopranos is probably my favorite show). I think that everyone has a little bit of interest in this genre though, and are at least somewhat fascinated which accounts for its popularity and longevity. This movie continues to blow people away as it has and will continue to stand the test of time.
You really get invested in the characters in The Godfather, to the point where you are really rooting for them. I found this similar to Straw Dogs with the David Sumner character. I was REALLY rallying for Sumner to fight back against the English gang, and was annoyed until he mustered up the courage to do so. A Clockwork Orange was another film we watched that similarly humanizes violence. Like someone mentioned before, The Godfather covered a much larger scale than the films we’ve so far seen. A lot of time passes in the film, and an incredible amount when you consider the entire three picture series.
The Godfather went over their original budget and the only way to quickly recoup some of the money they lost was to employ the tactic of saturation booking. What they had to do was put the word out to as many people as possible that this film was released. They got it in as many theatres as they could, slightly raised ticket prices (never heard of a single movie doing this before), and rigorously promoting it. Saturation booking worked and became standard practice by the mid to late 70’s.
Leave the gun, take the cannolis.
THE GODFATHER has since defined an entire genre of films. It is the ultimate "gangster" or "mobster" movie that all others are compared to. I think the reason it is such an incredible (arguably the best) film is because of how well it intertwines multiple story lines. The film is almost three hours long; as a product of the quick-fix generation, I can rarely watch a film this long. The film, however, sped along because of the multiple climaxes. First, Michael enters the family business. Then, he is assigned to kill the police officer and mobster. Sonny is killed. Finally, Michael becomes the new Don. On top of cohesive story lines, Coppola was able to humanize villains and commentate on the importance of family.
The use of saturated booking was guaranteed to catch the attention of movie goers and stimulate interest in the film. Although Coppola was certainly taking a risk in raising prices by a dollar (from $3 to $4 - Cook, pg. 33), the gamble paid off. The film earned $86,275,00 in rentals - more than enough to pay off the 1 million overbudget. All in all, saturated booking caught the attention of moviegoers and the media and earned Coppola the well-deserved recognition for THE GODFATHER.
Sebastian Juarez
The Godfather (1972, Coppola) is one of the best American movies of all times. The Godfather like Citizen Kane (1941, Welles) is a story about power and the American Dream. One of the things that make the Godfather such a great movie is the cinematography. Gordon Willis, who was the cinematographer for The Godfather, does a great job with the look of the film. The opening scene of the film in Don Vito Corleone’s office is one of the best-known scenes in cinema. The lighting or lack of lighting makes the scene a masterpiece. Don Corleone is silhouetted during most of the scene. This gives the viewer the impression that we are in a confessional. The people are coming into ask Don Corleone for a favor and we are watching them confess to him. He is sitting in the shadows listening to them until it is time for him to respond to their request.
American Zoetrope started out as an idea of Francis Ford Coppola. He was going to have it be kind of a co-op. He would make the kind of films he wanted without the interference of the studios. It would be a place where young filmmakers could work and create without having to deal with the studios. He got a deal with Warner Bros. to distribute the films made at American Zoetrope but after he gave them THX 1138 (Lucas, 1971) Warner Bros. withdrew the deal. After the Godfather, Francis Ford Coppola started American Zoetrope up again but as more of a traditional production company.
I would definately say that THE GODFATHER is a very great, original, and monumental movie. Personally, I thought it was fantastic. Any person that truly appreciates a great film, even if they don't enjoy violence, should have this movie at the top of their list. The cast was phenomenal, and their roles in THE GODFATHER made careers for many of them. The length of the movie allows for lots of character development and builds a strong and realistic plot. I would have to say that THE GODFATHER relates to nearly all of the movies that we've watched so far. In most of the movies, you are getting the point of view of someone society would call a 'bad guy'. Clyde, Alex, Sweetback, and the boys from EASY RIDER are all people society would call villians or crooks but we are allowed to see the other perspective. THE GODFATHER opens you up to the family and business of mafia crime. Violence has been a common theme and this movie is no different from any of them. THE GODFATHER was the hit that made Coppola a big name and undoubtably his finest piece of work. He did few movies before and none came anything close to THE GODFATHER. The closest may be the script for the 1970 hit PATTON, but this was different. This was him behind the camera making a masterpiece. Chris Krombach
Christian Turckes
This is one of the best American movies ever made, because not only is the movie in general fun to watch, but it is also a great story, and very compelling. I mean how many movies prior to this, did you see the underground society depicted so graphically, and so well done. I think great examples of this are scenes like the movie exec waking up with his horse’s head cut off and in his bed when he wakes up, and the scene were Anthony kills the officer, and drug dealer in the diner, really shows the genius of Francis Ford Coppola, and his movie. It really shows how one person can have power of even high up people, and that family business isn’t something to mess with.
I think that this film is like many of the other films we watched in class, because of the violence aspect, all the movies we’ve watched so far have had violence like this in the movie. The thing that I think was different about The Godfather than any of the other movies, was that the violence in this film seemed to be much more real than in any movie we have watched so far, because it is all really believable, that those kinds of murders, and threats could come from people in positions of power. That, and the other people who want that power trying to take it away from them. For example, when the two men were ordered to shoot the Godfather, so that their boss could control drug traffic.
I think that saturation booking for The Godfather was probably the smartest choice anyone has made in movie history. Since the movie was so over budget, they put the movie in a lot of different theaters, and charged more for the tickets, so that they could make up for the loss they acquired while making the movie. The reason I say this was because it worked, and it worked well, people wanted to see the movie, and it did amazing, enough said.
"The Godfather" is said to be one of the best American Films ever made. Some of the reasons this movie could be called one of the best movies ever made is because of the elements that went into it. Unlike all the other movies the lighting was right on and didnt have a scene where it was off. Another good element was the camerawork. In The Godfather the we got many different angles and types of shots from the camera that made the movie more interesting. Those are some of the main things that made this movie better than the others. There are many others also, but too many to talk about. The thing that The Godfather has most in common with the other films that we have watched is the crime. The way that this film differs from the other movies is the quality of the movie and the picture. The picture is more clear and the color is shown a lot better in The Godfather than in the recent movies.
The concept of "saturation booking" was a big deal when this film came out. Everyone thought raising the price from $3 to $4 was a huge deal and that they wouldnt bring in as much that way. Surprisingly it did and proved everyone wrong. Also by the end of the year The Godfather had earned $85,275,000 which became the highest-grossing in film history.
I think “The Godfather” is considered by most people to be one of the greatest films ever made because of its deep storytelling and how it plays on peoples fantasies. “The Godfather” was monumental in changing the mobster film. It removed the cheesy "Bugsy" element and introduced the business side of organized crime ("I'll make him an offer he can't refuse") It also appeals to how we as average people want to have great success and defy authority at the same time. I agree with most people when they say that “The Godfather” is truly a great film. Coppola's direction, the acting, and story all complement each other to make this a truly great film.
This movie, like other movies we saw in class, use violence as a major theme in its plot. However, violence isn’t portrayed as random or horrifying like it was in other films we saw. Violence in “The Godfather” was more calculated, even necessary in the context of the plot. You could say it was “business as usual”. The film utilized a new technique of Saturation Booking as described in the Cook book. This allowed the film to go over budget and make its money back through tweaking sales prices and promotion. This helped improved the film as it let the filmmakers to create the movie more as they wanted with out as much compromise. In effect, this technique helped create one the best American films of the generation.
When you think of groundbreaking in the movie business almost everybody pretty much thinks of Citizen Kane and The Godfather right away. First off the book by Mario Puzo in 1969 was a huge hit. Then to make a movie based on such a hit was almost the smart thing to do. The book was loosely based on real events Puzo experienced in his neighborhood in Hell's Kitchen. These facts alone make a great outline for a classic unforgettable movie. However with Francis Ford Coppola at that helm it was far from being classic to his terms. To cast Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton and Talia Shire was a sure way to guarantee success. However Coppola had an ace up his sleeve when he casted Marlon Brando as the lead title role of Don Vito. To have a realitive young cast lead off by a veteran academy award winning actor closed the deal of The Godfather's Place in history.
Not only did the cast make the film worth seeing. The story and the filming of the movie is what made audience's take notice. Name one person who has not heard the phrase "I'm going to make him offer he cant refuse."? The film also humanizes the so-called villians just like in the movies Bonnie and Clyde and A Clockwork Orange. Those movies took people who really are evil and do evil things but it made them look human, the audience could relate to them, we didnt want to see anything happen to our beloved villians. The same thing happens in the Godfather, we know Don Vito is a menace to society, he has people wacked, he has people put horse's heads into people's beds, he buys off politicans. However it shows that he has feelings, he has loyallty to those around them, I mean we find him as a hero when he says he doesnt want to get into drugs because he doesnt want to harm the children. I mean the film just shows the audience that humanity exists in the most evil and corrupt hearts of people.
Saturation booking was key to The Godfather's success. They put the film in almost every theater they could, promoted in almost everyway way of advertising. Anybody in 1973 knew about the Godfather. Hiking movie tickets up to a dollar and headlining it as a special event worked and thank god it did, because it really is a masterpiece.
As everyone before me has said, The Godfather is considered one of the greatest films of all time (currently tied with Shawshank Redemption for first on IMDB). I think important factors in its crowning of that title are due to multiple things, first off its stellar cast of actors and actresses, having Duvall, Brando, Pacino, and Keaton. Another important factor was its look, it looked both beautiful and yet gritty, it was dark when it needed to be and bright when it needed to be (contrasting the wedding with the Don's office), it had very apparent shifts that would bring the audience on this rollercoaster with the characters. I think the most important part of this movie was its context; this movie just has a great story with great characters using great dialogue. This movie and its predecessors (II and III) will lay the groundwork for all that is the Italian mafia. This would go on to influence such current cultural milestones as Sopranos. This movie was never really given a chance to be left in the shadows, every mob movie has been trying to achieve its greatness, which is why younger generations will continue to get hooked into grasp as we find ourselves maybe being disappointed with those movies that try and emulate the successes of this movie in their own way but fail.
I think this film deserves its crowning, it is not my favorite movie by a long shot, but it is something I respect and feel has greatly changed the way in which movies are made. Godfather is in a way like some of the other films we have watched, as it has its sex and violence, but I wouldn’t say that its use of it is explicitly flamboyant. I really think that this movie unlike the others we have watched shows that there are very real effects to violence. You are a bad person, you might get shot, or your loved one might get murdered. I think this film portrayed both sides of the road very well (not necessarily “the law” per se, but the “good bad guys” and the “bad bad guys”).
In saturation booking what happens is that the movie would be put out to as many theaters as it possibly could, it would be highly promoted and might even cost extra to get into the picture. Now what this does is adds revenue to a movie, this was used specifically when movies, like The Godfather, would run over their budget and need means to make sure they make their extra money back. I think one good example of this in current days would be the movie 300, though it really didn’t run over budget, it really pushed to be shown everywhere, from art cinemas to your mega movie-plexes. 300 also used insane amounts of advertising, from commercials and TV spots to internet promos and console advertisements. This allowed 300 to soar above their estimated opening weekend predictions.
Nathan Pratt
I Believe that The Godfather definitely deserves to be named as one of the best films of all time. i think it should be because of the ideas it puts out of embracing family, and how it humanizes violence in its own way. The scene in the beginning of the film shows great character development when michael explains how he will never be like his father, but then later in the film he kills the men who ordered a hit on vito.
The film is different from straw dogs and a clockwork orange because the violence involves much more thought before it is acted out . This relates it much more to Bonnie and Clyde because of how they planned each action.
The saturation booking of this film was a great idea for getting them out of debt from the films overspending. They did this by putting the film in hundreds of theaters around the country and dubbed it as a special event and raising the price of each ticket one dollar. This caused the movie goers to invest great interest in why would they raise the ticket price for only this film causing them to flood to the theaters to see the film which got the film out of debt and helped it to become one of the greatest films of all time
There's a lot to be said for knocking one out of the park. The Godfather bought Coppola enough personal equity to do as he damn well pleased for the rest of the 1970's, or at least until his own largesse caught up with him.
The Godfather was exactly the film it needed to be and then some. It was a hit when Hollywood desperately needed a hit. Saturation booking put this film in front of a huge number of people, sort of a prototype of the "blockbuster" model that would emerge in the late 1970's. It had action, drama, top-notch performances from big-name stars. It had a broadly appealing story for an America desperate to get back on the success-by-any-means-necessary horse, bound up with basically the entire catalog of human emotion...honor, anger, love, integrity, loyalty, ethics, morality, vengeance...it is Shakespearian in scope and endures for precisely the same reason the Bard does...universality.
Kevin Stephan
10.16.07
When we discussed that the godfather was one of the best films ever, i really do agree with that. I think its one of the best action movies in its time, i liked the dramatic lighting at times, the forshadowing it had, and its just bad ass. I mean in how many movies do you have the mob, that really doesnt take shit from anyone. How many times have u see in a movie where a man wakes up with a part of a dead horse in there with him. All if these things that i saw, i think of the things that the mob would do to me if i ever was in trouble with them. One of things it had in common with all the others was the extreme violence, and the difference was how long it was, while most were around a hout and a half, this one doubled it and went as long as 3 hours. Saturation booking is when you go over the limit of the movie, and you try everything you can to make that money back. The godfather went way over, and they went to every means necessary to get the money back, even if they had to raise ticket prices and have go in more theaters.
I felt that the Godfather could be one of the best movies of America for many reasons: the cinematography was outstanding, as well as the acting, costuming and particularly the character development. I felt that you become attached to the main characters and are willing to overlook their transgressions because of why they do what they do. There is a significant use of violence, but I feel that it’s almost acceptable because you become part of the story and thereby can justify the vendettas. As previously mentioned by another student, I feel like the christening scene is fairly significant with the interplay between the 5 murders taking place and the innocence of the new born being brought into the world of violence and mayhem, particularly since his father is about ready to be shot. Coppola really sets the story up, classic Hollywood style, by introducing you to the characters and allowing them to become much more personable. There was a much more polished feel, overall, especially in comparison to Clockwork Orange and Sweetback. In contrast, I feel the film compares to Straw Dogs, though I must say that it was significantly better done. The underscoring of women’s degradation within that society was much easier to digest as well because it was not only not set in the same time period, but was also recognized as part of the mafia genre, which is run by men.
Saturation according to Cook is when a film goes over budget and so to compensate you saturate the market with the movie to try and make up the difference. Godfather did this not only by over saturating the market, but also raising the ticket prices from 3 dollars, to 4, and called it a "special event".
--Jennifer Campbell
Brian Cooney
The Godfather is one of the greatest films of all time, clearly living up to every compliment it has recieved. While one or two other films we watched may be better in one aspect or another, none of them, and possibly no other film ever made has a better combination of all the film elements. This has it all: direction, lighting, cinematography, musical score, acting, it's all great in this film.
My personal favorite idea the film presented was the idea of two worlds coinciding. At the beginning the two worlds are those of Michael and the rest of his family. By the end, the worlds are fused together and Michael is head of the mafia family. The scene with the baptism and all of the killings happening at the same time illustrates the two worlds idea again. Godfather is still the best film Coppola has made, and I'm sure he's proud that it is, even though it's been 35 years. His earlier works: Dementia 13, and the very impressive screenplay for Patton, were very good but still seem like child's play to the perfection that is The Godfather. The studio handled the theatrical release of this film brilliantly. Calling it a "special event" and charging a dollar extra made people come in storms. I'm sure it never would have worked without the three hour running time. It was like paying an extra dollar for an entire other movie's worth of time. God knows how much money all three films made in the theaters and in dvd sales including a very nice boxset with all three films.
The film's effectiveness in creating complexity while keeping a minimal level of confusion is its greatest accomplishment. It simultaneously evokes every emotion the audience expects from the experience of moviegoing, including drama, comedy, thriller, and romance. The complexity also resonates in the technical aspects as well, especially in regard to the elaborately layered shot compositions. The opening wedding scene in particular showcases this, because the audience is introduced to a variety of characters, some of which in the same shot: Michael Corleone reminisces to his girlfriend about the family business as men walk out of a building looking as if they are toting a gun or weapon of some sort.
The label as “one of the best movies of all time” is deservedly true mostly due to the remarkable accessibility it has, which lives simultaneously with the complexity and artistic nature. It manages to hearken back to the workhorse Hollywood of the days before it, while bringing to new artistic ground in terms of story. While the other films watched in class, Sweet Sweetback in particular, borrow more from pure aesthetic experimentation at risk of losing their audience, this film encourages the audience to engage with it and rewards them for doing so by breaking new ground in terms of storytelling.
Coppola , on the verge of bankruptcy with his American Zoetrope studio after a number of uninspiring box office results, took on The Godfather with a sense of the auteur that had resonated in his previous work. The result gave the movie a sense of “masterpiece” both because it succeeded in terms of artistry and it could play into the art-artist relationship that gave the making of the movie a human face rather than an iron workhorse.
Melissa Neumann
October 16, 2007
“The Godfather” has been one of the best movies I’ve ever seen in my life. It was beautifully shot and the acting was incredible. “The Godfather” was the first movie where I didn’t see any of the events coming. For example, when Apollonia was going to drive to Mickey, and after she turned the key, it exploded, that really surprised me. That scene was probably the only thing I’ve ever seen in a movie that made my jaw drop. The only scene that did not surprise me was when he guy who rejected Johnny Fontane woke up covered in blood and discovered the horse’s head in his bed. I’ve seen that so many times. I heard it was very freaky, but I didn’t think so. The head looked wasn’t very realistic. And it was expected because it is so famous.
I didn’t have one complaint about this movie. We got to learn a lot about the characters and their lives. And it featured many stars of the time and stars of tomorrow. I learned of certain aspects of it from hype and talk. I believe it does deserve all its accolades. The film was amazing. It really lived up to all the hype it gets. This movie deserves to be called one of the greatest movies ever made because it truly is.
“The Godfather” is similar to other films we have watched in class. Like in “Bonnie and Clyde,” the bad guys are actually the good guys. The family might be the mafia, but you are on their side. Violence was somewhat glamorized, like in “Straw Dogs” and “A Clockwork Orange.” The biggest difference I noticed was the length of the film. But we saw so much in the story. There is no way it could be shortened. There is so much to be seen. Nothing could be taken out.
Francis Ford Coppola was chosen to be director of “The Godfather” after three other directors turned the job down. Before “Godfather,” Coppola had directed several movies, including “Dementia 13” (1963) and “You’re a Big Boy Now,” (1966), which led him to direct the $3.5 million musical “Finian’s Rainbow” (1968). The film was a box office disappointment, but Coppola did a terrific job of it having the feel of a big budget performance. In 1969, Coppola convinced Warner’s executive into bankrolling his own little studio. American Zoetrope was born, and Francis was the only shareholder. But within a year of its opening, Coppola produced George Lucas’ first film “THX-1138” (1971). The following year, ‘The Godfather” was released, and it became the first big blockbuster of the 1970s. Coppola released the sequel in 1974, and continued to direct more movies, including “Apocalypse Now” (1979). He became a top director with his great films.
It is not a mistake that many people name Francis Ford Coppola’s film The Godfather as one of the greatest ever made. The film brings many elements together to form a fantastic piece of work. It’s numerous prospering actors helped add to the success to the film. Having a film based around the life of the mafia is a tough subject; however Coppola uses it to his advantage and creates a film that everyone loves. The storyline of this film is somewhat simple; Don Vito Corleone is an Italian immigrant that travels to America to start a new life, and his sons are to keep the family business going. He was a very poor man but transcends his poverty and rises to be one of the most powerful men in New York. One of the most prevailing scenes is when Michael has his first real job working for the family. Michael is to kill Virgil Sollozo, the man responsible for the assassination attempt on Don Corleone, and the corrupt Captain McCluskey, who was protecting Sollozo. The scene in the restaurant when he kills both of these men is spectacular and cements Michael’s future in the mafia. This is his first big test and is what sparks his eventual rise to the top of the family. This film makes the audience cheer for the bad guys, which is a challenge in itself, and is also another reason that this film is so popular.
Coppola’s career was very diverse. He used The Godfather movies to jump start his career and that is exactly what they did. Coppola new what he was doing, and worked hard to get what he wanted. He fought to get Al Pacino to play Michael and eventually landed him which adds such a powerful aspect to this film. Although Coppola went of the direct many other films The Godfather stands out as the best.
Nathan Radoszewski
The Godfather, most definantly one of the greatest films ever made. The Godfather fits all the critrea for making a great film. Great acting from big name stars or rising actors that would later become stars. Al Pacino was rather new at the time, now it's hard to mention Hollywood without Al Pacino's name. The film also includes amazing lighting and structure. The films we have watched so far all have a bit of an indie film sort of feel to them, all using some sort of effect to make it seem different and independent from everything else. The Godfather simply focuses on the storyline rather than cute film angles and fancy cuts. Another quality that the film has is its relatability, the Corleones have a sense of obtaining the American Dream and with the large array of characters, everyone can find someone they can relate to. Previously the films we have viewed hold rather simple or no storylines at all; in the Godfather it is a very complex story spanning several years with alot happening.
The Godfather was really a large step in the career of Coppola. His first major break fresh out of college was Dementia 13; this was his first mainstream film after doing two nude films prior to Dementia 13. Coppola did a few films to finish out the 60's but nothing to hit the jackpot. In 1970 Coppola did a film called Patton which was somewhat successful enough that when the script for the Godfather came around, he would be hired to make into a master piece. Hired only after three other big name directors turned down the film. The Godfather would become the greatest film and would clear the path for several other famous films to follow.
I have always heard that The Godfather is one of the best American films ever made. I never believed this until we screened the film in class. This film offers a detailed look into the day-to-day actions of the Corleone family. Not only is the audience introduced to the main characters, we are also introduced to the minor characters from the beginning. We know who everyone is because they are introduced at the wedding. The film concentrates on Michael’s evolution from military man, wanting to be nothing like his father, to him stepping into his father’s role. At the end of the film, Michael’s family greets him as ‘The Godfather’, his father’s title.
This film focuses on American life during the 1940s and the difficulties that people had to face. Most of the time your family could protect you better than the authority. This film humanizes violence and the audience feels compassion toward the Corleone family, even though they are killing other people.
This film is similar to Straw Dogs and Bonnie & Clyde. In all three films we are rooting for the main character to harm or kill the opposing force. We are hoping for violence as an ending. This film is even more similar to Bonnie & Clyde. The people fighting against the law are the ones that we are rooting for. When Bonnie & Clyde were killed it was a tragic ending. I felt the same way when any of the Corleone family was killed in The Godfather.
This film differs because of Michael’s evolution. In Straw Dogs, the main character evolves through the government’s therapy program. In the end, he converts back to his original state of mind. Michael does not change his ways back to his initial lifestyle. He steps up and realizes that he is exactly like his father. This dollar raise in ticket prices helped to cover the film’s budget, which had gone a million dollars over what they had.
Tegan Olness
Francis Ford Coppola combines intriguing plot and dynamic characters to create what is acclaimed to be one of the most extraordinary films of all time. The strong characters in the film are portrayed in a way that the audience can relate to. Because of this intimate character examination, the film ultimately humanizes a violent subject matter. This film also defined an entire genre in its private portrayal of the events that occur within the film, transforming a story of crime into an epic tragedy that focuses on family values and transfer of power. While the characters and plot are essential to understanding the appeal of this film, much of the film’s success can be held in account to the many memorable scenes and lines that are so significant they are ingrained into America’s culture. (scenes such as the famous horse head scene in which a movie executive finds or a horse’s head in his own bed, or lines such as “I’ll make him an offer he can’t refuse.”) These factors combined are what ultimately define this film as a masterpiece.
The remarkable elements combined within this film create an extraordinary film that is incomparable to other films, even with its own genre. This is why it is difficult to compare this film to any that has been discussed in class. Aside from possible cinematic similarities, the Godfather is justifiably in a league of its own in terms of style, character, and plot achievement. If there was any comparison to be made, it could perhaps be the visual portrayal of violence that can be similarly found in radical violence in films, such as Clockwork Orange or Bonnie and Clyde. Aside from that, there seems very little to discuss in terms of similarities between this piece of work and the other films viewed in class.
Saturation booking is ultimately the concept of booking the opening of films in thousands of theaters on the same day. This method was developed because film studios were starting to experiment with new distribution techniques in order to finance the cost of big budget films. Given the amount of financial investment in the Godfather, saturation booking seemed almost necessary for the film’s release. The fact that saturation booking was such a successful technique for the Godfather allowed for film executives to seriously evaluate using this same technique in the future.
I don't know if I believe The Godfather is one of the best films ever made, but I do believe it is very well made and put together. I think maybe if I grew up in the those times, and it wasn't such an iconic movie already branded in my head I might think differently. But why I think it is a best film is simply aestethics. Every frame seems to be so specific, the lighting of Brando's face in the opening scene, the camera positions to show where the characters stand amonst eachother.
And I think the fact that this was keeping in with the rise of sex and violence during that era yet had a simple (although yes, thorough concept) family values story. Although I'm sure when this came out in theatres families weren't going together, throughout the years families HAVE watched it together. I have friends who have memories of being five and watching it with their family on a Sunday movie night. Back to the sex and violence. There wasn't too much sex, but the violence was everywhere, from Carl getting strangled to Sonny getting shot to bits ala Bonnie and Clyde. But when it came down to it, it was about family, which I think seperates it from the previous movies we've watched. Most of those have been about sticking it to the man or being isolated from society.
Because The Godfather went over on time and money (about $1million over), the studio needed to make up for it, so Paramount decided on an advertising frenzy and 'saturation booking,' like 'Jaws,' which was a relatively new concept at the time of opening a movie in thousands of theatres in one day. This proved successful and The Godfather was considered the first blockbuster of the 1970's. The success of the film allowed Coppola more freedom as an artist (funny now to think that he didn't at one time, same with Spielberg) and went on to produce Lucas' American Graffitti and directing his own screenplay, The Conversation. Not only was The Godfather a commercial success but it went on to win many academy awards and led to the equally successful (and sometimes arguably the better) The Godfather, Part II.
I think that this film definately deserves its spot on lists. Most the actors in this film were made by this film, each of them were very fortunate to be able to act with brando, him being one of the best method actors in my opinion. Not only was there great talent in acting but Coppola does a superb job of directing.
I think that this film definately deserves its spot on lists. Most the actors in this film were made by this film, each of them were very fortunate to be able to act with brando, him being one of the best method actors in my opinion. Not only was there great talent in acting but Coppola does a superb job of directing. This film redefines the american dream. It also gives a new portrayal to violence as purely "business". The cinematography is absolutely amazing.
-brian shea
I believe that if a film can captivate, and bring a person out of their world and into the director's, then it has succeeded. Coppola perfected this in THE GODFATHER, by creating still one of the most engaging of films to date. And if I do say so myself, CITIZEN KANE is one of the most undeservingly adored films. Coppola's masterpiece should sit at the top of the charts.
Just as in A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, we see alot of violence being delt out. And both movies humanize the violence, making the audience either enjoy it, or just accept it as a common occurance. Unlike the other films in the course, THE GODFATHER followed the lives of many characters rather than focusing on a few. This gave it a scope unmatched by the rest.
Coppola's early career built up to THE GODFATHER. His time producing low budget film's under Roger Corman, including titles like DEMENTIA 13, gave a basis for him to move into mainstream filmmaking. Success in the more widely seen YOU'RE A BIG BOY NOW led to an offer to direct a film based on the musical FINIAN'S RAINBOW. Two years later he released his screenplay for PATTON, which led to his film masterpieces THE GODFATHER and THE GODFATHER II, both films being nominated and then winning Academy Awards in best picture.
I think The Godfather most definitely deserves its accolade ‘one of the best American films ever made’. It is such a successful film, and I think that because it is considered one of the greatest films not only by film scholars and critics, but also by audiences worldwide it becomes more significant in film study. I think it is so loved partly due to the way it portrays violence which makes it more familiar to audiences, more realistically used that say in A Clockwork Orange where a lot of the violence is very obviously stylised. When watching The Godfather I got the impression Coppola was trying to make it seem as though violence and gang crime lead to a lavish lifestyle and that the Italian family environment gives a feeling of security, particularly to women. Unlike other films we have watched the violence in The Godfather is about honour and business, whereas say in Straw Dogs it is ‘for the hell of it’ violence against those who are different.
Coppola made The Godfather almost ten years into his film career, his first film being Dementia 13 (1963). By the time he came to make The Godfather he had to be able to create a masterpiece to being himself and American Zoetrope back from a downfall, which is what he managed to do. Going $1 million over budget was in the end not a problem as the film grossed over $86 million, briefly marking it as the highest grossing film in history.
I do think that the Godfather deserves to be one of the best movies of all time. Many of the technical aspects were top-notch such as the lighting and composition. As well there is this huge story. The story is long and detail with a lot of character development to really get a sense of who the people in the movie really are. When the Don gets shot you learn through everyones reactions that this is someone you want to be caring for as well. When compared to the other movies in class there's is defiantly the use of violence and gritty realism, but The Godfather shows that it is needed. Without this violence the family wouldn't be able to survive. They would be chased out of the city and lose all of the things that they worked so hard to get.
Cook states that the movie had gone hugely over budget and that they put it out in hundreds of theaters. And this is what saturation booking is. They wanted to get the movie out to as many possible audiences as possible to try and maximize the return. This also contributed to the huge popularity because more and more people were eventually able to see the movie.
I agree that the Godfather is one of the best American films ever made because it had an excellent cast and covered a lot of material. The actors Marlon Brando and Al Pacino of course being my favorite, the rest of the cast was spot on and seemed to be an authentic Italian family. The opening wedding was a terrific scene because it showed how vast the family is and how family-oriented everyone was. It also showed the business side of the family as that was a major role of the Corleone family. The movie itself was vastly epic. It covered the ending of the major families and the departure of the Corleone family from the beginning of the conflict to the end. It even followed David to Italy where he had a whole second life and second lover. All of this material was presented very well and was engaging the whole time.
Another great thing about the movie was the way it was shot. Bright scenes like the happy wedding were starkly contrasted to dark scenes such as when David protects his helpless father in the hospital with the baker and is then beaten by the police captain. The scene made darker still with the menacing footsteps of the baker, a potential assassin, as he walks up the stairs. My favorite scene is the baptismal scene. Like the baby, David is being baptized as the new Don as he has all of his enemies "rubbed out." I thought this one of the most clever and beautifully done scenes in movie history.
In common with our other viewed films is the portrayal of violence. Again we see girls roughed up and powerless against men in the case of David's sister and her husband. Also, violence is used on men too, such as in A Clockwork Orange where we have rival gangs fighting each other. In the Godfather it's just more organized rival families that fight each other. We also see gruesome deaths. Similar to Bonnie and Clyde, Sonny is bullet riddled with tommy gun fire. We also see the nasty death of the hit man that tries to convince the other family he's displeased with the Corleone family. Being stabbed in the hand and strangled from behind is a horrid death rivaled only from scenes from movies like A Clockwork Orange or Straw Dogs. Godfather differed from these films because of the strong influence of family (something which can be agreed upon as being good. A rare thing to say about any of our main characters in the movies we watch) and how civilized the rivalries are. The heads of the five families are willing to meet up and make peace where the rest of our movies never have anyone trying to really make peace, but just win over their rivals. It gives us a different kind of crime to consider. It's not just obviously bad, but it has some good qualities too, such as regulating drug trade so that kids can't use them and what not.
This film and its use of the technique of saturation booking helped pull it out of the slump that going over the budget by a million dollars imposes. The film was released in a vast quantity of theaters and the ticket price upped by a dollar. This was justified by them referring to the movie as a "special event," which, since the movie was so good and accepted so well, it turned out to be.
Dylan Statz (301-004)
As we discussed in class that, The Godfather is one of the best American films ever made, I agree totally with this statement. I also agree that is deserves all the accolades that it has gotten. I agree because I believe this film work has progressed greatly. The lighting, music, camera work, and many other things are so much better than any movie we have seen so far. This movie is similar to some of the movie’s we have watched so far dealing with all the violence that we have come across. A lot of the movie’s we have watched so far have dealt with a lot of violence. They may not be as brutal in every movie but we see it happen a lot in these movies and that’s why I think this movie is so similar to what we have seen before during this semester. One of the main things that I think is a little different from the other movies would be the length of how long this movie was. The Godfather was a bit longer than any other movies. But, overall I still think this movie was a great movie and did not drag on to long where I got bored. It was a movie I was actually able to watch for a long period of time.
Kelly Grzybowski
The GODFATHER is a film that displays not only the crime mafia movie that the audience may initially expect. Rather, it pulls the audience into comprehending each character's role more thoroughly than any other movie we have seen. It is a movie that shows the stregnth of love, emotion, and an unbreakable family bond and values. It shows a realistic number of issues that may arise amongst siblings, spouses, and children that an audience may relate to. It shows the stregnth of the Sicilian cultural values as the film begins with the wedding of Vito Corleone's daughter. As the undertaker turns to the Godfather for help in gaining revenge against the white boys that raped his daughter, the Godfather reminds him of the mistake he made by trusting the Americans by abiding by their law and their expectations. The Godfather tells him the only way to survive in this country as first generation immigrants and gain respect is through establishing themselves within the mafia. The movie displayed a significant difference amongst the Italian community and the American community.
I certainly believe that this movie deserves the accolades that it received due to a brilliant story line and exceptional acting. The way this film is similar to others that we have viewed is through the way women are once again degraded as second class citizens. This is noticeable as the Godfather's dauther is physically and emotionally abused by her husband, and the way Sunny constantly cheats on his wife. The wives seem to be the only ones that love and care for their husbands as the husbands are too busy with work and dont pay much attention. Within the GODFATHER, violence like in other movies we have seen, is once again very graphically displayed. However, the violence in this film differs from others is through the reasoning of why they are killing one another. This movie has characters that are killing due to rivalry and extreme emotion of losing their own loved ones. This movie also covers each scene thoroughly and makes it easier for audience to understand what it happening, as other films have deleted a lot of scenes or went through too quickly.
Within the late 1960's as Francis Ford Coppola had experimented directing a few films after completing his graduate film program in California, he requested the executives at Warners to start his own small studio in San Francisco, known as the American Zoetrope. He intended to use his time at this point to develop films for the youth market. Within a year of it's opening, Coppola had produced George Lucas's first film. Warner's hated the rough cut of this film and demanded repayment of their investment within the American Zoetrope. This pushed Coppola and the Zoetrope towards bankruptcy. Within the midst of this, Coppola desperately needed a project to help him survive his career. He got an offer to make Mario Puzo's The Godfather, which 3 other top directors had refused to make. He took the offer and produced the blockbuster film of the decade, which averaged and earning of $86.3, which marked his power, recognition, and success in Hollywood.
Aliya Shah
Dan Boville
There’s no doubt in my mind that THE GODFATHER is one of the greatest American movies of all time. It basically set the standard for an entire genre and style for movies to come. Before THE GODFATHER, most crime/drama films circulated around with the “gangster” image; THE GODFATHER did more with this, give characters more depth and complexity. The use of family and its importance to the crime ring also was breakthrough and gave an entire new twist to the movie.
As compared to the other films in class, I feel this one is the best we’ve seen so far, despite seeing it before. It is certainly a longer movie which builds up an insurmountable amount of conflict that is multi faceted. The other movies we watched, for example SWEET SWEETBACK, there was simply one concept: to catch Sweet. In THE GODFATHER, there is much more going on: The Don’s failing health, Michael’s rise of power, the feud with Sollazzo, etc.
THE GODFATHER has received much accolades as Coppola’s greatest achievement and it is hard to denote. I enjoyed APOCOLYPSE NOW but it does not compare to this film by no means. Not only does THE GODFATHER have amazing actors and story line, it is a good film. Lighting, camera work, and all that stuff is done wonderfully
Saturation booking was revamped with this movie in making money back from its initial budget (not that they should be concerned with it now). A mass amount of marketing went out to get this movie seen in theaters around the country. Ticket prices were raised just to see this film, not a common practice at the time.
The Godfather proves to be one of the greats by many of its formal elements as well as its story. The lighting in The Godfather is very significant to the mood of the piece as well. The drastic changes from dark to bright establsih every character in every scene. Most of the time faces are cast in shadows rather than high light. This film is about identity for Micheal. He discovers who he is throughout the film. The film is also about the importance of family and the significance of a strong bond. The story is captivating and Coppola manages to make the viewers sympathize with the characters, investing plenty in the movie. Saturating was just the rise of Hollywood. If coppola hadn't done it, another director would have. In order to make certain blockbuster hits through the studio system but not be a huge name, money can be a tight squeeze. Coppola's success allowed him to continue making great successful films. You can definately tell his style in all his films as well. The power of music/score, editing, lighting, character sound and actions, everything in the film is clearly his style and definately captivates it's audience.
The film the GODFATHER deserves all the attention and awards it as recived, it not only is one of the greatest movies of all time but, it serves as a new step towards personal filmaking, and somewhat revolutionizes movies. This ca be seen through man ways, the first scene absorbes ou into the culture, with a way no other movie does, and lets you know every character, it also shows the GODFATHERs attention to family life and it gives deep meaning to these "criminals".
Unlike Scorsce who tries to make dirt seem dirtier Coppola takes the mob and evolves it into an upperclass, makes the work they are doing jusifiable. That in my ind is one of the hardest things to do as a director, the camera work is also beautiful, showing that coppola was a sure fire director and still is. his production studio american zoetrope is very successful leading the way in experimental filmaking, and winning numerus awards and nominations. Coppola is a great, the GODFATHER is a great. The best.
brennan o'lena
I believe that The Godfather deserves the prestige it is given for several reasons. It is a well made movie in the fact that little if any flaws in the plot can be found. This adds crediblity to the film as a whole. In addition Coppola's use of actors at the heights of their career and actors fresh on the scene helps the movie greatly. Marlon Brando had been around for a while before this movie and his character hands the torch to Al Pacino's character who is much more of a rookie (The Godfather being only his third film) This gives the viewer a sense of knowing Don Vito more than they do, and wanting to get to know Mike because he is not known as well. Most importantly the film is one of the all time bests because it is gives the viewer the perception that the story could be true. This is most demenstrated by Mike and Kay's conversation:
Mike: My father is no different than any powerful man, any man with power, like a president or senator.
Kay: Do you know how naive you sound, Michael? Presidents and senators don't have men killed.
Mike: Oh, Whose being naive Kay?
I feel that this best portays the story as realistic and the viewer is much more likely to buy into it.
Crossing into Coppola's career, The Godfather series made him. He was put on the stage Part I, but Part II would solidify his spot as a credible film genius. As with all promient people they have failures as well. His butchering of the Great Gatsby is one noted flop of Coppolas. He was a risk taker, but this is to be admirred because without these risks who knows what success he could have missed out on. Coppolas sale of the American Zoetrope, the company he was sole propritor of, shows that even with all of the success failure can bite you in the ass.
brennan o'lena
Tom Emmrich
The Godfather is considered a great film for many reasons. Off the top of my head the cinematography is great. In the opening sequence when the Don is in his office the dim light cast many shadows across his face at times making his eyes look hollow and soulless. The cast is stellar, taking the best of the classic Hollywood actors in Brando and the best of the new and up incoming such as Caan, Duvall, Keaton, and Pacino. The story combines a lot of different elements from classic crime film to family melodrama. The editing is also superb, like the famous christening scene where the holy act is cross cut with acts of supreme violence and revenge. The violence in this film is very much like the films that we have viewed in this class, from the spousal abuse to the horrific assassination of Sonny (ala Bonnie and Clyde). The films epic nature does seem different than the rest of the films we have watched. Even with A.C.O. being over two hours most of these films were still within the range of 90 min to about 120 min, The Godfather is significantly longer which means that there can be less showings of it per day per screen as compared to say Easy Rider. This is why saturation booking helped the films popularity and making it eventually gross ten times what it cost to produce.
I think that its one of the best films ever made due to the excellent misencene such as light, music, acting etc. For instance, at the beginning when the father came as asks for the help of the Godfather, it was in a dark room where very little is lit or seen of the office. There were no other background sounds other than his plea which right away it sets a “what’s going to happen next” mood. It gets the audience to pay closer attention to what goes on or what doesn’t go on. I still don’t understand how it is one of the top films made therefore I do not think it deserves such accolades. For one, it is extremely long and the other characters besides the Colone’s were just throwing out there, we don’t really know whom they’re talking about even when their at the meeting when everyone showed up after the killing of Colone’s elder son. In common with other films, it is just as violent as far as graphics goes. For instance, when Michele shot the chief and the other head leader and also when Colone’s elder son was shot at the gate or when their sister was being beat up by her husband. It differs in that the mood was very calm and quit until the killings. The “saturation booking” in ways help the studios to quickly and widely releases nation wide thus aids in maximizing the possible gross income for movie releases as well as gaining popularity.
Xiong, Koua
The Godfather definitely deserves the title as “one of the best American films ever made.” It does not matter who watches The Godfather, the viewer is guaranteed to be sucked into this world of crime and honor. That is the beauty of this film. It attracts and holds onto its viewer throughout the length of the film. The excellent lighting, the texture that gives it the feel of a classic film, wide shots, and the fascinating topic of organized crime all together have to be some of the best attributes this film displays.
As a masterpiece of photography, it is also that of script. The film never truly displays something to be disgusted of and it really is not that vulgar of a film. Do not get me wrong, it is a violent film, but not violent to the point that children can not watch it and it is not dull where adults are appalled by it. It is truly a masterpiece.
What attributed to the making of this masterpiece all falls within the period of the time the film was made. With all the first generation film directors just graduating from film schools across the nation, an auteurism was beginning to be displayed from each individual actor. I believe a huge part of the lighting in the film and the slow moving shots of inanimate objects are where the director, Coppola, was trying to first exhibit his talent and artistic ability. As spoke in Easy Riders Raging Bulls, Coppola “thought of himself as an artist (142).”
The Godfather was very non-Hollywood in the sense that it never really looked as if the film was shot on a stage. Most of the film was shot on location. There are a lot of shots that just seem to reek of artist abilities. One such scene is the one where Tom Hagen is walking up to meet with the director, and he walks through these tall buildings. The tall buildings, that seem to continue on forever, give you this strange sense that there is just this small man in the whole world at the time and that it is essential that he succeeds at his job. I really think that this is the reaction the director was aiming for and to be able to capture it takes great artistic imagination.
All together this is a great film, which was directed by a magnificent director.
I really want to say that The Godfather is an overrated film. I want to be able to cite examples as to why it does not deserve to be called one of the greatest American films of all time. I want to say the same things about Citizen Kane. But, I can't.
The Godfather is an amazing film. And it truly deserves its accolades. And to be honest, I think this is because it is a distinctly American film. Its no wonder that the two greatest films in American film history are both about the American Dream. However, what sets The Godfather apart from Citizen Kane is its emphasis on immigrant culture and family. These ideas are appealing to American audiences. Combine that with brilliant acting, and directing and you achieve close to cinematic perfection in American filmmaking.
In actuality, The Godfather might not have been the epic masterpiece it was, if not for the near failure of Coppola's American Zoetrope studio. Originally conceived as a sort of film studio co-op, American Zoetrope was based on a more experimental (or at least art) filmmaking model. However, after Zoetrope's partner, Warner Brothers rejected the first cut of George Lucas' THX-1138, Zoetrope's first project, Coppola was forced to make ends meet by co-writing the screenplay for Patton and picking up the directing job on The Godfather after three other directors had passed on it. This interesting fact shines new light on the visionary status of Francis Ford Coppola as well as his work on The Godfather
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