The son of a powerful Mafia Don struggles to escape his family‘s criminal legacy and become a legitimate businessman in this first part of the classic saga directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Stars Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, James Caan and Robert Duvall
It‘s difficult to say anything about The Godfather that hasn‘t been said already, but know this: in an age when even mediocre films have the opportunity to win Best Picture Oscars (and, yes, we‘re talking about Crash here), this a film that is genuinely deserving of its revered status as a cinematic masterpiece.

　　Released in 1972 in what‘s considered to be a golden era for film, The Godfather had somewhat humble beginnings. Based on the Mario Puzo novel, the film was initially rejected by a number of directors before being handed to Francis Ford Coppola when he was still a 31-year-old Hollywood up-and-comer. It‘s to Coppola‘s credit that, despite fights with Paramount and the constant threat of being fired, he managed to craft a critically and commercially lauded film that set a new benchmark for Hollywood epics.

　　As with any film of its stature, The Godfather has embedded itself so deeply into popular culture that you can feel you‘ve viewed the film several times without ever having watched a single frame. The horse‘s head in the bed; Brando‘s distinctive mumbling; the evocative theme music; classic quotes such as "I‘m gonna make him an offer he can‘t refuse" - it‘s all here. The Godfather is much more than fodder for bad parodies, though. It is testament to this engaging and intricate film‘s quality that the three hour running time is a blessing rather than a curse. The detailed plot revolves around the Corleone family, Italian immigrants that have been guided to Mafia supremacy through the questionable "business" dealings of family head Don Vito Corleone (Brando in an Oscar winning role). A fresh-faced Al Pacino undertakes his first big starring role as Michael Corleone, son of Vito and recent re