1. In class, it was made particularly known that The Godfather had set the standards for not just gangster films, but for all of cinema. Many movie rating sources have The Godfather at the top, or right near it. Francis Ford Coppola’s movie had resurrected a genre from the 30s, and paved the way for Scorsese’s films and the Sopranos. The movie had many actors who would go on to become well known years later, and even included the popular Marlon Brando as the Godfather himself. The film had won many awards and was extremely successful at the box office.
The Godfather was really able to take off as a success because of the evolving film industry after World War II. Audiences wanted something new and refreshing which is not something the American film industry was capable of putting out at the time. Hollywood was forced to look elsewhere for inspiration and ideas. Directors started to notice foreign films and realized their messages could be the ticket to the revitalizing the industry. They noticed characteristics like the anti-heroes, explicit violence, explicit sex, raw social themes, and expressionistic filmmaking. Directors realized that the college student was a prime target audience for these new ideas and aimed many of these new movies towards them. The move proved to be successful and these new movies were starting to rake in viewers and profits. Some of these newer Auteur directors included Coppola, Woody Allen, Martin Scorsese and Mike Nichols to name a few.
2./3. For further reading on The Godfather, refer to the following webpage: http://www.filmsite.org/godf.html. The link will direct you to AMC’s “Greatest Movies” database information page on The Godfather. It is written and directed by Tim Dirks. The article starts with off with given a brief overview of what the movie is and what it means to the film industry. It also mentions how the sequels bolstered The Godfather into one of the most successful trilogies of all time. Dirks, makes it clear that the first sequel is widely regarded as equal, if not better than the original. Usually sequels don’t ever live up to the originals, but this case was a rare exception. The article also notes the copious amount of awards received for the movie. It won three Oscars: Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, all the while being nominated for eight others, but then later had one removed. The page also provides a useful chart that breaks down the three movies from the trilogy, offering important information to each movie. The information included within the chart, includes plot, actors, profits, year made, along with praises. Dirks, then makes the point that the movie can be used as a case study for sociology. The study can be more specifically on violence, power, honor and obligation, corruption, justice, and crime in America. Like all of Dirks’ articles, he ends it with the screenplay.
4. This was actually the first time I have ever seen the entire movie. I have only ever seen bits and pieces from time to time of The Godfather in the past. Personally, I thought it was great, but certainly not the best gangster movie, or even overall best movie of all time. I still feel Goodfellas is the best gangster movie. However, that doesn’t change the fact the movie had contributed to the film industry in a positive way. The cinematography was gorgeous for one. Gordon Willis did an excellent job in using lighting to portray certain characters in certain situations. The music score screams Italian and is the epitome of gangster movie music. The acting was also spot on and many well-known names were in the movie, and it certainly showed. To wrap things up, I feel that this movie was the perfect culmination to the eight movies screened over the semester. For most part, each one would get better than the last and this one certainly sit atop the peak.
