Classic 70s Movie: “The Godfather”
September is Classic 70s Movie month. Today’s guest post comes from Ryan Gilmore.
Movie Title: The Godfather
Year: 1972
Writer(s): Mario Puzo & Francis Ford Coppola (Screenplay)
Lead Actors: Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, James Caan, Diane Keaton
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
IMDb Plot Summary: The aging patriarch of an organized crime dynasty transfers control of his clandestine empire to his reluctant son.
Why I Think This Is A Classic 70’s Movie: The Godfather is a classic movie for any and all decades that just happened to be made in the 70’s. This sprawling epic was made classic by the filmmaking, the writing and the incredible acting performances across the board. With a running time of three hours, it is an impressive feat to have not a single wasted scene in the entire film. This film also was a first in the way organized crime was portrayed, at a time in which organized crime was still very much a part of this country’s fabric. With Francis Ford Coppola’s beautiful, sweeping filmmaking and the mesmerizing cinematography, The Godfather glamorized organized crime in a way that had never been seen before and firmly planted itself in our pop culture forever.
My Favorite Moment In The Movie: I have three favorite moments in this film, all of which are tied to each other. The first, is during Connie’s wedding, Michael tells Kate the anecdote about his Father and Johnny Fontane, which subsequently is the first time we hear the immortal line “he gave him an offer he couldn’t refuse”. But more importantly, this is the moment Michael is completely and utterly honest with Kate about his family. We see Michael still in his military service uniform, having done his part in protecting the interests of this country, and with no intention of joining the family business.
The next moment is when Michael comes to see Kate after their long separation with Michael being in Italy and he tells her that he has in-fact joined the family business and his full intention of making the Corleone family completely legitimate within five years.
The final is the end sequence after he had Connie’s husband executed and is being questioned by Kate. He gives her one chance to ask him about his affairs and he blatantly lies right to her face. This is the moment that his full arc of this film has been realized and he has officially become “Don Corleone” and his abuse of power has begun.
My Favorite Dialogue In The Movie: Is the honest exchange from the first of the three scenes mentioned previously.
KATE: How’d he do that?
MICHAEL: My Father made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.
KATE: What was that?
MICHAEL: Luca Brasi held a gun to his head and my Father assured him that either his brains, or his signature would be on the contract.
Kate is stunned silent.
MICHAEL: That’s a true story.
Johnny sings to Connie.
MICHAEL: That’s my family Kate. Not me.
A perfect moment of Michael’s innocence and intention to avoid the family business is still intact. This brief moment sets the tone for the entire arc of Michael’s reluctance to his rise of power that extends well beyond this first film.
The Key Things To Look For When Watching The Godfather:
-The filmmaking. Directing, cinematography, editing, etc.
-The performances. The near-perfection in every scene.
-The arc of Michael Corleone and what becomes the rise in power of the new Don of the Corleone family. What starts out as reluctance, is overcome by loyalty by necessity, and finally becomes intoxicated by power.
Thanks, Ryan! To show our gratitude for your guest post, here’s a dash of creative juju for you. Whoosh!
We already have a set of 80s Movies and 90s Movies. This month, we’re working on 70s Movies.
Thanks to all of you for your participation in this project, creating a resource for writers, movies we should all watch to help learn the craft of screenwriting!
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