But a lot can change in more than 50 years.
Movies that were considered classics upon release dont always stand the test of time just askGone with the Wind.
Francis Ford Coppolas crime epic is often ranked alongsideCasablancaandCitizen Kaneas one of the greatest American films ever made.
But doesThe Godfatherstill hold up today?
Marlon Brandos turn asDon Vito CorleoneinThe Godfatheris as mesmerizing today as it was in 1972.
In over half a century, no actor has been able to top Brandos bravado.
This performance is still the definitive portrait of a mob boss in pop culture.
It remains one of the most iconic performances in film history.
Willis filmed some of the most memorable shots in cinema history for this groundbreaking gangster epic.
The Godfather chronicles the Italian-American Corleone crime family from 1945 to 1955. Following an assassination attempt on family patriarch Vito Corleone, his youngest son Michael emerges to orchestrate a brutal campaign of retribution, cementing his role in the family’s illicit empire.
Every single scene is shot as beautifully as it could possibly be shot.
He immerses viewers in this world better than most other crime films.
Everyone can identify with a hotheaded older brother whose temper clouds his judgment.
Everyone can identify with a dim-witted middle child who cant be trusted with anything important.
Connie is the only daughter who gets put on a pedestal.
Michael is the good son who gets corrupted by the family dysfunction.
All these years later,the Corleone familyremains universally relatable.
Butthe cast ofThe Godfatheris also rounded out by an impressive number of iconic stars.
Robert Duvall played Tom Hagen after hed played Boo Radley inTo Kill a Mockingbirdand Lucky Ned Pepper inTrue Grit.
Sterling Hayden played Captain McCluskey after hed already been inThe Asphalt Jungle,Dr.
Strangelove, andJohnny Guitar.
John Marley was acclaimed for his roles inFacesandLove Storybefore playing Jack Woltz.
And thats just two of the incredible pieces from Rotas score.
This music is a big part of whyThe Godfatheris such a perfect movie.
The 2000s brought the advent of a horror subgenre dubbed torture porn.
The Godfathers depiction of violence is still shocking today.
The relentless intensity of Sonny getting gunned down at a toll booth.
The disorienting editing of the McCluskey assassination.
Thats whatmakesThe Godfathers Kay such a brilliantly subversive character; she has a surprising amount of agency.
It runs for a whopping 175 minutes (almost three hours), but that runtime flies by.
The Godfatherhas perfect pacing, thanks to the razor-sharp editing by William Reynolds and Peter Zinner.
Every scene has plenty of room to breathe, but doesnt stick around for too long.
Michael starts out as a bright-eyed war veteran and ends up as a ruthless killer.
Not only does Pacino make that transformation fully believable; he makes it utterly compelling.
Watching that moral downfall play out now is just as effective as watching it back then.
Kay questions Michael about his involvement in Carlos disappearance, but Michael denies having anything to do with it.
Kay is initially relieved that the man she loves isnt a cold-blooded murderer after all.
This final scene completes Michaels journey from the good son toThe Godfather.
That ending is just as haunting today.
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