Hello movie lovers. Today I want to talk about one of the biggest hits in the history of the seventh art and one of the most influential works in the world of Hollywood and today's popular culture. With a quality of production, direction and interpretation without equal, along with a story that has managed to transcend the passage of time to then become what for many is currently "the best film in history". Directed by the great genius Francis Ford Coppola and produced by the famous studio Paramount Pictures, this feature film of almost 3 hours, which is based on the novel of the same name by Mario Puzo, is the owner of multiple awards and nominations, among which are those of "Best Movie" and "Best Actor", as well as countless accolades and positive reviews from around the world. The film stars the great Marlon Brando and the very famous and then young Al Pacino. I invite you to stay and see one of the most influential films in the world of cinema and history, a film that if you have not yet seen, you should not consider yourself a movie fan at all.

The movie takes us to the past, to the United States in 1945, in a New York at the end of the Second World War. The Corleone family is celebrating the wedding of Connie Corleone and Carlos Rizzi at her parents' house. Don Vito Corleone, father and leader of one of the five great families that make up the great Italian Mafia called the "Cosa Nostra", attends to business matters even during the day of his daughter's wedding, while his sons: Santino Corleone and Michael Corleone enjoy the rest of the family and the guests of the party. Michael, unlike his older brothers and father, is not involved in the family business in any way. Instead, he became a Marine and has recently been decorated as a "war hero" for his hard work.

Days later, one of the members of the five families comes to Don Vito to offer him a business related to drug trafficking, a business in which other Mafia families are thinking of participating, but for this they need Corleone to offer them his innumerable contacts with powerful people in the country and the law. Don Vito rejects the offer, thinking that the drug business would be a very dangerous path for both his family and the organization. But, this causes the rejection of the nicknamed "El Turco", who subsequently has the leader of the Corleone family assassinated. The incident causes a heavy blow to the family, especially to their children, and things will not be the same from then on. A war between mafias starts from here and only the most powerful is the one who can win this great dispute.

Next, I will leave you the trailer of the movie:

I admit, this is the first time I saw this movie in my life and it is a huge surprise for me to have enjoyed such a cinematic masterpiece that it is. After watching it recently I have realized how great and influential it has become in the history of cinema and popular culture. It is as if more than one generation was born and inspired by this film, which is now more than 50 years old and even now remains intact and with a huge influence and position in the world of cinema. The direction, the script, the characters, the story, everything is so excellently done that it is difficult not to find something negative, apart from how old it already is (something that instead of being something negative gives it more points in its favor). The legacy and example that this film left at the time caused countless references, copies and dedications in many movies, series and popular programs today, confirming how much it has come to transcend in the world of entertainment. Undoubtedly, this is a hit and a masterpiece worth watching.

Let's talk about the story we are told in this movie, which although it can be a bit dense due to its length, it is worth enjoying and watching because of how excellently made it is. Let's take into account that all this is based on a fictional work, but even so the way in which we are told this story makes the difference between reality and fiction is very small and even almost undetectable. In it we meet a powerful family of one of the biggest mafias of the time in Italy and the United States, as well as in the rest of the world. We also meet Don Vito Corleone, a family man and a very respected and powerful "godfather" both in high society and in the world of organized crime. His influence can be seen reflected by the number of contacts and associates he has everywhere. His way of doing business, his principles and his way of seeing things is to be admired and respected. He is a great example to follow for everyone who is part of this underworld, besides being a great father and husband.

However, his sons, Santino Corleone the eldest, Federico Corleone and Thomas Hagen (the latter being adopted) who work alongside their father Don Vito in the family business, prove to be a very divided and unbalanced team who only follow orders from their boss and father. But, when he suffers an incident and is hospitalized, the leadership and order in the Corleone family suffers a serious blow, making risky decisions and endangering the safety of the other family members. This is when the youngest son, Michael Corleone, steps in, demonstrating from the beginning that he is not like his family and does not want to get involved in anything related to the Mafia world. But after his father is hospitalized and put in danger, he decides to protect him and fulfill his role by doing an "act of justice" that will later turn him into what he has always hated in his life. This causes him to run away and separate himself from society, causing him to take a long road that will lead him to a life full of pain and suffering.

The character development of Don Vito Corleone and his son Michael Corleone (played by Marlon Brando and Al Pacino) is one of the highlights of the entire film. A very different father and son relationship, as opposed to the one with his other sons. But, what stands out the most is the evolution of Michael's character, which is what I personally loved the most in the whole movie. The change from being at first a decorated "war hero" for his participation in World War II, to later becoming the leader of one of the most powerful mafias in the world is something that Pacino delivers perfectly, with an unparalleled performance. Another thing that stands out very clearly is the relationship and differences that the Corleone brothers have, being the eldest, Santino, a temperamental guy who always seeks to "liquidate" anyone he sees as an enemy, unlike Michael who is a rational and much more intelligent guy (detail that can be seen at the end of the film in an impressive way).

Not only we have to give credit to the characters and the way in which this great cast of actors have managed to interpret, with a mixture of personalities and ways of thinking and acting so varied; but we must also talk about the overall direction of the film and the technical work that has this. Francis Ford Coppola demonstrates his greatness with this project, which is one of the first and most successful of his career. The blend of drama with suspense and action in a dangerous world is something to be admired. With shots, a script and a way of showing us one of the most important times in the history of the United States and the world in a film full of crime, death, hate and revenge. The way in which it transmits an absurd amount of emotions from beginning to end, besides leaving us a clear message of the meaning and value of the family today is something worthy that managed to transcend several generations until today. There is also the soundtrack of this film, which has managed to become an anthem in the world of gangster movies, making many scenes generate those emotions already mentioned to see them again and again. A masterpiece with a raw but realistic story of the darkest and cruelest side of society at that time.

Personally, I give it a well-deserved rating of 10/10 as far as the drama, crime and gangster genre is concerned.

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All the best.

By: Nattosheru.