The Godfather. Deconstructed.

Being an ardent fan of Mario Puzo’s work, I had my apprehensions to watch this particular screen adaptation of Puzo’s famous novel by the same name. A writer-director who was not very famous toying with rich source material did not seem like a good idea. The long run time of around 3 hours was not very encouraging either.

I decided to go ahead and watch it any way.

That haunting background score began to play while the title displayed in a rather innocuous manner, much like the novel. And all those apprehensive moments soon faded as the movie opened with this scene of a commoner asking a man for justice. Asking for help. The opening scene of the film is so impactful that it sets a particular tempo and etches it in the viewer’s mind. Without an explicit introduction, we know who The Godfather is. Sans any monologue or dialogue. I was sold on the first scene itself.

For the uninitiated, The Godfather is the story of an Italian family which settles in New York city amidst the rise of the 1970s NYC underworld in the US of A; amidst the quintessential rise of capitalism; the American dream. The family is headed by a kind-hearted man, Don Corleone; The Godfather.

First off, without giving any references, hats off to the duo of Mario Puzo-Francis Ford Coppola to have made the book into such a gripping screenplay. Through its run-time of 2 hours and 55 minutes, never did I find myself in a lazy or uninterested spot. It is all so crisp, which is very commendable for a movie having a long run-time.

Coppola has raised the bar for any flick which belongs to the underworld and/or crime genre with this one. Hi body of work is way more personal, more intimate and way more heart wrenching; very unlike Scorsese.

Marlon Brando who essays Don Corleone plays his part as if he was born to play it. The body language and the odd Italian accent are extraordinary. His dialogue delivery is extremely impactful and menacing. I might take all day if I were to write about all the good performances in the film. They are all top notch. The casting (It’s a huge cast with so many characters), dialogue and performances are simply spot on. Smooth. Like clockwork.

Avant-Garde.

To be brief about the premise, The Godfather is all about a powerful NY family regaining power after a power tussle ensues in the big city. The basis of the tussle is drug trade and the Don is strictly against drugs. There is an attempt on his life but he survives. And then, there is revenge. Sweet and sinister revenge. Served heart twisting cold; A la Coppola.

We are introduced to the Don’s family. The affable wife. The three sons and the daughter.

The extremely temperamental elder son, Sonny, is played with aplomb by James Caan. Sonny is like a spontaneous hard-hitting hammer. He is very sensitive and extremely mercurial.

The younger son, Michael, played by Al Pacino, is delightful to watch. His character arc is the most enjoyable in the film. Pacino’s portrayal of Michael formed the basis of his illustrious career.

The youngest son, Fredo, is the weak link of the Corleone family. John Cazale plays Fredo with a lot of maturity as the character is difficult to play.

The daughter, Connie, is a firework of a cog in the Corleone setup. Talia Shire puts in an effective and earnest performance of the daughter.

The lovely Diane Keaton plays Kay Adams, Michael’s love interest and the ever-charming Robert Duvall plays Tom Hagen; the legal adviser to the Don. As the Italians say it, Tom Hagen is the Consiglieri.

I would like to resist mentioning it but it is too hard to resist particularly talking about Luca Brasi and the way of the Don. As the movie unfolds, we are slowly introduced to the Don's men and his ways. How the Don has built his empire on the basis of fear, loyalty, trust and simple give and take. I would certainly resist mentioning about straight quotes or straight scenes. It would kill the fun.

Coppola and his team have given us probably the picture of the century with this production. The story apart; this film is a technical marvel for its time. The sound team has done a fabulous job with the gun fights and all other dynamic scenes. That along with a chilling background score mixed with optimal use of silence makes the movie very riveting.

As is expected, the viewer is introduced to a lot of Italian culture and Italian scenery as contrasted with the then urban NYC. On the whole, this ensemble crime drama scores high on every aspect and it is quite literally poetry on celluloid. Eventually, Michael Corleone's magical metamorphosis forms the basis of the movie.

There are several scenes in this movie which are bone chilling. The execution along with the picture-perfect cinematography etches these scenes in the mind of the viewer forever. One particular scene is worth narrating because it would be a shame not to. This scene pertains to Michael ordering the assassination of his brother in law. The ORDER is not explicitly given. But the eerie silence and the awkwardness of the characters tell us that something is up. And that something is the most visually stunning assassination scene I have ever seen. The entire scene is shot in a non stationary car. Without a cut. The struggle of life being squeezed out of him highlighted and the dogs barking in the background only accentuate this struggle. Then it’s done. The car keeps moving. The struggle stops. Then there is eerie silence again. It still gives me the jitters.

This is my favorite motion picture till date. Call me a sucker for the crime genre but it is what it is. Barring the relatively long run time, it is a treat to watch. I would certainly discount the run time. On that note, justice is delivered. Cold and how.