Nearly 40 years after its initial release, The Godfather (Coppola, 1972) will return to UK cinemas, in a brand new restored and remastered version. Considered by many to be a masterpiece, the picture is one of the most popular and critically acclaimed films of all time. Winner of 3 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, the movie also currently sits at number 2 on the Internet Movie Database (IMDB)’s list of the 250 greatest films of all time. Its success on this particular register, which is collated from votes by public and industry members across the globe, is a testament to the film’s timeless success, and its continued relevance.
The narrative begins in a darkened room, during the lavish wedding of Godfather, Don Vito Corleone’s daughter. From the very first beats the tension is palpable; Marlon Brando in his most iconic turn, sits in his chair stroking a cat, while a despairing father sits pleading for his daughter’s redemption. Already, the viewer is mesmerized by this enclosed world, where the possibilities of power, wealth and violence all seem to fall hand in hand.
At the same time, it is the emphasis on maintaining this intricately ‘closed world’ that allows the audience to relate to characters who are, essentially, evil. Coppola’s universe exists by its own set of rules. As such, the characters in the story aren’t delineated by violence or aggression, but by lust, greed or love, and yearning or a desire for respect. In other wards, Coppola takes Mario Puzo’s epic story as a blueprint, using it to emphasise the humanity behind the Mafia, allowing us to feel sympathy for the players.
Read On…
Glasgow Film Theatre, 2009
Tags: Al Pacino, Glasgow Film Theatre, Marlon Brando, The Godfather, The Mafia
This entry was posted
on Sunday, September 27th, 2009 at 10:34 pm and is filed under Comment, Film Reviews, Media.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Programme Notes: The Godfather (2009 Re-Release)
Nearly 40 years after its initial release, The Godfather (Coppola, 1972) will return to UK cinemas, in a brand new restored and remastered version. Considered by many to be a masterpiece, the picture is one of the most popular and critically acclaimed films of all time. Winner of 3 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, the movie also currently sits at number 2 on the Internet Movie Database (IMDB)’s list of the 250 greatest films of all time. Its success on this particular register, which is collated from votes by public and industry members across the globe, is a testament to the film’s timeless success, and its continued relevance.
The narrative begins in a darkened room, during the lavish wedding of Godfather, Don Vito Corleone’s daughter. From the very first beats the tension is palpable; Marlon Brando in his most iconic turn, sits in his chair stroking a cat, while a despairing father sits pleading for his daughter’s redemption. Already, the viewer is mesmerized by this enclosed world, where the possibilities of power, wealth and violence all seem to fall hand in hand.
At the same time, it is the emphasis on maintaining this intricately ‘closed world’ that allows the audience to relate to characters who are, essentially, evil. Coppola’s universe exists by its own set of rules. As such, the characters in the story aren’t delineated by violence or aggression, but by lust, greed or love, and yearning or a desire for respect. In other wards, Coppola takes Mario Puzo’s epic story as a blueprint, using it to emphasise the humanity behind the Mafia, allowing us to feel sympathy for the players.
Read On…
Glasgow Film Theatre, 2009
Tags: Al Pacino, Glasgow Film Theatre, Marlon Brando, The Godfather, The Mafia
This entry was posted on Sunday, September 27th, 2009 at 10:34 pm and is filed under Comment, Film Reviews, Media. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.