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| ==Casting== | ==Casting== | ||
| The producers originally wanted ] to play ], but Coppola demanded ]. Pacino was not well known at the time, and was not considered right for the part. Pacino was only granted the role after Coppola threatened to quit the production. | Puzo helped in the making of the movie and its sequels and co-wrote the ]. The producers originally wanted ] to play ], but Coppola demanded ]. Pacino was not well known at the time, and was not considered right for the part. Pacino was only granted the role after Coppola threatened to quit the production. | ||
| The role of Don Vito Corleone was memorably acted by ], who won an ] (which he did not accept) for his portrayal of the aging Don. Many of the actors playing the supporting roles were largely unknown or minor actors; however, they rocketed into the limelight with the success of ''The Godfather''. ] and ], in particular, went on to enjoy long, successful, highly acclaimed careers. | The role of Don Vito Corleone was memorably acted by ], who won an ] (which he did not accept) for his portrayal of the aging Don. Many of the actors playing the supporting roles were largely unknown or minor actors; however, they rocketed into the limelight with the success of ''The Godfather''. ] and ], in particular, went on to enjoy long, successful, highly acclaimed careers. | ||
| <small>Paragraph below doesn't yet fit on the page; needs moving elsewhere.</small> | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ==Critical Acclaim== | ==Critical Acclaim== | ||
| Since its release on ], ], ''The Godfather'' has been accused of glorifying the image of the ]. ] was portrayed by Brando as a Mafia ] whom people could actually respect (although the actions of Don Michael Corleone in ''The Godfather Part II'' worked to tear down this image). | ] (left) and ] in The Godfather Part I]] | ||
| Since its release on ], ], ''The Godfather'' has been accused of glorifying the image of the ]. ] was portrayed by Brando as a Mafia ] whom people could actually respect (although the actions of Don Michael Corleone in ''The Godfather Part II'' worked to tear down this image). | |||
| The film is greatly respected among international critics and the public. It was voted greatest film of all time by '']'', and #3 of all time by the ]. It is consistently, and currently, ranked #1 on ]'s Top 250. | |||
| ===Awards=== | |||
| ''The Godfather'' won three ]s: | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] (Marlon Brando refused the award) | |||
| * ] (Francis Coppola, Mario Puzo) | |||
| The film was also nominated for eight additional Academy Awards. | |||
| As its sequel '']'' also won the ], the ''Godfather'' trilogy remains the only series ever to win multiple "Best Picture" Oscars. | |||
| Additionally, ''The Godfather'' won five ]s, one ], and numerous other awards. | |||
| Don Vito's "I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse" was voted in a ] by the ] as the second-most-memorable line in cinema history. | |||
| ===Revenues=== | |||
| ⚫ | The film was an enormous box-office hit, smashing previous records to become the highest-grossing film of all time (until that record was surpassed by '']'' in ], and a number of other movies afterwards). | ||
| ''The Godfather'' was also a great success with audiences. The film made US$5,264,402 in its opening weekend, which was a record at the time. The film's $134 million total North American gross briefly made it the highest grossing film of its time. | |||
| ==Sequels== | |||
| ===The Godfather, Pt. II=== | |||
| A sequel, '']'', was released in ]. It consists of two parallel storylines, with the focus switching between these. The first storyline follows Michael Corleone in the 1950s; the other is a flashback sequence following his father, Vito, from his youth in Sicily up through the founding of the Corleone crime family in New York and the births of Michael and his siblings. This version of Vito is played by different actors at different ages, but the adult Vito is played by ], who won a ] Academy Award for a role in which, interestingly, he speaks almost no English-language dialogue. Many critics consider the sequel to be superior to the original film in quality. | |||
| ===The Godfather Saga=== | |||
| Coppola re-edited the two movies together, in chronological order (adding some previously unseen footage but also toning down the ]), into one long saga for TV broadcast, entitled '']''. While easier to understand, many consider this version to be less interesting than the original from a structural or artistic standpoint. | |||
| Both ''The Godfather'' and ''The Godfather Part II'' have been selected for preservation in the United States ]. This is not the case for the third installment. | |||
| ===The Godfather, Pt. III=== | |||
| In 1990, Coppola released a belated third film, '']''. This film was successful financially, but critical and fan response was mixed. However, the movie still received seven Academy Award nominations, among them ] and ]. The film is also notable for the key role played by Coppola's daughter, the future Academy Award-winning filmmaker ], who was forced to play Mary Corleone on short notice after ] became ill. | |||
| The movie was set in 1979, and focused on an aging Michael Corleone. Parts of the film were loosely based on real historical events, including the death of ] ], the election of ], and his subsequent death. | |||
| In the late 1990s, rumors circulated regarding another installment of the series, with ] and ] apparently expressing interest. However, after the death of Mario Puzo in 1999, a new sequel appears very unlikely. | |||
Revision as of 15:00, 16 August 2005
Film| The Godfather | |
|---|---|
| File:Godfather vhs.jpg | |
| Directed by | Francis Ford Coppola |
| Written by | Mario Puzo |
| Produced by | Albert S. Ruddy |
| Starring | Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
| Running time | 175 min. |
| Budget | $6,000,000 |
The Godfather was a film adaptation of the novel of the same name (see The Godfather) written by Mario Puzo, directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Marlon Brando and Al Pacino. The film spans ten years from late 1945 to 1955 (after Don Vito Corleone's death in 1954).
Production
The film was released in (1972) and was directed by Francis Ford Coppola, who had directed several films prior to this; none of which had a significant impact upon the public. Shooting spanned from March 29, 1971 to August 6 of that year. Due to skepticism about the film's expected success, a low budget was set for the film, forcing the crew to use regular lighting as opposed to production lighting. This lent a more realistic appearance to the film.
Casting
Puzo helped in the making of the movie and its sequels and co-wrote the screenplay. The producers originally wanted Robert Redford to play Michael Corleone, but Coppola demanded Al Pacino. Pacino was not well known at the time, and was not considered right for the part. Pacino was only granted the role after Coppola threatened to quit the production.
The role of Don Vito Corleone was memorably acted by Marlon Brando, who won an Academy Award (which he did not accept) for his portrayal of the aging Don. Many of the actors playing the supporting roles were largely unknown or minor actors; however, they rocketed into the limelight with the success of The Godfather. Al Pacino and Robert Duvall, in particular, went on to enjoy long, successful, highly acclaimed careers.
Critical Acclaim
Since its release on March 24, 1972, The Godfather has been accused of glorifying the image of the Mafia. Vito Corleone was portrayed by Brando as a Mafia Don whom people could actually respect (although the actions of Don Michael Corleone in The Godfather Part II worked to tear down this image).
The film is greatly respected among international critics and the public. It was voted greatest film of all time by Entertainment Weekly, and #3 of all time by the American Film Institute. It is consistently, and currently, ranked #1 on IMDB's Top 250.
Awards
The Godfather won three Academy Awards:
- Best Picture
- Best Actor in a Leading Role (Marlon Brando refused the award)
- Best Writing (adapted screenplay) (Francis Coppola, Mario Puzo)
The film was also nominated for eight additional Academy Awards.
As its sequel The Godfather Part II also won the Academy Award for Best Picture, the Godfather trilogy remains the only series ever to win multiple "Best Picture" Oscars.
Additionally, The Godfather won five Golden Globes, one Grammy, and numerous other awards.
Don Vito's "I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse" was voted in a 2005 poll by the American Film Institute as the second-most-memorable line in cinema history.
Revenues
The film was an enormous box-office hit, smashing previous records to become the highest-grossing film of all time (until that record was surpassed by Jaws in 1975, and a number of other movies afterwards).
The Godfather was also a great success with audiences. The film made US$5,264,402 in its opening weekend, which was a record at the time. The film's $134 million total North American gross briefly made it the highest grossing film of its time.
Sequels
The Godfather, Pt. II
A sequel, The Godfather Part II, was released in 1974. It consists of two parallel storylines, with the focus switching between these. The first storyline follows Michael Corleone in the 1950s; the other is a flashback sequence following his father, Vito, from his youth in Sicily up through the founding of the Corleone crime family in New York and the births of Michael and his siblings. This version of Vito is played by different actors at different ages, but the adult Vito is played by Robert De Niro, who won a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for a role in which, interestingly, he speaks almost no English-language dialogue. Many critics consider the sequel to be superior to the original film in quality.
The Godfather Saga
Coppola re-edited the two movies together, in chronological order (adding some previously unseen footage but also toning down the violence), into one long saga for TV broadcast, entitled The Godfather Saga. While easier to understand, many consider this version to be less interesting than the original from a structural or artistic standpoint.
Both The Godfather and The Godfather Part II have been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry. This is not the case for the third installment.
The Godfather, Pt. III
In 1990, Coppola released a belated third film, The Godfather Part III. This film was successful financially, but critical and fan response was mixed. However, the movie still received seven Academy Award nominations, among them Best Picture and Best Cinematography. The film is also notable for the key role played by Coppola's daughter, the future Academy Award-winning filmmaker Sofia Coppola, who was forced to play Mary Corleone on short notice after Winona Ryder became ill.
The movie was set in 1979, and focused on an aging Michael Corleone. Parts of the film were loosely based on real historical events, including the death of Pope Paul VI, the election of John Paul I, and his subsequent death.
In the late 1990s, rumors circulated regarding another installment of the series, with Leonardo DiCaprio and Andy Garcia apparently expressing interest. However, after the death of Mario Puzo in 1999, a new sequel appears very unlikely.