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Revision as of 14:37, 16 August 2005 by Robchurch (talk | contribs) (Forked in the "Production" section from the The Godfather article)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) Film| The Godfather | |
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| 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 spawned two sequels.
Production
The motion picture adaptation of The Godfather (1972) was directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Coppola had directed several films prior to this, but none of them had had a significant impact on the public. Shooting began on March 29, 1971 and was completed on August 6, 1971. The producers of the movie did not believe that The Godfather would be very successful; hence, there was an extremely low budget for the film. This obliged the crew to use regular lights, instead of the production/set lights, lending a realistic look to the film.
The film spans ten years from late 1945 to 1955 (after Don Vito Corleone's death in 1954).
The producers originally wanted Robert Redford to play Michael Corleone, but Coppola wanted 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.
Puzo helped in the making of the movie and its sequels and co-wrote the screenplay. The movie 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 role of Don Vito Corleone was memorably acted by Marlon Brando, and Brando 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.
Since its release on March 15, 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).