F-0142

Title:

The Godfather

Category:

S

Produced:

1972

Country:

USA

Released:

Mar 1972 (film, USA); Mar 1991 (CD Soundtrack); May 1997 (2-VHS, 6-VHS, 5-VHS); Feb 1998 (2-VHS); Oct 2001 (5-DVD); May 2004 (DVD)

Director:

Francis Ford Coppola

Writer:

Mario Puzo (novel & screenplay); Francis Ford Coppola (screenplay)

Actors:

Marlon Brando (Don Vito Corleone); Al Pacino (Michael Corleone); James Caan (Santino 'Sonny' Corleone); Richard S. Castellano (Peter Clemenza - as Richard Castellano); Robert Duvall (Tom Hagen); Sterling Hayden (Capt. McCluskey); John Marley (Jack Woltz); Richard Conte (Don Emilio Barzini); Al Lettieri (Virgil 'The Turk' Sollozzo); Diane Keaton (Kay Adams); Abe Vigoda (Sal Tessio); Talia Shire (Connie Corleone Rizzi); Gianni Russo (Carlo Rizzi); John Cazale (Fredo Corleone); Rudy Bond (Don Carmine Cuneo); Al Martino (Johnny Fontane); Morgana King (Mama Corleone

Lenny Montana (Luca Brasi); John Martino (Paulie Gatto); Salvatore Corsitto (Bonasera

Richard Bright (Al Neri); Alex Rocco (Moe Greene); Tony Giorgio (Bruno Tattaglia); Vito Scotti (Nazorine); Tere Livrano (Theresa Hagen); Victor Rendina (Don Philip Tattaglia); Jeannie Linero (Lucy Mancini); Julie Gregg (Sandra Corleone); Ardell Sheridan (Mrs. Clemenza); Simonetta Stefanelli (Apollonia Vitelli Corleone); Angelo Infanti (Fabrizio); Corrado Gaipa (Don Tommasino); Franco Citti (Calo); Saro Urzì (Vitelli)

Description:

The story begins as "Don" Vito Corleone, the head of a New York Mafia "family", oversees his daughter's wedding. His beloved son Michael has just come home from the war, but does not intend to become part of his father's business. Through Michael's life the nature of the family business becomes clear. The business of the family is just like the head of the family, kind and benevolent to those who give respect, but given to ruthless violence whenever anything stands against the good of the family. Don Vito lives his life in the way of the old country, but times are changing and some don't want to follow the old ways and look out for community and "family". An up and coming rival of the Corleone family wants to start selling drugs in New York, and needs the Don's influence to further his plan. The clash of the Don's fading old world values and the new ways will demand a terrible price, especially from Michael, all for the sake of the family. (Charlie Ness)

Vito Corleone is the aging don (head) of the Corleone Mafia Family. His youngest son Michael has returned from WWII just in time to see the wedding of Connie Corleone (Michael's sister) to Carlo Rizzi. All of Michael's family is involved with the Mafia, but Michael just wants to live a normal life. Drug dealer Virgil Sollozzo is looking for Mafia Families to offer him protection in exchange for a profit of the drug money. He approaches Don Corleone about it, but, much against the advice of the Don's lawyer Tom Hagen, the Don is morally against the use of drugs, and turns down the offer. This does not please Sollozzo, who has the Don shot down by some of his hit men. The Don barely survives, which leads his son Michael to begin a violent mob war against Sollozzo and tears the Corleone family apart.(TheElfstone)

Generally acknowledged as a bona fide classic, this Francis Ford Coppola film is one of those rare experiences that feels perfectly right from beginning to end--almost as if everyone involved had been born to participate in it. Based on Mario Puzo's bestselling novel about a Mafia dynasty, Coppola's Godfather extracted and enhanced the most universal themes of immigrant experience in America: the plotting-out of hopes and dreams for one's successors, the raising of children to carry on the good work, etc. In the midst of generational strife during the Vietnam years, the film somehow struck a chord with a nation fascinated by the metamorphosis of a rebellious son (Al Pacino) into the keeper of his father's dream. Marlon Brando played against Puzo's own conception of patriarch Vito Corleone, and time has certainly proven the actor correct. The rest of the cast, particularly James Caan, John Cazale, and Robert Duvall as the rest of Vito's male brood--all coping with how to take the mantle of responsibility from their father--is seamless and wonderful. (Tom Keogh, Amazon.com)

Language:

English, Italian, Latin

Bach's Music:

Passacaglia & Fugue in C minor, BWV 582

Film Company:

Paramount Pictures

Format:

Color (Technicolor) film | 5-DVD (Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC) | DVD (Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC) | DVD (PAL) | 2-VHS (Closed-captioned, Color, Original recording remastered, THX, NTSC) | 6-VHS (Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, HiFi Sound, Original recording remastered, THX, NTSC) | 5-VHS (Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC) | VHS (PAL) | CD (Soundtrack)

VHS/DVD Label:

Paramount [DVD, 5-DVD, 2-VHS, 5-VHS, 6-VHS] | MCA [CD]

TT:

175 min (film, DVD) / 545 min (5-DVD) / 171 min (2-VHS) / 541 min (6-VHS) / 583 min (5-VHS)

Comments:

5-DVD / 6- VHS Sets include: The Godfather Collection (The Godfather/ The Godfather - Part II/ The Godfather - Part III)
5-VHS includes: Godfather Trilogy 1901-1980 (1990) + 1 VHS Documentary

Watch selections:

Buy movie at:

Amazon.com [5-DVD] | Amazon.com [DVD] | Amazon.com [5-DVD] | Amazon.com [DVD] | Amazon.com [DVD-PAL] | Amazon.com [2-VHS] | Amazon.com [6-VHS] | Amazon.com [5-VHS] | Amazon.com [2-VHS-PAL] | Amazon.com [2-VHS] | Amazon.com [CD]

Source/Links: IMDB
Contributor: Aryeh Oron (November 2007)