Barnes & Noble

No. 1 with a bullet on many favorites lists, Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather -- which is available, together with its sequels, in the deluxe Godfather DVD Collection -- revitalized the gangster film when it premiered in 1972. Even though it employed familiar character types and situations, Coppola painted a more vivid, realistic, and compelling portrait of Mob life than had ever been seen on screen before. Mario Puzo's pulpy, best-selling novel provided Coppola a broad canvas to work upon, but it was the director's embellishments that made the picture so vibrant. Marlon Brando, in his last truly memorable performance, assayed the role of aging, soft-spoken Mafia patriarch Don Corleone. And Al Pacino became an international star thanks to his portrayal of Michael, the youngest Corleone, a returning war hero reluctantly drawn into the family business following the brutal slaying of older brother Sonny (James Caan). Although epic in scope, The Godfather endures in part through throwaway lines that became part of the popular lexicon, such as, "We'll make him an offer he can't refuse. Images from the film linger on, such as the Hollywood producer awakening to find the severed head of his favorite horse in bed with him, a "message" one never forgets. The Godfather eschewed simplistic genre stereotypes in favor of naturalistic characterizations, thanks in great part to the film's extraordinary ensemble, including Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, and Talia Shire. The director used violence sparingly, but was unstinting in depicting its savagery, and he orchestrated the operatic plot complications masterfully. Nearly three decades after its initial release, this unforgettable film remains the preeminent gangster film of the late 20th century. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

Popularly viewed as one of the best American films ever made, the multi-generational crime saga The Godfather is a touchstone of cinema: one of the most widely imitated, quoted, and lampooned movies of all time. Marlon Brando and Al Pacino star as Vito Corleone and his youngest son, Michael, respectively. It is the late 1940s in New York and Corleone is, in the parlance of organized crime, a "godfather" or "don," the head of a Mafia family. Michael, a free thinker who defied his father by enlisting in the Marines to fight in World War II, has returned a captain and a war hero. Having long ago rejected the family business, Michael shows up at the wedding of his sister, Connie (Talia Shire), with his non-Italian girlfriend, Kay (Diane Keaton), who learns for the first time about the family "business." A few months later at Christmas time, the don barely survives being shot by gunmen in the employ of a drug-trafficking rival whose request for aid from the Corleones' political connections was rejected. After saving his father from a second assassination attempt, Michael persuades his hotheaded eldest brother, Sonny (James Caan), and family advisors Tom Hagen (Robert Duvall) and Sal Tessio (Abe Vigoda) that he should be the one to exact revenge on the men responsible.

After murdering a corrupt police captain and the drug trafficker, Michael hides out in Sicily while a gang war erupts at home. Falling in love with a local girl, Michael marries her, but she is later slain by Corleone enemies in an attempt on Michael's life. Sonny is also butchered, having been betrayed by Connie's husband. As Michael returns home and convinces Kay to marry him, his father recovers and makes peace with his rivals, realizing that another powerful don was pulling the strings behind the narcotics endeavor that began the gang warfare. Once Michael has been groomed as the new don, he leads the family to a new era of prosperity, then launches a campaign of murderous revenge against those who once tried to wipe out the Corleones, consolidating his family's power and completing his own moral downfall. Nominated for 11 Academy Awards and winning for Best Picture, Best Actor (Marlon Brando), and Best Adapted Screenplay, The Godfather was followed by a pair of sequels. Karl Williams

Product Details

• UPC: 097361329147
• Source: PARAMOUNT
• Region Code: 1
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby AC-3 Surround Sound
• Language: Français
• Editions: Subtitled, Dubbed, Restored
• Time: 2:57:00
• Sales Rank: 1,791

This DVD is also available as part of a box set:

• The Godfather DVD Collection
• Best Picture Academy Award Winners Collection

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