The Godfather :: Film Review,Coppola, The Gangsters

Francis Ford Coppolas The Godfather (1972) is among the best leads ever produced. Consis extly ranked as one of the top three films by the American Film institute, this mobster film sits among the likes of Citizen Kane (1941), Lawrence of Arabia (1962), and the more recent Schindlers List (1993) (American). When it was released, The Godfather was nominated for ten Academy Awards, and won three crush Picture, Best Actor (Marlon Brando), and Best Adapted Screenplay. The film was adapted from the best-selling novel, with the same name, by Mario Puzo (Mast & Kawin, 332). The film takes place in a ten-year span between 1945 and 1955. It follows the Sicilian family headed by Vito Corleone who is played by Marlon Brando Corleone is also the godfather or head of the Corleone Crime Family. Coppolas film is not the first medium-large screen version of a mobster film Scarface (1933), The Public Enemy (1931), and Little Caesar (1931) are all in all pre-production code mobster films, precise ly American Movie Classics Tim Dirks believes The Godfather reinvented the gangster musical style (Dirks). Still, The Godfathers has many similarities to pre-production code gangster films especially with its use of violence, and its line drawing of corruption of both the gangsters and the equitable guys.The gangster films of the 30s and 40s had all but disappeared until The Godfather revived the genre. These films were not new to Hollywood The Public Enemy (1931), Little Caesar (1930), and Scarface (1932), but the production code put an end to the style of the early gangster classics. Two production code principles for films made during its time, 1934-1967, were that No picture should turn away the moral standards of those who see itthe audience should never be thrown to the view of crime, wrongdoing, evil or sin and law mustiness not be belittled, ridiculed, nor must a sentiment be created against it (The Production code). These principles along with the film noir period essentially ended the way gangster films were made. Following the enforcement of the code, the focus shifted from the gangsters to the good guys (Dirks). David Stirritt, film critic for the Christian Science Monitor, says Coppolas film revived the gangster genre (Dirks). This revival helped other gangster films to make it to the big screen Martin Scorseses Goodfellas (1991) and Casino (1995), and Mike Newells Donnie Brasco (1997). The similarities between The Godfather and early gangster films are evident when they are compared.