The godfather: Francis Ford Coppola's master piece

Résumé du document

Before adapting Mario Puzzo's roman, the Godfather, to cinema, Francis Ford Coppola had very little legitimacy in Hollywood and had everything to prove. After months of bitter fights against the Studios which produced the film, the Godfather was eventually released in 1972 to an impressed audience. Coppola very little experience as a scenario writer, and had received an Oscar in 1970 for Patton in the best scenario category. The Godfather, which has once been rated as the best movie of all times by Entertainment Weekly has met tremendous success around the world, partly owing to the actors, and mainly because of its director. The very special atmosphere in the film is due to Coppola's way of integrating parts of his experience of life. It is also considered a true "family movie" that is to say that Coppola gathered all his family in the film, and therefore re-invented the mafia-genre, although the terms "mafia" or "Cosa Nostra" are cited only once in the trilogy. I chose present an introduction of these films, if you don't already know them by heart, because it occurred to me that this masterpiece is one of the few films that remain in memories generation after generation.

Extraits

[...] How Coppola imposed Marlon Brando and Al Pacino to the Paramount The shooting of the film was really difficult and Coppola had some bitter conversations with Paramount, the Studio which produced the trilogy. First of all, he was not the first choice to be the director of the movie and at that time, Sergio Leone was approached but declined the offer on the basis that he didn't find the story interesting. Coppola said that he was shadowed by a replacement director, who was ready to take over the minute Coppola was fired. Despite such intense pressure, Coppola managed to defend his decisions and avoid being replaced. [...]

[...] Meanwhile, the Don's youngest son Michael, who has returned from World War II service as a highly decorated war hero, tells his girlfriend Kay Adams anecdotes about his father's criminal life, reassuring her that he is not like his family. The whole movie is based on the life of this Italian family led by the central figur of Don vito Corleone. Sollozo and Tatallia, the heads of two other important families try to persuade the Godfather to help them settle a massvie heroin import business. This one refuses and prefers to focus on casinos and alcool. [...]

[...] Clearly The Godfather still echoes in memories as one of the greatest mafia film, which inspired many other film –directors such as Martin Scorcese, but is more widely recognized as a fantastic and accurate chronicle of America through the spectrum of a very special family. [...]

[...] The very special atmosphere in the film is due to Coppola's way of integrating parts of his experience in life. It is also considered as a true “family movie” that is to say that Coppola gathered all his family in the film, and therefore re- invented the mafia-genre, although the terms or “Cosa Nostra” are cited only once in the trilogy. I chose to make you discover these films, if you don't already know them by heart, because it occurred to me that this masterpiece is one of the few films that remain in memories generation after generation. [...]

[...] A depiction of Coppola's own America, a huge success and two other films to follow: The Part 2 in 1974 and the Part 3 in 1990 Beyond the obvious violence of the movie and the gripping intrigue, the success of the film relies on the incredible ability of Coppola to tell the story of America”, through the spectrum of his Italo-American education. In the Godfather part 1 which takes place during the fifties, the film director clearly takes his own point of view, since he chose the period during which he's grown up. But the huge success of the movie and the enthusiasm of critics encouraged him to go deeper in his introspection. [...]