An iconic gangster film that has become the blueprint for a host of crime dramas is hailed by fans as “perfect” and has been named as the “greatest of all time” in an IMDb rating. Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather hit UK cinemas in 1972, depicting the transformation of Michael Corleone (played by a young Al Pacino) from the shy, reluctant son of a New York Mafia don into the fearsome head of family.
Based on the book by Mario Puzo, the film is also known for its dazzling performances by screen legend Marlon Brando, who stars as Michael’s father, Don Vito Corleone. Brando’s embodiment of a brooding and intimidating patriarch won him a best actor gong at the 1973 Academy Awards and the performance continues to looms large in popular culture, with famous lines like “I’m going to make him an offer he can’t refuse,” still to be quoted – even by people who haven’t seen it.
The first film in the trilogy’s star-studded cast also includes James Caan and Robert Duvall.
And though the film is celebrated for its lush cinematography, it also depicts the brutal violence of the criminal underworld and has a 15 rating.
One audience reviewer on IMDb gave the film 10/10, hailing it as the “definition of perfect movie”.
“As if (Marlon Brando) established what a mafia leader should be, with his hoarse voice and cold features, the actors after him were affected by the ghost of his great performance in the movie”, they added.
An audience review on film ranking platform Rotten Tomatoes, where The Godfather has a 97% score, wrote: “In the vast pantheon of cinematic art, there are few works that stand with such gravitas, such enduring significance, and such meticulous craftsmanship”.
Another said: “Easily the best movie I have ever seen, I have watched it 30 times, brilliant, the actors are the best of the best.”
A third fan added that it “might be the most well-crafted mafia film of all time”.
“The acting, the atmosphere, the slow-burn storytelling; it’s pure cinema,” they said, saying every scene is “meaningful and iconic”.
“While Goodfellas is still my personal favorite, The Godfather is a masterpiece in its own right,” they concluded.
The film has a sky-high 97% score on the platform and ranks number one in its list of the 300 best films of all time “reviewed and championed by Tomatometer-approved critics and Rotten Tomatoes users”, ahead of Casablanca, and L.A. Confidential.
The film is available to watch on a host of streaming platforms, including Apple TV and Amazon’s Prime Video.