Rating of
4/4
something few people catch on to *spoiler*
ReallyReallyBigMan - wrote on 04/20/11
I just read a negative review of this amazing film and it inspired me to defend this as one of the greats. To begin one need understand that before this film there really was no mob movie genre, and no film could champion it like this one. Saying that means that all subsequent mob films owe a little to Mario puzo and Mr. Coppola, each new film or show adding to their foundation. The concept can be hard for some folks to agree with, but im fine with that. Lets say you agree with me so far...What i take most from this film (and what ill focus mostly on in this review) is the converging character arch of both Michael and his father. At the start of the film Michael is a timid young man that seems to be the opposite of his mob boss father. His father through a series of events becomes in need of his son to lead his family through a seriously tough time. Though inexperienced, Michael takes his charge and does a complete 180. This is when the film becomes AMAZING. I love to see character transformations (maybe because of this film). While Michael becomes his father (how Freudian) his father becomes like his son due to his inability to be involved in the family business. Near the end Don Corlione is a docile loving grandfather and Micheal something of a monster... so much can be said about this amazingly original yet familiar archetype. Few films have done that.
