The Godfather, written by Mario Puzo, was adapted for the screen and directed by Francis Ford Coppola was released in March of 1972. Being a junior in high school and not allowed to see certain movies, I’m sure my parents would have been a “hell no” if I had asked to see it. So seeing the GF for the first time was most likely in 1973 or 74 after I left home. However, I checked the book out of the school library my senior year to see what all the hype was about, reading the book was my only option which gave me a front-row seat to the movie. I sneaked the book into the house being cautious to keep it out of sight. I would read the book in my room lying on the floor next to my bed, I kept another book handy just in case my mother came in the room. My plan was to slide the GF under the bed and pull the other one in front of me. I think I only executed that plan once. So, I can not be fully certain when I watched The Godfather for the very first time, but I do remember seeing it in the theater. My recollection of the movie was it’s violence, bloody horse heads and strangulation by piano wire. I’m sure I watched it through open fingers in front of my eyes.

I recently, like three days ago, watched The Godfather again after many years. Despite the annoyance of being edited for t.v. along with commercials, I got the full jest of the movie with bleeped words here and there and snooze inducing commercials. I know it is considered a timeless classic, but I found it somewhat dated and a tad boring. Oh the horror! Maybe it’s just lost its edge with today’s violent movies which made it basically tame.

The Godfather was by no means the first gangster movie ever made, but it was the first one that not only portrayed the realism of the mafia, but put Italian-Americans center stage. It was a serious movie, but with typical Hollywood stereotyping of an entire ethnic group that still resonates to this day (Italians = mafia).

When I think of early gangster movies I see Edgar C Robinson or James Cagney with machine guns and driving fast in cool cars. These movies never portrayed the characters as Italian, but hoodlums from the wrong side of the tracks. It’s these movies that I feel actually set the tone for The Godfather.

I don’t think anyone can be critical of the acting performances from Marlon Brando, The Godfather, to Robert Duvall’s creepy fixer/adopted son. But the stand out performance would be Al Pacino as the younger and reluctant son to join the family business who becomes the next Godfather along with his suffering wife Kay played by Diane Keaton.

With these stellar performances and attention to detail of this period piece along with the directing of Francis Ford Coppola this movie put the Mafia Mob main stream into the American psychy. It’s brutal story of crime, corruption and murder developed the blueprint for all future mafia/mob movies such as Goodfellows and HBO’s Sopranos. Although, not my favorite movie I do appreciate how well it was done and portrayed for the big screen.