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JMPesce t1_jdxwil3 wrote

I stand by this to this day; The Godfather is the absolute greatest piece of American cinema in history. It isn't debatable; there is no other film as incredible, influential, or widely well received as The Godfather is. The behind the scenes trouble at Paramount while it was being made is also legendary. This film was destined to fail, and against all odds it succeeded. Truly lightning in a bottle; 2 is also great, but it pales in comparison to the original. While some would argue that it has a richer narrative, I would argue that making the movie much more political for 2 alienated some of the audience that truly loved 1, and detracted a bit of the sheen.

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MarcusXL t1_jdzf4wt wrote

1 and 2 are one long movie. It's the story of Michael Corleone trading his soul for power. He has his reasons-- very compelling ones. But nonetheless by the end of part 2, he has gone from tragic hero and prodigal son, to antihero, and finally to villain. To make that clear, you need part 2.

It's closer to Shakespeare or Greek Tragedy than the usual gangster flick.

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logicalfallacy234 t1_je69yar wrote

I actually think the best way to see Godfather (which is also my vote for greatest American film, over Kane, 2001, and Vertigo) is historical chronicle. If you want a similar movie/film, you could tell the story of the Syrian Civil War from the perspective of a single (preferably rich and powerful) family, or the story of the first 10 years of Vietnam after America left the country.

Even a biopic of like, someone like Lenin or Mao would replicate the feel and scale of The Godfather.

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WolvoMS t1_je26s87 wrote

It insists upon itself, Lois.

But really, this movie has been on my radar since I was a kid when I saw the trailer hundreds of times on the Last Crusade VHS tape. But I've always had this block towards it, like I'd rather watch paint dry than watch The Godfather. I even bought the Blu Ray trilogy once and returned it before I opened it. Think I'll go grab it on 4k thanks to this thread. Decades of procrastination dies tonight!

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JMPesce t1_je2jqj4 wrote

I am truly jealous that you get to experience this for the first time. I hope you love and enjoy it as much as I do!

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logicalfallacy234 t1_je6ak9o wrote

Interesting that you don't like Part 2 as much! Since I think yeah, I guess you respond to the aspect of Godfather that is a pure family epic, rather than a political epic/tragedy. As in, bizarrely enough, it's closer to Forrest Gump than Oliver Stone's Nixon.

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