The Godfather

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Lore & Background

The Godfather was released on March 15, 1972. The feature-length film was directed by Francis Ford Coppola and was based on Mario Puzo's novel of the same name. The plot begins with Don Vito Corleone declining an offer to join the narcotics business with notorious drug lord Virgil Sollozzo, which leads to an assassination attempt. Vito's oldest son Sonny subsequently takes over the family business, and he conspires with Michael to strike back for the assassination attempt by having him kill Sollozzo and a corrupt police captain, forcing Michael to go to Sicily in hiding. While in Sicily, Michael travels around the country and meets a woman he marries, but who is killed in a car bombing. Michael returns to America after the news of his brother Sonny's murder and marries his former girlfriend Kay. Vito then turns over the reins of the family to Michael. Michael plans to move the family business to Las Vegas, but before the move, his father dies, and he plots the killing of the heads of the five families on the day of his nephew's baptism. Other subplots include Vito's daughter's abusive marriage, Johnny Fontane's success in Hollywood, and Vito's second son Fredo's role in the family business in Las Vegas.

Reader's Guide

The Godfather is seen by many as one of the greatest films of all time. It won 3 out of 10 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Marlon Brando), and Best Adapted Screenplay (Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola). It also won 5 out of 7 Golden Globe Awards. The film appears in many 'Top' film lists, such as the American Film Institution's 100 Years...100 Movies, Time magazine's All-Time 100 Movies, the IMDb Top 250, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association's Top 10 Films, and James Berardinelli's Top 100. The Godfather Trilogy was ranked at No. 5 in Empire magazine's 'The 33 Greatest Movie Trilogies' in 2010. The Independent ranked it at No. 6 on its list of '10 greatest movie trilogies of all time'. Screen Rant ranked it at No. 4 on its list of 'The Best Movie Trilogies Of All Time'.

Did You Know?

• The Godfather is the first trilogy to have had all three of its films nominated for Best Picture.
• The Godfather and The Godfather Part II are the only film series with two Best Picture winners.
• The Godfather Part II is the first sequel film to win Best Picture.
• Both The Godfather and The Godfather Part II had three actors nominated for Best Supporting Actor, a rare feat.
• The Godfather was selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry in 1990.

Production Journey & Title Change

The source does not cover production journey or title change details for The Godfather (1972).

Narrative Architecture & The Twin Twist

The source does not cover narrative architecture or twin twist details for The Godfather (1972).

Creative Team & Musical Score

The source does not cover creative team or musical score details for The Godfather (1972).

Box Office Success & International Remakes

The source does not cover box office success or international remakes for The Godfather (1972).

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