(Editor Note: It should be mentioned that this review carries several spoilers of all three Godfather parts. It is assumed that nearly everyone has seen the films, and if you haven’t, it’s highly recommended that you watch them prior to reading the following..)
It's been nearly ten years since I sat down and spun The Godfather. While some may call this blasphemy, I call it refreshing.
Even though I am quite the movie fanatic, I grew up in a house that stayed far away from rated ‘R’ films. Up until I was in high school, I would have to phone home while at a friend’s house to ask permission should an ‘R’ film come on HBO. And, oddly enough, I was the kind of kid who obeyed such rules.
So, it wasn’t until I was over seventeen that I sat down to watch The Godfather for the first time. And, if I must say, I don’t think there’s any seventeen year old out there who could fully appreciate the films for what they are at that age. Given that, my sophomore year in college I gave the DVD release a spin, and greatly appreciated the vast story which unfolded in front of me.
So, it was without hesitation that as soon as I could snag The Godfather Trilogy on bluray for just under forty-five bones, that I jumped on the chance to do so. But, only on the condition that the Queen of My Dreams watch them with me, as she had yet to enjoy them.
I was pretty excited to spin the first disc. I liked all three of the movies, but remember being more fond of Part 2 than the others, and was very excited to rewatch Part 1, especially with someone who had yet to fully embrace it.
The Movie Itself:
Still, nearly forty years later, the film holds up. There’s a reason this film is considered a classic. The plot of the family is what drives it, not the violence, and it is a story that most can relate to today. Vito Corleone is a respectable father figure, one that his sons and daughter greatly admire. Sure it might be for his wealth, or his horse-killing, point making habits, but either way - he is a father that you want to respect you. For those of us that have a father like this, we relate. For those of us who don’t, we admire him for what we didn’t have. For, isn’t that what Michael’s plight is all about? His relationship with his father?
We’re also given three very uniquely different sons; Sonny, Frido, and Michael. Each of them represents a brother or sister we can also relate to. Sonny, the hothead; Frido, the fool; Michael, the passively aggressive go-getter. Even Connie represents an appeal; a sister that drives you crazy but you can’t help loving and taking care of.
The story arc of family embrace and the desire for power and success are unavoidable. The film depicts what it was like for immigrants to move to this country and start anew; they came to America to live the American dream. And isn’t that what all of us love about our country? The freedom? The possibility of success? The power? The respect?
One can’t help but be sucked into this world. One where power and respect are not given, but earned. One where violence is only a means if necessary.
The violence found throughout the film is more of an afterthought. Interestingly, even Coppola claims that the first version of the film wasn’t ‘violent’ enough for the Studio. The scene between Connie and Carl was written specifically to meet Studio standards of a ‘gangster’ movie.
All-in-all, this isn’t your typical Mafia movie. In fact, that’s what makes it so wonderful. This is a film about family, passion, poverty, prospect, dreams, respect, and the dying desire to better not only your life, but your family’s as well. If you can’t relate to that, then…
The Presentation:
When this box set was first released on bluray, a friend of mine insta-purchased it for $90. He called me after watching all three and couldn’t stop talking about ‘the blacks’. He may be Asian, but he wasn’t being racist. He was referring to the depth, the darkness, presented in so many of the scenes. Shadows are rich with black color. There were no flakes nor any lines nor artifacts. I could tell immediately why he had been so excited. The darkness that much of the film takes place in looks DARK.
This is called the ‘Coppola Restoration’ and I’ve read other reviews describing the amount of detail that went into bringing these films to bluray. It’s interesting, because while The Godfather looked ‘old’, it still looked beautiful. Though it wasn’t perfect, it is safe to say that it will never look better. I’m not sure where technology is headed in the next thirty years, but I highly doubt that something could come along to make these films look any crisper than they do here. For being a film that came out in 1972, you’d be hard pressed to notice. It may not be as colorful as Speedracer, nor as visually stunning as Iron Man, but that should go without saying. Regardless of what year the film was released, it is out now on bluray and it looks beautiful.
I did, however, find the sound a bit lacking. The soundtrack sounded wonderful, though I was left wanting when it came to any scenes with gunfire or violence (particularly Sonny’s death). The surrounds weren’t given much of a workout, but there just really aren’t many scenes in which they would be. Admittedly, there really isn’t much ‘noise’ in any of these films that you would need to hear in TrueHD.
Final Thoughts:
Again, there is a reason this film is called a classic. Each of the characters are memorable, many scenes will go unforgotten, and the story will leave a lasting impression. If you’ve never seen it, you owe it to yourself to watch it. If you’ve seen it before, but not on bluray, you won’t be disappointed.
It's been nearly ten years since I sat down and spun The Godfather. While some may call this blasphemy, I call it refreshing.
Even though I am quite the movie fanatic, I grew up in a house that stayed far away from rated ‘R’ films. Up until I was in high school, I would have to phone home while at a friend’s house to ask permission should an ‘R’ film come on HBO. And, oddly enough, I was the kind of kid who obeyed such rules.
So, it wasn’t until I was over seventeen that I sat down to watch The Godfather for the first time. And, if I must say, I don’t think there’s any seventeen year old out there who could fully appreciate the films for what they are at that age. Given that, my sophomore year in college I gave the DVD release a spin, and greatly appreciated the vast story which unfolded in front of me.
So, it was without hesitation that as soon as I could snag The Godfather Trilogy on bluray for just under forty-five bones, that I jumped on the chance to do so. But, only on the condition that the Queen of My Dreams watch them with me, as she had yet to enjoy them.
I was pretty excited to spin the first disc. I liked all three of the movies, but remember being more fond of Part 2 than the others, and was very excited to rewatch Part 1, especially with someone who had yet to fully embrace it.
The Movie Itself:
Still, nearly forty years later, the film holds up. There’s a reason this film is considered a classic. The plot of the family is what drives it, not the violence, and it is a story that most can relate to today. Vito Corleone is a respectable father figure, one that his sons and daughter greatly admire. Sure it might be for his wealth, or his horse-killing, point making habits, but either way - he is a father that you want to respect you. For those of us that have a father like this, we relate. For those of us who don’t, we admire him for what we didn’t have. For, isn’t that what Michael’s plight is all about? His relationship with his father?
We’re also given three very uniquely different sons; Sonny, Frido, and Michael. Each of them represents a brother or sister we can also relate to. Sonny, the hothead; Frido, the fool; Michael, the passively aggressive go-getter. Even Connie represents an appeal; a sister that drives you crazy but you can’t help loving and taking care of.
The story arc of family embrace and the desire for power and success are unavoidable. The film depicts what it was like for immigrants to move to this country and start anew; they came to America to live the American dream. And isn’t that what all of us love about our country? The freedom? The possibility of success? The power? The respect?
One can’t help but be sucked into this world. One where power and respect are not given, but earned. One where violence is only a means if necessary.
The violence found throughout the film is more of an afterthought. Interestingly, even Coppola claims that the first version of the film wasn’t ‘violent’ enough for the Studio. The scene between Connie and Carl was written specifically to meet Studio standards of a ‘gangster’ movie.
All-in-all, this isn’t your typical Mafia movie. In fact, that’s what makes it so wonderful. This is a film about family, passion, poverty, prospect, dreams, respect, and the dying desire to better not only your life, but your family’s as well. If you can’t relate to that, then…
The Presentation:
When this box set was first released on bluray, a friend of mine insta-purchased it for $90. He called me after watching all three and couldn’t stop talking about ‘the blacks’. He may be Asian, but he wasn’t being racist. He was referring to the depth, the darkness, presented in so many of the scenes. Shadows are rich with black color. There were no flakes nor any lines nor artifacts. I could tell immediately why he had been so excited. The darkness that much of the film takes place in looks DARK.
This is called the ‘Coppola Restoration’ and I’ve read other reviews describing the amount of detail that went into bringing these films to bluray. It’s interesting, because while The Godfather looked ‘old’, it still looked beautiful. Though it wasn’t perfect, it is safe to say that it will never look better. I’m not sure where technology is headed in the next thirty years, but I highly doubt that something could come along to make these films look any crisper than they do here. For being a film that came out in 1972, you’d be hard pressed to notice. It may not be as colorful as Speedracer, nor as visually stunning as Iron Man, but that should go without saying. Regardless of what year the film was released, it is out now on bluray and it looks beautiful.
I did, however, find the sound a bit lacking. The soundtrack sounded wonderful, though I was left wanting when it came to any scenes with gunfire or violence (particularly Sonny’s death). The surrounds weren’t given much of a workout, but there just really aren’t many scenes in which they would be. Admittedly, there really isn’t much ‘noise’ in any of these films that you would need to hear in TrueHD.
Final Thoughts:
Again, there is a reason this film is called a classic. Each of the characters are memorable, many scenes will go unforgotten, and the story will leave a lasting impression. If you’ve never seen it, you owe it to yourself to watch it. If you’ve seen it before, but not on bluray, you won’t be disappointed.
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