The Godfather is a look into the soul, heart--AFI's 100 Years 100 Movies

After over nine hours of watching The Godfather--one, two and three--I'm wondering why I never felt compelled to watch these movies before?

Gangster movies, really? So, after making it about a third of the way through my watching of the AFI's 100 Years 100 Movies, I finally took advantage of a couple of snow days and watched all three Godfather movies. Wow! Why did I wait?

A movie about gangsters? Sure, but not really. It's a story about a man and his family and the trial and error of making it and losing it all. With the genius of Francis Ford Coppola, you are able to look right into the soul of the character Michael Corleone--the Godfather. Not a life he chose. Not a life he wanted. Not a life he loved. Rather, a life he controlled. A life he orchestrated. A life he wanted redemption for. A life where respect was more valuable than money, and love was longed for, and always lost.

The direction of the first two movies is something to be studied. I'll only mention a couple scenes that  let you know that you are just getting a glimpse into the life of these characters...at the end of both the first and second movies, where his wife, Kay, is looking into the room, and the door is shut. It's an analogy for how she would and was shut out of Michael's life, but also how there is a barrier between being in and out of the family. In the first movie, the audience is viewing into the room, and is shut out. However, in the second movie, the audience remains in the room, and watches from the inside as the door is closed--after six hours of watching, Coppola has made us part of the family!

So, what's my favorite? The Godfather, Part II. I love how Coppola shows us the parallel stories of Michael as he rises to power along with his father Vito as he made a life for himself and became the Godfather. Because you see them together, you naturally compare them. Vito chose the life of crime, Michael was born into it and felt that his hand was forced, making him a criminal.

There's so much more to these movies to be analyzed, and it will take at least another viewing or two for me to be able to see everything that the director placed there for me to discover. I encourage you to watch these movies for yourself and see the beauty in them.

I'm working my way towards completing the first half of the 100 movies on the list. As a learner, I believe that there is something for me to learn in each movie...something from the story, the direction, the history or the acting. I challenge you to find out for yourself, and try a few of these great movies out this winter!

The Godfather, 1972 #2 on the AFI's 100 Years 100 Movies-10th anniversary list
The Godfather, Part II, 1974 #32 on the AFI's 100 Years 100 Movies-10th anniversary list