This
article is about the 1972 film. For the novel on which the film is based, see The Godfather (novel). For male
godparent in many Christian traditions, see Godfather.
The
Godfather is a 1972 American crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola and
produced by Albert S. Ruddy, based on Mario Puzo's best-selling eponymous
novel. It stars Marlon Brando and Al Pacino as the leaders of a fictional New
York crime family. The story, spanning 1945 to 1955, chronicles the family
under the patriarch Vito Corleone (Brando), focusing on the transformation of
Michael Corleone (Pacino) from reluctant family outsider to ruthless mafia
boss.
Paramount
Pictures obtained the rights to the novel for the price of $80,000, before it
gained popularity. Studio executives had trouble finding a director; their
first few candidates turned down the position. They and Coppola disagreed over
who would play several characters, in particular, Vito and Michael. Filming was
done on location and completed earlier than scheduled. The musical score was
composed primarily by Nino Rota with additional pieces by Carmine Coppola.
The
film was the highest-grossing film of 1972 and was for a time the highest-grossing
film ever made. It won the Oscars for Best Picture, Best Actor (Brando) and
Best Adapted Screenplay (for Puzo and Coppola). Its seven other Oscar
nominations included Pacino, James Caan, and Robert Duvall for Best Supporting
Actor and Coppola for Best Director.
The
Godfather is widely regarded as one of the greatest films in world cinema and
one of the most influential, especially in the gangster genre. It was selected
for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry of the Library of Congress
in 1990, being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically
significant" and is ranked the second-greatest film in American cinema
(behind Citizen Kane) by the American Film Institute. It was followed by
sequels The Godfather Part II (1974) and The Godfather Part III (1990).
