One of the few Tom Cruise performances that I can tolerate.

Doesn't anybody else think that Cruise is at his best when he's playing a selfish, ruthless, calculating jerk, instead of the cocky, clueless, frat-boy jerk that made his career? (I'll leave the debate over which of those characters is closer to the "real" Tom Cruise to others...)

Hoffman's performance is much, much more than a mere collection of neurotic tics and mannerisms calculated to shine at awards time - He makes a fully-realized human being out of what could have easily been a excuse to shamelessly ham it up. And he owes that performance as much to an adult, realistic script, one that feels like it's writer actually knew something about the mentally disadvantaged, and refused to pander or bow to cheap sentiment, as he does to his own skills as an actor.

The story itself is a fairly predictable cliche about an immature creep learning that there are bigger things in the world than their own petty needs, and you can see the ending coming from ten miles away. It's the strength of the performances that rescue this one.

So over rated - its a genre that I just find it hard to appreciate. Chacun a son gout.

This would be No.2 with Pt.2 No. 1

If pressed, I'd probably have to list this as my personal favorite movie of all time, and it has to rank up there as one of the 2 or 3 greatest American movies ever. I've watched it countless times and it fascinates me every time, at this point for what went on behind the scenes during the filming rather than for the film itself. Potentially, it could have starred Laurence Olivier as Don Corleone, Robert Redford as Michael, and Robert De Niro as Sonny. Although the Corleone compound was supposed to be in Long Island, it was actually filmed in Staten Island. Real life Mafia Boss Joe Colombo was active in a well-publicized campaign against perceived anti-Italian prejudice in the entertainment industry (among other places) and he forced Francis Ford Coppola to refrain from using the word "Mafia" at all in the movie. Colombo Family members became involved in the making of the film, and Lenny Montana, who played "Luca Brasi", was allegedly a close associate of the Colombo Family. The cemetery where Don Corleone's burial supposedly took place was Calvary in Queens, and I have photos I took there of the actual location (even though I was unable to find a stone marked "Vito Corleone"). Alex Rocco, who played faux-Bugsy-Siegel Moe Greene, was actually a fringe member of New England's Winter Hill Gang named Alexander Petricone. In 1961, Georgie McLaughlin of the rival McLaughlin gang came on crudely towards Rocco's girlfriend and was beaten unconscious by Rocco and a friend. It was this incident that precipitated Boston's bloody and notorious "Irish Gang War" of the 1960's. On a more personal note, I once worked and became friendly with an older Jewish guy who had been Richard Castellano's (Pete Clemenza) best friend since childhood and still stayed in touch with Ardell Sheridan, Castellano's (who was distantly related to both actor Ben Gazzara and NY Mafia Don Paul Castellano) widow who also played his wife briefly in the film (she stands in the doorway as he leaves prepartory to assassinating traitor Paulie Gatto and tells him not to forget the cannoli's). My friend died several months ago of colon cancer and I was on the phone with Ms. Sheridan to discuss it. I remember her telling me, "I'm sure when Sam crossed over to the other side, Richard was right there waiting to greet him." I'm not sure I believe it, but it's a nice image that I'm sure will cross my mind every time I watch the film now.

Update: I was told by a co-worker that the house in Beverly Hills, California, that they used as Jack Woltz's residence, the one where he woke up to a horse's head in his bed...I believe it's called the Hearst Mansion, which is not the same thing as the Hearst Castle...is for sale currently and is listed at $165,000,000. Anyone got any chump change?

One of my top 5 movies.

One of the greatest films ever made.

Top-notch movie making at it's finest! Marlon Brando, James Caan and Al Pacino, what a cast, what a story and what a wonderful movie! There is a reason why this film is regarded as one of the best of all time.

Beautifully photographed, but so very graphically VIOLENT!! A man wakes up to a severed horse's head in his bed, men age machine-gunned down on camera while the scene switches back and forth between them an a baby's christening.Just 2 of the cinematic pleasures of this beautifully-filmed BLOODFEST, with its message that murder is the appropriate response to betrayal,shame or disappointment due to another's behavior. DISGUSTING.Marlon Brando must've been desperate for money to take a role in this rotten movie.

Greatest American movie since the forties in my opinion, on a sad note, today character actor Richard Bright, who played enforcer Al Neri, and also appeared in stuff like "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid' and "Marathon Man" was struck and killed by a bus in N.Y.C.

If God had not created dog,this would then be classified man's best friend.The source of all wisdom(well..for buisness at least)for men?...I feel no man makes decisions in life without first contemplating what the'Don'would do in a perticular situation.Using quotes from this movie has landed me in hotwater many times with the boss...sometimes it becomes a reflex to apply a quote in certain circumstances example:after been yelled at my reflex quote to my boss was thus"I promise you either your signature or,your brains will be on this contract...."ooops!

I love the whole dialogue in this film. I think most people agree that this is one of the BEST films ever made. I have yet to become tired of it. I love it.

This is one of the top ten American movies.

classic. marlon brando is perfect as vito corleone. james caan as hotheaded sonny corleone was memorable.this movie was done with class it didnt need violence and blood to make it exciting. it was well written and the book is just as good if not just a little bit better.

can't stand gangster-type films

Best movie of all time! It has it all, even Clemenza's great red sauce recipe...

'The Godfather' is simply one of the greatest (if not the greatest ever). This movie has it all, and anyone who has ever sat down to watch it is immediately pulled into the world of the Corleones for the entire length of the movie. With the mixture of storyline and casting, along with the light and dark, this movie captures the very essence of what filmmaking is all about and more. 'The Godfather' is art at its finest- MAGNIFICENT!!!

When someone told me this was the best gangster film ever written I laughed in their face. Once I watched it, my mouth literally hit the floor as I heard my laughter come back to haunt me in what I can only describe as a resounding I told you so. This film is near genius accompanied with perfect casting, clear settings and a now very familiar famous soundtrack this all aids a very detailed account of the Corleone family, especially the Don who serves as the main patriarch of the family he loves whilst trying to balance the criminal instinct inside. We don't get to see the real Don Corleone until The Godfather Part 2 - played brilliantly by Robert Deniro. Definitely worth watching.

One of the five best films of all time. It has has many great moments as any film does.

the best movie ever

the best of the best

This is a movie that any true and dedicated movie fan should watch. It is one of the finest movies in terms of character and story ever put on screen. Superb performances by Al Pacino, James Caan, Marlon Brando, Robert Duval, John Cazale and more. The movie is dark, gritty and violent the way it should be. It just isn't about the mafia, it's about a family. The Godfather and The Godfather Part II is recommended to anyone who likes to watch great art.

Very finely crafted movie, with not a weak performance to be seen. Caan is perfect as Sonny, and Pacino has his breakout performance as Michael. This, with the sequel are possibly the best pair of movies ever made. The third one, however, is just mundane.

It makes you care about horrible people...great.

You have GOT to be kidding me. THis movie is so boring, so violent, so nihilistic and acted so terribly that it seems like no one would like it, but everyone does. It glorifies criminals who kill not just one, but hundreds. It also has protagonists that beat their wives, cuss up a storm and are apathetic towards moral, good people. Also, the length of the movie is insanely long. The movie is re-aired so much on television that it gets terribly annoying to even hear it is coming on the tele. It lacks the energy, creativity, and optimism of masterpieces like Star Trek, Star Wars, Pokemon, Toy Story and so many more great, underrated franchises. Get out of here bad movie, it's a deal you can't refuse.

I won't ever go against the family. This movie gets 5 stars from me and a place in my heart as one of my favorite movies of all time.

I just saw it and am in loss for words. One of the best movies I've ever watched. It's amazing!

The best movie of all time -- music, acting, and adapted story.

Way too overrated!!! The only people who would like this are mafia wannabee's!!

Nothing better has ever come out of Hollywood. An incredibly poignant story of family loyalty and betrayal.

Meaningful and great direction, but I felt that it went on for too long, and that the screenplay couldn't decide whether it was a drama or crime-picture. Marlon Brando is amazing, and for him...***.

BEST MOVIE

I wish the mafia would put a hit out on Callmetootie

Read the book, the movie left a bunch of stuff out that is fascinating. Yes, part 2 helped to fill in what the first movie left out from the book, but it still wasn't enough. I read the book first (yes, I'm probably the only 35 year old who didn't see this movie until 1999) because it was assigned in my criminology class. After I read the book, I rented the movie and was really disappointed. If you thought Michael's relationship with his Sicillian wife was intense from the movie, just read the book. The movie didn't give it nearly enough passion and intensity.

This is one of the greatest films EVER MADE. Such raw brilliance, such magnificent acting, wonderful story, script, direction from Coppola, this IS the movie to watch. And they did it again with The Godfather Part II! Anybody who gave this anything other than 5 stars (maybe 4 stars is OK), cannot call themselves fans of movies. The music is the best I've ever heard in a movie. Wow! WOW! This film is so damn good! Al Pacino's Michael Corleone and Marlon Brando's Vito Corleone performances are the stuff of legends. Robert Duvall, James Caan and Diane Keaton are brilliant as well. See this movie. Don't walk...but RUN down to the video store. I cannot recommend it enough. Summary: ONE OF THE TOP 5 GREATEST MOVIES EVER MADE.

On the list of truly, historic, great films of all time you may see movies like Saving Private Ryan, Back To The Future, Jurassic Park, Shogun, Citizen Kane, Star Wars, or Rocky. But, no matter the movie critic of the list, The Godfather is always near the top. IN this four hour mafia epic.....never mind. Who needs to describe the Godfather!? It's filled with power and lust, greed and ignorance, law and crime. A true masterpiece of the American Film.

what can I say? incredible! Pachino and Brando are genius together. a masterpiece! anyone who has the guts to can this movie is a bigger man than me. a must see

This is on my Top 10 list.

The greatest gangster film ever made. Magnificent direction, masterly acting, superb cinematography and editing. Music matches the film perfectly. Tension is palpable.

The Godfather is mario Puzzo's best creation. It being turned into a movie is even better. The corleonne family was to good to not be televised. A must see if you have not. Very powerful. Outstanding preformance by marlon brando and al pacino.

Most overrated film ever made. Overlong, mostly dull glorification of crime. Nobody in the family resembles anybody else either.

It's good , but not better than chapter 2, so i rate it a star less

I'm writing this review for every "part" of the movie. So many things happen throughout the whole saga! And it's one of the few movies where at times I completely forgot that the people were acting. It was so real. The actors were amazing. Too bad I don't have a drop of Italian blood in me; this remarkable film would make me proud in an odd sort of way...

What is great about this film is that it has to be the most perfectly cast movie of all time.

Dear Rudy, are you kidding? The Godfather well done? This is one of the best movies ever made. And the BEST move ie eve made for this genre. A must for any collection. I have it in BETA (A special editon that was reedited by Coppala with Godfather 2 so that the story of Vito Corleone is told in proper chronelogical order.)and VHS and hopefully soon in DVD.

The movie that started it all. What can be said that has not been said already about this movie? It is undeniably the best modern mafia movie ever made, and is briliantly adapted from Mario Puzo's book. Al Pacino and Marlon Brando play their parts exquisitely. If you haven't seen this already, you should.

One of the most over-rated movies of all time.

"The Godfather" was the first film that really portrayed the humanness behind the atrocious behavior of the Mafia. Before this film, the public was always fed the notion that the mob was a faceless, foreign group of monsters since the 1920's. Marlon Brando really fleshed out the character of Don Corleone; he commanded the respect of the people around him as well as the audience: a man who spoke quietly because he didn't need to shout to be heard! Al Pacino handled the part of Micheal Corleone with considerable know-how and his transformation was believable. But it was James CAAN's Sonny that was mesmerizing! Everytime he was on the screen, he left you feeling anxious and breathless because he played the ticking time-bomb so effectively. Everything about this film was sheer perfection from Coppola's direction to the costume design. I think anyone would be hard pressed to name a Mafia film that possesses as much gravity or contributed more to our fairly new found perceptions of Mafia life as this one does.

I guess this movie was too much for "Dart" to understand.

to much drama

"I'll make you an offer you can't refuse." Watch this movie, read this book. If you're really bored stiff, it's cause Luca Bratzi just stuffed you in a trunk.