(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Movies: "The Godfather," "The Godfather Part II," "The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone"
Where You Can Stream Them: Peacock
The Pitch: For my 56th and final entry in /Film's Daily Stream series, I thought, "Screw it. I'm gonna write about 'The Godfather.'"
When's the last time you did a full 9-hour marathon with all three movies? If asked to articulate why the first two are such masterworks, what would you say?
Until recently, I never had a good answer for that beyond the requisite plaudits for the cast and crew's artistry. It had been years since I revisited "The Godfather" trilogy, and the last time, I remember thinking it really is true that "The Godfather Part III...
The Movies: "The Godfather," "The Godfather Part II," "The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone"
Where You Can Stream Them: Peacock
The Pitch: For my 56th and final entry in /Film's Daily Stream series, I thought, "Screw it. I'm gonna write about 'The Godfather.'"
When's the last time you did a full 9-hour marathon with all three movies? If asked to articulate why the first two are such masterworks, what would you say?
Until recently, I never had a good answer for that beyond the requisite plaudits for the cast and crew's artistry. It had been years since I revisited "The Godfather" trilogy, and the last time, I remember thinking it really is true that "The Godfather Part III...
- 3/4/2023
- by Joshua Meyer
- Slash Film
“His influence will never wane; there simply isn’t anyone who’s any good who isn’t standing on his shoulders.”
That’s what Steven Soderbergh wrote about Gordon Willis, the cinematographer who changed the American cinema forever with his work on Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather.” Though other filmmakers had used some of the same techniques as Willis — John Ford and Gregg Toland made extensive use of practically motivated light sources on “The Long Voyage Home,” and many noir films experimented with placing their characters in darkness — the revolution didn’t really take hold until he applied the approach to what became one of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful movies of all time.
“The Godfather” celebrates its 50th anniversary this year and Willis’ work continues to inform the ways in which cinematographers approach their work; look no further than Greig Fraser’s character and psychology-driven lighting on “The Batman” for proof.
That’s what Steven Soderbergh wrote about Gordon Willis, the cinematographer who changed the American cinema forever with his work on Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather.” Though other filmmakers had used some of the same techniques as Willis — John Ford and Gregg Toland made extensive use of practically motivated light sources on “The Long Voyage Home,” and many noir films experimented with placing their characters in darkness — the revolution didn’t really take hold until he applied the approach to what became one of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful movies of all time.
“The Godfather” celebrates its 50th anniversary this year and Willis’ work continues to inform the ways in which cinematographers approach their work; look no further than Greig Fraser’s character and psychology-driven lighting on “The Batman” for proof.
- 4/14/2022
- by Jim Hemphill
- Indiewire
The Godfather, which just turned 50 last week, took out all the competition. Budgeted at $6 million, it earned $287 million in theaters. Its worldwide box office was 38.4 times its production costs. It was the first film in history to take in a million bucks a day. Completed ahead of schedule, director Francis Ford Coppola’s family film reflected his Sicilian roots and those of Mario Puzo, the author of the novel. But it wasn’t personal for them, just business.
Prior to 1972, the gangster movie genre traditionally presented a disillusioned underclass in morality plays which sent the same message: “Crime doesn’t pay.” The Godfather says it does. The Corleone Family at the center of the film and novel turn a profit. Puzo’s book charts the rise and fall of the “Mafia,” a word never spoken in the movie, from the vantage point of the most upwardly mobile of New York’s Five Families.
Prior to 1972, the gangster movie genre traditionally presented a disillusioned underclass in morality plays which sent the same message: “Crime doesn’t pay.” The Godfather says it does. The Corleone Family at the center of the film and novel turn a profit. Puzo’s book charts the rise and fall of the “Mafia,” a word never spoken in the movie, from the vantage point of the most upwardly mobile of New York’s Five Families.
- 3/29/2022
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
The first character seen in Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather” is neither the title character, Don Vito Corleone (played to Oscar-winning perfection by Marlon Brando), his son and eventual successor Michael, nor, indeed, anyone from the brood at the story’s center. Instead, it is a decidedly secondary character, the undertaker Bonasera (Salvatore Corsitto), who also speaks the first line of dialogue, one of the most definitive opening thesis statements in the history of American cinema: “I believe in America.”
This is not where the story of “The Godfather” – first told by Mario Puzo in his novel, then adapted to the screen by Puzo and Coppola – begins.
Continue reading The American Dream Of ‘The Godfather’ At 50 at The Playlist.
This is not where the story of “The Godfather” – first told by Mario Puzo in his novel, then adapted to the screen by Puzo and Coppola – begins.
Continue reading The American Dream Of ‘The Godfather’ At 50 at The Playlist.
- 3/15/2022
- by Jason Bailey
- The Playlist
Some moviegoing experiences change your life: “2001: A Space Odyssey” at Hollywood’s Cinerama Dome; “The Tree of Life” accompanied by a 100-piece symphony orchestra; “The Shining” restored and retrofitted for IMAX. And for the more than 1,000 people at Radio City Music Hall yesterday, it was watching “The Godfather” and “The Godfather Part II.”
Read More: ‘The Godfather’ Reunion: Robert Duvall Imitates Marlon Brando’s Laugh and Other Highlights From Closing Night at Tribeca
Francis Ford Coppola’s crime saga closed out the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival with a 45th anniversary celebration that included restoration screenings of the first two parts and a conversation with Coppola and the cast, including Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, and Diane Keaton. While the chance to see the cast reunited was a once-in-a-lifetime event, so was the opportunity to experience the full power of “The Godfather” surrounded by cinephiles. And after 45 years, a few things have become abundantly clear.
Read More: ‘The Godfather’ Reunion: Robert Duvall Imitates Marlon Brando’s Laugh and Other Highlights From Closing Night at Tribeca
Francis Ford Coppola’s crime saga closed out the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival with a 45th anniversary celebration that included restoration screenings of the first two parts and a conversation with Coppola and the cast, including Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, and Diane Keaton. While the chance to see the cast reunited was a once-in-a-lifetime event, so was the opportunity to experience the full power of “The Godfather” surrounded by cinephiles. And after 45 years, a few things have become abundantly clear.
- 4/30/2017
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
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