Why Haven't I Seen That: The Godfather

     

The Godfather.  A classic.  A piece of cinematic history.  Considered, by many, to be one of the greats.  A movie that no self-respecting film fan should go without seeing.  So why hadn't I seen this amazing film?  No interest at first.  But as my taste in film grew, it became one of those must-see films that I just never got around to watching.

I would make excuses like "I'll watch it eventually" or "It's so long, I just haven't got the time right now".  And, boy, was I missing out.  This film kept me riveted throughout the entirety of it's almost 3-hour runtime.  From the stellar cast who gave amazing performances, to the exquisite use of color within the film, The Godfather is one that I will be watching again and again.

                           

Although this isn't the first movie centered around the mafia, Coppola's The Godfather gave nuance to these characters, allowing them to have depth and complexity, which is something we hadn't seen before.  It opened the doors for things like Goodfellas and the hit HBO series, The Sopranos.  It even influenced certain Anakin Skywalker scenes in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, according to George Lucas.

                                    

This film has become iconic throughout pop culture, being referenced in films like Analyze This, The Freshman, and even Rugrats in Paris, to television series like Saturday Night Live, The Sopranos, and The Simpsons.  Video game company, EA (Electronic Arts) even released a game in 2006 called The Godfather: The Game.

So, if you haven't seen this film, stop making excuses and go rent it right now, or you'll be sleepin' with the fishes.