The Godfather (1972)

As a movie maniac there are certain films every one of my friends believes I've seen that I have not actually watched. The Godfather trilogy are three such films. It took me until late in college to "discover" Cary Grant and Alfred Hitchcock, until five years ago to see Casablanca and until 2007 to see The Godfather.

Part of the problem is that great films such as The Godfather have been commented on, parodied and quoted so often that there is not much of a surprise when watching it. I grew up watching Second City Television (SCTV) and their comedic version of it, I've seen the scene where Marlon Brando sticks an orange wedge in his mouth and scares a little kid before passing away on numerous documentaries about his life or the scene where James Caan gets gunned down or the guy finds the horse head in his bed and hec, I've even quoted "Perhaps one day you can do me a service" in my own Brando-esque way many times.

I guess that's the price I pay for waiting so long.

So, I sat down and watched the film for the first time and enjoyed myself, but was not overly moved because of the aforementioned exposure to the film. The most surprising aspect of the film, to me, is the lack of foul language. If the film was made today, I'm certain every third word would be of the four letter variety.

The film was satisfying and obviously accomplished on every level. The cinematography was tremendous and the performances excellent. I look forward to seeing The Godfather, Part II... maybe I'll find it a little less exposed and a little more refreshing than its landmark original.