A First-Time Viewing of Francis Ford Coppola's Godfather (1972)

Having just watched The Godfather for the first time, I finally understand its legendary status. The film’s masterful direction, performances, and storytelling make it a cinematic masterpiece. In this entry, I’ll share my thoughts on its impact and analyze key scenes that stood out to me, so major spoilers ahead—read at your own risk!

First of all, I would like to say that it feels good to finally know the full context behind the reference to this movie in Zootopia. While this may seem silly, I think that the fact that even Zootopia, a movie about a bunny and a fox solving an animal-city mystery, was impacted by this movie shows just how extensively influential this movie is. Given the brilliant acting, ingenious technique, and powerful music, I think the Godfather truly deserves its reputation.

"Mr. Big" - Zootopia (2016)

I admire Coppola's dedication when making the Godfather. It is genuinely shocking to think that a film that is widely considered to be "the greatest movie ever made" wouldn't have been created if it wasn't for Coppola's adherence to severe obstacles such as Hollywood being in decline, the bad reputation of mobster films, Coppola's and the studio's visions being drastically different, and the studio not wanting Marlon Brando and Al Pacino in the movie.

Before watching this movie, I had only seen The Departed as a mobster-genre movie. This movie included, there were several mobster films such as Goodfellas and Scarface just withering away in my watchlist. I don't know why, but I always feel intimidated by long classic movies and put off watching them for a more special and worthy occasion. Eventually watching The Godfather has helped me get over this irrationality because I finally got to see what I had been missing out on for such a long time. So, dear reader, if you are thinking to yourself, "I'm like that too!", this is your sign to stop overthinking and to watch those movies.

Now, I want to expand a little on some scenes that resonated with me in this movie. I feel like it would be a crime if I didn't talk about Sonny's death scene first. Upon my initial viewing of the scene in my film class, I felt stunned and couldn't believe that Sonny was actually dead. It had all felt so sudden and unfinished. After that I rewatched the scene, and the way the worker in the booth ducked after "dropping some change" felt especially cruel because, that time, I knew why. Knowing what was coming next, I felt like a helpless passenger sitting next to Sonny, especially because of the low-angle perspective that Coppola utilized. And to think that he got so brutally murdered because he cared for and wanted to protect her sister, what a tragedy.

Sonny's Death Scene

Another scene that impacted me a lot was Vito Corleone's reaction to seeing Sonny's massacred body. Marlon Brando's heartbreaking acting showed just how devastated and vulnerable Vito Corleone was, and the top lighting and close-up shot that got vulnerably close to Corleone made the scene even more meaningful and personal. Seeing Michael Corleone's meager reaction after learning about Sonny's death mirrored how differently the two Dons dealt with family when it came to business. This is one of the scenes where I wish there could've been more time spent on the scene, but this is an understandable issue as the book is very long and even Coppola himself said he wished he could've had more time.

Last but most definitely not least is the baptism sequence. Arguably, the baptism scene in The Godfather is one of the most iconic and well-developed scenes ever made in the history of cinema. This forms the culmination of Michael Corleone's metamorphosis from being the unwilling war hero into the head of the Corleone family crime business. Francis Ford Coppola combines parallel editing, religious symbolism, and dramatic scoring in creating this contrast of innocuousness versus brutality in the scene.

The Baptism Sequence

One of the most striking elements of this scene is Coppola's expert use of cross-cutting. The film seamlessly transitions between the serene and sacred setting of the church, where Michael stands as godfather to his nephew, and the brutal assassinations of the Corleone family's enemies, which have been orchestrated by Michael himself. This heightens the emotional and thematic impact of the scene, as it illustrates Michael's ability to both appear as a devoted family man and be a merciless crime boss. The juxtaposition of Michael solemnly reciting the baptismal vows—renouncing Satan and his works—while his men systematically eliminate his enemies is a powerful commentary on the hypocrisy and duality of his character.

This is further enhanced through the cinematography. The church sequences are in soft, otherworldly light, emphasizing purity and tradition, while the assassination sequences are dark, grittier, and often shot from low or skewed angles to enhance tension and instability. This visual juxtaposition reinforces the moral contradiction that lies at the heart of the scene.

The piercing score by Nino Rota raises the emotional and psychological tension. The organ, which was supposed to be used in religious solemnity, assumes a more sinister connotation as it plays on while murders unfold. The sound is also well thought out: though the priest's words and Michael's responses echo in the grand cathedral, the gunshots in the assassination scenes punctuate the silence, each one a further step into Michael's complete immersion into the criminal underworld.

The reason why this scene holds such value is because it captures the subtlety of storytelling that took The Godfather out of the gangster film mold. Most films about mobsters before The Godfather had focused on overt violence and spectacle. Coppola infused the genre with a Shakespearean weight, capturing the rise of a crime dynasty as a great, tragic epic. The baptism scene, in particular, is often cited as one of the greatest examples of parallel editing in film history. So it makes perfect sense that directors such as Martin Scorsese, Brian De Palma, and Christopher Nolan have said to have drawn inspiration from its narrative and technical brilliance.

In the end, The Godfather exceeded my expectations in every way. From its meticulous direction to its unforgettable performances, it’s a film that lingers long after the credits roll. The depth of its storytelling, especially in scenes like Sonny’s death and the baptism sequence, showcases why it remains one of the greatest films ever made. Watching it for the first time has not only deepened my appreciation for cinema but also made me eager to explore more classics I’ve been putting off.