The Godfather Box Sets

Introduction

The Godfather trilogy is based upon the novels of Mario Puzo. The three films were made in 1972, 1974 and 1990. The first two movies were academy award winners, and are usually rated amongst the greatest films ever made. While the third movie was critically well received, most critics did not believe it reached the artistic peaks of it's predecessors. The plot of the first movie surrounds the affairs of a New York Italian American crime family. Don Vito Corleone is the boss, quite a few people believe he is a composite of a number of real life Mafia Dons, including the husky voice of Frank Costello, and the family inclinations and bearing of Joe Bonanno. What is certain, the director, Francis Ford Coppola employed real mafia members to help keep the film realistic.

With a stunning and haunting soundtrack, the Godfather is one of Hollywood's must see movies.

The Godfather Reviews

mike Said,
March 06, 2009
Rating -

The greatest of all the movie trilogies. Even though many people like to bad mouth Part III, it is not as bad as many would have led me to believe. While the Godfather now lacks the realism of the modern gangster movies such as Donnie Brasco and Goodfellas, it still rings true in many respects. You could criticise it for overly glamorizing the Mafia, it's probably the case that no real Mafia don was as moral as Don Vito. But, many subjects of the movies are true. The Mafia did ban drug dealing, at least amongst it's foot soldiers, fearing the response of law enforcement, just like Don Vito stated in part 1. There are also five Mafia families, just like in the Godfather. Of all the real life bosses, Frank Costello and Joe Bonanno are probably the most similar to Don Vito. And by his later life, Joe Bonanno was in a battle against some of the other Mafia families. Which is pretty much the tale of Part 1. By Part 2 Don Vito has passed and Michael takes over the family business. This movie concerns the casino business in Havana, where Michael deals with a Jewish gangster by the name of Hyman Roth. Roth appears to be based upon Meyer Lansky, and again this whole storyline has a large chunk of real history in it. Part 3 concerns international finance and legitimate business. While the Sicilian Mafia is known to have had links with the Vatican Bank, and supposedly murdered and hanged Roberto Calvi 'God's banker' from Blackfriars Bridge in London. Any link to the New York Mafia is as of yet, unknown. Therefore Part 3 seems based more in fantasy and fiction then the previous two movies. Personally I still enjoyed Part 3, the final scenes provide a satisfying closure to the trilogy. But it's still the first two movies which really inspire, the combination of facts and fiction interweave beautifully, and as three hour movies, there is a subtle pace which neither bores or tires out the viewer.

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