The Godfather - 1972

If you're a film buff, you've probably seen this film. If you're a student of popular culture then you've seen enough spoofs, parodies and nods to this movie that each scene will be familiar to you even before it's done. In short, I'm thirty some years late in reviewing this film. I won't break down the story for you, I'll just give some observations including **Spoilers**.
This is probably the movie that brought the mob into American life. Well, that's not quite true. It's the one that made people into fans of the mob. I've read discussions of that, the most interesting one being here, where it's argued that the enjoyment stems from watching a strict moral code at work, even if it's one that the audience themselves would refuse. I'm sure that's true but it bothers me to be asked to root for a monster.
I loved 'Goodfellas' but it never really asked that same compromise. You could find the life fascinating without ever wishing you were a part of it. The final scenes where Ray Liotta is trying to outwit the Feds, never make you hope he somehow escapes. The Godfather is different in that it asks you to sympathize with the Corleone family.
Putting that aside, there are some wonderful elements to the film. Each scene is well put together and there is amazing texture throughout. There is a richness to the culture on display, and it's vibrant even when it's cruel. One strange complaint I have about it is that the audio is terrible, moving from hard to hear to overpowering. Maybe that's very lifelike but it's one of those places where art should overcome reality and they should just level it.
Is it great? As I said, it's nearly impossible to tell coming to it this late in life. I preferred 'Goodfellas', and think it's a clearly superior film. Other high-falutin' critics disagree but what do they know? I don't think it's a top ten all time film. Best Picture nominee? Absolutely, and deserving of it's Oscar too.