The Godfather, 50 years later – IOTW Report

The Godfather, 50 years later

American Thinker:
By Sam Ben-Meir

This March 24 marked fifty years since the release of Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather (1972), a film that has garnered such praise since it first appeared in theaters that it hardly seems necessary to rehearse its countless and well-deserved accolades.  It is undoubtedly one of those few cinematic works of art that film historians, critics, and the public universally recognize as among the greatest films of all time.  What is perhaps most extraordinary is that The Godfather, Part II (1974) somehow managed to attain the same breathtaking pinnacle of aesthetic perfection when sequels are notoriously inferior to their predecessors.

In the romantic comedy You’ve Got Mail (1998), Joe Fox (Tom Hanks) refers to The Godfather as the sum of all wisdom and the answer to every question.  (“What should I pack for summer vacation? ‘Leave the gun, take the cannoli.'”)  Let us for a moment regard Hanks’s statement not as mere hyperbole.  We could invoke many famous lines from the film that convey a certain wisdom (e.g., “keep your friends close but your enemies closer”) but any assortment of discrete lines, however memorable, would not justify placing The Godfather next to the I Ching.

The enduring wisdom of The Godfather is simply this: that the pursuit of power for its own sake ultimately demands the renunciation of love. more

22 Comments on The Godfather, 50 years later

  1. I honestly don’t care for it.
    I completely hated the Soprano’s
    and generally don’t like mobster movies.

    There is an element of truth to them BUT the “Consultants” knew that the more they exaggerated the truth, the more the directors kept them around and aid/pay them.

    Life started to imitate Art (if you could call it that) especially around the time of the Sopranos in certain Suburbs of Toronto, Montreal & Hamilton. The Real Mobster’s Kids started acting like the SHITHEADS on TV. They drew way too much attention.

    I was routinely getting service calls for the stupid filthy cocksuckers and I fucking hate them with a passion. You have to be a bit ignorant, rude and distant, otherwise they keep calling you. They pay the first services easily and quick with wads of hundreds to get you come back for the bigger shit like new equipment. “A taste” Then you give them $30,000 bucks worth of shit and you never see a penny.

    Happened to a few trades I know. I would get in, out, & NEVER do any repairs that were not fast & inexpensive. Whenever they asked if they could cal me direct I ALWAYS SAID NO. Anything Big had to go through the landlord. One landlord I dealt with got Fucked for 2 Million on renovations for the filthy cocksuckers.

    Don’t let them charm you. They are fucking COCKSUCKERS & IGNORANT. They only have access to 3rd tier skills since they DO NOT PAY Properly despite what Hollywood lets you think.

    NEW JERSEY SHORE TYPE INTELLIGENCE

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  2. Meh. It’s a generational thing. Godfather? boring. Scarface? HELLZ YEAH!!!!

    And yeah… we had knuckleheads wearing sons of anarchy gear who never knew how close they came to actual clubs ripping the clothes off their backs on sight.

  3. I know it’s cliché, but the book by Mario Puzo is a masterpiece and light years better than the flick and doesn’t get the respect it deserves. By the way, try the veal, best in the city…

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  4. Mario Puzo’s wonderful book is still in my top 5 of best ever. The best part is the movie actually followed the book. Try making “The Godfather” today & the woke mob would be demanding your head, not the horse’s. See what I did there? I’m here all week!

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