The Godfather

The producers originally wanted Robert Redford to play Michael Corleone, but Coppola wanted Al Pacino. Pacino was not well enough known at the time, and was not considered right for the part. Pacino was only granted the role after Coppola threatened to quit the production.

Mario Puzo actually helped with the screenplay and making the movie, as well as the sequels. The movie was an enormous box-office hit, smashing previous records to become the highest-grossing film of all time (until that record was surpassed by Jaws in 1975, and a number of other movies afterwards).

The role of Don Vito Corleone was memorably acted by Marlon Brando, and Brando won an Academy Award for his portrayal of the aging Don. Many of the actors playing the supporting roles were largely unknown or minor actors; however, they rocketed into the limelight with the success of The Godfather. In particular, Al Pacino and Robert Duvall enjoyed long, successful, highly acclaimed careers.

Since its release on March 15, 1972, The Godfather has been accused of glorifying the image of the Mafia, although this word is never spoken in the film, or written in the book (although the word is spoken in the first sequel film). Don Vito Corleone was portrayed by Brando as a Mafia Don whom people could actually respect (although the actions of Don Michael Corleone in The Godfather Part II worked to tear down this image).

Spoiler warning: Plot or ending details follow.
The opening scene is one of the most famous portraits of the Mafia. The dialogue between Corleone and Bonasera ("I believe in America") points out the importance of the Mafia being based on family hierarchies. Only after accepting the Godfather as head of the system (Brando demands the kiss of his hand) and Bonasera's integration in the family (he must call him "Godfather"), he can hope for support for his problem (being a family-problem itself). The scene also highlights the attitude that the mobsters are filling a need caused by the establishment's failure to fulfill the promise of the American dream. The contrast between the conventional American dream and the story of the Corleones is a powerful theme in the films.

The decisions to commit various violent and illegal acts are taken in a dark, brownish colored office, symbolizing a secure, cozy, and calm atmosphere. This is contrasted by the bright, loud, and hectic wedding, which is celebrated in parallel outside the house. This can be understood as the glorification of the positive framework the Mafia creates by playing down crime and violence at the same time.

One of the movie's most shocking moments comes early in the film, involving the decapitated head of a horse. Animal-rights groups protested the inclusion of the scene, but Coppola stated that the horse's head was delivered to him from a dog food company; a horse had not been killed especially for the movie.

In one of the last scenes in the movie, after the death of Don Corleone, his son Michael acts as godfather in the baptism of his sister's newborn baby, Michael Rizzi (actually Sofia Coppola). At the same time, his henchmen, acting under his orders, kill the heads of rival families. This is Michael Corleone's own baptism into "the family" as the new Godfather.

Critical Acclaim
The Godfather won three Academy Awards:

Best Picture
Best Actor in a Leading Role (Marlon Brando)
Best Writing (adapted screenplay) (Francis Coppola, Mario Puzo)
It was nominated for eight additional Academy Awards.

As its sequel The Godfather Part II also won the Academy Award for Best Picture, the Godfather trilogy remains the only series of films ever to win multiple "Best Picture" Oscars.

Additionally, The Godfather won five Golden Globes, one Grammy, and numerous other awards.

Sequels
A sequel, The Godfather Part II, was released in 1974. It consists of two parallel storylines, and the film switches back and forth between them. One storyline is the continuing story involving Michael Corleone in the 1950s; the other is a flashback sequence following his father, Vito, from his youth in Sicily up through the founding of the Corleone crime family in New York and the births of Michael and his siblings. This version of Vito is played by different actors at different ages, but the adult Vito is played by Robert DeNiro, who won a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for a role in which, interestingly, he speaks almost no English-language dialogue. Many critics consider the sequel to be equal to (if not superior to) the original film in quality.

Coppola re-edited the two movies together, in chronological order (adding some previously unseen footage but also toning down the violence), into one long saga for TV broadcast, entitled The Godfather Saga (aka "The Godfather: The Complete Novel For Television" and "The Godfather: 1901-1959--The Complete Epic"). While easier to understand, this version is not as interesting from a critical and artistic standpoint as the originals.

Both The Godfather and The Godfather Part II have been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.

In 1990, Coppola released a belated third film, The Godfather Part III. This film was successful financially, but critical and fan response was mixed. However, the movie still received seven Academy Award nominations, among them "Best Motion Picture" and "Best Cinematography". The film is notable for the key role played, though ineffectually, by Coppola's daughter, the future Academy Award-winning director Sofia Coppola.

The movie was set in 1979, and focused on an aging Michael Corleone. Parts of the film were loosely based on real historical events, including the death of Pope Paul VI, the election of John Paul I, and his subsequent death.

In the late 1990s, rumors circulated regarding another installment of the series, with Leonardo DiCaprio and Andy Garcia apparently expressing interest. However, after the death of Mario Puzo in 1999, a new sequel appears very unlikely.