The Godfather

It's difficult to say anything about The Godfather that hasn't been said already, but know this: in an age when even mediocre films have the opportunity to win Best Picture Oscars (and, yes, we're talking about Crash here), this a film that is genuinely deserving of its revered status as a cinematic masterpiece.

Released in 1972 in what's considered to be a golden era for film, The Godfather had somewhat humble beginnings. Based on the Mario Puzo novel, the film was initially rejected by a number of directors before being handed to Francis Ford Coppola when he was still a 31-year-old Hollywood up-and-comer. It's to Coppola's credit that, despite fights with Paramount and the constant threat of being fired, he managed to craft a critically and commercially lauded film that set a new benchmark for Hollywood epics.

As with any film of its stature, The Godfather has embedded itself so deeply into popular culture that you can feel you've viewed the film several times without ever having watched a single frame. The horse's head in the bed; Marlon Brando's distinctive mumbling; the evocative theme music; classic quotes such as "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse" - it's all here. The Godfather is much more than fodder for bad parodies, though. It is testament to this engaging and intricate film's quality that the three hour running time is a blessing rather than a curse.

The detailed plot revolves around the Corleone family, Italian immigrants that have been guided to Mafia supremacy through the questionable "business" dealings of family head Don Vito Corleone (Brando in an Oscar winning role). A fresh-faced Al Pacino undertakes his first big starring role as Michael Corleone, son of Vito and recent returnee from the battlefields of WWII. What distances Michael from his family, however, is a desire to go legit - a wish supported by the Don who has dreams of Michael becoming a Senator.

As is the case when your lifestyle mainly revolves around blackmail, robbery and murder, things soon go awry: Vito's reign is challenged by other Mafia families intent on getting a slice of the ever-growing drug trade. Don Vito's refusal to deal in narcotics leads to a lengthy feud that has irreversible repercussions for the entire Corleone clan - particularly the increasingly ruthless Michael.

Featuring note-perfect performances from everyone involved, a brilliantly written Oscar-winning script from Coppola and Puzo and deft direction, The Godfather satisfies film lovers on any number of levels and will have them salivating in anticipation of the equally brilliant (and, for many, superior) Part II of the trilogy.