The Godfather Cinematography

On the 24th of March in 1971 an epic criminal drama “The Godfather” by Francis Ford Coppola was released. In a moment, from young to old, “The Godfather” captured attention of many millions of viewers, critics and politics – every man who was somehow connected with cinema and society. This film can be admired, this film can be criticized, but the fact remains - this film cannot be ignored. “The Godfather” became a brilliant masterpiece, which changed the very concept of what is real movie and in what direction the film industry should develop. One by one the "Godfather" won award by award, conquering film festival by film festival climbing higher and higher in the list of the greatest films in the history of cinema: 12 awards, including 3 Oscar

America has made my fortune", a great sense of this film is contained in this opening phrase. The scene immediately becomes tense as soon as the camera starts to slowly move back, close-up shooting a person on the verge, Bonasera, a father, who lived and work honestly for his family and whose live was crushed by hands of rascals. The figure of Bonasera contrasted against a dark background but still staying in the shadows, while we see everything from the perspective of the Godfather sitting in the dark and listening to the petitions, brilliant stage lighting and framing. The cinematography of this movie was smooth with all scenes because Coppola did close-up scenes whenever necessary, and in every single scene the viewer can follow the story to the next scene without wondering what is going on or why. “The Godfather” remains essentially dark and tasteful, and colors are used perfectly to give a true feel of the era it is set in. There is a fair amount of violence, which was accurately filmed; it is not just a mindless violence, which remains rarely gratuitous. Every single sound effect used was played well within each scene, making the scene effective in making it seem real to the viewer. When there are outdoor scenes the viewer can hear the wind, birds, traffic, and other outdoor noises. When the scenes take place indoors, the viewer can hear the footsteps, door shutting or opening, and other indoor noises, which are appropriate for the scene. Praised by many as the best cast to ever appear in an American movie, all the cast in “The Godfather” succeeds in portraying complex, three-dimensional characters without ever making a slip. The exceptional portrayals of Don Vito and Michael Corleone respectively by Marlon Brando and Al Pacino, the performances by Robert Duvall, James Caan and Diane Keaton as Tom Hagen, Santino Corleone and Kay Adams, the ruthless Virgil Sollozzo played by Al Lettieri -- as well as more