The Godfather: A movie that changed movies forever

"I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse", this famous Don Vito Corleone’s line from the American epic crime film “The Godfather” is one of the most memorable line in cinema history. The Godfather is one of the greatest American films ever made and one that is widely quoted and imitated. This Francis Ford Coppola’s masterpiece was originally released March 15, 1972, and after 40 years it still is one of the most influential films ever. 

The Godfather was the highest grossing film released by Paramount Pictures in 1972 and considered a touchstone in the world cinema. The movie was based on the 1969’s novel of the same name by author Mario Puzo and starred Marlon Brando as Don Vito Corleone, a leader of a powerful New York crime family in 1940’s. He is joined by Al Pacino as Vito’s youngest son Michael Corleone and James Caan as Santino “Sonny” Corleone, Don Corleone’s eldest son. The climax to this ultimate mob classic was when Michael (the godfather-in-waiting) takes his revenge on his family’s enemies. The Godfather had 11 Academy Awards nominations and won the titles for Best Picture, Best Actor (Marlon Brando), and Best Adapted Screenplay. The Godfather’s huge success was followed by a pair of movie sequels (released in 1974 and 1990) which were equally successful. The novel also released a number of sequels after the movie’s success.

Although many gangsters’ movies were inspired by The Godfather nothing surpassed the legacy this movie made. The movie has not only achieved financial success but also had a great impact on pop culture for almost half a century. The Godfather is truly a landmark and the film’s enduring impact is evidenced by continued homage, parodies, imitation, famous quotations and many cultural references.

The Godfather series has a continuously growing fan base of film makers and movie junkies from different generations coming from different parts of the world. The release of the film in high definition DVDs and Blu-ray disc sets in 2008 has added more and more people appreciating Coppola’s work of art. Several The Godfather inspired collectibles and unique memorabilia’s have also captured the interest of Godfather addicts. Some of the Godfather merchandise includes Godfather Quotebooks which features favorite lines such as "Leave the gun. Take the cannolis."  and other famous quotes from the Godfather trilogy, The Godfather Posters which showcases some of the unforgettable scenes, Godfather famous quotes and Godfather cast of stars from the film series, Godfather video games, action figures and other collectibles.