A cinematic masterpiece or a movie that should sleep with the fishes? The Godfather tells the story of a young man named Micheal Corleone and his family—an infamous crime family. Micheal (played by Al Pacino), is a war hero and former military man. He comes back to New York for his sister's wedding. A typical large wedding with lots of singing, dancing and entertainment. However, something is a bit off. Vito Corleone, the Don as he is called in the movie, is the head of this mafia family. A man pleads to the Don, begging him to take vengeance for his daughter. The don obliges and agrees under the condition that one day he may call upon him for a favor.

We see other ‘business’ being discussed in the secretive office of the don. Everything is going well until a deal with a narcotics dealer is rejected. Quickly it all spirals out of control: Crooked cops working with other crime families, an assasination attempt against the don, and Micheal falling into this life of crime after being a man on the right path. The news of his father sends Micheal down the path and into the inner chambers of the Corleone family.The way the plot is written really gives an enjoyable element of mystery. Mystery in the characters and their next steps, mystery in what is really happening and mystery in the wishes of the don and the rest of the family. As the movie progresses, and you gather understanding of what is happening the veil comes off and you can see the inner workings of the Corleone family. The plot is mysterious, thrilling, enjoyable and most of all entertaining. 

This movie's cast is superb. It may not have the star power that other movies have,  but this movie has great characters all portrayed to perfection. Al Pacino as Micheal, Robert de Niro as the don and James Caan as Sonny.. Micheal’s brother Sunny, is the hot headed brother. Irrational and goes against the wishes of the don and Tom Hagan, the consigliere. Micheal is a leader and a darn good one at that. He has a certain feel about him, it makes you want to follow him as the others in the movie do. And the don, gives you the perfect blend of remorseless and compassion giving you chills wondering about his next move. 

Outside of the characters is the setting of the movie and the music. Paired with the acting, the music puts you at the edge of your seat. All while the settings make you feel like you are peeking into a world you never should have seen. The pace of the music is either fast or slow depending on the scene. Slow jazz-like music is played with the deep notes of multiple instruments to add suspense and mystery. Contrasted with the quick fast paced music to add to suspense with a similar type of jazz-like undertone to fit the time period. Quite honestly, the music is just flat out good. It is hard to describe this type of music but it is the perfect fit for this movie and when you hear it, you will understand what I mean. You feel along with the characters and the emotions they experience coupled with the music and settings make these feelings jump off the screen. 

Overall this movie does have some flaws. For me, the main flaw was the time it took for me to understand what was happening with no background before watching the movie. Coming into the movie with some background might help but it also might take away that mystery. This movie definitely is a masterpiece and I can see why so many people call this a classic. A mysterious plot with a mafia family. Well written characters and more importantly perfect acting. Helping to breathe life into people created on a piece of paper. Music to match the emotions of the scenes and settings to make it all feel real. All in perfect harmony the acting, the music, the setting of the scenes. It gives you a sense of really being there watching it all happen in real time.