The Godfather(1972)

Paramount Pictures

R
2h 55m
- Crime
- Drama

Release Date: Mar 15, 1972 | Limited

The aging patriarch of an organized crime dynasty transfers control of his clandestine empire to his reluctant son.

Releases

Original Release | Mar 15, 1972

1997 Re-release | Mar 21, 1997

2017 Re-release (Fathom Entertainment) | Jun 4, 2017

2022 Re-release | Feb 25, 2022

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Box Office Results

All Releases (4)
Total US & Canada:
$136,381,073
Total International
$113,960,911
Total Worldwide:
$250,342,198

Total US & Canada:
$5,679,971
Total International
$110,163,857
Total Worldwide:
$115,843,828

Current Showtimes

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(U.S. Only)

Director & Top Cast

Francis Ford Coppola
Director

Marlon Brando
Don Vito Corleone

Al Pacino
Michael

James Caan
Sonny

Diane Keaton
Kay Adams

Richard S. Castellano
Clemenza

Robert Duvall

Tom Hagen

Sterling Hayden

Capt. McCluskey

John Marley

Jack Woltz

Richard Conte

Barzini

Al Lettieri

Sollozzo

Abe Vigoda

Tessio

Talia Shire

Connie

Gianni Russo

Carlo

John Cazale

Fredo

Rudy Bond

Cuneo

Al Martino

Johnny Fontane

Morgana King

Mama Corleone

Technical Specifications

Sound Mix: Mono,(RCA Sound Recording, original release),Dolby Digital

Aspect Ratio: 1.85 : 1

Other Details

Country of Origin: United States

Language: English,Italian,Latin

Summaries

Plot Summary

In 1945, while his daughter Connie is getting married to Carlo Rizzi, Vito Corleone, the Don of the Corleone family in New York City, listens to requests. The reception is where Vito's youngest son, Michael, a Marine and World War II hero who has so far avoided involvement in the family business, presents his girlfriend, Kay Adams. Vito's godson, well-known singer Johnny Fontane, asks Vito for assistance in landing a film role. To convince Jack Woltz, the studio president, to give Johnny the role, Vito dispatches his consigliere Tom Hagen. Woltz initially rejects Hagen's request, but after discovering the severed head of his beloved stud horse in his bed, he eventually gives in.Drug lord Virgil "The Turk" Sollozzo appeals to Vito to invest in his drug business and provide police protection as Christmas draws near. Vito refuses, saying that he would lose his political network if he got involved in drug use. Vito sends his enforcer Luca Brasi on an espionage mission to the Tattaglias because he suspects Sollozzo of having a relationship with the Tattaglia crime family. At the first meeting, Brasi is killed by garroting. Officers later shoot Vito and force Hagen to attend a meeting. Now that Vito's firstborn son Sonny is in charge, Sollozzo puts pressure on Hagen to convince Sonny to agree to the drug deal. After NYPD officers on Sollozzo's payroll remove Vito's guards, Michael visits him in the hospital after he survives the shooting and discovers that he is unprotected. When Michael stops his father's murder attempt, dishonest police captain Mark McCluskey beats him. Sonny hits Bruno Tattaglia in retaliation for the attempted hit at the hospital. In order to resolve the conflict, Sollozzo and McCluskey ask to meet with Michael. After pretending to be interested and agreeing to meet, Michael plans to kill Sonny and Corleone capo Clemenza and then disappears. At a restaurant in the Bronx, Michael meets Sollozzo and McCluskey. He takes out a gun that Clemenza had hidden in the restroom and kills both men.The Five Families engage in open warfare in spite of the government's crackdown on the murder of a police captain. Moe Greene provides sanctuary for Vito's second son Fredo in Las Vegas, while Michael seeks safety in Sicily. Michael meets and weds Apollonia, a local, in Sicily. Carlo is publicly attacked and threatened by Sonny for mistreating Connie physically. Sonny rushes to their house after he mistreats her once more, but gangsters ambush and kill him at a highway toll booth. Michael is the target of a car bomb that kills Apollonia shortly after.Vito arranges a meeting with the Five Families because he is weary of war and devastated by Sonny's passing. He promises them he will stop opposing their drug trade and that he will not seek revenge for Sonny's death. With his safety assured, Michael goes back to his hometown to marry Kay and start the family business. At the beginning of the 1950s, Kay gives birth to two children. Michael takes over as the head of the Corleone family since his father is dying and Fredo is not fit to be the leader. Michael is informed by Vito that Don Barzini ordered the hit on Sonny and that Barzini would attempt to kill him during a meeting that a traitor Corleone capo had set up. Since Hagen is not a "wartime consigliere," Michael assigns him to oversee operations in Las Vegas with Vito's help. Michael is devastated to discover that Fredo is more devoted to Greene than to his own family when he goes to Las Vegas to purchase Greene's share in the family's casinos.While playing with Michael's son Anthony in 1955, Vito suffers a heart attack and passes away. Tessio betrays Michael by asking him to meet with Barzini at Vito's funeral. The meeting is scheduled for the same day as Connie's baby's baptism. The dons of the Five Families are killed by Corleone hit men, along with Greene for failing to sell his hotel and Tessio for betraying Michael, while Michael stands at the baptismal font as the child's godfather. Michael coerces Carlo into confessing to his role in Sonny's killing. He tells Carlo that he is not being killed but rather banished. Carlo confesses, but shortly after, Clemenza chokes him in a car. With Kay present, Connie questions Michael about his role in Carlo's demise. Kay is relieved when Michael denies responsibility when she asks him if he ordered Carlo's death. Capos enter the office and honor Michael as "Don Corleone" as she departs.

Storyline

The Godfather "Don" Vito Corleone is the head of the Corleone mafia family in New York. He is at the event of his daughter's wedding. Michael, Vito's youngest son and a decorated WWII Marine is also present at the wedding. Michael seems to be uninterested in being a part of the family business. Vito is a powerful man, and is kind to all those who give him respect but is ruthless against those who do not. But when a powerful and treacherous rival wants to sell drugs and needs the Don's influence for the same, Vito refuses to do it. What follows is a clash between Vito's fading old values and the new ways which may cause Michael to do the thing he was most reluctant in doing and wage a mob war against all the other mafia families which could tear the Corleone family apart. — srijanarora-152-448595 Michael, the young and idealistic son of Vito Corleone, the head of the most powerful Mafia clan in New York, returns home as a war hero and is determined to live his own life. But tragic circumstances make him face the legacy of his family. — fiveisforsecret New York, 1945. Don Vito Corleone (played by Marlon Brando) is the aging Godfather of a mafia family. He has three sons - Sonny (James Caan), Fredo (John Cazale) and Michael (Al Pacino). Sonny is his natural successor but is impulsive, short-tempered and not much of a thinker. Fredo is overly passive. Michael is a war hero and looking to stay out of the family business. The Corleone family and the other four mafia families of New York and New Jersey have been at peace for several years now. Then one of the families decides to get into the illegal narcotics business and wants Don Corleone's help. Don Corleone decides that his family should stay out of narcotics. This has disastrous and far-reaching consequences, consequences that will suck Michael deeper and deeper into the family business. The story begins as "Don" Vito Corleone, the head of a New York Mafia "family", oversees his daughter's wedding with his wife Carmela. His beloved son Michael has just come home from the war, but does not intend to become part of his father's business. Through Michael's life the nature of the family business becomes clear. The business of the family is just like the head of the family, kind and benevolent to those who give respect, but given to ruthless violence whenever anything stands against the good of the family. Don Vito lives his life in the way of the old country, but times are changing and some don't want to follow the old ways and look out for community and "family". An up and coming rival of the Corleone family wants to start selling drugs in New York, and needs the Don's influence to further his plan. The clash of the Don's fading old world values and the new ways will demand a terrible price, especially from Michael, all for the sake of the family. — Charlie Ness 1 more All