Undoubtedly the best film ever made. If there ever was a film that can be classed as timeless it is this film. This masterpiece by Francis Ford Copolla is undisputedly the best film I have ever seen. I am sure many of you will concur. This film transferred five actors from the status of actors to the status of legends. Those five actors are Marlyn Brando, Al Pachino, Robert Duvall, James Caan and Diane Keaton. It just changed their status overnight. This film did for them what Don did to Amithabh, Baazigar did to Shahrukh and KNPH did for Hrithik. Usually I try to include a piece of sarcasm or humor in my reviews. I will not do that here because I deeply feel for this film and it is quite close to my heart. Packed with a terrific cast, terrific performances, excellent direction, out of the world editing, amazing screenplay and soul-moving background music, the plot is excellent with twists and turns. This film is not an action movie. It is a drama really. It is very touching at times and with the background music blaring it might, just might make you shed a tear. What really makes it excellent are the three things known as realism, realism and realism. The cast’s sticks together and tick’s together as well. The family in question is an Italian immigrant family Carleone whose head played by Brando is known as the Godfather. He has a large family with many sons and grand children. They all live together in one huge house. He has an adopted son who is a lawyer played by Robert Duvall, and two sons of his own one played by James Conn and the other by Al Pachino. They have a sister as well. There are other siblings too but they are not critical to the cast. The family deals and delves in all sorts of crimes. But from the beginning Brando makes a conscious effort not to involve Al Pachino in the business. Al Pachino gets drafted into the army and fights the Second World War. The story picks up from the point where he just returns for good for his above mentioned sister’s wedding. At this point Al Pachino is deeply in love with Diane Keaton. The Godfather’s family involved in guns, casinos, women, extortion, and all illegal businesses one can dream of. If there is one bad thing they do not do is drug smuggling. One person approaches the Godfather to start drug smuggling or warns him that he will be left behind. But he refuses. From then on their troubles begin. Godfather is shot at. While in the hospital another attempt is made on his life but Al Pachino saves him by arriving just on time. Thereafter Al Pachino decides to avenge his father’s death. A meeting is setup and Al Pachino executes the mission with clinical efficiency not without the help of clever plotting and planning. One of his victims is a corrupt police chief. Thereafter he has to flee to Europe. He has to live in Europe for a long time during which he does not forget Diane Keaton but needs someone to keep him sane. He has no company there other than two gun-totting bodyguards. So he marries a beautiful smashing Italian bombshell. This girl gets to say one of the most memorable lines in Hollywood. On being told that she cannot speak English she says, “Saanday, Maanday, Tuesday, Wensday, Thursday…..” in a thick Italian accent. Unfortunately she dies the very same day in a car bomb that was meant to kill Al. While Al is in Europe, the Godfather returns home from the Hospital. James Conn and Robert Duvall take over the business. Diane Keaton is fed up of Duvall’s explanation that he cannot reveal information about Al. Meanwhile James Caan badly assaults his brother-in-law, actually punishes him for beating up his sister. The same brother-in-law betrays James Caan to a rival gang and has him killed. At this point Al returns from Europe and takes over the business and becomes the Godfather. He marries Diane. With guidance from his father and Robert, he maintains a firm grip over the business. He slowly converts all his black money and illegal business into white money and legal business. He decides that the entire family should shift to Las Vegas from New York and slowly begins working towards that goal. Before he can do so, his father expires while playing with his son(Al and Diane’s son and Brando’s grandson). His father just before dying tells him that the different gangs will try to setup a meeting with him to resolve the issue and that Al would be killed in the meeting. He also predicts that the person who proposes such a meeting will be a traitor. At his father’s funeral, the traitor who was earlier a trusted accomplice comes with such an offer. Al sizes up the situation and prepares himself. Before the meeting he eliminates all his enemies in cold blooded shoot outs. He also does not spare his brother-in-law who had plotted in the murder of his brother. He kills him last. His sister approaches him and rebukes him for the murder. Al denies it and lies to his wife Diane as well about it. The film ends with that dialogue and then the rooms of his office are closed where he conducts his business as usual. This film has another favorite phrase which I think must have been repeated in the movie at least 7 or 8 times. Those of you who must have seen it will remember “What’s the matter with you?” laden with a heavy Italian accent. One of my near time goals is to buy a view CD of this film.