The Godfather arrives on Netflix
As we near the end of March, Netflix has revealed the list of new releases for the month of April. Subscribers will be able to discover numerous films that will be added to the platform’s catalog in the coming weeks. And among them is one of the greatest films of all time, The Godfather (1972)which will be available from April 15th.
Try Netflix for free for 1 month with Canal+
A true classic of the seventh art, cinema Francis Ford Coppola it is a superb family fresco, whose importance today should not be overlooked. The story follows the Corleone family, a New York mafia family led by the “Godfather” Don Vito Corleone. His son Michael, despite being against his father’s methods, will have to gradually integrate into this criminal environment after the attack on Don Vito.
Carried by a notable cast, notably composed ofAl Pacino, Marlon BrandoJames Caan, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton and John Cazale, The Godfather won three Oscars for seven nominations, including those for best film, best actor for Marlon Brando and best adapted screenplay for Mario Puzo (original author of the novel) and Francis Ford Coppola. Furthermore, the feature film was a huge success, the most profitable of 1972. Which had important consequences for the future of cinema.
A complicated time in Hollywood
Indeed, at the time, cinema was not in the best financial condition. Studios were losing money and ambition. Some were purchased more for their land than with the aim of producing films. This was the case for Paramount Pictures, which had struggled with competition from television for years. Under complete renovation with new owners, the studio, bought back for just $600,000 at the time, then tried to limit the damage. For this reason, and because Paramount had the rights to adapt Mario Puzo’s novel, the producers wanted to produce it a quick and cheap little gangster film. And since the mafia theme no longer attracted the public, this time there was no reason to believe it.
The project was not even of interest to the production company American Zoetrope and its co-founders George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola. But needing income, the former managed to convince the latter to comply The Godfather. Coppola’s condition then was not to make a film about criminals, but rather about a family. A relevant choice because, despite a chaotic production for the director (told in the series L’Offerta and in various documentaries), was a success.
Huge success and lasting recognition
A success that had not been foreseen at all by Paramount Pictures, who had to do it make more copies urgently during the theatrical release. Furthermore, due to this, the negative was significantly damaged, subsequently making the restoration of the film very complicated. But the millions made by Paramount Pictures did saved the studio and this success has had an impact on cinema as a whole, as one of the bonus contents of the 4K box set of the trilogy tells us. For 23 consecutive weeks, The Godfather classified number 1 at the North American box officeand the stock price of Gulf & Western Industries, Inc., the studio’s owner, quadrupled.
To this day, the feature film remains one of the most profitable in the history of cinema, and its qualities have been recognized more than once. In 2007, the American Film Institute ranked it The Godfather in 2nd position of the 100 best American films in the history of cinema. As for the Sight and Sound magazine, the list of the best films according to the directors was included The Godfather 6th in 1992, then 2nd in 2002 and 3rd in 2022.
Try Netflix for free for 1 month with Canal+
Appointment on Netflix from April 15th to (re)discover this masterpiece.
Source: Cine Serie
Ray Ortiz is a journalist at Gossipify, known for his coverage of trending news and current events. He is committed to providing readers with accurate and unbiased reporting, and is respected for his ability to keep readers informed on the latest news and issues.
