The Godfather is one of the greatest films of all time, directed by director Frances Ford Coppola, with a formidable cast, where the newcomer (at the time) Al Pacino was launched to stardom. Five decades later, Pacino reflects on the film, where it took him and how his life has changed.
The Hollywood Reporter (THR) spoke with Al Pacino after attending a small screening of the film in question, which Pacino himself attended. Once a minor stage actor in New York, the success of the mob film launched him to A-lister status – “Soon after The Godfather came out and became an instant cultural sensation, he was standing on a street corner in New York when he realized everything was about to change. “A beautiful woman was standing next to me,” Pacino said. “She turned around and said, 'Hello, Michael.' My heart sank. I thought, 'Oh, no. The life I knew is over.'” His dreams originally included doing regional theater, making a living, getting married, and having 10 children; but once The Godfather became a family classic, his ambitions changed and he became the iconic actor we all know and love today.

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The Godfather's Legacy
THR also reported that Pacino's character, Michael Corleone, has one of the most compelling story arcs in cinema history, calling him “one of the most endearing characters” and that Pacino created a certain distance from the film.Looking The Godfather from start to finish after all these years it was “humiliating”,' he said. It was exciting to see friends who had died, like James Caan and John Cazale, on screen. But it was also touching to see his younger self about to take a dramatic turn in life, one that, like Michael Corleone's, seemed almost predestined.” THEGodfather It is not only a great film from a technical point of view, but also a social one: it deals with difficult subjects to handle such as masculinity, ethnic and cultural identity, violence, family cycles and, if not treated with care, they can make a difference in a film. It encouraged people to think about these issues in their lives and changed the way the world saw the gangster genre. Once seen differently, after The Godfather publication, the mafia film has proven to be a conduit for serious film material and production.
THR also reveals that the film's dissection isn't over, releasing a 10-episode series called “The Godfather: A Film We Can't Refuse,” produced by Paramount and distributed by Audible. It will include conversations with cast members, directors and critics on everything surrounding The Godfather, “even the meatballs.”
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
The Godfather: A Movie We Can't Refuse will be released on Audible on August 22, 2024.