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The 100 Greatest movies of the 1970s. 1. The Godfather (2 Viewers)

timschochet said:
4. The Godfather, Part II (1974)

Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola

Starring: Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, Diane Keaton, Lee Strasberg, John Cazale, Talia Shire, Michael V. Gazzo, Robert Duvall

Synopsis: The saga of the Corleone family continues.

I know it was you, Fredo. You broke my heart. - Al Pacino as Michael Corleone


Here’s what I’m going to write as my justification of this film as my number 4 pick: nothing.
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I'm on Team Part II versus Part I, but probably because I've seen the first one a lot more. Can't go wrong with either one obviously.
 
"Oh, Michael. Michael, you are blind. It wasn't a miscarriage. It was an abortion. An abortion, Michael. Just like our marriage is an abortion. Something that's unholy and evil. I didn't want your son, Michael! I wouldn't bring another one of you sons into this world! It was an abortion, Michael! It was a son Michael! A son! And I had it killed because this must all end! I know now that it's over. I knew it then. There would be no way, Michael... no way you could ever forgive me not with this Sicilian thing that's been going on for 2,000 years."

SLAP!!!

oof
 
Pacino is great, but John Cazale will always stand out to me in Part 2. Tragic, he died so young. He would've been another Hollywood legend with the likes of Pacino, DeNiro.
 
Andy Dufresne said:
El Floppo said:
Andy Dufresne said:
They're good movies, but like @rockaction I don't get what ALL the fuss is about.
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I hear you.

Other than all-time acting and writing, stunning story telling, beautiful cinematography and fantastic editing and score, there's really not much there.
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:shrug: Those generalities could be applied to many movies. But there's no arguing against the Godfather mythos at this point.
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I'll give it a shot, Andy.

The Godfathers are movies that capture not only The Mob like Goodfellas, Casino et al do, but also the true mob like nature of big business in general and the cutthroat approach necessary for success. The intrigue for the movie is built both by the family drama and the concurrent Family drama. All the characters are so fully drawn that you feel as though you are there when Clemenza makes the meat-a-balls or when Micheal comes out of the restroom holding a gun and not his shvantz or when Enzo the Baker pees himself while honoring the Don with his heartfelt protection.

“Hello Carlo…” resonates as by the end of the movie our hero has turned full on anti-hero yet we appreciate his calculated intelligence, acumen, steadfast ability to do whatever is necessary to lead the Family. The killing of Fredo is such a gut punch but was the only choice and we, the viewing audience, understand that the deed needed to be done. Could I make the same decisions and commit those same actions if they were presented to me? I dunno, but it sure is a sign of successful leadership so maybe. To leave the gun but take the cannoli makes perfect sense in this regard.

The denouements are so beautifully drawn that you end of cheering the deaths of those ratfinks and bastards even though we have blood on our hands, just the price of doing business. “Tell Mike I always liked him, it was only business.”

Add to that everything El Floppo said and voila, awesome, intense, classic films aka Masterpieces.
 
Andy Dufresne said:
El Floppo said:
Andy Dufresne said:
They're good movies, but like @rockaction I don't get what ALL the fuss is about.
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I hear you.

Other than all-time acting and writing, stunning story telling, beautiful cinematography and fantastic editing and score, there's really not much there.
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:shrug: Those generalities could be applied to many movies. But there's no arguing against the Godfather mythos at this point.
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Not generalities, and no... Not a lot of movies where every aspect of the process comes together the way it does with both of those.

I can appreciate a bad to ok to good film for doing one or two things well. It's across the board here. Even if you don't love them for whatever reason, I genuinely don't get NOT getting these films. :shrug:
 
Yeoman's work fellas but none of those are new arguments or explanations.

And saying you don't get the greatness on a personal level doesn't necessarily mean you think the general appreciation is underserved. I know that's a bit mental gymnastic-y but it's still true...for me.

It's a great movie, just not one of my personal favorites. That's all.
 
Andy Dufresne said:
Yeoman's work fellas but none of those are new arguments or explanations.

And saying you don't get the greatness on a personal level doesn't necessarily mean you think the general appreciation is underserved. I know that's a bit mental gymnastic-y but it's still true...for me.

It's a great movie, just not one of my personal favorites. That's all.
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So you do get what the fuss is all about.

They're not in my top 10 favorites, but I understand and appreciate the fuss.
 
El Floppo said:
Andy Dufresne said:
Yeoman's work fellas but none of those are new arguments or explanations.

And saying you don't get the greatness on a personal level doesn't necessarily mean you think the general appreciation is underserved. I know that's a bit mental gymnastic-y but it's still true...for me.

It's a great movie, just not one of my personal favorites. That's all.
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So you do get what the fuss is all about.

They're not in my top 10 favorites, but I understand and appreciate the fuss.
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I guess I was a bit ineloquent there.

Thinking about this a little further I think it's because I prefer a hero to an anti-hero. Sure characters like Walter White make a show like Breaking Bad a good watch. But in the end these are bad men (and in the Godfather it's specifically men - women have almost no place) doing very bad things and rooting for or relating to them in any level is a bit... problematic.

But that's the point, of course. It's no coincidence that Michael shows up to the party wearing his military garb. Showing his descent from something implicitly noble to anything but due simply to his familial association IS the story. In the end that makes him tragic at best but really IMO it's simply pitiful.
 
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timschochet said:
CletiusMaximus said:
Joe Schmo said:
I always stop to watch when I run across the Godfather movies. I'm still transfixed by them.
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Yeah this was a bit of a problem for me when HBO released that 7 hour epic version that put everything in chrono order and included all deleted scenes.
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I don’t think that was HBO, I think it was a network.
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NBC did it way back in 1977, but that version was sanitized for network television. HBO released an updated version in 2016 called "The Godfather Epic" that was uncensored and of course was commercial-free in full and glorious high definition.
 
3. One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)

Directed by: Milos Forman

Starring: Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, Will Sampson, Brad Dourif, Danny Devito, Christopher Lloyd

Synopsis: A criminal tries to escape a prison sentence by pretending he is mentally ill.

I must be crazy to be in a loony bin like this- Jack Nicholson as Patrick J McMurphy

This movie would not have been possible without the efforts of Michael Douglas who was in love with the book and determined to make it. Myself I find the book weird and unreadable in places (though probably more accessible than anything else that acid head Kesey ever wrote.) But the film is great. It’s really a statement about individuality and rebellion against conformity. This is Nicholson’s best ever role. Louise Fletcher is a top ten movie villain of all time, and Brad Dourif is one of the most underrated actors of my lifetime (besides this he was memorable in Ragtime, Mississippi Burning, and The Two Towers.) The ending to this movie is terribly sad, and yet triumphant.
 
Ghost Rider said:
I like Bad News Bears a lot, but 7 does seem a bit high.

Rocky would have been top 5 for me, but I will accept top 10.

Pacino in Godfather II still might be the best performance I have ever seen in a film. It's mesmerizing.
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It's odd that Pacino is capable of such an incredible, understated performance as Michael in the 1st two Godfather films, yet chews the scenery in most of his other work. Is it due to the character, the writing, Ford Coppola's direction? I'm not sure, but imo he never hit these heights again.
 
timschochet said:
3. One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)

Directed by: Milos Forman

Starring: Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, Will Sampson, Brad Dourif, Danny Devito, Christopher Lloyd

Synopsis: A criminal tries to escape a prison sentence by pretending he is mentally ill.

I must be crazy to be in a loony bin like this- Jack Nicholson as Patrick J McMurphy

This movie would not have been possible without the efforts of Michael Douglas who was in love with the book and determined to make it. Myself I find the book weird and unreadable in places (though probably more accessible than anything else that acid head Kesey ever wrote.) But the film is great. It’s really a statement about individuality and rebellion against conformity. This is Nicholson’s best ever role. Louise Fletcher is a top ten movie villain of all time, and Brad Dourif is one of the most underrated actors of my lifetime (besides this he was memorable in Ragtime, Mississippi Burning, and The Two Towers.) The ending to this movie is terribly sad, and yet triumphant.
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Great film. Dourif was also fantastic as Doc in Deadwood, probably my favorite role of his (though I did enjoy the characters he played in various David Lynch films too).
 
2. Jaws (1975)

Directed by: Steven Spielberg

Starring: Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfus, Robert Shaw

Synopsis: A great white shark terrorizes a New York summer island.

Here lies the body of Mary Lee, died at the age of a hundred and three. For fifteen years she kept her virginity. Not a bad record for this vicinity. - Robert Shaw as Quint.

Quint is my favorite movie character of all time. Bar none. But Martin (Scheider) is the star of the film. He’s the normal guy, caught in a situation he feels responsible for but can’t see his way out of. The chemistry between the three leads is also one of the best ever. This movie is so good I want to see it again right now. It’s free on Netflix.
 
What kind of kid asks for straight coffee ice cream? No fudge or nuts or anything in it, just straight coffee ice cream.

Ruined the film for me.
 
I love his ranking of The Sting (yeah it's popcorn but it's the movies what do you expect?) and Network. Cabaret is a little low for. Bad News Bears is the biggest head scratcher for me. I love the movie but not top 10. There's another movie about teenagers that seems to be painfully missing from the list. I would swap it in for Bad News Bears.
 
1. The Godfather (1972)

Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola

Starring: Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, James Caan, Diane Keaton, John Cazale, Talia Shire, Abe Vigoda

Synopsis: The saga of the Corleone family.

Tell Mike it was only business. I always liked him. - Abe Vigoda as Tessio.

The Godfather remains for me the most satisfying film of all time to watch. It’s a complete epic in itself. As great as Part II is I view it as more like an epilogue (and prologue) than a sequel. The theme of the story is the destruction of a man, Michael Corleone and by the time the first movie ends that destruction is already complete. All that happens in Part II is that he realizes it.

The destruction is NOT complete when Michael kills Solozzo and McClusky. He is at that point just defending his father; he still has the chance of redemption as his love for Apollonia demonstrates. Her death begins the final destruction which is complete upon the murder of Carlo. (It strikes me that although this film is often compared to The Sopranos, the character of Michael is actual much closer to that of Walter White than it is Tony Soprano. Like Michael, Walter’s actions lead to an irrevocable end.)
 
OK so that’s my list. I know that many of you disagree, especially with the (relatively) lower ranking of Star Wars and the higher rankings of The Bad News Brea’s and Cabaret. I know also there are some films that I did not include on this list that many of you regard as worthy of high ranking. But I stand by it,

This was a lot of fun. It seems like somebody has already done 80s and 90s but I might eventually take a shot at that. We’ll see; hope you guys enjoyed it:
 
Star Wars was way too high. Bill Burr's take on it is pretty much mine: I guess you had to see it first when you were a kid to really love it, because, like him, I never saw it in full until I was an adult and didn't get the hype at all.

The Godfather being number 1 feels right. That and II would have been 1a and 1b on my 70s list.
 
Ghost Rider said:
Star Wars was way too high. Bill Burr's take on it is pretty much mine: I guess you had to see it first when you were a kid to really love it, because, like him, I never saw it in full until I was an adult and didn't get the hype at all.

The Godfather being number 1 feels right. That and II would have been 1a and 1b on my 70s list.
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I've found it doesn't hold up as well in my old age, unlike Empire which I still love.

Tim took a bit of heat, but if 80s and I did our countdown thing, I'm guessing my anti-70s comedies stance and other weirdness would have taken more.
 
Ghost Rider said:
Star Wars was way too high. Bill Burr's take on it is pretty much mine: I guess you had to see it first when you were a kid to really love it, because, like him, I never saw it in full until I was an adult and didn't get the hype at all.

The Godfather being number 1 feels right. That and II would have been 1a and 1b on my 70s list.
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I'll say this. The part in bold is absolutely correct. I watched it at a friend's Bday party in grade school and it was one of those "I'll never forget where I was when _____ happened" moments for me. It was just an epic moment that left its mark, for sure. That said, I tried to get my kids to watch it a few years ago, thinking they for sure would be impressed by such a classic masterpiece of a movie. Needless to say, not only did it not hold their attention, it barely held mine. I mean, I enjoyed it for nostalgic reasons, but I can definitely see where people who are watching it for the first time wouldn't be all that impressed.

Totally agree on the Godfather also. Doesn't get any better than that.
 
timschochet said:
1. The Godfather (1972)

Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola

Starring: Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, James Caan, Diane Keaton, John Cazale, Talia Shire, Abe Vigoda

Synopsis: The saga of the Corleone family.

Tell Mike it was only business. I always liked him. - Abe Vigoda as Tessio.

The Godfather remains for me the most satisfying film of all time to watch. It’s a complete epic in itself. As great as Part II is I view it as more like an epilogue (and prologue) than a sequel. The theme of the story is the destruction of a man, Michael Corleone and by the time the first movie ends that destruction is already complete.
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This is a fantastic interpretation. My third favorite movie of all time, and certainly the one with the best completion.

Incidentally, 1 and 2 are The Shawshank redemption and Field of Dreams, respectively, The latter being based on an emotional response.

Thank you for putting in all the effort in doing this list, Tim. I have enjoyed following it very much.
 
Andy Dufresne said:
Oh boy. That wasn't one of the seven I thought of.

Not that it's a bad film but that means one of the ones I thought were top 7 weren't top 150.
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I agree, leaving the Billy Jack series off the list was a travesty but we covered that early on. This list was tainted from the jump.
 
KarmaPolice said:
Ghost Rider said:
Star Wars was way too high. Bill Burr's take on it is pretty much mine: I guess you had to see it first when you were a kid to really love it, because, like him, I never saw it in full until I was an adult and didn't get the hype at all.

The Godfather being number 1 feels right. That and II would have been 1a and 1b on my 70s list.
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I've found it doesn't hold up as well in my old age, unlike Empire which I still love.

Tim took a bit of heat, but if 80s and I did our countdown thing, I'm guessing my anti-70s comedies stance and other weirdness would have taken more.
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Before the 2nd trilogy was released, they re-released the 1st 3 with director adjustments. I don't think I had seen Star Wars since I first saw it in the theaters and was psyched to see it again in a big screen. I know it's meant to be a sort of Sunday comics type film... But I hadn't realized how many groan/laugh worthy moments are in it- especially around Luke. I think Tims ranking was about right, TBH. It's iconic, super fun and formed most of our collective childhoods and worthy of its inclusion here for sure. But can't touch any of those movies in the top 10... Maybe Bears... But otherwise, not the same level of film.
 
Pip's Invitation said:
zamboni said:
Mrs. Rannous said:
Luke Skywalker is pretty whiny.
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Might have been much different had Mark Hamill stayed on Eight Is Enough instead of taking the Luke role.
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When Star Wars was re-released in theaters 25-ish years ago, the people in front of me kept making fun of Luke’s whining the whole time.
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Just posted that! Sorry to not have read through first. And it was the entire theater groan/laughing at Luke and more. But also mostly cheering in general.
 
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