The Godfather Trilogy celebrates 50 year anniversary

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the release of the Coppola classic “The Godfather.” All three films in the epic trilogy have been restored under the direction of Coppola and will be made available on 4K Ultra HD for the first time ever on March 22, 2022.

Associate Professor Kevin Sandler of ASU’s Film and Media Studies joined us to discuss the film’s impact on cinema. Professor Sandler believes the film is still revered, even 50 years after its original release, because of the broad audience it appeals to.  He says the film appeals to a lot of different groups with different tastes and political persuasions.

“The movie speaks to people in many different ways,” he said.

Professor Sandler said that the film’s success demonstrated that a single film, if marketed as an event, could be a box-office success. Overall, the film has done $136,281,403 in domestic box office sales and $302,393 the opening weekend.

“You can choose to read it as entertainment, or if you want you can read it as a cultural critique of America, but for the most part people are mesmerized by the characters, by the stories, and the nostalgia that the movie provokes,” Professor Sandler said.

Before the Godfather film, mafia films were not considered to be proper subject. Coppola, along with skilled technicians and actors,  managed to achieve something “poetic” and “grand.”

“The film, in Coppola’s mind did glamorize violence and for many people that’s part of its appeal,” Professor Sandler said.