Certain movies make an impression upon you — you can remember who you went to the movie with, what you were doing with your life, and especially what age you were. I was still in high school when this American crime film came out, and it was the sensation of 1972.
The Godfather was directed by Francis Ford Coppolla from a screenplay by Mario Puzo based on Puzo's 1969 novel. The Godfather is widely regarded as one of the greatest films in world cinema, and it certainly was the highest grossing picture of 1972. It also won three Oscars that year: Best Picture, Best Actor (Marlon Brando), and Best Adapted Screenplay. In addition to Marlon Brando, the film starred Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, John Marley and Diane Keaton.
There was some controversy about Nino Rota's score. Though originally nominated for Best Original Dramatic Score, Rota's compositions were removed from the list of nominees at the last minute because he had previously used the love-theme music in another film, Fortunella, which is against Academy rules. Rota later went on to win an Oscar for his score to The Godfather 2.
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