The ‘greatest film of all time’ is 1972 gangster classic | Films | Entertainment

Fans of films will either love or hate that this movie has been crowned “the greatest of all time”. This classic gangster film, The Godfather (1972) is the best movie of all time, according to Rotten Tomatoes and is available to stream on two platforms, Amazon Prime Video and NOW TV.

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola and co-written with Mario Puzo, based on Puzo’s best-selling 1969 novel, the American epic gangster film is about Michael Corleone, the war-hero youngest son of a powerful New York crime boss, who joins the family business when his father is targeted for assassination.

The film’s synopsis reads: “Widely regarded as one of the greatest films of all time, this mob drama, based on Mario Puzo’s novel of the same name, focuses on the powerful Italian-American crime family of Don Vito Corleone. When the don’s youngest son, Michael, reluctantly joins the Mafia, he becomes involved in the inevitable cycle of violence and betrayal. Although Michael tries to maintain a normal relationship with his wife, Kay (Diane Keaton), he is drawn deeper into the family business.”

It stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Richard Castellano, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley and Richard Conte, among others.

The Godfather was instantly met with success upon its release, and it became the highest-grossing film of 1972.

It won countless awards, most notably the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Marlon Brando), the Academy Award for Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay) for Coppola and Mario Puzo and the Academy Award for Best Picture.

The Godfather has a 97% rating from critics and audience users on Rotten Tomatoes.

The critics’ consensus says: “One of Hollywood‘s greatest critical and commercial successes, The Godfather gets everything right; not only did the movie transcend expectations, it established new benchmarks for American cinema.”

One reviewer on Rotten Tomatoes wrote: “This is not only grand entertainment, but an emotional and intellectual experience to rival any in cinema.”

“The Godfather works like a masterfully conducted orchestra, whose immaculate symphony is a meticulously crafted and extraordinarily integral thread in the fabric of cinema history,” another added.

But despite its plaudits, there are fans who believe there is an even better gangster film – The Godfather Part II, which continues the story.