Masterful filmmaking; who can dispute it? The Corleones are shown in an entirely insular world, not really hurting anyone, not really committing any crimes, except against other underworld figures. Thus freed from anything larger than The Family, it becomes easy to care about the whole cast as characters, even identify with them, and to see the other families as villains, since a villain is just a person who is not loyal to the Godfather. The opening scenes at Connie’s wedding achieve the uncommon trick of getting an awful lot of exposition out of the way without calling any attention to it whatsoever. From there, the film is off like, well, like gangbusters: everyone’s position is well established, and over the course of the intricately constructed three-hour narrative everyone’s position will be neatly re-established. Washed of the glamor and cool of the old gangster pictures, obsessed with family relations, it is first and best an astute character study. These people communicate largely in gazes that convey whole histories and hidden motives, and they are entirely intelligible: this is a great credit to actors, script, director. In the film’s many intimate scenes, these are almost ordinary people with passions and grudges like anyone else, hoping and striving for a better future. Until someone disrespects the Godfather and suddenly everything explodes in gritty, unromanticized violence. A rich and exciting film, yes, and great: but #6 of all time? I see myself asking that over and over again in the course of this project. Yes, great, but this great? It will be tiresome for me and all who happen upon it, but there’s no avoiding it. Anyhow looking forward to Part II, and honestly wondering, doubting, if it could really be better than this.