Customer Reviews

The Godfather (1972 Film)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

There is a very broad chasm between what I WANT to say about this film score and what I HAVE to say about this film score. What I WANT to say is that you MUST buy it; it is a perfect album for a perfect score; no film score collection is complete without it. Instead, what I HAVE to say is that the music in the film IS perfect, but the music on the album is so ignorantly assembled that it makes the purchase nearly worthless. So, there you have it. Anyone who has seen the film has undoubtedly fallen in love with Nino Rota's amazing score, thematically beautiful and with more than a hint of his Italian roots. Every praise that one can distribute to such an achievement is well deserved; however, it is nearly impossible to determine this based on the album offered to the consuming public.

So what is the problem? Just this: The Godfather CD has a healthy number of tracks, however not a one is longer than three minutes, not only making for a short album, but also for disjointed excerpts that are far too brief to ever give a sufficient amount of the feeling displayed in the film and never allowing the themes to develop. Moreover, what is offered on the CD is so incredibly redundant that you can justify NOT purchasing this album by acquiring a mere suite from some compilation disc. This CD, however, offers only glimpses of what the REAL film music was, sometimes even fading out with no cause and no transition!--surely no film score should ever result to such a despicable convention.

But, as much as I hate the CD, one cannot deny that the music is a simply phenomenal creation. Melodies that you'll be humming for days after, a concluding choral track that excels beyond every other excerpt, and even a risky--though intriguing--organ track all effectively reveal the magic that was to be experienced in the theatre. Unfortunately with this album, it was BETTER experienced in the theatre. Because the music held so much promise and because the film is such a pivotal addition to cinema and because the entire Godfather series is a phenomenon of itself, one would have hoped that the producers of this album could have successfully translated an inspiring score onto a CD. Unfortunately, they have not; and so the consumer suffers by having to make a choice that no person should be forced to make: purchase a bad CD or neglect one of cinema's greatest musical achievements. The choice is yours...

Before anyone sends me hate mail for giving this only one star, let me just say that I'd give five stars to the film score for THE GODFATHER (not to mention PARTS II and III) just as soon as I'd give five stars for STAR WARS or THE SOUND OF MUSIC.

The bad rating is not for the film score but for this CD, which (as of my typing this) is the only available soundtrack of THE GODFATHER. I used to own this CD, but I sold it, because the sound is horrible and it only contains less than half of the music from the film. One would think that in this age of digitally remastered soundtracks with expanded tracks, etc., there would be one for one of the greatest films of all time. In fact, here is only a very small list of film soundtracks which have been remastered and re-released with the majority (if not all) of the music from their respective films:

STAR WARS / JAWS / THE SOUND OF MUSIC / 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY / RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK

My advice to the many people who love this film score so much (as I do) is simply to be patient and hope that there will soon be a quality soundtrack release, one which does not insult the ears or the intelligence of the listeners.

In the original film there is an excellent track called "Manhattan Serenade" (I think). Basically it's the music that accompanies Hagen on his flight to see Woltz. It's a Beutiful recording and one I thought would have been a must for this CD Regards Craig

Many people have complained that this CD is short, and it is --- 31.5 minutes. On top of that, as is true with most film scores, there are really only three or four themes, with variations in instrumentation, tempo, etc. (you'll hear "The Godfather Waltz" a LOT), and most of the cuts are fairly short.

Yet this is a terrific score, and it's very well performed, as well as any album of the material. There's a lightness to the instrumentation, unlike, say, the syrupy strings of Carmine Coppola's arrangements. There's a charming use of folk instrumentation: mandolin, accordion, trumpet. It's a real winner.

My advice is to buy it used. I got a like new copy for $5.99 (shipping included) from Amazon Marketplace, and at that price, it's worth every penny.

You might also want to start a campaign --- see if a little consumer pressure could be put on Paramount or MCA to search the vaults and release a new GODFATHER soundtrack CD with 15 extra minutes of music. Be forewarned, though: 10 of those minutes will be more of "The Godfather Waltz."

Last night my wife & I happened to watch The Godfather on Bravo and the music was the element that really captivated me. When I first saw this movie, I was 9 years old in 1972, on a family vacation, and my very conservative 2nd generation Italian-American parents, completely unaware of the subject matter of the film, thought this an excellent film for the family to watch... Yet, looking back, and feeling the loss of grandparents, great aunts and uncles, the diaspora across America of my first and second cousins, lost in the melting pot, the score for the Godfather reminds me of a time of my own innocence, of a time when large family gatherings were the norm, when every Sunday evening meant hour long haircuts by my 85 year old grandfather and delicious Italian meals cooked by my 70 year old great aunt. It took a long time to accept the loss of family as one by one that generation died off in the 1970's, to realize that life was not going to be a cocoon of large, warm, loving family relations. Yet, way back in 1972, this magnificent, mournful music presaged that tragic realization that life in America was no longer going to be so cozy for those who choose complete assimilation into the melting pot. The fictional Corleone family were Sicilian; my own were Neapolitan & Barese, but for anyone of southern Italian heritage, whether on the mainland or Sicily there is a chill of genetic resonance and recognition when you hear Rota's haunting mix of Neapolitan & Sicilian sounds and rhythms. It's the motherland calling, the soul yearning, ignorant of the original grievances that caused the rift that sent whole communities and solo immigrants to the shore of a new world that was often no warmer a welcome mat than the hidebound, superstitious and vendetta-plagued hilltop farming communities they sought to escape from. Tears of what...joy? or tears of sorrow demand to be exuded from my being when I hear this film score, crying for a warm, fuzzy fantasy of youth, yes, but one that did indeed contain the seeds of my being, and the cocoon of loving family that sheltered me in my growing years. Let me call these tears of joy and appreciation for Francis Ford Coppola and Nino Rota for awakening in me the dormant love of an ancient homeland with many faults, but big enough to give birth to those who gave life to me.

One of the many elements of "The Godfather" which makes it an icon of pop culture is its unforgettable soundtrack. The melancholy, tragic music which makes up the score adds to the tone of the film, and stands alone as great music as well. The sweet, dark, Italian-inspired melodies immediately recall entertainment brilliance.

As I recently sat at a hotel bar called Niles on 31st St. & 7th Ave in midtown Manhatten, it was 3 am, the lights were out and I was accompanied by 2 friends and a bartender as it was closing. They look through the CD's and he tells the bartender to put in this CD. He wouldn't tell me what it was. As the music begins to play, I got shivers down my spine, and almost began to shiver. It was a hell of a moment. This is arguably the best movie ever. My parents have the Vinyl origional score, and I can't remember hearing it once. This is in amaizing piece of music. You can picture the scenes as you are listening. You hear Sonny being ambushed, Connie getting married, the horse head, and Luca Brasi swimming with the fishes. So all in all, buy this CD

This soundtrack takes you into the movie itself and you can see this is one of the greatest soundtracks of all time. However it is only flawed, due to the fact that "Manhattan Serenade" was missing.

To appreciate this soundtrack fully it is essential to have seen and enjoyed the film although the music is haunting in its own right. Yes, the CD is only just over an half hour in length but quantity is compensated for by quality. The music perfectly captures the moodiness of the film and its period. Buy this CD and you will not be disappointed. It is a low price to pay for owning a 'cut' of movie history - it will be timeless for you.

I'll never ever get tired of listening to this soundtrack! Every piece brings back vivid memories of scenes from the film. It's so familiar, it's comforting.