Godfather, The

The Godfather is a feature film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, based on a book by Mario Puzo, with cinematography by Gordon Willis. It is a Paramount production. The film is fictional and follows the life of Michael Corleone (actor Al Pacino) as emerging head of a family crime syndicate established by his father Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando).

The film is set in America in 1945, when Michael is a war hero returning from active duty in World War II. At his sister Connie's (Talia Shire) wedding celebration he introduces his girlfriend Kay (Diane Keaton) to his family and tells her that they are gangsters. He is keen to distance himself from their activities, telling her, “That's my family, Kay. It's not me.” Michael is equally keen that Kay, a white Anglo-Saxon Protestant, be included in the photos of his Italian American Catholic family.

Both Michael and his father Vito implicitly agree that Michael will not join the established crime syndicate, much to the disgust of his impetuous brother Sonny (James Caan). However, when his father is the victim of a near-fatal shooting by a rival gang member, Michael emerges as the natural leader. He orchestrates the killing of a police chief, which results in a war with rival Mafioso. Michael takes refuge in his father's hometown of Corleone, Sicily; there he meets, falls in love with, and marries Apollonia (Simonetta Stefanelli). Shortly after their wedding day she is killed in an attack intended for Michael.

Michael returns to the United States, rekindles his relationship with Kay, and marries her. Michael convinces Kay that he aims to make the family business legitimate, but as his gangster status rises their relationship becomes more strained. Through the course of Michael's 10-year ascendancy, his brother Sonny is killed, his brother Fredo (John Cazale) betrays Michael, and adopted brother Tom (Robert Duvall) becomes Michael's consiglieri (adviser). When Vito Corleone dies, Michael emerges as the new Mafia Don.