Shiori Strauss Film History Professor Oakes Screening Report on The Godfather Francis Ford Coppola directed The

Godfather in 1972. The film starred Marlon Brando, Al Pacino and James Caan. The film has been number two on the American Film Institutions best movies ever made, ever since. Its just one of those movies that we have all seen or at least heard of, especially when it comes to the well known lines. The film was a huge success grossing nearly $135 million and achieving ten Academy Award nominations. It won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1972. Marlon Brando also won best actor for his role and the movie also won for Best Screenplay.

Despite his epically scary and haunting character on screen, Marlon Brando was a different person off screen. According to the World Observer Online, he did something only one person before him did; he refused the movie industrys heftiest honor, the Oscar for best actor. He did this to bring awareness to an issue he thought needed to be addressed right there and then. On March 5, 1973, he sent Sacheen Littlefeather, in his place, to address the American Indian rights movement. She told everyone that Marlon Brando himself asked her to tell everyone that he could not accept the reward due to the treatment of American Indians today by the film industry. Apparently, during that time her people had no representation in the film industry and were mainly used as extras, they were extremely disrespected. When this was brought to Brandos attention it shattered his image of the industry. So even though he is known for playing the biggest mobster to have ever lived on screen, off screen he was a brave human activist who declined a moment every actor has dreamt about and lent it to the Native American community to raise awareness in front of 85 million viewers!

worldobserveronline.com/2014/02/28/unbelievable-story-marlon-brando-rejected-1973-oscargodfather/

On screen Marlon Brando played, Vito Corleone, the godfather himself. Representing the head mobster of a Mafia family in the 1940s New York scene. The character is a ruthless, violent criminal, and although his heart lies in protecting his family- he goes to any and every length to make sure that they are protected. In the film, the godfather goes as far as putting a horses head at the bottom of a directors bed. Its extremely ironic how Marlon Brando won best actor for being such a ruthless character, and then didnt accept his Oscar to be a good person- shed light to the American Indian Movement.

The movie has been recognized and mention in so many shows and movies. Directors have always been incorporating The Godfather quotes and scenes into their own masterpieces. I remember watching Youve Got Mail, where Tom Hanks and another male actor both quoted Marlon Brandos Vito Corleone lines. Meg Ryan soon wonders what is it with guys and The Godfather? Its true, guys love the film, theyve always loved the film, and many generations to come will fall in love with it too, its a classic and classics never die. CHECKLIST FOR PLAGIARISM 1) ( ) I have not handed in this assignment for any other class. 2) ( ) If I reused any information from other papers I have written for other classes, I clearly explain that in the paper. 3) ( ) If I used any passages word for word, I put quotations around those words, or used indentation and citation within the text. 4) ( ) I have not padded the bibliography. I have used all sources cited in the bibliography in the text of the paper. 5) ( ) I have cited in the bibliography only the pages I personally read. 6) ( ) I have used direct quotations only in cases where it could not be stated in another way. I cited the source within the paper and in the bibliography. 7) ( ) I did not so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks interpretation or originality. 8) ( ) I checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have been fully transparent about the research and ideas used in my paper.