‘The Godfather’ returns to the hit movie list
Coppola’s “The Godfather” earned $970,000 in North America, $1.4 million from other markets when it was re-released on its 50th anniversary.According to information posted on February 28, Hollywood Reporter rated the work as the best among the movies released in theaters last weekend. From February 25 to 27, the film earned an average per theater of 6,128 USD, surpassing Antiquities Hunter (average revenue of 5,438 USD, shown in 4,275 theaters) The work ranked number one or number two in more than 70 theaters, out of a total of 156 movie theaters, including three top-selling theaters such as AMC Lincoln Square (New York), AMC Metreon (San Francisco), AMC Georgetown (Washington). The achievement contributed to raising the film’s global revenue to 248.2 million USD, not including inflation. “The results are phenomenal. Everyone has seen The Godfather, but not in theaters,” said Paramount domestic distribution president Chris Aronson.
Released in 1972, The Godfather was adapted from the novel of the same name by Mario Puzo, revolving around the fights and power struggles of criminal gangs. Director Francis Ford Coppola – then 29 years old – let viewers fully enter the lives of mafia bosses, represented by the Corleone family.
The work changes the audience’s perception of crime films, especially gangster movies. Before that, the term “mafia” was unfamiliar to Hollywood. Crime themes often revolve around murders and detective investigations, ending with the evil being brought to light.
The Godfather – on the contrary – is built with underworld fighting scenes, rich in violence, with many scenes shot at R level (restricting audiences under 17 years old). Not stopping at building a criminal world, Coppola and the author of the original novel Puzo together created a work that makes viewers ponder the nature of good and evil.
The film also incorporates messages about family values and life principles. Throughout his journey as leader of a criminal gang, Vito Corleono never stopped thinking about his wife and children. He always clearly distinguished between home and business affairs, teaching his children lessons about human morality. The work won nine Oscars for both parts. The Guardian newspaper rated Corleone as a classic criminal image throughout 50 years of film history.