“The Godfather” is a story about a family and its business. Which, for the Corleone family, just happens to be running an organized crime syndicate.
Based on a bestselling book by Mario Puzo, the epic three-hour saga took America by storm when it was released 50 years ago. The movie would go on to be a prototype for blockbuster films of today, with production starting on the sequel before the first film hit theaters.
Howard Suber, professor emeritus at UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, is not surprised by the continued relevance and success of “The Godfather.” He sees the story of a tight-knit family caught in a life-or-death struggle for power, love and respect as carrying on the tradition of storytelling from Greek tragedy and Shakespeare. “The Godfather resonates today because it follows the path of Western drama for the past 2,500 years,” Suber said.