The cast of ‘The Godfather’ name their favourite movies of all time
American cinema was indelibly changed following the release of Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 masterpiece The Godfather, with the film heralding a new cinematic style that would inform countless burgeoning filmmakers. Legitimising the gangster movie as a genuine art form, the release of Coppola’s ‘Best Picture’ winner led to a cultural appetite for similar stylish crime thrillers, inspiring such names as Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino and Steven Spielberg.
An intricate tale, Coppola and his co-writer Mario Puzo craft a complex tapestry of the Corleone crime family, weaving together multiple plot points to create a satisfying whole. It all follows Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando), a crime boss who is much like an ageing monarch, who decides to hand power down to his reluctant youngest son, Michael (Al Pacino), with Coppola capturing the drama of such a significant power shift.
Aside from Coppola’s masterful work behind the camera, much of the movie’s success comes from the magnificent performances of its lead cast, with the likes of Diane Keaton, James Caan and Robert Duvall elevating Brando with dedicated supporting roles. As a result, each of these actors has gone down in history as being some of the finest American performers of all time, beloved by audiences and critics alike.
Going through archived interviews, autobiographies and more, we’ve tracked down each of these actors’ favourite movies. Check out our breakdown below.
The cast of The Godfather name their favourite movies of all time
Marlon Brando
An enigmatic American actor who changed the way performance was seen on the silver screen, Marlon Brando won two Academy Awards over the years, collecting an Oscar for On the Waterfront in 1955 and The Godfather for his role as Don Vito Corleone 17 years later. Rather predictably, thanks to the actor’s high opinion of himself, Brando’s favourite film was actually one of his very own.
Brando called the 1969 movie Burn! “the best acting I’ve ever done,” with many people stating that the actor called it his all-time favourite. In the Gillo Pontecorvo movie, he plays Sir William Walker, a man trying to help an island colony gain independence.
James Caan
The late James Caan found success with a multitude of films across the course of his career, starring in Rob Reiner’s adaptation of Stephen King’s Misery, Jon Favreau’s Christmas classic Elf, and, of course, Coppola’s seminal movie The Godfather. Appearing as Sonny Corleone, Vito’s eldest son, Caan gives some quality experience to the cast, carrying a powerful stature throughout the movie.
Much like Brando, Caan calls one of his own movies his very best, stating that the 1981 Michael Mann movie Thief was his favourite movie in a glittering filmography. “[A]t the time I was a big shot, and whatever I wanted to do, they did. I said I wanted to do this,” the actor stated about the movie, adding: “Jerry Bruckheimer and my brother produced -– and if you knew my brother, that’s hysterical”.
Robert Duvall
Robert Duvall is one of the many unsung heroes of Coppola’s classic movie, with the actor playing the role of Tom Hagen, an advisor and lawyer to the Corleone family. A seasoned professional, Duvall had starred in the likes of True Grit and George Lucas’ THX 1138 before the release of The Godfather and went on to win an Oscar for Tender Mercies many years later in 1983.
Speaking to MTV News about his favourite movie, Duvall stated: “It’s hard to pick just one movie… I guess my favourite movie of all time would have to be The Godfather, which really stands out. I love its rich storytelling. Coppola did a great job weaving such a mammoth tale into a captivating film. With a story like that, it can get away from you but Coppola mastered it”.
But, if you’re not satisfied with that answer, Duvall also adds that he “loved” Kathryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker.
Diane Keaton
The Godfather is known as being quite a male-dominated movie, with the likes of Marlon Brando, Al Pacino and James Caan imprinting their considerable influence on the flick. However, this isn’t to say that it’s without its outstanding female characters, with Diane Keaton playing Kay Adams-Corleone, Michael’s girlfriend, who becomes caught in the crossfire of her lover’s criminal family.
Keaton revealed her favourite movie in her autobiography Then Again, choosing her own 2003 film Something’s Gotta Give, where she starred alongside Jack Nicholson, Keanu Reeves and Frances McDormand.
Al Pacino
The American actor Al Pacino is one of those actors who defined Hollywood cinema in the late 20th century, starring in such memorable classics as Sidney Lumet’s Dog Day Afternoon, Brian De Palma’s Scarface, Michael Mann’s Heat and much more. In The Godfather, he plays the role of Michael Corleone, the youngest son who is somewhat forced into taking over the family business, despite his plans otherwise.
“I have… five or six movies I really think are the greatest,” Pacino once said during a red carpet interview, “I always liked The Tree of Wooden Clogs,” making reference to an unlikely Italian film from 1978, directed by Ermanno Olmi.
